Workouts this week: June 26-July 2

June 26: OFF
Enjoyed my Monday off. Came home and took a nap.

June 27: Speed work X 2
Ran a mile for speed at 6:30 a.m.

Then did 6:30 p.m. track workout. The workout was warmup, 5 800s, then a cool down (with breaks in between).
After my mile, I didn't really want to do the last two reps, but decided to see how I felt.
• 3:27
• 3:27.9
• 3:30

And then I was basically done, but Matt told me I couldn't quit.
• 3:33. My legs were SOOOOOO Heavy on this one.
• 3:27. Ugh

(Also the track is long, so for .52 miles)

800 meters to cool down. That was HARD. I was so tired after that workout.

June 28: trail run

Did a trail run with the Athens Road Runners as part of the monthly trail series. It was white to orange trail at the Botanical Garden, which I've done once before. The goal today was SLOW recovery miles. And yep, ran 10:58s.

This trail is so steep, it's easy to run slow. I was pretty proud of myself for running the entire trail and not walking the hills. Thanks peer pressure, I wouldn't let myself do that.

June 29th: rainy run
My quads were sore. I was tired. Today I wanted a flat run. No hills. I ran by my house. And I started feeling better after I started running. (I think the tired feeling was from not getting enough sleep). The plan was to run 5.1 miles. Easy miles. Still on recovery. I hit 5.1 miles and the rain started POURING. I called Matt to come pick me up. No answer. And my phone wouldn't hang up. It's in a waterproof case but when the case is wet I can't touch buttons on the screen. So I walked the big hill and ran an extra mile back to the house. (I had planned to walk the last mile as my stretching post run.)

Good news: I bought a pair of new Nike Pegasus shield. They're designed for running in the rain. They're water resistant and extra grippy.

From Nike: Designed for use in rainy, wet conditions, these running shoes have a DWR coating on the mesh and Flywire uppers, as well as water-resistant booties to keep your feet feeling warm and dry. The grippy, high-abrasion outsoles offer traction and durability, while the Cushlon and Phylite midsoles are soft and responsive.

Verdict: They are indeed water resistant. My feet were dry and not sloshing in my shoes.

June 30: BodyPump + Speed
I went to 5:30 BodyPump. I DID NOT like the music for the 102 release. Ugh. It uses a lot of dumbbells. There are pushups. I did lunges with no weight.

Then I did some speed work from a workout from Nike.

Warmup mile
2 100 meter strides
1000 at race pace (4:12)
2 100 meter strides

The workout said cool down mile, but I was tired so I ran for 5 miles, which was a little more than half a mile. My Garmin doesn't track right on the indoor track.

Saturday: Failed long run
The goal was to run 8-9 miles. I skipped my long run last week. I went running today and my legs were tired. I walked in mile 2. And again in mile 3. At mile 4 I was ready to quit, but said I'd get to five miles. I could do that. At five miles, I willed myself to 6. At 6, I willed myself to finish a 10k, and then I willed myself to finish 7 miles. And that was that. I was hot and tired. And it was more than 4 miles. I was just tired.

Afterwards, I was feeling the twinges of shin splits when I was walking around that afternoon.

Sunday July 2: Progression run

I tried a progression run today. Which is weird for me since I like to rabbit my first mile and get slower. (Also I was only running 3 miles today. I'm slightly scaling back my mileage and tapering).
I ran my first mile 9:30, which is recovery pace for me.
Mile 2: 9 minutes.
Mile 3. 8 minutes.

I ran this on trails so I purposely made sure mile 3 was downhill. Not sure if I started too slow. I think I just forgot which part of the progression I was on for that third mile. So apparently I can do this. It was a challenge. I'd try it again.

**Starting to get shin splits. Had zero pain during the run. But my shins started to hurt after the run. So I iced and took so anti-inflammatories. I'll search what I should do, but I think it's the muscular kind of shin splints.

Also went to Sunday night yoga.

Car twin: my black and white mini, parked near a black and white FJ

Miles this week: 28

Days running: 6

Also 1 weights class, 1 yoga class

Workouts this week: March 19

New trail shoes. Nike Zoom Wildhorse 3. Really like them.

March 19: Off. 

March 20: Yoga
I went to a gentle yoga class today. It was my first time to Monday yoga. We used bolsters a lot. I don't like bolsters really. And I don't like reclining positions. I left the class feeling super relaxed and mellow.

The plan was to go run a mile afterwards, but I didn't want to ruin my chill so I didn't.

March 21: Trail run---super slow
This is usually when I do my long run, but it was 86 degrees, so I decided to scale it back. I went to the Botanical Garden to run, since the trails would be shadier and cooler to run in. And it wasn't a good run.

That first mile, I really had to push myself to run my normal time. And I crashed about at mile 1.5 where the hills starts. I walked the second half of the course and it was my slowest run in a year.

WHY!? Why was this run so bad.
1. The heat. I haven't run in 80 degree weather in a LONG time. I'm not used to it yet.
2. It's a hard course. I ran it 3 minutes faster two weeks ago. But the weather was cooler then. This course is mentally hard too. I kept giving up on the hills. I shouldn't have.
3. I've been tired for a while. After two days off I thought I'd recovered, but maybe not.

So here's hoping my next run is better.

