Let’s just say Philly is cold this week. Sunday started with a brisk 12-degree day and ended in a snowstorm that started as quickly as it was gone. Keeping pace with the chilly rainy Philadelphia morning the week started off with a few slow miles on Monday for Anna and Jess.
This week’s running schedule: 2 rest days, 3 easy miles, 7 miles w/ intervals, 0-3 easy miles, 3-4 easy miles, and a long run of 12 miles.
Let’s break down this week’s workouts:
Anna:
Monday 3 easy miles + strength & yoga :My 3 easy miles got done on Monday. Beau (my two yr old Catahoula leopard dog) joined making them easy but inconsistent miles (lots of trees to smell along the way). Not wanting to stop at 3 miles I did a peloton Disney barre class and a peloton yoga class to round out the workout day. My biggest struggle is having an easy day. I have always had the mentality when it’s my day off I need to do the hardest workout I possibly can. Training for a marathon has really modified my old workout habits. As mentioned in week 1 when work mentally & physically kills me my training definitely suffers. At week three I am still figuring out how to combat this. Maybe in few weeks we will have some more answers.
Tuesday long run 11 miles : I live in Fishtown so a huge benefit to that is my proximity to Columbus blvd, I am running along the water a mile into my run. The negative of that is the massive wind gusts the water brought to today’s run. I went out around 11:00 so the temp was at least “warmer” 37 compared to earlier in the day. I felt good up until about mile 9 and then my body reminded me that this is my longest run yet and that I was sidelined to the couch last week. Overall I did it and I feel great about that. Jess had shared a playlist with me and I ended up playing sleeping with a friend by neon trees 3 times . When a song feels right you can’t deny it! Post run I stretched , hydrated , fueled, and made some http://www.runonveg.com/recipes/raw-cookie-dough-and-chocolate-coconut-truffles/ energy balls for work this weekend.
More importantly, can we talk about what my other curly girls do with their pony during these long runs ??? I wore a beanie with a low pony in the back which turned into a literal bird’s nest that needed a deep conditioning treatment to get the dreads that had formed out. If I wear a low braid it’s really heavy ( I have A LOT of hair) and bothers while it bounces on my back the entire run.
Wednesday 3 easy miles w/ 20 min yoga flow & 20 min upper body weights : Nothing about today’s miles felt easy. My legs felt heavy and never really loosened up . I got home and did a 20 min peloton yoga flow and immediately felt alive again. I’ve always loved yoga and it’s the only stretching I’ve ever stuck to consistently after workouts. With my new found energy I did a 20 min peloton upper body workout. The day became surprisingly stressful due to a work meeting so I ended up taking a long walk with beau to clear my head. It’s amazing how some movement and fresh air can clear your head. I made a vegan white bean chili for dinner tonight to give me some energy stores for tomorrow’s interval run.
Thursday 8 miles with intervals : Today started with rain/sleet/snow eventually it stopped so I made it to the track around 11. Jess has the exact interval workout outlined below but WOAH that was hard. The wind showed up and reminded me I haven’t run on a track since highschool. I also speed read the plan and ran my 800’s way too fast. I work the next three days so I am sure I will be feeling it. Speaking of work, throughout the week I have been doing small amounts of meal prepping so I didn’t have to do everything today. It makes me more likely to actually meal prep if it doesn’t take me a whole day.
- My work weekend meal prep includes:
- Coffee maker ready and timer set !
- Mason jars filled with papaya , pineapple, blueberries, and navel oranges
- Energy bites : dates, oates, organic no salt added peanut butter, chia seeds, & blueberries (I found a recipe by runonveg.com but then didn’t have everything so made my own version)
- White bean vegan chili https://www.vegetarianventures.com/creamy-vegetarian-white-chili/: sooo yummy but very spicy ! This will be my big “lunch” all weekend.
- Mason Jar: kite hill yogurt plain/unsweetened ( almond yogurt) w/ some strawberries and a pinch of cinnamon for sweetness.
- I also will have my 1.5L water bottle and will bring a nuun tablet for later in the day when plain water seems boring.
Jess:
Monday 6 easy miles: I live in a hilly part of Philadelphia so my easy miles often feel harder because of the steep inclines. I found a route that’s a bit flatter which helps limit the strain I’m putting on my body on my easy days so I can maximize my hard days. I didn’t do strength after the run because I had to rush to work to get to my overtime shift but I did hydrate, stretch, and eat well.
**Runners hack (fueling): I’m big on meal prep. I cook a bunch of rice in advance to have carbs at my fingertips for the week. I’ve also been into roasting garlic butternut squash in the oven in big batches to mix in with the rice. Super yummy and easy to devour after running.
