Merry Christmas all!
The picture above is one of the pictures we took for our Christmas card. No pants, of course.
And what did we get Marshall for Christmas? A pad of paper and some new crayons. He had so many gifts from all of our families and we try hard to keep things as minimal as possible (which is nearly impossible with a 18 month old.) When he’s a little older, we’ll step up the game a little bit, but the kid doesn’t need anything and beyond that, he doesn’t care.
Does he look like he cares? Best Day Ever.
We had a great Christmas and I wanted to put some cutie pictures up but this post isn’t about Christmas really, it’s about running. Are you really surprised?
I had an intense addiction to running last week. The addiction is always there, but last week I was more obsessed than usual.
I ran 60 miles, which is only the second time I’ve run that many in one week. The other time was my peak week of Shamrock training in the spring. That’s a crap ton of miles for me. I naturally land around 40 if I had to guess.
This is what the week looked like:
Monday AM 12 Mile Progression Run starting @ 8:20, finishing @ 6:30. Last 30 minutes pretty hard.
Total: 12 Miles
Tuesday AM– 7 Miles, Recovery @8:34, PM 3.6 Miles, Recovery @ ? No watch (running dog)
Total: 10.6 Miles
Wednesday AM 12 Miles Easy @7:30-8:30, PM 3.5 Miles, Recovery, no watch, running the dog.
Total: 15.5 Miles
Thursday AM 5.5 Miles Recovery @ 8:20 PM 2 Miles Recovery, No watch, running the dog.
Total: 7.5 Miles
Friday AM 12.2 @ 7:20-8:20 w/ incline work. 35 minutes- 80 minutes alternate 2.0 inline at 7:41 pace for 2.5 min, back down to .5 incline for 2.5 min @ 7:30, cool down 10 minutes
Total: 12.2 Miles
Saturday – 3.5 Recovery Run , No watch, running the dog
Total: 3.5 Miles
Sunday – Rest me. Body needs it, mind didn’t want it. Addiction.
Week Total: 60 Miles
I thought I might have done a 10 miler on Sunday, but I really just didn’t want to run or workout or anything. So I didn’t. And to be honest, I felt anxious about it. And that’s not really ok, but there could be worse things.
Glenn ALWAYS tells me to be careful and not to ramp back up too quick. He is also the same person who plants the seed that if I ran higher mileage weeks, I’d probably be a lot faster. Plant that seed and I run with it.
I’ve been back at it for 7 weeks now– the week before last I ran 50 miles (8 more than I had planned) which was a pretty big jump from the week before and this week I ran 60, another pretty big jump.
A general rule to follow is to not up your mileage by much more than 10% each week & after Glenn’s hamstring injury last spring, he is particularly adamant about it.
I told him, I know my body and wouldn’t run more than I can handle or do more than I can handle. Honestly I’ve only done that a couple times in my life- one being the other weekend in Crown Point when I ran 12 miles way to fast up and down some stupid hills. Thankfully I’ve never been prone to running related injuries, I hope that streak continues.
BUT, he also tells me I need to be following a plan. Right now though, I’m enjoying making things up as I go and just running as much as I want when I want.
So that puts as at Christmas morning, which was pretty quiet for us, since both of my sisters weren’t in town. My parents have a pretty nice home gym so, as soon as my mom finished rowing- Glenn hopped on the bike & I hoped on the treadmill. They are storing the Boston Marathon treadmill that my sister won at their house until she has space for it- and man it is freaking nice.
I ran a big handful of sections of the Boston course on the treadmill- the incline just moves as you go- even descends which is crazy. And the whole time there is a video of the course like you are in the race. This treadmill is insane- better than the treadmills at the gym. I was originally going to run outside- but was itching to try this treadmill and ended up doing 18 miles. My original plan was 17, but then I had started the last section of the marathon and it would have ended at 18.2, so I couldn’t get myself to stop. Then I almost said heck with it and ran on in for 20, but dang I’m glad I didn’t, because once again, I did overdo it a bit and felt pretty ick last night. I probably ran a little too fast and a little too far.
Since the Treadmill is so new- my parents hadn’t put the ledge on it which would hold my kindle, and their TV wasn’t loud enough to hear, and I didn’t have my headphones- so I basically ran the whole 18 just watching the video of the marathon course. This was fine for the day but after once or twice, it would get boring.
And just a note- I don’t usually do my long runs on the treadmill, but I am not opposed.
I love starting a holiday with a good workout.
How as your Christmas?
Do you start your holidays with a workout?
Have you tried the Boston Marathon Treadmill?
Do you ever go long on the Treadmill?