accountability Monday

Training Week #10: Undertrained or overtraining?

- Mel

I feel like I might be going into Chicago Marathon undertrained, and it is stressing me out. I can’t turn back time and fix the weather or erase my excuses, and yet I haven’t done a single 20-miler this cycle (I did three 20+ runs when training for Vermont City). There are some schools of thought that believe an 18-miler is enough; and, well, I have just about the same amount of mileage leading up to the marathon as my last. While I mentioned before that Chicago is only a training run, jumping from 18 miles to 26 miles… well, my body is probably not going to like it. That 50k later this month? My body might dislike that even more. Basically, I feel like I’m kind of failing at being a runner right now. I can only hope that the back-to-back runs I’ve been doing on weekends will be enough.

week 10 ultra fun training blog header iowa

I’d be remiss in not mentioning that my right knee is acting up again this week. It hasn’t bothered me at all while running, but I feel discomfort in doing functional movements and squatting (even readjusting while sitting on the couch). Foam rolling my quad helped a bit, but I can’t find the connection other than when I use my right leg for weight bearing or to push off — like, walking up or down the stairs. Seems to be more troublesome going up, and getting out of a squat has more discomfort than going into one. When you have three cats, it’s impossible not to be constantly squatting! It has put me on notice.

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – 4 miles, treadmill
Wednesday – 10 miles, Trail Rest Day – Wednesday looks to be a big homework night for me every week; I’ll probably make it my strength workout going forward.
Thursday – 8 miles 10 miles – This was Wednesday’s workout, treadmill
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – 20-22 miles Ran out of time; finished 13.75 miles on trails. I also went to a bouncy house place for a 3-year-old’s birthday party and played around on the obstacle course stuff for an hour. That counts for exercise, right?!
Sunday – 10 miles 16 miles

Week 10 ultra training jester park bison elk iowa
Elk! Bison! Iowa fall weather!

DO OVER:
With grad school started, I realize that running 5 times a week will not work at this point; so, I’m committing to 4 runs per week (and realistically know that some weeks I’ll only get in 3). I REALLY need to get back into my weekly 2x strength workouts (echo, echo, echo…). After Chicago will be another cutback week to “taper” for the 50k. I need to reassess my training plan and goals at that point to make sure that I’ll be prepared for Route 66 Marathon in November and the 50-miler in December. While the 50M is still two months away, I’ll only really have a solid month more of training. I also need to start training with hiking poles. OMG WHAT AM I DOING?!

*deep breath*

WHAT’S ON TAP:
Wilson’s Orchard has a Spiced Up hard cider that is perfect for fall. Any other fall-flavored ciders on the market (that I can get in Iowa)? I’d really like to try a pumpkin cider.

WHAT’S FUN?
BOUNCY HOUSE!

week 10 ultra training bouncy house party

SOMETHING, SOMETHING:
Still looking for a fall race? Route 66 registration is still open! Use my discount code 2017R66BR to save $10.

SEPTEMBER MILEAGE TOTAL: 137.2 miles – biggest mileage month ever!
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 43.7 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 793.81 miles
LAST RACE: Capital Pursuit (10-miler)
UP NEXT: Chicago Marathon next weekend!

I love that Chicago Marathon gifted something special to celebrate the 40th birthdays together. This was amazing of the race to do this!

week 10 training chicago marathon chi40club

Ultra Training Week #7: Long runs are long.

- Mel

This week of training brought my first 20-mile run (I think I have seven 20+-mile runs on this plan). I swapped my long run to Sunday, so that I could run with my usual group — which meant waking up for a 6:30 am (!!!) trail run on Saturday at Jester Park. Once I was out, I didn’t mind one bit (added bonus of seeing the sun rise over Saylorville Lake).

