I have a Momentum Jewelry bracelet that reads – Believe. Endure. Achieve. Β 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!

 

BelieveEndureAchieve

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 –Β 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!

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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!Β 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 gymΒ wasΒ 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.

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 nightΒ 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?

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THINGS I LOVE:Β 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:Β 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 necessaryΒ 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!

Easy for you to say!

READING:Β 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 sansΒ drugs and being a stay-at-home mom. It’s a perfect mantra for navigating the sometimes messy waters of female friendships.

RANDOM EXCHANGEΒ 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.

One of these boys had a little too much sugar on Easter.

How was your week?

Have you everΒ accidentally stumbled onto deliciousness?

What are you reading?

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