sidebar | life and training 1.26 – 2.1
Race week: ACTIVATE.
Jesus. I can’t believe it’s here. Been preparing since November and how all of a sudden, the big 26.2 looms in just 6 days. Not the marathon I was expecting to run – in case you don’t know, I was slated to do the Florida Marathon this same weekend but the event got cancelled, so I pivoted to the St. Pete Distance Classic Marathon.
The cold we’ve experienced lately has been really difficult to run in. I’ve performed many of my final workouts indoors since my body does not take to below 40 temperatures too well. Treadmills are perfectly effective but they definitely feel different. I don’t regret reverting to that method, though, especially because my fitness is already in place and all I’m doing now is sharpening and staying bouncy for The Big Day.
This whole week I’ll be in prep mode. Monday through Wednesday will feel relatively normal eating-wise, and I’ll start washing and packing up my race gear to ensure it’s snug in place and I forget nothing important to Sunday morning. I plan to ride out and pick up my race packet on Wednesday, with one final stop at a coffee shop before I have to dial in my carb loading Thursday through Saturday and basically eat boring shit to load up my glycogen stores. I hate carb loading. But it is necessary.
Thankfully my work hours dropped this week, so time on my feet will be reduced. I also have a therapy appointment scheduled Tuesday to work through any mental gunk that’s popping up. Which is a lot! My biggest worry right now is picking up some sort of bug, as there’s a lot of nasty flus spreading around. I’m washing my hands like an even greater madman than usual, and masking too wherever possible. Can’t be too careful.
As I said, this week was COLD, so lots of cozy activities in order. I wandered out to Paradeco on Monday for a mocha on the gloomy afternoon. At first I was miffed because for some reason the baristas haven’t been listening to my request for a mug the past few times I’ve visited. I don’t know what’s going on! The cashier was super nice though when I went back up, and the drink turned out lovely the second time around. Until I spilled it on myself. Oh well.
I had an extra day off plugged into my schedule on Tuesday, so I enjoyed a casual morning and midday and a chocolate mug cake for National Chocolate Cake Day! So nice. I ventured to a new-to-me coffee shop as well, which is within a mile of my house, but the experience was disappointing. Homeboy forgot to make my drink in a mug and just dumped the drink from the to-go cup to the mug when he remembered. The girl at the reg was also watching TikTok videos for a solid 2-3 minutes before noticing me. Way to fail, Little Tina.
Wednesday was National Blueberry Pancake Day, so pancakes for dinner were definitely in order.
Thursday, though, I hopped over to Elevenses for a mocha, which is probably one of the best mochas I’ve had in recent times. I just love this place: the vibes are perfect, the space warm and inviting, the baristas talented, and the drinks top notch. Afterwards I drove out to the library to find some new reads. A perfectly hobbit-like afternoon.
Friday was National Croissant Day, so after a very long shift I came home to a hot cocoa and a pain au chocolat for a pre-dinner snack. I’d been looking forward to that aside all day and I think it got me through my 8.5 hour extravaganza. I dunno about you, but I definitely prefer lunch dessert over dinner dessert.
Saturday the Trash Parade (Gasparilla) was going on, and the weather was absolutely miserable. The “Flurricane” was pulling through and as the morning drifted into afternoon the temperatures dropped and the winds surged up to 35-40 mph. Insane. J and I ducked out before it got really nasty for a National Hot Chocolate Day treat at Hampton Chocolate Factory. Holy shit, dudes the cocoa! Definitely not something I’d order often, but for a special occasion it is so worth it. Chocolate drizzle in the cup speckled with baby marshmallows, cocoa, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and a snowflake mallow to cap it off.
On Sunday our temps were so low (around 30 degrees when I left for work) that Roly Poly warned me of potential ice! Apparently some roads east of I4 had some slippery conditions due to the previous day’s rain and, yes, some snow flurries! We didn’t see any here but my mom claimed she might have noticed a few dropping down overnight.
Cold weather = cozy foods all week. Made a batch of my Three Bean Chipotle Tortilla Soup, omelets, and these awesome salmon tacos I can’t wait to share with you guys soon. Tip: leftover salmon in an omelet is a stellar use of an awkward amount of fish.
That’s all I got for now. Monday is a busy day for me and now I’ve got marathon tasks to consider too. Take care and be well, friends!
The Fuck We Cooking This Week?
…A most fun take on Italian Wedding Soup!
…Pretty dipped Valentine’s cookies!
…A sweet, fruit-laden lemonade.