When my 20-mile long run came on Sunday, I could barely eek out 17. It was a rough morning — and more than just a mental block. I was breathing WAY too heavy for an 11:30 pace and my legs felt like lead. Meh. Bad runs happen, right? I enjoyed the course my friend mapped out though; it took us on a loop around downtown’s paved trails. I did need an extra rest day this week after doing my back-to-back half marathons the previous weekend, so I took that on Tuesday (with a side of full body massage). Though even with four days of running, I completed 40 miles.

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – 4 miles Extra Rest Day / Massage
Wednesday – 6 miles (Trail)
Thursday – 8 miles (Treadmill)
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – 10 miles (Trail)
Sunday – Long run, 20 miles 16.85 miles

week 7 ultra training long runs blog
Long runs are long.

Week 8 is my cutback week, and I’ll be focused on getting my strength training/cross-training back on track. I’m also signed up for an intro to kickboxing workout that is sponsored by our local lululemon. OMG am I going to start having nightmares about Billy Blanks again?!

WHAT’S ON TAP?
My road trip to Madison last weekend resulted in finding a gluten-free dedicated brewery called Alt Brew. It was so amazing to have a flight of beers! I brought home a sixer of their kolsch, which is so delicious that I wish I bought more. I wish one of the midwest gluten-free beer producers would distribute to Iowa! So if anyone is in Wisconsin and would like to send me some more of their delicious gluten-free beers, please message me! Also accepting any and all beers from Burning Brothers in St. Paul (particularly their IPA).

WHAT’S FUN?
The mid-week Trail Run Series with Fleet Feet and Des Moines Park & Rec has been SO FUN. It’s brought so many people out to the dirt and woods to play, and I just love seeing that enthusiasm from our local running communities. This Wednesday, we’ll be running out at Grandview. I also get to assist with marking the course, so you can officially blame me if you get lost! ?

DSM parks rec trail running series
Yep, that’s me! ?

SOMETHING, SOMETHING:
Well, my grad school application is submitted. Now I sit around and wait to see if I’m accepted for Fall semester (which starts on September 25 *gulp*).

AUGUST MILEAGE TOTAL: 116.2 total miles
SEPTEMBER MILEAGE: 67.1 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 40.9 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 723.71 miles
LAST RACE: Haven’t had time to review my two Labor Day weekend races, but coming soon!
UP NEXT: Capital Pursuit 10-mile race this weekend.

Ultra Training Week #5: Wet Hot American Summer

- Mel

I’m training for the Hitchcock Experience 50-mile race in December. On the way, I’ll be running the Chicago, Marathon, GOATz 50k, and Route 66 Marathon.

I can’t believe that in a couple weeks I’ll already be running my 20-mile long runs. It… seems soon. But then again, the Chicago Marathon (only a training run!) is only 6 weeks away. And I cleared nearly 40 miles this week. My 3rd run of the week on Thursdays always feels like a struggle — running three days in a row (plus a strength workout) will probably do that to you — but I’m otherwise feeling great. Hungry, but great.

ultra training honey stinger waffles gluten free
My new favorite fuel!

The last couple weeks I was only able to fit in 4 runs/week; this week I was back to 5 runs. I’ve mostly worked this upper respiratory thing out of my system, and a stray cough only gets me every now-and-then. My consistency is good; I’m getting out on the trails a couple of times per week. I wish I could find a restorative yoga studio or class in Des Moines to help out with the stiffness in my back and shoulders, but seems everyone does cardio/hot yoga here. I’m not doing enough foam rolling or stretching — but my monthly massages, I never miss a session. ?

ultra training week 5 iowa running

I’m still splitting my time between road and trails (and sometimes treadmill). Soon here, I’ll be swapping and doing the bulk of my mileage (and long runs) on the trails. Speaking of: I got to run the trails out at Ledges State Park this past weekend and HOLY WOW was it gorgeous out there. As a group, we finished our last three miles through the creek. SO MUCH FUN. And so much wet.

ultra training trail running ledges park iowa

WHAT’S FUN?
Potential poison ivy rash… that’s fun, right? Or is it trying to remember everything you wore/touched/used on the day that it (possibly?) touched you?

