Week 5 training for the Rockin' K Trail marathon...or maybe not

Back to the high week!  I am really digging this plan and can't wait to keep going with it.  Except things changed this week.  See Thursday's paragraph for a better explanation.

He is taller than most of the 7 year olds in the club at 6!

Monday:  Rest day.  Wrestling picture day!  Can't wait to see how they turn out.  His individual picture from my angle kind of looked like a cross between constipated wrestler and tough wrestler.  At least the lighting was better this year for the individual pics.

Tuesday:  5 miles with some speed work nestled in the middle. I am slowly working my way towards 10 cycles of 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy.  I am up to 6 cycles now and will probably stay here a few weeks before going a little bit higher.

Wednesday:  Last day of sylvan. I am so grateful for what Sylvan has helped Andrew accomplish, but we are over committed and some thing has to give.  We are still going to do Sylvan in the summer, but right now he is busy 4 nights a week and we are both exhausted.  Hopefully he won't back slide, and this is a good and not a bad thing.  While he was at tutoring Tony and I slipped away for some kid free dinner and beers.  We use to be regulars at old Chicago pre-kid and when it was over by the Manhattan Mall, and now we are hardly ever go since they moved it to the far side of Manhattan.  Plus, it seemed like after they moved that the food changed and wasn't as good.  I am happy to say that we found some dishes we FINALLY liked, and of course had to share some cheese cake since the kiddo wasn't there wanting the cookie sundae instead.

all the geese!

Thursday:  Easy 5.  Been battling some hip issues and while it didn't hurt, it definitively did not feel 100%.  Sigh.  Can I please go through one training cycle without a niggle?   I took off from Cross fit this week since my trainer was out of town, so I was hoping if that was aggravating it that it would get happy with the break.  I am not sure that this is not also slightly caused by me getting use to running in my Stinsons as well.

Post running I had my first goal review with the owner of our Cross Fit box.  Her thoughts are that I need to run less and do 2 days a week of Cross Fit classes.  I agree with 2 days of Cross fit,  BUT I don't like the thought of running less, especially for the races and distances I am signed up for.  She also thinks that i can cut out speed work since I get this benefit in Cross fit AND cut out cross training since Cross fit is cross training and strength training all rolled into one.  I use my bike more for just stress release and I don't do any real work outs with it, so not going to drop that, plus my BRF robin is moving back to wamego and right down the street from me so I see lots of bike rides in my future.  I am going to stop my current training cycle at her request and try for a 12 week cycle (which will start in mid January).  She wanted to cut down to an 8 week cycle, which included 2 weeks of taper (so technically 6 weeks), but I told her I can't do that, I am not that good.  I totally get what she is saying, less is more, but I have never ever run just 3 days a week unless I was training for my first 5K on the couch to 5K program.  I am going to just run three days a week for a little bit and see how I feel.  I polled the ladies on the Trail and Ultra group I am a part of, and they all said 4-5 days of running and 4-5 days of Cross fit (EEEEK).  I am not up to that much Cross fit, but I am willing to try 2 classes a week.  I am going to miss my personal training SO much.  Coach Erin is AMAZING and I LOVE working with her but cost wise, I can't keep loading up my credit card every month and the goal of personal training was eventually to do classes.

Friday:  Rest day.  Andrew's first day of Christmas break and we lived it up. Slept in a little, did some work in bed, finally made it out to the office and then after deliveries were made, headed out to do some shopping.  Got Tony something little from Andrew (tupperware that we desperately needed, a win win for the whole house hold) and got the dogs presents.  FINALLY got lights on the tree and Andrew's presents wrapped.

Saturday:  Long run day?  SO I put a question mark because Coach Shely wanted me to eliminate the longest one run of the week until the 12 weeks starts.  I need to keep some sort of base maintained,  so I decided to get rid of the 16 and keep the 8 since that is technically 2 ish loops of short lake henry loop.  I ended up doing a long lake henry loop (5.65 on my watch) and then an out an back up to sander's mound and then some back track on white and a connector and the gravel hill on the way to sander's mound.  I am getting more brave for sure and ready to try out longer and bigger loops! 

Sunday: Rest day, spend time with my in laws day, and finish Christmas shopping day.  Per my Cross Fit coaches suggestion, I only ran 3 days this week and took another day off and I am really glad that I did because my hip felt a thousand times better.  I will do 3 days a week again next week, which will kind of be nice since the family is here and add back a day of cross fit to see how my hip is feeling.  I really wish I could get to the trails every single run because they really reset my body.  My hip was feeling better post run and my feet actually felt better as well.  Finger's crossed that this all works!

Have a great upcoming holiday week!  I am excited to spend time with my in laws making lots of great memories with my little red.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I am participating in a link up with HoHo Runs and  Wendy from Taking the Long Way Home.