sidebar | life and training 2.9 – 2.15

Zero week is over…Now what?

I think the term “zero week” – the week immediately following a marathon or large effort during which no running occurs – was coined by Hal Higdon, but I could be wrong. Whatever the case that’s where I heard it first and it was definitely true for me this past week.

After the St. Pete Distance Classic and my big 20 minute PR and sub-4 hour effort, I stepped away from running for the entire week. I took two days of complete rest minus daily moseying, then on Wednesday I tried out an elliptical workout to evaluate how I felt and get some motion into my limbs. Let me tell you, the elliptical was HARD those first four sessions (Wednesday to Saturday). I kept the RPM very easy and the resistance at 2-3, which is typical for me, and my body was real confused.

Today, Monday, I excitedly ventured out for my first run! I seriously couldn’t get to sleep because I was so hyped to hit the pavement…and wow was I humbled fast. For one, my hamstrings were so tight at the outset: I felt like a baby giraffe, honest to god, wobbling to and fro. They loosened up pretty well after mile 1, and then my knee took over. Very suddenly got inflamed and pissed. I stopped to stretch and mobilize a few times and got through the 5k I had planned.

I’m not sure what to attribute to the knee. Most sites point at ITBS since the spot is on the outside, so I’m going to tailor my gym PT sessions to strengthening the areas most responsible for IT band issues. I got in a lovely weight workout after the run, just a few simple upper body moves and said PT exercises. I’m definitely hoping to get to the gym 3-4x a week now that my running mileage has dropped (and is kinda nonexistent really).

As far as the rest of last week goes, it was very strange. Monday I woke up and had to physically lift my legs out of bed, my hip flexors were so insanely locked up still. I could not move around with any significant speed, but I did dress and get over to Flatbread and Butter for my planned latte and bagel + lox breakfast. The shop is nestled by a small park and I sat in a window nook with Ba watching the sun climb up slowly through the trees. The coffee was wonderful and the lox bagel really hit the spot.

We drove home later in the morning to regroup and repack, then headed up to Orlando for our planned Universal/Epic Universe outing. Turned out this was not in the cards. J got really sick after his half (poor refueling and electrolyte rebalancing after his half marathon, we think) and the poor guy was bedbound for the two days we were up there.

It turned out that my right foot would’ve been a huge hinderance to the demands of walking around the parks anyway, so even if we had gone, I probably would’ve been miserable.

So, it kinda worked out. Tuesday I was left to my own devices and started the morning with a latte at Foxtail, followed by hotel breakfast and a hike at Shadow Bay Park. The sun was crystalline and shining and the temp pretty perfect, so I very gingerly made my way around the paved trail and enjoyed the quiet.

After lunch I ventured over the Chocolate Museum and Cafe, a surprisingly quaint little place! The storefront serves hot chocolates, coffees, and various sandwiches and treats, but pay $20 and you can tour the facility and get about an hour’s worth of education on the history and making of chocolate. The tour guide was delightful and I learned a lot! Plus, you get samples of their bars at the end.

Ba and I sipped an obligatory dark hot chocolate after, and honestly it was one of the best I’ve ever had. So worth it and highly recommend ya’ll check it out if you’re in the area! Total sleeper attraction not far at all from the parks.

Wednesday was National Latte Day so I drove out to Stemma for a morning sip. Chose this spot because of their endearing pink cups and saucers; the coffee and vibes did not disappoint. I wish I could bring this place back to Tampa!

We drove home in the afternoon, J thankfully feeling much better, and swung by Disney Springs for a brief spell. I really wanted ice cream and got myself a chocolate birthday cake cone from Salt & Straw, which made my morning! We walked around and enjoyed the light bustle, including stops at Uniqlo and Savannah Bee Company. J said he hadn’t seen me walk as fast as I did all week as I beelined to the honey shop. I get hyped over honey, what can I say.

The fatigue very suddenly hit me on the ride. It was like my body caught up finally to the race and both Wednesday and Thursday I was SO tired, like could’ve slept 12 hours tired.

Gladly I had two extra days off and I was able to catch up on recipes and get more sleep and naps in. I visited Willa’s on Friday for a celebratory strawberry rose latte. Honestly, that was one of the best flavors they’ve ever featured!

My final vacation day was Saturday, sadly. We went for an afternoon hike at Al Lopez Park. I’ve raced a few times at the park but never really slowed down and explored, so we followed a dirt path around the lake and I found it incredibly peaceful and pretty. The park itself was pretty packed but this segment was relatively sequestered and quiet, and it was such a lovely day.

