Week 8: Training for the Rocking K Marathon

this was from a couple of years ago. Let's hope stella and I don't have to swim this year!

One more cut back week and then my last big running week before taper.  As I said last time, I am really digging this plan even though it isn't technically coach approved or scientific. I have tried to research things like cut back week volumes and taper week lengths to try and fit this plan to those tenants.  5 more weeks till race day and I am super excited!  This is also another travel week.  Andrew's spring break officially starts the 11-15th, but the school system schedules parent teacher conferences the week before and have the kids totally out Thursday and Friday meaning we can hit the road bright and early Thursday morning.

Monday:  This is usually my Cross Fit day, but since we ended our back squat/dead lift series, this week was kind of random and not really what I needed for running.  I talked to my coach and we decided that Tuesday's work out of tempo back squats would probably be the best.  I was fine with moving things, Monday was going to be one of those crazy days anyway.  School was on a 2 hour delay with the record cold, I had a dentist appointment, and then we had music later.  I had volunteered to start taking a friend's kiddo (who goes to a different school than andrew) to the same music class as Andrew, and I was a little nervous for the logistics of the first time.  Every school has such different pick up and drop off rules around here and they are all so technical! Anyway, we made it through, got everyone picked up and delivered, no problems.  Plus, I got a nice/painful 1.5 hour massage from Miss Trina at Rising Phoenix.  Since my knee is still not 100%, not hurting really just not being right, she worked on my leg to try and help with that.

Tuesday:  Cross Fit/Run. Started out the morning bright and early heading to the gym.  We are between programming, so this week is kind of willy nilly and this work out seemed like the best for me and my running.  For the strength portion, we did back squats to a tempo of 5 seconds on the way down, 3 seconds in the bottom, and then 1 second up, repeat for four sets.  I tried to start at a doable weight and then work my way up.  The WOD was 5 muscle ups, 10 thrusters and 20 box jumps.  I am still not doing these exact, still working scaled and modified versions, so I did 5 ring rows, 10 thrusters with just the bar, and 20 box step ups. It wasn't the hardest WOD we have done, but I was sweating and breathing hard at the end for sure.

some nights a beer and bed are just what you need

I didn't have time to run post getting the kiddo to school because as part of the PTO, we do popcorn days where we pop popcorn for the entire school (around 440 people total) and post that I had to get to work.  I figured no problem, I would run post work.  Well, I honestly was worn out post work, so after eating an early dinner, we watched some TV, and went to bed early.  I knew I could add a run somewhere else and it would be fine.  

Wednesday:  Easy 6.  This run started out with very sore and tired legs and just didn't get much better than that.

At least she was happy.  It was nice to be outside and on the roads, even with a little bit of snow still on some of my route.  I do have to tell a funny story.  If you aren't into TMI skip the rest of this paragraph.  Okay, you have been warned :)   I have runs where I just have to pee multiple times. I have secret ditches or spots that I can get to and be sort of hidden.  It's worse at this time of year because of course the crop coverage is gone, so it's mostly open prairie and I try and use hills or deeper ditches.  I had already stopped one time in one of my hidden spots, so I thought I was good.  My bladder started screaming again right around the time I was heading past the feed lot on my running route.  I knew the workers were out feeding the cattle and thought I had seen the workers heading to the back where the silage is.  I had to go really badly, so I ducked by a concrete bunker further down the road of course.  Just as I was standing up to get my pants up, the workers started driving towards me.  I am hoping the glare of the sun was enough to block any view of my bare bum, but I am pretty sure they knew what I was doing on the side of the road.  Dang it.  I try to be fast and look out for cars.  Not this time.  OF course they drove by me super slow and I couldn't make eye contact. I kind of fiddled with Stella's harness and gave them a half hearted wave.  Oh well.  When you have to go, you have to go.  

Thursday:  Travel day!  Back to TN!  We made it in 10 hours with one stop for lunch and one extra stop for gas.  It was the best trip we have ever had with mostly good weather and only one long line at the gas station.  Mom had us a good dinner cooked and Andrew had fun showing granddaddy all of his Lego creations and building him more.  

Friday:  Easy 6.  I had planned on meeting up with a new trail buddy and running in Memphis till I saw the weather.  It's pretty much suppose to be either storming or raining the whole time we are home:(  I decided it wasn't worth driving an hour to get rained out or be in the mud.  Sunday was suppose to be a better day, so I decided to put off my long run till then.  Stella and I got 6 miles in doing some pounding of the pavement.  She was not happy with the drizzling rain and constant stopping for cross walk lights. She also told me traffic was stupid and sidewalks with glass are not fun.  I agree girlie!

that was me sweating buckets

Saturday:  Easy 5 or long run.  Choose your own adventure.  I decided to get my 5 in because we were suppose to get storms later.  It is always nice to get a run in where I use to ride my horse when I was in college. Also, wow, humidity.  At  99%, it just about killed me because I am NOT use to it yet this year!  

Stella was just happy we were off of major traffic filled roads.  We passed some loose dogs and had one car pass us the whole hour.  It was green and humid, and so different than Kansas.  

Sunday:  Long run.  I had found a route during my 5 mile run that was ~ 6 miles and perfect for a two looper to get my 13 in.  When we drove around the loop to check it out, we didn't see any dogs but when I ran it, every single house had one or more.  Sigh.  Country life.  It was also horribly humid at 7 am, to the point I had to shed my jacket and just run in a tech T and shorts. Unfortunately,  I was not very comfortable at feels like 40, but I was also tired of sweating buckets.  

After my run and a quick shower, we headed to ReelFoot Lake to look for eagles.  We found one nest with an eagle on it, and several blue herons, and one beaver.  We even went to the town of Hickman KY to look at the flooding and Mississippi river.   We went down many back roads trying to find more eagles and had so much fun seeing so much wildlife.  We also got to see some of the birds they had at the welcome center.

On to peak week !  Last big week before a nice long taper and race day!  I am digging the new weekly wrap, so check it out and find a new blog you might love! Kim at Running on the Fly and Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner host, so head over and read up!