Clearly “slow and steady wins the race” is only a metaphor for life since no one “slow” has ever won a race. Not ever. Come on now! However, I’m trying desperately to learn that slow and steady is the way you build back up to winning the race. It’s the only way. Your body needs certain cycles to become race ready and, as you can probably guess, the slow and steady part of my training cycle is the hardest for me to deal with.

img_0880

In all honesty it’s been particularly hard since, for the past two weeks of my semi-rest (and even before that) I have felt off. That is the only way I can explain it and I’m not exactly sure what to do about it. I keep getting out there and doing my best, recover smart, and take downtime but my training right now is just off. *sigh*

 

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 2016

RUNNING

I keep going out and expecting a different result. If I remember correctly, this is the definition of stupid. My paces are good, my endurance is fine but my left hamstring is consistently bothering me, the run feels labored and I never fully get into a groove.

I even tried pool running, which led to the following exchange between me and my coach in my Training Peaks log:

screen-shot-2016-11-22-at-4-01-12-pm

I know this too shall pass and I’m trying to be patient. It’s incredibly difficult.

Slow and steady.

CYCLING

I somehow managed a flat tire on my bike while on the trainer. How the hell this is even possible, I have no clue. It’s my back tire which is definitely the more difficult of the two to change. I’ve figured out that if I pump it up, it lasts for a full hour session and then seems to slowly deflate over the next 24 hours. I used my road bike for the one session I made it outside because this is how I’m managing things right now.

I also showed up to take a spin class but the instructor (my friend) couldn’t get her car to start so I just taught the class. It was super fun but I definitely don’t want to go back to doing it every week.

Slow and steady.

SWIMMING

The pool seems to be my happy place right now but it’s also the hardest to get to. I’ve been making the effort and have been rewarded with some truly great pool sessions. I’m also taking time at the end of each swim to doing some aqua running and, I dare say, those runs are going better than the ones on land!

img_0699

Slow (extra slow in the water!) and steady.

FUEL

Thanksgiving happened and it was everything it should be! All my food fantasies came true and it was an entire day of relaxation, wine drinking and taking in all the family I could handle.

img_0887

The food festivals continued into the weekend when we headed up to Vermont and stopped at The Farm Table along the way. I’ve written about this place before when I dined with Sue and Christine on our way to the Rise.Run.Retreat. Let’s just say, eating with my kids, was an entirely different experience but the food was exactly as fabulous as before.

img_0396

I definitely could have used a half marathon after that meal but no such luck.

Slow and steady.

THINGS I LOVE

Getting more professional pictures of my boys!

vaughncloselaugh2 mvbackboxsilly milesguitarbw

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH

Going directly from poolside in sunny, beautiful Las Vegas into immediate cold and windy Christmas in Connecticut.

We always decorate before Thanksgiving, since we have my brother and his family stay with us over the holiday weekend, and we’re super festive like that. Also, I’m just OCD and like to get shit done as soon as possible.

img_0871

The picture on the left – – slow and steady.

The picture on the right – – my usual “bat out of hell” speed.

READING

I’m still finishing up A Life in Parts and Sarah’s Key. I already have Megyn Kelly’s book Settle For More downloaded as well as Wally Lamb’s latest I’ll Take You There.

And, in my spare time, enjoyed these from around the web:

Out There: Porta-Potty Etiquette for Runners | by Susan Lacke for Competitor 

This article is equal parts hilarious and disgusting. Apparently, runners are the absolute worst when it comes to portable potty use. One owner of a local waste management company had this to share, stating that runners are far worse then even music festival goers!

“Oh, man. When it comes to this industry, runners are the worst.”

He then proceeded to tell me he got the majority of the portable toilet business for local races, because some of his competitors simply turned down the contracts because runners are the worst. For one, race directors tend to underestimate and under-budget for the number of facilities needed, leading to, er, capacity issues—their portos runneth over.
sep15zanetti

8 Ways to Become A Morning Runner | by ME for Runner’s World 

I’m actually not currently a morning runner, unless you count 8:30am as morning…which I do not. This article is about the bone cracking hours between 4-5am when no one wants to even get out of bed, let alone run. I mostly love this article because some of my favorite runners helped with the elite tips – – Tina Muir (fuelyourfuturewithtina), Michele Gonzales (nycrunningmama), Dr. Jordan Metzl, Sheri Piers and World Champion Mountain Runner Kim Nadeau.

img_0879

RANDOMNESS OF THE WEEK

As a daughter of a father who had to escape the home of his childhood in Cuba due to a vicious, evil, tyrant named Castro, this could not be better news for my family.

cylamvvxcaqkfij

 

Thanks to everyone for your kind words on my Facebook post over the weekend where I re-shared my ESPNW article from February 2016, about how my father’s escape from Cuba shaped the woman and athlete I became.

Screen Shot 2016-02-11 at 7.56.35 PM

How was your week?

Are you making slow and steady progress with anything?

Are your holiday decorations up yet?

%d bloggers like this: