I have a Momentum Jewelry bracelet that reads – Believe. Endure. Achieve. It’s the middle one that is tricky. There’s no way around endurance training. There’s no faking it in a race, either you have it or you don’t. Building it will test your capacity to suffer, and suffer I have, but in the best way possible. This week was all about pushing though what I thought was my limit. Each workout when I thought “I can’t,” I did. I guess this means I’m ready to taper!
WEEK OF MARCH 30, 2015
RUNNING: My runs have been pretty fantastic this week and I even got to do some of them in the sun! It touched 60 degrees here for two whole days and half of my yard is visible. Progress. I had a little hitch in my giddy-up for the first two of my 8 x 800s at the track, but I pulled my head out of my ass and got it together for the last 6. I was tired and was thinking all the bad things that come with being tired, until I just stopped and magically I started hitting 3:10 like it was my job.
I also did a brick of cycling for an hour (I hung out in a spin class to make it better!) and then five miles on the treadmill. My legs felt great and I started thinking about the Duathlon and Triathlon I have in the months after the marathon. More bricks to come!
Back to the marathon – I was finally able to do a long a run with some company! I did my final long run of 20 miles on a windy Saturday. It was 50 degrees and the sun was out! I started out with a jacket, long-sleeve shirt, wool hat and gloves and ended in only my sports bra and tights. Gotta love New England!
Total mileage: 51.70 miles, 7 hours
CYCLING: Spin class and another spin class as part of the brick session on Friday. I love taking other people’s classes and Emily’s did not disappoint. I sat in the very last row, which is awesome when you’re usually up on a stage, and she played two of my most favorite songs – Prayer in C by Lilly Wood and Celebrity Skin by Courtney Love. That second one took me right back to college. Loved it!
Total: 50 miles, 2 hours (notice how long it takes to run 50!)
SWIMMING: I got to swim very fast this past week and I absolutely loved it! For my main set I had 5 of 4 x 25 fast with 10 second rest intervals. I know it sounds all fancy but what it is basically is endurance! That’s right, I’m building it on land and sea…but not air because you know I’m afraid to fly. Sheesh.
I had a swim on the schedule for Sunday but every gym was closed because of Easter. Don’t worry, I ran instead.
Total: 2000 yards, 50 minutes
STRENGTH TRAINING: If you run or are interested in strength training at all, you should absolutely try Dr. Metzl’s IronStrength workout. I wrote all about it and whined about how hard it was, but that just made me love it more. Endure!
If you’re a runner, buy this book. If you know a runner, get it for them.
FUEL: Something amazing happened last Thursday night. What started out as a disastrous evening trying to find a restaurant that didn’t have a 30 minute wait, turned into a night at a French Bakery with live jazz music performed by UCONN students, in a huge bookstore complete with a kids section and lots of puppets. Oh and did I mention the crepes?
THINGS I LOVE: Another Mother Runner podcast with Summer Sanders. I first read about it on Love, Life, Surf and listened while doing an easy 8 miler this past week. I absolutely love Summer and her approach to almost everything. She talked about running as “pounding your bones! And women need to pound their bones!” I love that and it’s so true. If you need some motivation, perspective and clarity about running, swimming and/or biking, you need to listen to this.
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH: Getting a mammogram. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s one of the most awkward situations ever. Having a stranger manipulate my boobs for 5 minutes while taking pictures of them at random intervals is just strange. It’s necessary I know, but why is it the older you get the more you have people poking and prodding your naked body? And I love it when they tell me how dense my breasts are. What is the appropriate response to that? Thank you?
Easy for you to say!
READING: Yes, Please by Amy Poehler. It’s everything you think it is plus, a great read about being a successful woman, managing a superstar career, being a mom and getting a divorce – you know, just all the normal things women have to deal with. No biggie.
One of the best phrases to come out of the book is one Amanda at Run to the Finish discussed on her blog: “Great for you, not for me.” Think breastfeeding, having a baby sans drugs and being a stay-at-home mom. It’s a perfect mantra for navigating the sometimes messy waters of female friendships.
