First Week on the Training Plan, a Little Randomness & Merry Shoemas to Me!!

Today I wrapped up my first week on the training plan and I feel like I can pat myself on the back and say "Kudos, Angie!"  For the most part I stayed on schedule and did most of the workouts.  The plan has specific routines for non-running workouts and while I did some of them, I felt that some of my own gym training would work in place of them.  The running workouts I followed to the letter.  The schedule said I would have 23 miles this week, and I ended up with 27.  This was a result of my run streak (so I am doing a mile on the rest days) and also a few of the runs called for "strides" after the run which added a little.

Strides (in case you are wondering) - 100m accelerations where you start at a jog, build to about 95% of your max speed, and then gradually slow to a stop.
Credit: Jason Fitzgerald @ Strength Running.

The hardest day by far was 6 miles on the treadmill.  I did 4 miles at 10:31 min/mile and 2 miles at 9:45 min/mile.  I did a couple of short walk breaks to drink water and switch music but I held my paces admirably!  But it was still over an hour on the treadmill.  Ugh!

 

On Saturday I was scheduled for my long run, but postponed it until Sunday because it was extremely windy.  Instead I did 3.6 miles (1 easy, 2 steady state and .6 strides).  My run was followed by our annual pilgrimage to Red Lodge to find a Christmas tree in the mountains.

 

We took our snow shoes (a fun Black Friday purchase), but sadly there was not enough snow to wear them.  But aside from being windy, it was a beautiful day.  We bought one tag and while hiking through the trees we found another one that someone had lost.  Sadly, we did not find our tree so we went home with an empty truck and one extra tree tag.

 

My favorite run of the week is always my long run.  No other run day gives me quite the same feeling of accomplishment that a long run does.  Today was 10 miles.  The last time I did double digits was the beginning of October so I'm pretty much pleased with myself right now.  I'm supposed to run at "easy" pace for the entire distance, but it's more difficult to hold a 10:30 or slower pace on the road. The good thing about it is that I can go much further without walking... but only if I can make myself hold the pace.  It feels like I'm crawling!

 

I was hungry after my run today and we went to Montana Brewing Company for lunch.  Southern Mac for the win!

 

The Brew Pub (the name we usually call this place by) is decked out so festive.  I love the holidays and Christmas lights just make me happy.  I tried four times to get good picture of Mitch, but he kept making faces (or obscene gestures) so I'm posting the one that looks like his eyes are closed.

 



 

 Since we didn't find our tree in the mountains, we bought a White Pine from the Boy Scouts.  I've never had this kind of tree before.  It's pretty and it smells good, but putting lights on it was a challenge!  I haven't put the ornaments on yet.  I'll do that later this week after it snows and I'm all in the holiday mood again.

This last week was Shoemas at my house!  I bought these lovely Altra Superior 2.0s to replace the ones I wore for the Rut and had to retire.  I have the privilege of being a Brooks wear tester and my newest pair of test shoes showed up the next day!  I'm not allowed to post pictures of those.

Next week's training is identical to this past week.  We are expecting snow and arctic cold to come in over the next few days so there will definitely be long miles on the treadmill again.  The weekend should be decent enough to enjoy my ten-miler outside though.

Have a great week everyone!

For those of you that get a Christmas tree, do you prefer real or fake?  Do you cut your own or buy?  (BTW... Is my city the only place the Walmart isn't selling them this year???)