I am in middle of marathon training, so I've been running some! My experience at marathon training has been during Ironman training. I am loving the focus of a single sport. But one single goal always leads to another. I've not ever really trained for an open marathon. Right now I'm loving it. I've been doing runs of all kinds. Runs I've not done before, ever during triathlon training. Long runs before work, fun speedy efforts during long runs, hills, trails, double runs and more.
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| Fun on Trails! |
So far I'm surviving and have had only a couple runs that made me feel like I …..
1. got off the couch after 9 months of doing nothing all winter
2. just had a baby 4 weeks ago and am just returning to running (thank you no, did that once)
3. have never run in my life.
My coach Jenny has mixed it up so well, I'm not bored and plodding along, and every week is a little different. While I"m tired sometimes, I'm stressing myself in different ways each run. A little trip to Colorado helped mix it up too. I did some running at altitude, on trails, and in the hills that was challenging for a flatlander. The runs there were hard, not very fast but good for strength and lots of fun. I ran around a lake in the hot sun, up and down steep rocky trails that made me suck air, and a long run across"the dams".
My last and long run of the trip ended up being an incredible adventure. After some recovering and fueling up, Steve and I packed up gear to hike/camp in the mountains. He was an incredible sherpa showing me all around the mountains.
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| Recovery, and fueling up |
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| Having just a little fun |
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| Sexy Sherpa |
It must have worked because on tired legs we hiked back down and I started my long run along "the dams" around Horsetooth Resevoir. I started from the campground and ran up and down the big hills all along the the beautiful lake.
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| Big blue sky, Big hills, big running |
For a girl who lives in the midwest but loves the mountains the whole weekend such an amazing adventure. I came home tired and sore and facing an insane week at work and getting a 7th grader ready for the start of football, and school. It may sound easy, but it can be just as tiring as running the dams! School physicals, open house, football parent meetings, shopping at Target during l lunch for school supplies, hair cuts, and more all in my spare time around work. I'm tired……but I LOVE it.
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| ready for 7th grade |
Even with all this running, …..Cross is coming! Its just a little darker and cooler in the mornings, a few of my plants have thrown in the towel on summer and are looking crispy, and there are a couple leaves on the ground. Cross is coming! I've been turning to my cross bike more to ride between all the running. I love riding it on trails and dirt. My early season cross races may be interesting until the marathon is done. Cross season is so long, I'd actually like to make it to Nationals this year.
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| Cross is Coming! (MDula photography) |
