This week I learned that when I take the time to recover properly after running, my legs feel freakin’ awesome. Duh! But I don’t always take the time to stretch, foam roll, use our NormaTec recovery boots, etc., so actually doing that reminded me what a difference it makes. It makes me feel so much fresher for my next run, which is essential now that I’m running six days a week.
My birthday is later this month, but Aaron got me an early gift: a Roll Recovery R8. I’d seen this scary-looking contraption on other runners’ Instagrams and blogs, but never thought I’d need it since foam rolling has worked just fine for me.
But this… this is really next-level, and a game-changer. It takes so much less effort than foam rolling, yet it feels like it rolls out your muscles so much better. I still prefer to foam roll certain parts of my legs (like my calves), but for my IT bands, hamstrings and quads, the Roll Recovery feels like an intense deep-tissue massage. Aaron loves it, too, which is great because he hates foam rolling and never does it. Even though it was technically a birthday present for me, he’s probably used it more than I have so far. ☺
MONDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:11 average pace; BBG arms and abs.
Anytime I can summon the energy to run and do BBG is a big win! It’s really only an hour of exercise combined, but feels like so much more because I have to mentally switch gears in between.
TUESDAY: 7-mile easy run at 9:09 average pace.
I started on the later side, which was fine because it was pretty warm that day and I enjoyed the cooler evening weather. The bugs were out in full force, though, and I wound up with several in my mouth, up my nose and squished up in my bra! Ahhh, I had forgotten about this charming quirk of dusk running in the spring and summer.
WEDNESDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:10 average pace.
Thank you for your recommendations for running sunglasses! I ordered a pair of Goodr sunglasses and am very happy with them so far. This week was on the sunny side for Seattle, so they arrived just in time. No slipping, no bouncing and only $25—I’m sold. I bought mine on Amazon to get fast and free Prime shipping, but there are a lot more color options available on the Goodr website.
THURSDAY: 35-minute tempo run (4 miles total) at 8:36 average pace.
Hello, random heat! When I started this run, it was 83 degrees, and my first mile felt like such a slog. I normally warm up around 9:15 pace, but my first mile was 9:39—and it felt like my typical effort. Needless to say, I didn’t hit the tempo pace I aimed for (7:40-7:50 ish), but I definitely put in a tempo effort (comfortably hard). It’s crazy how much the temperature can affect your body! I did a 10-minute warmup, 20 minutes at tempo pace (8:07, in this case) and a 5-minute cooldown. I also began seriously questioning my decision to run a late-July marathon. The race starts at 6:30 a.m., so hopefully I’ll be done before it gets really hot!
FRIDAY: Rest.
SATURDAY: 7-mile easy run at 9:05 average pace.
I ran with my friend Stephanie for the first time since her marathon last weekend (her very first!) and caught up on the whole story of her race. There were fewer than 100 runners, and she won second place in her age group! Not bad for a first marathon! It was also blessedly cool and rainy during our run, which felt like heaven compared to my sauna struggle time on Thursday.
SUNDAY: 14-mile long run at 9:13 average pace.
This was April 29, Evie’s second birthday! I can’t believe it’s been two years since we met our sweet girl for the first time. We hosted her Sesame Street-themed birthday party with family and friends in the afternoon, so I had to do my run in the morning and then jump right into the shower, get ready and finish party prep—no time for stretching or any other recovery! It was a little rough, but I kept telling myself it wasn’t as bad as being in labor two years ago. ☺ Plus, Aaron did a TON of the work—he made an incredible Elmo cake from scratch, prepped most of the appetizers, cleaned and so much more. He is the best and I’d marry him again if I could!
I ran on the same gravel trail as the marathon course, and quickly realized the Mt. Si Ultra (50K and 50 mile) was happening at the same time! As I was running down the trail from Rattlesnake Lake, a ton of runners were coming up; it was fun to smile and wave at all of them, knowing that I only had to run 14 and not 31 or 50. 😉 Those are some tough runners! I have no desire to do an ultra, but I’ll cheer them on all day long. I also made a deer friend, which is always nice.
Total weekly mileage: 38.1
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