We got dinner (Valentine’s dinner, I guess?) at Nueva Cantina. We’ve been a few times and I love how they decorate extravagantly for holidays – the patio was just gorgeous! The dish I ordered was a bit ambitious and I was ultimately disappointed, but it was a nice evening at any rate. It’s hard for me to eat out nowadays without evaluating how I can cook something better at home.

Ah, the burdens of being a creative.

This week I’ve got minimal expectations of my running. If all else fails I’ll swap out those sessions with lots of elliptical, which has felt fine on my legs. I’m in an offseason of racing right now and don’t have much hurry to resume speedwork, I’d just like to get my mileage back up to around 40 once my body is ready to do so. Patience is key!

That’s all for now, friends. Until next time!

The Fuck We Cooking This Week?

…A rich but EASY salmon skillet.

…A fun springtime carrot cocktail.

…Our first ice cream of 2026!

A Few Things I’m Digging

Sleeping in!…This whole week, my post-marathon Zero Week, I haven’t set an alarm and allowed myself to wake up semi-naturally. I’m still an early bird at heart and rose around 5:30/6 most days, but not answering to a blaring bell was a nice change of pace.

Latte…I had one of the best latte flavors I’ve tried so far at Willa’s on Friday: strawberry rose. It was shockingly smooth and delightful in the beans they used.

Notable Food Holidays Next Week

I’m gonna start listing these out because they’ve been SO fun to follow and sometimes guide my recipe development! Here are the ones I’m looking forward to:

Wednesday, February 18: National Drink Wine Day

Saturday, February 21: National Sticky Bun Day (you bet Ba and I are gonna find a cafe with a cinnamon roll!)

This Week’s Menu

Meatless Monday…Hearty Minestrone Soup

Tuesday…Spicy Chipotle BBQ Jackfruit and White Bean Burrito Bowls

Wednesday…15 Minute Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi

Thursday…Lemon Chickpea, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

Friday Happy Hour…Fresh Strawberry Mango Lemonade

Saturday Baking…Chocolate Strawberry Fudge Cookies

Sunday Brunch…Easy Cheesy Tuscan Quiche

5 Recipes for Marathon Recovery

1. Broccoli “Bacon” Caesar Pasta Salad

2. Italian Chopped Olive and White Bean Salad

3. Quick & Cozy Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

4. Sheet Pan Farmhouse Salmon Roast

5. 20 Minute Spicy BBQ Shrimp Rice Bowls

Shops & Wish List

Fashion

Target…Obsessed with this floral bra + biker shorts set…Really like this French terry skort (gray), would wear it with a daily outfit rather than for exercise.

Kitchen & Dining

Barista Pro…Not sure of the legitimacy of this site (lol) I’d really love one of these pink mug + saucer sets for my at-home espresso bar. Looking to refresh and revamp that space this year.

Crate & Barrel… These tomato martini picks are precious for springtime hosting…

Week in Training

Monday, 2.9: REST

I wouldn’t even dream of running, let alone exercising at all, this morning. This was quite possibly the worst I’ve ever felt post-marathon, even my first where I was severely undertrained. I had to physically lift my right leg up whenever I stood or sat! I walked around a bit overall, including a coffee run that took me 10 minutes to go .2 miles, and I think it helped a lot, as well as wearing my calf compression sleeves all day.

Tuesday, 2.10: REST

My legs were feeling much more functional in the morning but still very sore, so I performed a little wake-up sequence once I got out of bed: jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, squats, and a plank, repeated twice for about 6 minutes total. Felt good to get some intentional movement in.

Wednesday, 2.11: 25 minute elliptical

Legs are improving with each day so opted to try the elliptical. WOW did it feel hard! These machines were much weirder than my elliptical at home so I wasn’t sure how to tailor the effort properly, but even at low resistance it felt really fucking hard. Body is in no way ready to run! I did appreciate the movement either way, however.

Thursday, 2.12: 25 minute elliptical

Still tight in the legs and SO tired! Felt good to spin though, kept it very easy but still a higher heart rate than I’d like. Keeping it to these little sessions until I start feeling a bit more human.

Friday, 2.13: 25 minute elliptical + 16 minute strength

Little ride, not up to par yet (I didn’t expect to be) but I’ll take any movement I can get! My foot *might* be showing some progress so I’m encouraged by that at least. I also enjoyed getting a little strength work in!

Strength:

• 3 x 10 ea. leg press 60#
• 2 x 15 ea. single leg squat 10#
• 3 x 12 shoulder press 10#
• 2 x 10 triceps extension 20#

Saturday, 2.14: 35 minute elliptical

Happy Valentine’s Day! Elliptical “long ride” (lol) that felt good to do. Knee was really tight but I think the spinning helped loosen it up a bit.

Sunday, 2.15: 25 minute elliptical

Much smoother and easier-feeling spin!

Total running mileage: ZERO