RANDOM EXCHANGE OF THE WEEK: Just before heading out for my 20 mile run on Saturday:
Me: Do you know how many miles mommy is going to run this morning?
Vaughn: How many?
Me: 20!
Vaughn: Why not 100?
That is an excellent question and I love the way you think!
One of these boys had a little too much sugar on Easter.
How was your week?
Have you ever accidentally stumbled onto deliciousness?
What are you reading?
I hope you will share what you think of Amy Poehler’s book when you finish it as I have it on my list and not a big non-fiction reader, so been putting it off honestly. And the boys looked adorable in that Easter photo above 😉
I’m almost finished and it’s really such a great, easy read. She’s funny and matter-of-fact about life and her famous career. I think it’s safe for me to recommend 🙂
Allie, you are going to KILL this marathon!! I hope tapering is a welcome relief and not full of the crazies for you. I love Celebrity Skin as well – even if I can’t bear to think about how long ago it was released because that just scares me.
I love that quote from the Amy Poehler book and now I want to read it! (Fun fact: my friend Mandy designed the cover, so I always feel the need to mention how awesome the cover is anytime this book is mentioned). 🙂
OMG that is so cool about the cover designer!!
I’m ready to taper, and if you saw my week, it doesn’t look like tapering AT ALL!! 🙂 It’s a good thing I’m up for it!
I cannot wait to see how you do for this marathon. You are truly going to kill it.
That exchange was too cute, I love it!
Were your ears burning on Saturday? I was telling my running friends how speedy you are and all that you accomplished in Arizona. I also had to share how funny the pic of you was when you were trying to get onto the podium!! 🙂 So awesome.
YAY! Glad you got that darn 20 miler in, and now you are on your way down…as am I of course….eeeekk! So scary! How is it less than 3 weeks already!? I am glad you are enjoying podcasts, and reading…I need to get back to reading. Haven’t heard of Jordans book, but I did see about Amy’s and that does look like it would be a fun one! By the way, I LOVED what you said at first about not faking endurance, SO true!
Ah yes, there is no faking endurance!!! You are going to be so amazing and I’ll be thinking of you during my race, trying to somehow gain your endurance by osmosis!! 🙂 It is very scary that it’s only three weeks away!! YIKES!
Hooray for seeing patches of yard! We’re getting there…slowly. And funny you should mention Celebrity Skin. I just heard it again last week in what seems like forever. College memories for sure!
That is too funny. Maybe it’s making a comeback? I had forgotten all about that song and it was funny how many memories came flooding back. Gotta love the power of music!
Because that picture is the best and gives me my fix of the boys I am going to talk about how cute they are FIRST!!! MAN they are all kinds of adorable!! And lol at the 100 miles–Just like when my eldest asked me if I didn’t win because I didn’t get a medal at Saturdays 10k. Lol!
Yay for your twenty miler! That’s so awesome!!! I’m so excited for your marathon, you have trained in way less than ideal conditions and now it’s almost here!
Those crepes look amazing I haven’t had crepes in years!! I used to make them back in the day.
Hahaha – you are too much!…and so are they. I love how their little minds work!
Yes, the conditions have definitely been less then stellar but such is life in the northeast.
I have to admit, my crepe was a little too sweet for me so my husband polished it off 🙂 I’ll just have to try a different kind next time.
Look out marathon, ’cause Allie is on her way–you’re gonna crush it! I’m really excited for you. Great week of training, building for both this one and what’s to come this summer. Although, really, you should have stepped it up to 100, slacker!
I’m gonna remember that phrase: great for you, not for me. How useful!
Total slacker, I know! I’m a little scared that I feel ready for this marathon. I don’t want to underestimate the distance, but I want to be confident. I guess the best way to find out is just to run it, right? Eek.
Love that phrase, and works for so many occasions!! That should have been the book title.