SOMETHING-SOMETHING:
The 3 things that separate failure from success in ultratraining.

Also, Des Moines Parks & Recreation and Fleet Feet start their trail run series with the Capital Striders (and CS Turkeys) tonight. The series is every Wednesday through October 4 — come out and have some fun learning about the trails right here in the city!

AUGUST MILEAGE UPDATE: 101.8 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 39.6 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 642.21 miles
UP NEXT: On the road again this weekend for back-to-back half marathons — Rockin’ Chocolate Half Marathon in Madison, WI and the NewBo Run Half in Cedar Rapids.

Ultra Training Week #3: The Trails are for Everybody

- Mel

Training week #3 started off pretty good for me. But a little too much fun at the casino on Friday night left me with a gnarly day-long hangover on Saturday, which meant that there was no way I was getting in my weekly long run. I fared only a little better by Sunday – able to get in 6.4 miles at Center Trails before calling it a day (I still had maybe only 200 calories in my system at that time).

It’s not the end of the world — though at times during my hangover I thought it might be. Running after puking for 24 hours is a skill good for Ultras, no? In any event, Sunday’s run was SLOW for me, and I fell behind my pack for most of the run, working on a lot of power hiking. Though I sometimes need the reminder Run Your Own Race — even on training days. And that came by way of an oncoming mountain biker. I apologized for being slow to move out of the way, and he — ever a gracious human being on this early Sunday morning — remarked: The trails are for everybody!

I let out some kind of awkward, shrill-yelling “YEASSSS!” as we passed one another. And I stopped feeling sorry for myself (and instead started profusely apologizing to my liver).

ultra fun trail running ultramarathon training
I was such a mess on Sunday, that I apparently couldn’t even wear my hat correctly!

WHAT’S FUN?
This upcoming week I’ve got my first meet-up with a work-organized running group and a HOKA demo & pub run with Fleet Feet.

SOMETHING-SOMETHING:
You can’t pay people to be motivated to go to the gym.

AUGUST MILEAGE UPDATE: 36.9 miles
WEEKLY MILEAGE: 14.4 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 577.31 miles
UP NEXT: Rockin’ Chocolate Half Marathon in Madison, WI and NewBo Half in Cedar Rapids, IA — both part of my Labor Day back-to-back half challenge with Pittsburgh City Girl

Ultra Training: The Adventure Begins!

- Mel 2 Comments

ULTRA UPDATES:
The adventure begins. I’m officially back on a training cycle and banking runs for my first ultramarathon. My 20-week training plan started on Monday and ends with my ultra in early December. I’m already dreaming about running in the cold weather.

ass if freezing meme

Oh, if only…

So, there are a few things coming up race-wise before the end of the year that I hope not to make TOO confusing on the blog — while also still posting weekly about my training progress for each of these different races.

WHAT’S ON TAP?
No, not beer (but I am drinking a delicious English style Crispin cider!). Let’s talk races! My two marathons in Fall fit beautifully into my ultra training — I’m running the Chicago Marathon in October and the Route 66 Marathon (Tulsa, OK) in November. In between those, I’ll get my first 50k distance completed with the G.O.A.T.z over in Omaha (yes, by training for my ultra, I’ll complete another ultra). And then… AND THEN, the 50-mile experience they call Hitchcock.

I LOVED the half marathon at Hitchcock last year, and I feel like that course as part of a 50-mile race is going to kick my ass and challenge me in the best possible ways (and let’s be honest, probably some of the worst ways, too). Having this race in mind will push me in training, push me on the trails, and get me into some regular hill repeat workouts. I’m already super pumped up about it — despite initially being kinda quiet about it — and having some fellow CS Turkeys running it with me has made it all the more exciting.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?
I’m using an UltraLadies training plan for both ultra races (my 50-miler schedule building upon the 50k plan, while still allowing for enough low mileage/recovery weeks). I’ll be running 5 days a week on this plan; so, I will be assessing my fatigue levels regularly to make sure I’m not burning out or increasing any risks for injury. 20 weeks. Let’s do this!

