The Road to Dopey: Week 16 - Running on the Road

April Miles to Date: 11.6
April Average Pace: 14:45
2016 Miles to Date: 106.4
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 2
Streak Day: 2 (Maximum: 9)
The American 200: 32.5 mi/200 (9/16/16 Deadline: 9 miles behind schedule)

I want that April miles number to be higher than it is. I want that April average pace to be higher than it is. But it's not going to be. April will end with a maximum of 17 miles. And there's nothing I can do about that except resolve to be better in May. May will be hotter. May will be more humid. May will be shorter, because I'm not running at Disney (but I'll be walking a lot and still getting miles under my feet, so that counts for something, right?). The good news is, this won't ruin my streak...I've always planned to take Disney week off. A runner I follow on IG just had her 700th streak day...which is remarkable and inspiring. When I commented as much, she offered me this advice:

Just take it one day at a time. It eventually just becomes "the norm" and harder to not do it than to get out the door.

So that's what I'm doing, starting today.

I did something I've never done before this week: I took my workout gear and running shoes on a work trip with me. Wednesday, when I made it to my hotel, I took a towel out of the bathroom and spread it on the floor and did my strength training followed by my yoga before I went out to dinner. The following morning, I put on my workout gear and went down to the hotel gym to run on the treadmill.  I only made it a mile. There wasn't a fan in the gym (seriously?) and I forgot to kick on the a/c unit before I started, so I got really warm, REALLY fast. And even though #summeriscoming in Texas, my body is not ready for it yet. As evidenced by my long run on Saturday. I knew it wasn't going to be that 13 miler I keep putting off. I'm readjusting my training calendar, so it will be the week after I get back from Disney. I was aiming for between 4 and 6 miles; my legs were sore from all the walking I'd done uphill in fancy shoes. I only got 4. It was weirdly cool, but muggy outside and I was starving. But I did 4. That counts for something right?

My workout plan for the coming week:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Yoga/Strength Training
• Tuesday: Run 2.5 miles 
• Thursday: Run 3 miles with Hills
• No Saturday run

Here's hoping I can stick to it. Because running and I aren't done yet. We're just beginning. 

The Road to Dopey: Week 15 - When sickness knocks you flat

April Miles to Date: 6.5
April Average Pace: 14:28
2016 Miles to Date: 101.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 0
Streak Day: 1 (Maximum: 9)
The American 200: 27.4 mi/200

Well, then. I didn't blog last week because I didn't think I had much to say. And then I didn't work out all week. On Sunday, I went for an easy 4 mile run that I wound up walking the great majority of because my legs felt like lead. That afternoon I had a terrible headache and went to bed nauseous. Monday morning I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck and went home sick from work (no workout that morning). That evening I still felt nauseous and the next morning I woke up and got sick (no run). Thankfully, this was the last day I felt too sick to work or do anything more than lay on my couch all week, but because I was massively dehydrated for the rest of the week, I didn't do any workouts. Additionally, I only went back to eating real food on Thursday, which meant my fuel reserves for working out were pretty much depleted.

I knew I shouldn't be running or strength training, or even attempting yoga, so I listened to my body and stayed lazy. I'm chomping at the bit to get back to it and since this morning was the fifth straight morning I woke up feeling okay and actually hungry, I am determined to get back to it this week. I'm traveling Wednesday through Friday, but there is a gym at my hotel and I'm toying with the idea of packing my running shoes and using the treadmill. Got to get those miles in before my vacation where I'm not even attempting to run in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.

I am so very excited to go back to Disney and to get to enjoy more of it than last time. I love running races at Disney and I'm anxious to return and do another one, but the eating schedule, the resting of my legs, and the early bedtimes keep you from doing everything. I'm also really looking forward to some bonding time with my mom.

Wish me luck on my workouts this week. I'll be sure to update you about my travels and success or failures next week. Until then, it's BOSTON week, which is a big week for this sport I have come to find myself a part of. Good luck to all the runners. #BostonStrong

The Road to Dopey: Week 13 - Learning the importance of Yoga

April Miles to Date: 0.0

March Average Pace: --

2016 Miles to Date: 94.8

Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 5

Streak Day: 8 (Maximum: 9)

The American 200: 20.9 mi/200

I kept my streak up this week, even if I only ran once. I woke up with a headache on Thursday, and then yesterday, my IT bands made my hips feel like they were on fire. It had been building for days and I foolishly ignored it and now, now I wish I could run. 

This week I learned the importance of my yoga as I increase my mileage. I stopped a week or so ago because I didn't like the routine I was using, and between just my strength training and running, added to the uncomfortable chair I sat in most of the week, I really tightened up my IT bands. So yesterday I found a new yoga routine which is wonderful, and I'm hopeful to be back at it on Tuesday. I think I'm just going to push back everything two weeks since I've skipped my last two Saturday runs. 

Still, my March calendar wound up looking a lot better than my February one. 

So here's to April.

On a personal note, I accepted a job on Friday. Which means no more travel (or less travel at least), and no more interviews, and more consistent training (or at least less excuses). Now I just need to defend. And goodness knows I will need my workouts to keep my sanity in that.