March 22 - Off, short run
I felt bad all day at work. My quads were sore from the climb. I went home and slept. And that's what I needed.

Wednesday is my usual gymnastics day but I skipped it to nap. Then I needed to work out my quads so I did 15 minutes on the exercise bike. Then I was going to go on an easy run. The goal was one mile, but I was feeling good so I did two. Under 8 for both my miles. I always run trails so it's nice to have faster times on the road. I tried out some new shoes.

I found some $115 Pearl Izumi road shoes on sale for $35 at TJ Maxx. They're 9 ounces and I think what I'm going to run in next weekend. They did great. And I felt great on the run. Hooray! Only 9 more miles to run this week.

March 23: long run

I wasn't sure if I was going to do my long run today or Saturday. I decided to see how I felt.

I slept great last night. So I didn't have my usual fatigue going on.

IM Fields. Where I always run.

I wanted my long run to be at Sandy Creek but didn't feel like going out there today. I went to the trails near the university and said I'd run at least 4. Maybe 7. The temperature was good. I felt okay. And sure enough I got to 7. When I get to 9 minute miles I feel like I can run forever. So maybe I should slow down on my runs. I ran 7.09 miles in a little less than 61 minutes. So I'll take that. It was a decent run. About the same as my normal speed. No course records on Strava.

March 24: Friday yoga
I love my Friday yoga class. It's the best way to end the week. Except there was a crazy swim meet going on so kids everywhere.

Also, I want to learn to do a forearm stand.

Bibim-Bop bowl for Friday lunch

March 25: Lots of workouts
I really wanted to do flying trapeze today and had two miles to run to make my goal of 15 miles per week. So I went to the indoor track to do speed work first thing in the morning. I had written down to do 5 x 400s, but for some reason I ran an 800 for my first one. And decided that 800s would be good for me. I did four of those and then a mile since I felt like I should get more miles in. (I really don't follow my training plan at all).

I ran 3:40, 3:41, 3:47, 3:53 and then 7:51. I then hurried home, showered and drove an hour to Atlanta for an hour trapeze class.

That was my birthday present to myself. I had wanted my friends to come. No one came. I was sad for a little but. But I did the class by myself and had fun.

It wasn't my best day.

Running shoe shopping

It's time for some new running shoes. I'm convinced I'm wearing the wrong running shoes—so that's why my achilles hurt and my times are slower. So I went to the fancy running store and got my gait analyzed.

I had the sweetest most patient salesperson in the world, but I think I just wasn't in the mood to buy shoes.

I went in and the girl watched me walk (no treadmills and iPads at this store, like the store my husband went to). I don't pronate. I have a neutral gait. (Nothing learned here.)

And she brought me out about 8 pairs of shoes. And I hated all of them.

I didn't want to be that person. But I was.

The first pair she bought me was hideous. "You're not going to look at your feet when you run," she told me. Like it didn't matter what my shoes look like.

Like she didn't know how important gym outfits are to me. I was horrified. It was the beginning of the end.

The shoes were also too small. My feet measure a 6.5. But I take a 7 or 7.5 in running shoes. I put no stock in shoe measuring devices. I know I wear a 7.5. So that 7 you bring me isn't going to fit.

The second pair had a white bottom—and I would NEVER wear those on a muddy trail.

There was a really ugly pair of Nikes that I didn't even try on.

I told the girl that I was really picky about colors–and would buy shoes just because they're cute. I like pink, purple and blue.

The fourth was a pair of pink and purple Mizunos. In an 8! And they were cute-ish (best looking of the group. Nothing that I would pick out off a shelf). I loved the heal in them. Super comfy. However, I HATED the plate in the shoe. I tried walking in them. And maybe I could learn to like them. I tried running on the pavement and they were SO BAD. It was so stiff. It hurt my feet. I could not run in these shoes on the pavement.

The plate was in the bottom of the shoes. Like the spikes I ran track in. It was uncomfortable and made the shoes very inflexible. Felt like torture to me. After running in them it was a hard NO.

So I kept trying shoes.

I tried a pair of Pearl Izumis and toe box was too big and I didn't like it. The heal also slipped. I tried another pair in a better color at the very end. And it all blurs together. Some were too flat. Or too stiff.

Eventually I tried on everything—except the newer version of the Asics I currently have, which I don't like.

I hated wasting this girl's times. (I hated that she insist on lacing the shoes for me! HATE HATE HATE.) I just wasn't in the mood for shoes. And for $120, I wanted to love the shoes. I didn't love the shoes.

They just had such a small selection.

I wanted a running shoe that was light and flexible. No white bottoms. Preferably in jewel tones.  I was pretty clear about this up front. But kept getting white and lime green shoes.

I went home really upset. That I couldn't find shoes. That I wasted this girl's time.

So I went online and easily found  five our six similar to what I tried on—with better prices and better colors. I think I might just do a huge order and send a bunch back. I just hate interaction of sales people. Just let me shop by myself. I know what I want. And it's not for you to tie up shoes. Or bring me ugly shoes. The end.

I ended up getting two pairs of Mizuno running shoes for $100 on 6pm.com. They were older year models in much cuter colors. So much cheaper. I think online shopping has spoiled me.

No white bottoms here. Someone understands trail shoes!