[S]he Conquers Who Endures

90 mins waterjogging with an injured friend. We did a 20 min wu, then 1, 2, 3, 4 and 3x5 min hard with equal recoveries. Then cd. I forgot how nice intervals waterjogging feel. I started to feel like I was in marathon training mode after hitting 15 miles yesterday, and was kinda bummed I couldn't run today. This definitely made up for it!

I had a great conversation with my friend. She thinks I need to get back to track. I have been hesitant because it seems like I still have had only 1 or 2 runs without pain for the past 2 months. I don't understand why things hurt so much when my intensity is so low. Maybe I'm doing too much at one pace? I'm thinking I will try a fartlek this week to see how my body reacts. I have always improved drastically when I did one tempo and one fartlek a week. I'm so ready to get back to killing my workouts like I did in Feb/March!! 

A solid recovery run keeping the hr below 76% max at 9:35 min/mi AP. Failed! I hit 76% max...weird. 

Hopped on the bike for an easy 30 mins at 60% max hr. Then met up with my work people for a lab outing. I kayaked for 3 miles total! Wahoo! First time ever, it was kinda fun.

Then met up with my injured friend to chat it up waterjogging for 1 hour easy. 

AM: 10 mile fartlek run! I flopped my schedule this week because two girls were running my workouts Tues/Thurs. So today I tried 10x1 min on/off. This was my first "speed" workout since April! We were supposed to do the 1mins at 10k pace. I couldn't keep track of time and pace, so just ran with my friend and watched the time. We averaged 6:40 min/mi! My fastest was 6:23 min/mi. I know it's only one minute, but this felt really, really good. My glute is not hurting as much at faster paces. I'm glad I tested the waters! It was just the right amount of kick, my legs were shaking pretty bad from fatigue on the last interval. Finished up with a mile at recovery pace (9:24), the glute wasn't happy so did one mile at 8:07, then 8:51, then 8:04 to compromise recovery and my glute. :)

Did 45 mins of strengthening and got to add in some new exercises my massage guy recommended for my glute med. :) 

PM: 65 mins waterjogging with my injured friend. We did a short wu, then a ladder workout: 1/2/3/4/5/5/4/3/2/1 mins hard with 1 min recoveries for each, then a short cd. This was nice and hard! Waterjogging intervals is so much fun with a friend.

Bikram. It's a recovery day for me! I need it. My legs are starting to feel a bit better too! This class was hotter than normal because I sat in the front. I crushed toe stand on both sides so my balance is getting better which also means my feet are getting stronger!! I think gaining more of this type of strength in my right leg is the ticket to get all these stinky pains that keep popping up at bay. Glute is feeling much better, stupid new calf thing is there from yesterday's on/off, but not too noticeable. Hopefully that will be remedied by resting the rest of the day and sporting my compression socks! Nervous about tempo tomorrow, but also kinda excited. :)

AM: Threshold run with a new friend in Cambridge. Ahhh, these scare me so much because I haven't done very many of them yet. We were on a high traffic route, boo, and I wasn't sure where we were going - not ideal for tempo. The first couple miles were slower than I'd like but ended up kinda like a tempo progressive run: 7:22, 7:21, 7:15, 7:17, 7:07 for an AP of 7:16 min/mi. My last tempo was 4 miles at 7:15 min/mi. I would have liked to beat that, but I could not have run another step for that tempo and this tempo I felt like I had another mile in me if I needed to push it. 7:07 is now my fastest mile post injury. These Cambridge girls are really getting me amped up to crush my training!

Got back and did a mini Crossfit WOD I made up: 10 mins as many rounds as possible: 2, 4, 6, 8, ... reps of box jumps, burpees, kettle bell swings. I got so winded in this!!! Made it to 14 reps box jumps, 8 reps burpees. No me gusta burpees. :)

Did some PT, strength and core.

PM: Flywheel in Chicago!! I kept the effort a little lower for this class, and stuck to the lower end of torque and higher end of RPM. I am a Flywheel addict. Once the fast music hits and the instructor yells to hit 100 RPM, I drop my head, pump my legs, close my eyes and feel the endorphins wash over me. So amazing. 

5 easy miles keeping things loose. Headed north on the Chicago lakefront path scoping out all the action in preparation for the air and water show at a lovely 9:19 min/mi average pace.

16 miles on the Chicago lakefront path heading south bright n early. I was terrified for this run. Crying was involved the night before. It is my first long run post-injury with MP miles - 10 of them! I don't know what MP to target. I think I could hit a 7:45 min/mi AP (hopefully) by November, but not so sure I could run 10 of them now! I headed out targeting a 8:30 min/mi pace for the first 5 miles. The first mile was over 9 min/mi!! At this point I seriously doubted things. I had a very solid/tough training week, maybe I should do fewer MP miles or push back the MP a week? Things started loosening up after a mile or so. I stopped at mile 5, gu'ed then went after the big 10! I was able to hang on the first couple miles just under 7:45 min/mi. I didn't think I could hang on for 10, but thought I'd use the same strategy I used for the half: just see how far I could take it. I was able to make it 5 miles at MP, stopped very shortly to take a pic of the gorgeous city skyline, and gu'ed. Then finished up the last 5 miles of MP!!! The cool down mile was enjoyable and well deserved. Looking back at my paces. My MP miles ended up being 7:41 min/mi AP! The last two miles were 7:38, 7:39 and the 2nd 5 miles were faster than the first 5 miles of MP. I cannot believe this!

I got back to the apartment and my fiance looked at me like a deer in the headlights and said "why are you back so soon?". Cause I ran fast, lovie! :) That felt good to see the shock on his face, it was confirmation that I rocked that run!

Then, took 1 giant ice bath after trashing these legs!