Week 6 of 18: Training for the Flint Hills 50 and Trail marathon

Another week of crazy weather!  I guess this is paybacks from a very mild and uneventful 2017 winter.  The beginning of the week started out blizzard like and cold.   We were suppose to get a dusting of snow and instead we got this!

For the record my hubby is driving, not me:).  Inch-wise I think we only got a couple, but it was the 40 mph winds that made everything way worse.  Plus, the snow was super wet and the wind made the precip on the roads freeze as soon as the sun went down.  

Monday:  Rest day.  I needed it after last weekend.  Even though i didn't get both of my runs done on the weekend, I was wiped.  I also got a bit of bad news on Monday about my science job at KSU.  I kind of knew the end was near, and had kind of hoped my boss could some how re invent us like she did back when I was pregnant and we lost our funding previously.  That just didn't happen this time, and I totally understand.  We haven't set an exact date, but she said the words that we were pretty much done.  I am not sure how this is going to affect her lab space or any of our equipment, but I am going to begin the slow painful journey of bringing home 14 years of my life from my job that I have loved so dearly.  In some ways I had needed to hear this was the end, so I could start planning the next step.

Tuesday:  Speed work.  1200 meter repeats x 4.  On the mill.  Again.  We were suppose to get rain and thunderstorms Sunday night into Monday.  We woke up to rain, then ice pellets, and then crazy blowing snow.  This mean overnight from Monday to Tuesday, the roads froze up and got very messy.  The ladies and I decided to stay home and hit our mills instead.  First let me just say ARRRRRGGGHHHH!  While my watch had been behind in speed and of course mileage (since it thinks I am going super slow compared to the speed I know that I am going), today on a crucial work out, it decided to think that i was Kara Goucher and put me running at record speeds (for me).  Of course that meant that I was way ahead on my distances, so I am sure I didn't really do 1200 meter repeats.  Whatever I did, I did it as hard as I was told to, so there is that.  I guess I am going to have to go back to just hand timing everything, since I know how fast the belt is going anyway.  My watch is going to drive me, the very type A person insane!!!!!  I also started the show Ozark via suggestions from one of my good friends who has similar tastes.  WHOA.  I knew it was dark, but it took a 180 right off the bat from what I thought it was going to be and I am HOOKED!

Wednesday:  4 easy miles.  Okay, trying this whole run 5 days a week thing.  My idea was add in an extra easy run and let me be the one to decide mileage.  Coach put 5 miles on the schedule and after 4 on the mill, I needed to get dinner started and get my kid off of screens, so I got what I could.  I am probably not going to get up super early and get this run done, as I do need a few mornings of more sleep, so if this run doesn't get done post work, not going to freak out.  Some people will call this junk miles and not needed, but I call this mental floss and me time.  BTW if you look at my garminconnect data, it says I went 5.41 miles.  BIG NOPE.  I still don't know why it thinks i am going so fast.  I put that mill on 4.8 mph and watched some Ozark and took it super easy.  I want to keep using my watch for indoor runs to record the mileage, but I don't want it to fib my mileage either.

just enjoying another beautiful winter day by walking home from school

Thursday:  6 with strides.  Okay no excuses, tummy felt good, plenty of sleep, no bad weather.  Met Amber at the rec complex bright and early for conversation and loops.  She isn't training for anything, so looping is good for her because she can stop when she feels done and be right at her car, where out and backs force her into a mileage.  My dogs however were totally idiots.  They wanted to run right next to amber and kept cutting in front of her (while on leash).  Then another dog owner showed up to run and they barked their fool heads off at the poor girl and her dog.  They also pulled like sled dogs any time she ran by, which luckily was only 3 or so times.  She must have been doing some sort of speed work because she was SPRINTING full speed the whole time she was out. I hope she can forgive my dog for being so anti social.  I think in the meantime, if I run at the rec complex, I will only take one of the dogs.

Friday: cross and or strength.  I woke up feeling like I was yet again coming down with something.  Andrew has just had a little bit of congestion and coughing due to congestion, so I had been telling myself he wasn't really all that sick and I wasn't going to get it.  Apparently my body didn't share that optimism, and as the day went on, I felt worse and worse.  I started slamming Zicam as soon as I could and prayed it would take care of whatever this is that I might be getting.  The weather was so nice that I got to walk up to Andrew's school to pick him up and we got invited over for a play date plus wine.  While I knew I really needed to go home and do strength, some mom time with a super fun lady trumped that feeling.  We talked about our boys and all the fun that comes with raising a boy, until the boys got tired and started whining and crying about every little thing.  Hubby came and picked us up since we had previously walked, and then we got wraps from our local deli/bar and came home and all died.  Hubby had to work early on Saturday and i was feeling the effects of the wine and the cold my son had gifted me.

Saturday:  easy 5.  I woke up not feeling better or worse, just the same.  Head congestion that seemed to be moving fairly easily and no coughing.  The only bummer was the sinus head ache or possibly a little hang over from the wine.  Wine doesn't like me, and while I had had the equivalent of one big glass AND I had chugged two big bottles of Nuun water, that small amount can still make me have a head ache.  Hubby had to work all morning, so my choice was grind it out on the mill or wait till hubby got home and get a run in outside.  Well, it was beautiful outside, so I decided to wait it out.  The dogs and I got a very nice 5 miler in and some much needed vitamin D as the sun was out.

Sunday:   Long run 12 miles.  In retrospect, I probably should have ditched my Saturday run and just rested and recovered.  Maybe I should have ditched this run too, but I felt good getting up, even if little red was bright eyed and bushy tailed around 6:45.  Sigh.  Can't get him out of bed during the week at 7, but this weekend he was up both days before 7 ready to go.  Anyway, I got fueled and felt okay, so I thought I would go for it.  Seriously after 6 miles I thought about calling my hubby.  I just didn't feel right and my upper back where my lungs were actual hurt.  I still wasn't coughing and I thought to myself, even if I had to walk a little bit every mile that it would be okay, and I could finish my run.  I felt pretty spent post run and had to eat immediately, as I felt pretty yucky, but after having some lunch and making my hubby drive us to town, I felt better.  Neither Andrew or I have a fever, just head congestion, and I hope it stays that way.  I think we both just got a good old cold.  I am going to get to bed early tonight and have been drinking lots of water and taking lots of zicam. 

Here's to hoping it will be a better week next week with regards to health.  It looks like the weather will be typical cold Kansas but no snow or ice.  Have a great week!!!!