Week #4

Monday - Group Power and Ran 3 Miles


Made it to Power. I am happy they are still doing Summer Launch because I am pretty used to the tracks. My upper thighs are not nearly as sore from all the squats. I did not feel any major pain or soreness. I do need to increase my weight though on the squats track because it is not challenging enough. All the other tracks seem to be fine. I struggled with the chest track today, but that seems to be one of my hardest.


My hardest battle is getting out of bed. Once I get there and get going, I feel great. Once I get home and start my day, I have energy. I am upbeat, sing to the radio, less irritated by one of the kids making a mess or fighting, etc. Like I said, the battle is waking up at the crack of dawn.


I also ran three miles on the treadmill at the gym. I did the 5K track and slowly increased my speed to about 6.5. I don't know how often I can do the Group Power and running in one shot. I left the house at 5 AM and was home at 7 AM. That is a long time to be away working out. Kara had been up for ten minutes and Derek was waking up. For some reason they are getting up slightly before 7 again, but they were sleeping until 8 consistently for a couple weeks. Oh well. I really don't mind because they all sleep through the night and I get my sleep too.


Tuesday - Ran 6 Miles


Really wanted to get up early so I could do some writing or studying before the kids wake up. It's the daily battle. I got out of bed just after 6 AM. I made up a route on most of the main roads - Kuebler, Sunnyside, Commercial. Aside from the long light at Kuebler, it was a good route. I would do it again. There was a few uphills, but not big ones. There is a huge downhill on Wiltsey. I honestly felt great through the whole run--from when I started running past my driveway until I got home. That was refreshing. Kara is still getting up around 6:45 AM or so. It is easier if she sleeps until 7:30 AM or so. This might happen once it is darker in the mornings. I cannot really complain because she has been napping so well and sleeping through the night.


Wednesday - Group Power


Been pretty motivated lately and feeling upbeat. So it was not a battle to get up this morning and go to Power. I struggled on the chest track and abs/core track for some reason. Everything else was good. The legs tracks are my best, but that makes sense with all the running I do. I got back home around 6:25 and was hoping to get some writing done before the kids woke up. Derek woke up at 6:37 so that was idea did not happen. Derek and later Hailey sat on the patio and watched the sun rise. That was very sweet.


Thursday - Ran 3 Miles


I ran my regular three mile route to Ewald at 6:15 AM. The sun is starting to rise later and later which makes me wonder how these morning runs are going to work. Guess I will figure that out when it is pitch black at 6 AM. Right now it's not. It was a good run. Nothing major to report. I felt like my pace was faster and I enjoyed it. Wish I would have gotten up earlier so I could get some writing done. Hailey and Derek slept until 7:30 AM and Kara until 8:45 AM so I did get some things done. We were not in a mad rush all morning to get to the MOPS event.


Friday - Ran 11 miles


Yay! I got out of bed around 6 and was out the door by around 6:18 AM. I tried a new route going through a large part of the Battlecreek neighborhood. It was a great route except I missed a turn at one point. I think my mileage was still the same because I got back to the main road. I need to look back at the map and see what happened. The hills were fine. There were quite a few, but most of them rolling. The steep one was actually a downhill on Reed or Barnes (can't remember which street). I would do the route again. The hardest part for me was the 9 - 10 mile. I started to get fatigued. I drank a whole water bottle and a half of Ultima and I know that is helping. I think when I trained for Portland four years ago, I let myself get too dehydrated. Someone said "Good job" to me around Mile #9. I wonder if I looked like I had been running for the past hour and a half. Probably. I was pretty wiped out by that point. When I have a week like when I am intention about my workouts, it is goes so much better. I feel better. I have more energy. It's all around a good thing.

Saturday - Group Ride

Went to the 8 AM Group Ride. Aside from the fact I do not have much bicycling experience, I do enjoy it as a cross training option. I know if I were to do the bike on my own in the cardio room, I would not really push myself. I would probably quit after fifteen minutes. The fifty minute class challenges me. I break a sweat and feel like I pushed myself. I do not understand the "turns" and "hills" and everything else, but I am starting to get it. I do not push myself as some of the die hard bikers because it is my cross training. Cross training is supposed to be a little bit of a break in a way. I would like to continue going once a week if I can fit in the schedule. I like it better than swimming so far.

Great week of exercise!!