A Few Things I’m Digging
Banana bread…I had another dessert planned last week but the weather (and lighting) were godawful, so I whipped up a batch of banana bread that is SO good I’ll be sharing in the next few weeks! My favorite posted recipe is this Cinnamon Crunch Chai Banana Bread if you’d like to take a looksie for your cold-weather baking needs.
Oatmeal…Since apples are weaving out of my fruit repertoire, I’ve been enjoying making my oatmeal bowls with cocoa powder, chocolate protein (half a scoop else it’d turn into a fucken brick), and smashed banana, topped with berries and peanut butter. Feels a bit like dessert for breakfast!
This Week’s Menu
Meatless Monday…Easy Lasagna Soup
Tuesday…20 Minute Bourbon Honey Butter Shrimp
Wednesday...One Pot Lemon Ricotta Asparagus Pasta
Thursday…One Skillet Thai Basil Coconut Curry Salmon
Friday Happy Hour…Strawberries and Cream Martini
Saturday Baking…Cupid’s Cake Pops
Sunday Snack…Caramelized Onion Brie Crostini
Cupid’s 5 Favorite Cocktails
1. Strawberries and Cream Martini
2. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bourbon Smash
5. Red Velvet Cake Hot Chocolate *make it boozy with a shot of bourbon!
Shops & Wish List
Fashion
New Balance…In light of the Saucony Endorphin Pros trying to injure my calf, I swiftly bought a new pair of my trusty Rebels. This time I had to get the V5 (I’ve been wearing the V4) but they’ve been tried and true for my recent races and I’m interested to see how they hold up for the 26.2.
Target…Love the detail on this crochet-trim sweatshirt (cream)…Eyeing this heart graphic tee…I just ADORE these little fuzzy pink bow slippers.
Week in Training
Monday, 1.26: 10.8 miles, 9:23 pace + 12 minute lower body
I totally could’ve done my workout outside, but I woke up with a bad attitude and just didn’t want to deal with the warmth (71 degrees/70 dew point), wind (10 mph with 20+ gusts), and potential spitting rain, so I headed inside for my session after an outdoor warmup. I felt sluggish but it went okay, albeit the gym felt incredibly humid and I don’t think the Saucony Endorphins are going to be my race shoe as planned. I’ve been dealing with a calf knot ever since I performed my first workout with them last Wednesday, and I never had an issue before. Puts a real cramp in my plans…Nonetheless, I managed a decent session: 3 miles at marathon pace, 2 miles at half marathon, and 1 mile at 10K, averaging about an 8:39/8:17/7:55 for the intervals, all on .1 mile recovery. Took my cooldown outside and got dumped on, but that’s fine.
Strength:
- 4 x 10 leg press 150#
- 3 x 10 diamond squat 50#
- 3 x 20 calf raise 60#
Tuesday, 1.27: 7.1 miles, 11:20 pace + core work
WowEE it’s cold. Started at 40 degrees but dropped to 37 with a pretty stiff wind. Breathing was hard and my heart rate was kind of everywhere the whole time. Didn’t feel awful but definitely not easy either.
Wednesday, 1.28: 9.05 miles, 9:47 pace + 4.45 miles, 10:23 pace
BRR! I decided to do my workout outside since I need to toughen up if the weather is cold on race day. This didn’t go badly, but breathing was definitely hard and my legs are tired from tapering. I ran 2 x 1600, 2 x 800, and 4 x 400 (same workout I did on Christmas, actually!) all on 75 second rest. 7:58 and 7:54 for the 1600s, 7:34 and 7:40 (might be wrong) for the 800s, and 7:21, 7:22, 7:21, and 7:20 for the 400s.
Afternoon run was lovely at 146 bpm, around 58 degrees so I still wore gloves and a headband!
Thursday, 1.29: 7.15 miles, 11:14 pace + 10 minute lift
My GPS was being real dumb at the start of this run so I probably ran closer to 7:22ish miles. Nonetheless, another chilly but much comfier trot, 147 bpm, no wind and higher humidity which is much better for me even at 38 degrees.
Strength:
- 3 x 10 shoulder press 15#
- 3 x 10 triceps extension 25#
- 3 x 10 underhand row 25#
Friday, 1.30: 4.5 miles, 11:06 pace
A glorious run, 141 bpm, before a doozy of a day. It was about 44 and higher humidity which felt so much better than the dry air we’d been experiencing earlier in the week.
Saturday, 1.31: 12.5 miles, 10:45 pace
Drizzly and raw morning before the cold snap REALLY kicked in – only 56 degrees or so, but with very damp air. This was pleasant, I took my new Rebel V5s for a spin and liked how they felt. Completes the mileage for taper week 1 AND my last long run before race day!
Sunday, 2.1: 25 minute elliptical
Total running mileage: 56
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