Week 16 of 24: Training for the Run Amok 50 miler

OMG!  8 more weeks!  One more BIG run to go before the big day, not counting of course a 22 and a 24 yet still.  Still trying to find a 50 K or decide If I am going to do the 4 x 48 modified instead at home or on a local trail.

someone decided to redecorate another couch cushion.  NAUGHTY

Monday:  Trip to the DR.  I had decided enough was enough.  I was pretty sure I had had two illnesses, one old one with a cough that I was getting over, and one new one with head congestion and allergy like symptoms.  Since i was running a low grade fever this time and this is the third week overall of being sick, I figured a check up wouldn't hurt even if it was viral.  My PCP is a runner, so he understand my brand of crazy, and we ended up talking about him training for his first marathon this fall instead of me LOL!  Runners like to talk about running don't we?  In the end he didn't give me a diagnosis, but he did give me antibiotics and prednisone for both my cough and my itchy trail mess whatever it is. I have strict instructions to not run till I am 2 days post fever and I have to come back for a chest x ray if I am still coughing next week.  I started my antibiotics that day post lunch, but waited on steroids because I had hoped for sleep.  For whatever reason, my cough medicine/melatonin/vicks on the feet trick didn't work and I was up pretty much the entire night hacking and coughing.

AT lego club at our little local library or as they call it "Plastic Masons"

Tuesday:  Fever free YIPEEEE!  I still didn't really feel like running thanks to no sleep, but I am counting this as day 1 fever free.  I started the steroids, so I wanted to drink all the things and eat all the things.  I tried my usual recipe for better sleep and nope, not having it.  Not even sleeping sitting straight up and down helped.  Sigh.  I need sleep to train, to coach, and to work.

begging Jason for goodies

Wednesday: Fever free day 2!!! The Dr. actually said I could run Wednesday, but I wanted to stay with his original plan of 2 days total.  I need to be 100 percent to tackle next week's mileage.  Who am I????

corn is finally starting to dry out

Thursday:  Monday was our first day of Girls on the Run and today was our second.  We have almost 20 girls with 2 teams and 5 coaches.  I am so excited because we have such a great mix of girls and LOTS of positive hard workers.  This year is going to be AMAZING!  We did about 1.26 miles in laps with the girls, and then I went out post practice and did 3 more to get my 4 total.  Our new lap area has two big hills and we are working on pacing and getting some hills in at a nice slow conversational pace I am loving the strategy this year.

The AMAZING sunrise!

Friday:  The weather was amazing so I had to partake even though it was supposed to be a rest day.  I figured it wouldn't hurt to get one of my 7s I missed.  Feels like 56?  YES!!!!!  This is prime time running weather!  I did a quick 5 with Robin and then switched Stella out and grabbed Boom for the final 2.  He is running SO well and I am excited to start adding more distance to his repertoire. Friday night we headed to the track for a QUICK practice and I mean quick.

By the time we got there and unloaded there was very little sunlight left (the only bad part about the changing of the seasons for me) and we got just  a few good laps on the new engine.  We stayed around and let andrew play with one of his new track friends Joe (he plays Roblox and minecraft so lots in common) and just talked to some of the other parents and then ate a late dinner and headed home.  Andrew was asleep before we even got out of the parking lot of the Chick Fil A.

Saturday:  Race day!  I had intentions of getting up and doing a quick 7, but with the late night and my coughing the entire ride home, I decided any and all sleep would probably be the best and runs could come post race day if at all.  Today was Andrew's first race with the big boys in Junior Honda. Y'all, I was scared to death.  This is the next level  he would be in, but we had planned on him moving up next year.  After the last novice race and the fact that he has practiced a lot at the next level restrictor plate and even at no plate at all to learn handling of the car, we decided it was time.  He didn't seem nervous or scared and handled it like a champ.  Due to him moving up, he had to be at the back for all races, but he kept his bumper to bumper status, he bumped indicating he wanted to go, and he did lots of moves imitating the bigger kids which was SO cute!   One of the biggest parts of racing is holding a specific line.  Andrew likes to run high and at the speed at the next level, you just can't do that safely.  I am SO proud that other than a few wide turns, he held near perfect lines and even managed a 4th out of 7 in the feature his first time out!!!!!

The club was amazing giving him applause during the pit meeting for moving up and then giving him this cool trophy for moving out of novice that he carried around and even kissed a few times LOL!  I don't think he has ever gotten a trophy and I think the bug may have just hit him for more.  He even wanted to sleep with it!!!! Alas post dinner celebration, it was almost 9 pm when we got home, so no running happened and that is A-OKAY with me.  

One more picture and I promise I will stop :)  This is post race going into the weight shed to weigh his car.  He was met with several of his friends post his first heat race for high fives, fist bumps and congrats.  THIS is why I love racing.  The kids are so awesome to each other even when they are competing with each other, and I just love it.  We may only see each other once a week but they play and have SO much fun on race day and I LOVE it!

Sunday:  Long run day.  4 am sucked but summer is still here and we needed to get as much done pre sun.  We only had 14 on the plan for the day so Rockin Robin did 11 with me and then I switched out Boom for Stella and did the final 3.  I think we will try for 3 runs next week because he really is looking good and running great.  The only issue I had during the run was I have pulled a dang chest wall muscle from coughing it wasn't feeling great during the run but I made it through and have been trying heat and compress to keep it happy.  

Again, it wasn't the week I wanted but it was the week I got and I am moving forward.  Not dwelling on missed runs. Hoping to get back on plan and give it a good go if this chest wall muscle behaves. I am knock on wood pretty much done with coughing and am getting good sleep so I probably won't go back to the Dr. since he said I needed to be 95% or else come back.    Have a great week!