Bring on the challenge!

Vacation is over :(   And, not just the holiday break, but the break from running/exercise.  It was not my original intention to take this break, but, tis the season for sickness.  Had a bad cold right after Thanksgiving, and just when it was getting better and I started running again, the flu made an appearance at our house.  It went through everyone but my husband.  So, after you take ANOTHER week to recuperate from that sickness, then it's almost Christmas, you don't want to get up early because you don't have to, and then there is just too much to do, so before you know it, you haven't run/exercised for 2 1/2 weeks!!!!!  AAAHHHH!!!  Not cool.  So, I hope my body appreciates the rest it's had, because we have a marathon to run in about 16 weeks!

So, since it's been 2 1/2 weeks (I still can't believe I let it go that long!) I've decided to take this week to do some easy runs to get back into the groove.  I did 3 miles on the treadmill this morning at a 6.0.  Then, I did another 30 minutes of strength training, i.e. pushups, situps, let lifts, etc.  And, I still have a sore muscle in my leg.  After all that rest.  Guess it's just gonna take some extra good stretching to get it better.  Plus, I think it's almost time for a new pair of shoes.  Thinking of maybe getting 2 pairs this time.  Wonder if the running store would give me a deal??? 

The rest of the week I'm thinking the workouts will be about the same, then hoping for a 10 miler on Saturday.  (Will my body kill me for that after this long break??)  Next week I will start up on the sprints and tempo runs again.  Here we go!!!! :) 

So, the week started out great.  It went downhill from there.  By Wednesday, I had developed ANOTHER cold.  Seriously.  That's 3 illnesses since Thanksgiving.  What is up??  I am a person who rarely gets sick.  I think I've filled my quota for the next 5 years!  

So, needless to say, I went to bed VERY early on Wednesday night, hoping to feel better the next morning so I could exercise, which didn't happen.  So, I took Thursday off, hoping to feel better, which I did start to, and then this morning, which is normally my day off, I rested, too.  The good news is, I am feeling better.  The bad news is, it is so FREAKING cold outside and the air quality is so bad, that I'm reconsidering my long run in the morning. Not sure if it would be the smartest thing to do.  I really am dying to get outside and do a long run, so  I'm hoping that next week not only will the health be better, but the air, also.  I would still like to exercise in the morning, but that leaves the trusty treadmill :)  Oh, joy!  So, if I'm feeling okay tomorrow (which, I should be good enough to run for at LEAST 3 miles), I will jump on the treadmill and see how far I go.  One  more week till I get outside, I guess. . .only 15 weeks till the marathon. . .hoping I haven't lost too much with all this time off.  It's so much easier to train for a marathon that's in the fall. . . 

Well, I did my 6 miles on the treadmill this morning.  How I wished I could have been outside instead.  However, my husband came back from his 6 miles outside and almost regretted it.  He said the air was disgusting and he felt like he was coated in it (ew!)  

Just did it slow, again at a 6.0.  Had a crappy night sleeping with this stupid cough, but at least it didn't seem to affect my running this morning.  Hoping to start hitting it harder next week and getting back up to where I was a few weeks ago.