WHAT’S FUN?
Fun fact: I’ve already surpassed the total amount of miles that I ran in 2016.

SOMETHING-SOMETHING:
What’s worse than finding new chafe spots after hot races? Probably an infected hair follicle. Actually, it’s worse. Trust me.

JULY MILEAGE UPDATE: 68 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 524.2 miles
LAST RACE: The BTN B1G 10K last weekend in Chicago.
UP NEXT: I’m not registered for any races until Labor Day… though I’m considering making myself miserable at this.

Accountability Monday: Building Consistency + Trail Fun

- Mel

Since coming back from my post-marathon recovery period, I’ve been getting back to a regular workout schedule — particularly with my running consistency. Without getting too far ahead of myself, when I start my Ultra training program in a couple weeks, my plan calls for 4-5 runs per week. Once I got into the rhythm of marathon training, 4 runs a week was my normal — 5 will be challenging.

Des Moines run blogger weekly group runs

But why would I be running an Ultra in the first place if I didn’t like a good challenge?

WHAT’S FUN?
The most fun of the last few weeks has been getting out on the dirt trails. I LOVE BEING ON THE TRAILS! I’ve run at Jester Park, Sycamore, and Center Trails. I like each of them for different reasons, though I think Center is my favorite (if only because it kicks my ass). If you’re in the Des Moines area — or plan to visit — you can definitely have some fun in the woods here! Once I get into the meat of my training program, I’ll move onto trails that wreck my quads and that are a bit more technical, difficult, and with more elevation change.

Bring on the hill repeats!

SOMETHING SOMETHING
I quit my gym membership, and along with that, my yoga spot. I enjoy the Yoga with Adriene videos (particularly those geared towards runners), but I’d like to find a place for regular practice again. Des Moines has some fabulous outdoor “pop-up” yoga this summer though. Rounding out my cross-training: I’m doing strength at least once a week in my home gym with dumbbells or kettlebell, and following up my easy runs with core workouts. I love this glutes workout from SELF. I also do my hip and glute mobility and balance work several times per week — if not every night. The nightly repetition just makes the movements part of a mindless routine — just like brushing your teeth every night.

I’m also participating weekly in a women’s golf clinic, which is every bit as fun as it is frustrating. Because I am NOT GOOD, it’s also challenging. So, for the betterment of my (eventual) golf game, I continue to go out of my comfort zone and learn something new every week.

des moines lady golf beginner

That said, I am NOT enjoying this summer humidity at all. The 5K that I ran on July 4th felt awful (despite still running a respectable pace), and this past Saturday’s 8-mile long run didn’t feel any better (despite it being 10 degrees cooler). I’m also feeling sore, which is not something that I usually experience. I’m hoping for a little cooler temps for my challenge race next weekend… but it’s not like Minnesota is a winter wonderland right now.

Earlham Firecracker 5k race

Did you notice that I changed the site branding? As most of you know, I aged out of my old blog name, and I honestly don’t have the energy or time to rebuild something from scratch. Given my updated goals and upcoming running adventures, this was the perfect way to carry on the ol’ URL for a bit longer (the idea came to me spontaneously in the shower, so who knows how I’ll feel about it in another month or so ?).

JULY MILEAGE UPDATE: 25.5 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE WEEK: 20.4 miles
MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 481.7 miles
LAST RACE: July 4th Earlham Firecracker 5K — Finished 4th in my 40-49 Age Group! Official Time: 28:22
UP NEXT: Minnesota Nut House Challenge — Totally Nuts! (5k, 10k, Half Marathon)

Vermont City Marathon: Training Week #19

- Mel

IT’S MARATHON WEEK! But without getting too far ahead, this post is about LAST week — Training Week #19 — a taper week, a take-it-easy week, a… uh, reminder to myself that marathon training is not quite over. Week.