Tuesday track workout:
-2 mile warm up
-3×400 with 200 warm down
-3×800 with 400 warm down
-1×400 with 200 warm down
-2 mile warm down
The wind was whipping HARD today. This shouldn’t have been as challenging as it was but the weather really has not cooperated recently and I worked overtime yesterday (yikes). Read an article on Runner’s World this week that broke down the benefits of running in cold weather and that got me really motivated [put link for article in]. I also had a killer playlist!
**Runner’s hack (harsh weather) – if you struggle with keeping your extremities warm, I highly recommend mittens with hand warmers inside. I typically shake them up and pop them in a few minutes before I get outside for my run if the temps are < 30 degrees F**
Wednesday – Thursday: POST SHIFT WORK RUNNING & THE DREADED TREAD
Boy do I hate the treadmill. The problem for us nurses is, we start our 12-13 hour shifts in the dark and end them in the dark when it’s winter. If I don’t have a running buddy after work, I don’t run outside by myself in the dark. It’s not safe for multiple reasons so I have resorted to easy treadmill runs. After the shift, I’m also pretty unmotivated and I have to push myself to get on that treadmill and crank out some easy miles. I did 3 miles post work both days (whoo hoo!) and a 20 minute strength workout one of the days. It has taken me YEARS to get to the point of being able to approach post-shift running. Here are some things I tell myself if I’m attempting to get some miles in after work:
- SET ACHIEVABLE GOALS – 12-13 (sometimes 14!) hours is a long effing day. You don’t always have the energy or stamina to do anything after. When you do, seize that moment. I tell myself to forget the mileage. At first I was trying to sneak in a 5 mile run after work and it was incredibly unrealistic. Be realistic about how much time you have after a shift. I usually get on the treadmill for 15-30 minutes and that gets me about 2-3 miles. Don’t tell yourself you need to run 4-5 miles, then you get on the treadmill and realize you don’t have that time. It puts you in a negative headspace. Do what you can and don’t beat yourself up.
- USE THE POST SHIFT WORKOUT AS A WAY TO RELIEVE STRESS – our shift work jobs are incredibly stressful. I used to live with a few roommates during the pandemic who were working from home and did not understand the shift work. I didn’t want to talk after work – I wanted to basically have a 30-45 minute period of what I called “powering down.” I now use my post work tread as my “power down” moment and it really helps me in the long run (pun intended!!!!). Instead of immediately slamming a glass of red wine and putting on a crime show, I have been able to silence my brain for the 15-30 minutes I’m running. Sometimes I even put on meditation music while I’m cruising and it’s really helped my headspace.
- IF YOU DIDN’T FUEL YOURSELF ALL DAY, SKIP THE RUN – we all have experienced those days – you drank 4 cups of coffee (that was all the water you had for 14 hours), ate one energy bar, and binged on candy and pretzels left by some grateful family members. You fed your body shit so you’re going to feel like shit. Instead of running, maybe perform some active stretching or do very light yoga. If you feel too tired, lay in a dark room and meditate. You’ll only disappoint yourself if you go out for that run and you feel terrible.
Friday: rest day 🙂 → had some pasta and went to bed early for my long run with a friend the next morning.
Saturday: Long Run (13 trail miles)
I was super stoked to do this run with a friend of mine who I am helping stay motivated for the “LOVE run” half marathon in Philly in March – but the weather was not kind to us (the theme of this training cycle!!!). It was 11 degrees when we got to the trail (woof). I had eyelash icicles by the end!!! The trail we ran is called the Wissahickon Valley Park https://fow.org If you’re ever in Philadelphia, it’s a must if you’re a trail runner. I got lost in the beauty of the trail early in the morning – we saw a bunch of blue jays and the icicles made the hilly trail look like it was out of a movie. My friend did the first 7 with me and I did the last 6 solo. I was REALLY into my head at the end (in a great way) and couldn’t stop smiling. It was one of those runs where the playlist was the perfect soundtrack for the views. I LOVE WHAT RUNNING DOES FOR OUR BRAINS AND OUR SOULS.
Sunday: Easy 4 (?) Neighborhood Miles
You’ll get to know by my entries that running doesn’t “run” (hehe) my life. It’s more important to me to have running be an addition to my life – not the sole purpose of my existence. This leads to my supposedly “easy” 4 miles I was scheduled to do Sunday. Three words: TOO MUCH TEQUILA. I enjoyed a night out for my best friend’s birthday and we really got after it. The easy Sunday run felt more like I had cement blocks attached to my legs but guess what? I felt better after I did it. I typically don’t get physically hungover but I often have the Sunday Scaries. Running always kicks me out of that head space!