Week 4 of 24: Training for Run Amok 50 miler

Two more weeks of baseball and I am sure when it is over I will miss it dearly!  We have tournaments coming up, but single elimination and we will play the best team in the league so let's just be real, it will be one and done. In other news CUT BACK WEEK #1!!!!  YAAAAASSSSS!!!!

Monday:  Rest day and baseball.  No lifting, just couldn't fit it into my schedule and yes that is a big fat excuse.  I worked at both jobs, plus Andrew started KSU baseball camp.  The above picture is him at check in.  Sometimes I look at him and wonder where in the heck my little boy went!  He didn't even want a hug or kiss post check in, just gave me a head nod and headed in ALL BY HIS SELF!  How did we get from the kindergartner that had to be walked in, to the kiddo that doesn't even say bye mom???   Post baseball daddy picked him up and they hit up the lazy river water feature and had McDonalds.  Then we had baseball that night.

We played a team that had many young players too and it was a super fun game. Our boys got some hits and still got beat, but it wasn't such a painful ass whooping.  Both sides did some great things offensively and defensively.  Andrew knocked down a ball at third and saved the runner from getting an extra base, and had a nice clean catch that he could have attempted to throw to first, but instead he threw to the pitcher.  Oh well, they are learning and that was his first time on third base.  

Tuesday:  4 easy.  I am telling you right now, cut back weeks are the BEST!  It's so nice after having some hard weeks to see only 4 miles on your schedule and NO speed work for the entire week.  Of course we had 90% humidity at 5 am, but details.  We headed out with one of my BRFs and her dog Ebby and talked ghost stories and got it done.

when you can't go swimming because it's storming, just swim in the gym in the rain water that comes under the door

Later post picking up Andrew from camp, we went and got lunch and then headed over to the gym, so I could work on my heavy rep of 8.  I didn't want to do this without a person around watching me and helping me get to that heavy 8.  Coach showed me a new way to grip and position the bar on my back for more comfort during back squats, and we slowly worked up to a set of 8 at 75%.  I could have gone one more set, but I decided to stop where I was and be good with what I got. 

Wednesday:  Easy 3.  I decided to take Boom for the entire run and see how he did.  Yes, this goes against everything I preach, but the majority of his run would be on soft dirt/gravel, and we would be run walking with my hubby on stand by if he needed to be picked up.   It was cool, but the humidity was high, and he immediately wanted to pull and catch up to Ebby.  He has to figure out pacing and not moving so much side to side, but overall he did GREAT!  He got to play in the puddles from the rain storm the day before, and he learned how wonderful walk breaks are.  I was SUPER proud of him and how he adjusted, but he has a lot to learn to be a distance doggy.  Oh well, we have lots of time :)

Baseball was LOADS of fun!  We had a team of similar skill level with lots of young kiddos and we both had our ups and downs.  For a while it was 5-4 with them barely winning, but we had runs and hits so who cares!!!!  The pitching machine has kicked our asses this year and we are finally mastering it!  Andrew even got a little dink of a hit and got a single and advanced on a throwing error.  He had a couple of good stops at 2nd base and even caught a few balls thrown to him!  I am super proud we are ending this season on a high note!

Thursday:  Easy 5.  I couldn't sleep the night before, not for any one reason, just couldn't get my brain to shut off, so when my alarm went off, I surely just wanted to go back to sleep.  Had both of my BRFs waiting on me, so I had to drag my tired and sore butt out there.  One BRF couldn't make it so the other BRF and her dog Ebby and Stella and I got it done.  Wow, the humidity has been high lately, but the cooler temps have made it tolerable.  I was cool, but wet with sweat that wouldn't evaporate.

Later on I headed in to Manhattan to do my dead lift series on some sore and tired legs.  Coach Erin had given me some dead lifts series to work on a while back and I am still working through them.  70% on some deficit dead lifts, 75% of my max on 4 x 4 regular dead lifts.  I finished up with 2 x 10 on Romanian dead lifts at 45% of my max.  I took my time, focused on form, and had great conversation with Coach while we both were lifting.  Then it was back to Wamego for our last batting practice of the season.  We did some batting drills, worked on hitting off of the Ts, and then did a fly ball competition for sno cones.  Of course they all got sno cones because they all got a catch and worked hard. I hate that the season is ending because it has been so much fun working with the boys that come to every practice and every game and hustle and try hard.  They want to learn and Tony has a lot to teach them.  His passion is baseball and I think he has found his niche in coaching, and I love seeing that!

at the ice cream shop.  so nice and it made andrew's day too!

Friday:  Rest day!!!!  I needed a day to do nothing!  I had hoped for some extra sleep, but the dogs had us all up at 6 am due to thunderstorms moving through.  We had a super busy day at the shop and then post work we headed to target.  Why is that place SO magical?  I could seriously walk up and down every single aisle.  Andrew had saved up his money and wanted a Woody doll and was delighted to find that with the money he saved, he could get a woody and a buzz light year.  We can't wait to go see Toy Story 4!!!!!

Saturday:  10 miles.  Woke up to storms at 5 am that didn't look like they would be out of the area till around 9 am, so opted to go back to sleep.  The dogs weren't happy, usually once they are up, they are up, but they were nice and went back to sleep with me.  Got back up at 7.  Looked like the storms would be gone around 8:30 am, so I fueled and got ready to run.  This is the first run that I feel like Stella was back to her normal self.  She wasn't dragging, was jumping back up to go when my watch would signal the walk interval was over, and just had a smile on her face pretty much the whole run.  It was hot, but there were TONS of lakes left over from the storms, and a nice breeze was blowing.  The gravel was a bit soft in some places, but not too bad.  I am sure the trails are still under water and will be for some time with all of the rain we continue to get.  As I was heading back to my house, I saw hubby and Andrew leaving and whistled out and got their attention.  They were headed to brunch, so I really quickly  dropped Stella off and headed to where they were eating.  Post brunch I mowed and then we headed to town to watch Toy Story 4.

If you haven't seen it or want to see it, GO see Toy Story 4.  I was skeptical that it would be good since it's the 4th one, but it did not disappoint.  

Sunday:  My schedule called for active rest.  She said we could bike, swim, or elliptical, or even take it is a full rest day.  We went to bed to storms and woke up to storms.  Our back yard was a lake and our basement flooded.  Active rest quickly moved to just rest, which is also allowed and probably needed.  I think house cleaning counts as active rest anyway right?

I really had hoped to get more rest this week, but instead lifted twice and spent most of the week sore, but feeling happy that I got back in the gym.  Got a little more sleep, which was needed and even slept in one day till 8:30 am, WAHOOOO!!!!  Tournament week of baseball is up next and obviously since we play the #2 team, we will be one and done unless some crazy miracle happens.  I also have a race coming up at night on the trail, and my mom, mom in law, and step dad are traveling up to celebrate the 4th with us early to watch Andrew race his car.  Busy week, but my heart will be happy and full!