Vermont Marathon training blogger
Marathoner in Training… STILL. ?

I’m carrying over a LOT of confidence from my 22-miler the weekend before, and I feel completely ready to do this race. Because I’m in my taper, this week’s training plan doesn’t have a whole lot of surprises — unless you count the tornado sirens.

MONDAY Rest

TUESDAY Yoga at home + foam rolling

WEDNESDAY This was our crazy weather night, complete with tornado warnings – and our power was out until late evening. No running for me.

THURSDAY Mid-week easy run that I carried over from Wednesday. I originally was supposed to join the Green Runners again, but wasn’t sure about the total mileage and opted to complete my run at home on the treadmill.

3.01 miles / 33:50 / 11:14 average pace

FRIDAY More rest!

SATURDAY Last meet-up with my Capital Striders group for this training cycle. We did a 6-mile loop starting from Drake, dropping some runners off and gaining some others for another 5 miles.

10.90 miles / 1:50:00 / 10:05 average pace

Splits: 10:18, 10:00, 10:26, 10:20, 10:14, 9:56, 10:20, 9:48, 9:47, 9:35, 10:15
I had no idea that my paces were that fast — felt easy!

We ended our “season” with a celebration brunch at Louie’s Wine Dive. Despite a bit of rain, it was a great morning out on the roads. I appreciate these ladies so much for their support through my training.

capital striders run brunch iowa

Cheers, ladies!

SUNDAY I had yoga on my schedule, but didn’t do well with scheduling out my day. By the time I got home from the matinee, I was exhausted and ended up on the couch with my cat for a couple hours. I did some stretching and hip/glute mobility stuff before bed.

WEEKLY RUNS: 2 runs
WEEKLY MILES: 13.9 miles
TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 402.97 miles

Today’s the LAST DAY to register for the Vermont City Marathon. Use code BibRave10 to save $10 on your registration!

Vermont City Marathon: Training Week #18

- Mel

IT’S TAPER TIME!!!!!! Also, look at that: a training week wrap-up actually posted on Monday!

taper time marathon training

Week #18 wasn’t a perfect training week for me. I skipped a speed workout, and swapped an easy run to later in the week. I think I’ve only had 3 weeks in my entire training cycle where I didn’t run 4 times. This was one of those weeks! I only ran twice. Woof. My back soreness extended into mid-week — when I FINALLY got my trigger point ball out and found the gnarly spot in my mid-back that was causing all the discomfort. This wasn’t my “peak week,” as last week had more total mileage — though this week had my longest run of this cycle. I’m excited already with all this “spare time” I found in my weekly schedule and looking forward to writing more about my excitement for this marathon.

vermont city marathon training greenbelt trail iowa blogger

BibRave represent, 22 miles of Greenbelt Trail, and practicing my race day outfit.

MONDAY Strength workout – no kettlebell for me this week, as I was being protective of my back. I focused on body strength work and really light dumbbells.

TUESDAY My birthday — so why not just rest and enjoy it?

WEDNESDAY I had yoga scheduled for Thursday, but I NEEDED it — and just 30 minutes at home helped SO MUCH. I spent extra time on stretching and foam rolling and hating my trigger point ball. If you’re looking for some good home yoga workouts, I can’t recommend Yoga With Adriene enough! She’s got a lot of great beginner videos, but also some amazing sessions geared towards runners… and a couple for specific issues (like my lower back soreness).

THURSDAY Easy 6 miles around my neighborhood. Since changing my work schedule, it’s been nice to have my runs done a little earlier. And it’s always great to enjoy more hours of daylight — particularly on a beautiful weather day.

FRIDAY Lots of rest to prepare for Saturday’s early rise.

SATURDAY Longest long run of my training plan — 22 miles! I met with the Capital Striders group run, joining my running buddies for an out-and-back 8+ miles on the Greenbelt Trail from Fitness Sports… and then continuing for the bulk of the miles on my own. I felt good; I ran in my race day outfit, and I practiced all my fueling and mental training. It was good to have a little warmer of a day, too, in the chance I experience that weather in Vermont.