Why not 100? I love it- he’s not at all impressed with your measly 20 miler. 🙂 Awesome job with your peak week done! Bring on the taper. I can’t wait to hear how the marathon goes for you. Your training has been so solid!
These kids are tough critics, I tell you!! I’m definitely ready to taper and very scared about the actual race. I have to remember all this solid training and just go for it but – yikes!!
You just gave me another book that I think I need to get! (the strength training one).
And hello….AWESOME workout week for you! Great job!!!!!
I really want to go to that bookstore too. Those crepes were at the bookstore too?!?! Awesome!
My week was great :)…your boys are so cute!
So glad you had a great week you half-marathon speedster you!
Yes, the bakery was inside the bookstore – genius.
I was really not a fan of that hill…going down or up!
I am due for a mammogram too and I hate them. I know I need to go though. And I could do without the wind on my runs…the other day was brutal.
The wind has been awful but I keep telling myself “it’s not snow, it’s not snow!”
Good luck with the mammo!!
You are always so inspiring and I love your sense of humor. I ran my first half marathon this week and I was some proud !
You should be!!!! Congratulations! That is really a huge accomplishment and I hope you celebrated accordingly.
Thank you 🙂 I’m glad you get me.
I’m so glad I stopped by here today. It promoted me to call my GYN to make an appointment. I think they forgot about me and didn’t call me to schedule my annual visit. Anyhoo, thanks for the reminder to take care of my health. XO!
You are welcome!!!
Haha, I love the “why not 100” comment.
That kid keeps me in line!
Great week Allie! I have been going every year for a mammogram and it’s not too bad. A few minutes of discomfort is better than the alternative. The boys are so cute with their baskets!
So true! I’ll keep going back…
Those crepes look awesome!! I like the ladies that work in the place I get my mammograms and every year we end up chatting – a bit awkward to talk while they are feeling me up and all but….I know that years when I’ve been hitting the weights more it hurts more.
Love that your boys are encouraging you to become an ultra runner!!
This is my new doctor and new mamma tech so maybe I’ll be able to strike up some conversation next time!! 🙂
The boys are too much – always wanting MORE!! 🙂
Loved Yes Please – so fun to listen to the audio book with Amy narrating.
I always have a lovely chat with the lady who does my mammogram; it helps keep my mind off the pulling and tugging.
I downloaded the audio book but haven’t listened yet. Maybe I’ll do that on my treadmill run today to finish it up!!
Ha! Your kids never cease to make me laugh. They are so hilarious!
I’m listening to Yes Please! on audio and I love it! I listened to it on the plane this weekend. I started reading the book but realized I really missed Amy’s voice so I just downloaded the audiobook. I’m a huge fan of hers.
Yay for some warmer weather finally!
That’s so funny about the audio book. I downloaded it to my phone but never really needed to listen. I only have a few chapters left so I may listen on my treadmill run this morning! Thanks.
Your posts energize me! I just got Running Strong. It’s on my nightstand waiting to be read. I love love my Momentum Bracelet.
Read it and do the workout – you will love it!! Momentum bracelets are really so great. I have two and I need to start giving some as gifts!
Yeah, I’m with Vaughn..why not 100?! Haha! Kids are so cute sometimes in their honesty. Way to nail those 800’s! Such a tough workout mentally, I always feel like once I get five 800’s down then I’m in the home stretch and can focus on the quality of each one. Sounds like your training is going well!
It is and I’m hanging on for dear life – only three weeks to go! Thanks Sarah.
Yeah Allie, why aren’t you running 100 miles? So glad that you listened and liked the podcast! I mean, Summer had so many great things to share. And I will just live vicariously through your workout recaps 🙂
I was thinking of you while I was listening to it. I just love her honesty and that she is perfectly ok with not being back in the pool for a YEAR? What? Is that real?? No matter what, just an inspiration and I loved hearing a swimmers perspective on running and cycling.
That book store/ cafe sounds like a dream!