Training Rundown 7 Weeks to Go: PDR + Blood blisters

A pretty solid per-my-training plan week and a new PDR have me still riding high so let's take a look back.

Monday: Rest
Due to the Emerald City Half on Sunday, Monday became my rest day. I was pleased with the fact that nothing hurt. My legs felt 100% normal and I was so tempted to do an easy three or four miles but I was a smart runner and decided to trust my training plan.

Tuesday: 45 minutes cross-training. Strength circuits
In an effort to save my legs for my long weekend run I opted out of Jillian and did some strength circuits of my own. Mostly I used exercises from NMTZ and 8-minute abs, arms and buns in my own order but kept it a bit lighter on the squats and lunges. I felt pretty good about what I put together, especially the abs & arms, but I'm excited to hang out with Jillian again this week.

Wednesday: 50 minute run
This run was fine. I felt a little slow but that was mostly because I made the insane decision to run after work and it was super hot and CRAZY humid. I felt like I could not stop sweating afterwards!

Thursday: Nada.
I got called in to my second job so my plans for post-work cross training were ruined. That's what I get for not working out in the morning though!

Friday: Easy 30 minutes of running
In anticipation of my long run the next day, this was mostly just a shake out run. I felt strong and the weather was nice so I actually wanted to keep running but knew better.

Saturday: Long, slow run. 16 miles!
I was literally dreaming about this run the night before, haha. I felt so confident going in and I think that made all the difference. I woke up a bit later than I would have liked but I still took the time to eat a proper breakfast of toast, PB (the real stuff, I usually go with PB2 but I wanted the extra fat/calories) + jam and a whole banana. I drank plenty of water and let my breakfast settle before heading out. During my run I ate one shot blok every three miles and drank a bottle full of Skratch. Towards the end of the run (when it was effing HOT) I was so grateful for the generous running clubs that offer "Help Yourself!" coolers of Gatorade. I think I chugged three dixie cups full during the last two miles.

The run itself was definitely slow- truthfully my slowest overall pace ever- but I am okay with that. I did the miles and only stopped for water and red lights (no walking breaks at all!). Post-run was so much stretching and a nice ice bath.

Sunday: Recovery.
Again, I was so pleased to wake up and realize that my legs didn't feel totally spent. I honestly felt about 100% better than I imagined- which was good because I was set to spend four hours on my feet working retail! Upon putting on my shoes I noticed my long run injuries- crazy blisters galore! The second toe on my left foot was basically just one giant blood blister. They seem to be healing well though, which is a relief.

Total Miles: 25

This week makes me feel a bit more back on track. Though I look at my training weeks from Monday-Sunday (and the total there is super low) I did notice that with E.C. + my long run I ran over 40 miles in a 7 day period (Sunday-Saturday) which is another new record for me! 

This week is a dial back week so I'd like to really focus on more quality miles and better cross-training, as I know I've been slacking there. I plan on doing NMTZ, getting on the bike again and bringing back Wednesday speed work. My "long run" of 8 miles should feel like a stroll in the park, haha.