You want to know something that pissed me off on my run though?

vermont city marathon half marathon split
Getting a Personal Best on my half marathon. That’s some shit, isn’t it?

SUNDAY Recovery Day! And I planned it as such, with Pop-Up Yoga at Salisbury House and a 90-minute massage (session with a new massotherapist, and I love her!).

popup yoga des moines blogger
Beautiful gardens at Salisbury House… oh, and after directing the gardening duties at my house.

And with that, time to enjoy the taper crazies!

WEEKLY RUNS: 2 runs
WEEKLY MILES: 27.7 miles
TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 389.07 miles

Vermont city marathon run blog

While it’s probably too late to train for a marathon (spoiler alert: it is), if you waited to register for the Vermont City Marathon, now is the time: Use code BibRave10 to save $10 on your registration! TWO WEEKS AWAY!

Vermont City Marathon: Training Week #17

- Mel

There are only THREE TRAINING WEEKS left of marathon training, and (thankfully) Week #17 was a pretty strong week for me.

vermont marathon training week 17 iowa runner

That said, I’m paying attention to my lower back — it doesn’t bother me at all when I run, but I feel a strain on my right side when I’m laying down for bed or sitting up with my legs out straight (or, sometimes, when I’ve been sitting too long). I’ve had a few muscle spasms randomly at work, too, which… I don’t know if I have a knot somewhere that is just transferring to my lower back or I strained it doing a strength workout. Though I cancelled my golf lessons for the remainder of the month to be safe because the twisting-turning motion bothered me most. Hoping it’s nothing, but being mindful of it, nonetheless. I FINALLY have a massage appointment this upcoming weekend.

MONDAY Golf was cancelled due to the weather

TUESDAY I was committed to getting my easy run in Tuesday night. And it was a late run, since I attended a volunteer ceremony event after work. And yes, my treadmill still smells like burning rubber.

6 miles + 6×20 Strides / 1:11:38 / 11:09 average pace

WEDNESDAY Tempo Run on the schedule! It was a little chilly running outside in crops and a t-shirt, but the sunshine felt good. Everyone was out cutting their lawns, so my allergies sucked something major. My nose running must have distracted me because I realized within my warm-up mile that I was running too fast of a pace.

So I continued.

I stuck to faster paces for my next two miles.

And then faster paces for my next two miles. I finally completed a legit tempo workout. I DID THE WORK. ???

Warm-up: 10:03

2 miles: 9:38, 9:27
2 miles: 9:16, 8:58

Cool down: 10:45

THURSDAY Rest – was supposed to do yoga, buuuuuuut I went out for Happy Hour after work to celebrate an early Cinco de Mayo.

FRIDAY Foam rolling before bed — my quads and calves needed a LOT of work. And I had a GREAT night of sleep, holy moly. Maybe my body knew that I didn’t have to wake up early the next day?

SATURDAY Hahahahaha, just kidding. Woke up at 6am, though it was 9 glorious hours of sleep. I did a quick shakeout run — 3 easy miles + 4×20 Strides. The weather was BEAUTIFUL!

3.3 miles / 32:45 / 9:53 average pace

iowa running marathon training des moines bridges trail

SUNDAY My second 20-miler of this marathon training cycle. 20 MILES… AGAIN! This felt SO MUCH better than the 20 miles that I did a few weeks ago — I felt strong and like I could run an actual marathon. I finished 7.12 miles before the start of the Des Moines Women’s Half Marathon — 1:16:49, with an average pace of 10:47 — and then finished the half marathon in 2:15:19, a 10:26 average pace.

Check out these half splits: 10:27(1), 10:29(2), 10:33(3), 10:32(4), 10:28(5), 10:45(6), 10:25(7), 10:39(8), 10:31(9), 10:30(10), 10:39(11), 10:16(12), 9:25(13). That’s a pretty consistent pace. I’m proud of the work I put in this week.

WEEKLY RUNS: 4(ish) runs
WEEKLY MILES: 35.8 miles
TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 361.37 miles

Vermont city marathon run blog

AHHHHHHHH Race Day is so close! Still time to register and join me in Burlington, Vermont (if running marathons is your thang) for the Vermont City Marathon: Use code BibRave10 to save $10 on your registration!

Vermont City Marathon: Training Week #16

- Mel

What’s a little “accountability Monday” on Friday? One of these weeks I’ll get back on scheduled (likely, during my taper).

Welcome to Des Moines downtown murals

Came upon this awesome mural on the backside of Exile Brewing Company during my downtown run.

Look, marathon training is not all awesomeness and easy and rainbows and butterflies. Even someone fit and focused and goal-driven can succumb to the exhaustion of a 20-week training cycle (IT: ME). I’m determined not to quit, but my wheels are falling off and I’m feeling some unnecessary pressure from… somewhere, I don’t know.

MONDAY I didn’t have a specific strength training workout scheduled, but my coach provides a couple GREAT ones — including one where I can use my kettlebell. I wanted to change it up a little bit, so I did a round of one those Spell Your Name workouts found all over Pinterest (yeah, it included some burpees!). I followed that up with a round of my coach’s KB strength workout.

training run in grays lake des moines
Peek-a-boo. I see you, Des Moines!

TUESDAY A little different scenery for my evening easy run, as I had the Grand Blue Mile on my schedule with my husband — he’s not a runner, so this was SO much fun for me. Beforehand, I finished 5 (humid) miles from downtown to Gray’s Lake and back. It cooled off A LOT before the Mile race started, so much so that I had to go back to my car to put on my long sleeve.

grand blue mile race downtown des moines

Grand Blue Mile results: 10:00.40

WEDNESDAY I needed another rest day. Just feeling… off. So, no speed workout this week.

THURSDAY My first meet-up with the Green Runners, as we focused on cleaning up the area around Drake campus — to coordinate with the Relays. What a fun time! These group runs happen almost every Thursday for the next few (warm) months, and rotate around different locations in the metro area. It’s a fun group that caters to all running abilities (and even good for walkers) — you should join us! But get ready to do some squats. 😉

Des Moines Green Runners

While it was mostly walking on this route due to the neighborhood and traffic, we got in a mile.

FRIDAY If I had any plans to make up workouts, it wasn’t tonight! Though I enjoyed hanging out with the husband, watching movies and fattening up on Jeni’s Pistachio & Honey ice cream.

SATURDAY It’s been a couple years since I took a DNS, but I decided not to run the Drake Half Marathon on Saturday morning. This impacted my plan for my 20-mile run, but I planned to recover some of that mileage on my treadmill at home. I ended up with 8.69 miles before the machine started smelling like burning rubber so badly that I had to turn it off. Seriously, can someone recommend a better brand of treadmills?

SUNDAY I needed some redemption on my missed mileage from Saturday and a skipped run from mid-week; and despite the TERRIBLE weather conditions, the radar showed about an hour of no rain on Sunday morning (though, still 40 degrees and high winds, because Iowa). I was able to get in 8 miles before the rain started again. I felt good DURING the run — and even my paces were faster than I expected for an “easy” — though afterward, WOW, I felt positively drained.

april miles des moines runner blog
Don’t I look thrilled?

Even after a recovery muscle soak, my body felt sore and awful. I don’t generally feel sore after running, so it’s annoying and a little frustrating. So, no double digit long run for me in week #16, though still over 20 miles and 4 runs for the week. AND another 100+ mileage month for April!

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WEEKLY RUNS: 4 runs
WEEKLY MILES: 23.85 miles
TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 325.57 miles
TOTAL APRIL MILES: 113.3 miles

Only a month away until Race Day! Still time to register and join me in Burlington, Vermont for the Vermont City Marathon: Use code BibRave10 to save $10 on your registration!