sidebar | life and training 5.26 – 6.1

I was due for a lazy rainy day off, and I got one this week!

Our weather’s a bit wacko right now: a “cold front” blew through Saturday morning (and I got totally drenched at the tail end of my long run) and apparently is reversing course and returning later this morning. Which sucks for my photographic schedule. I’ve been spoiled with plentiful sunshine and perfect lighting conditions, so I guess I’m due for a bit of bullshit.

Saturday, though, it was so lovely to justify loafing around the house and doing very little aside from the basic necessities of survival (after my long run, of course, at the end of which I got positively SOAKED). I visited the library in the morning, wading through a gentle rainfall, and passed the rest of the day reading and watching baseball. I wore my favorite cozy outfit – a pink heart and cherry patterned sweater and mauve joggers, both from Target – and snuggled with my sheep pals.

We ordered pizza from Santoro’s in the evening and rented Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri for a little movie night. The veggie pizza and Caesar salad were both great, albeit I don’t think I love Jersey style pizza. That movie, by the way, is stunning. If you haven’t watched I highly recommend you do: very emotionally charged, funny in a bleak sort of way, and the soundtrack is entirely befitting.

Of course, we wandered to Chill Bros after for ice creams. I got the milk & cookies flavor this time. Good, but not my absolute fave.

Earlier in the week, Little Miss Ba and I wandered to Oxford Exchange for our treat. I had to run an errand nearby anyway and figured this would be a good site for a coffee break. It was very quiet in the area, probably because schools have let out and most of the kids departed campus. I got my typical cappuccino and a big ole muffin that we enjoyed together.

A few meals I enjoyed this week: pan seared cod with 90 second Spanish rice and red beans, and a Tuscan pasta I wanted to photograph nicely for FMG but looked like utter shit (even though it tasted nice). Perhaps I’ll try again sometime.

I’m two weeks out from my first 5K of the summer season and I have mixed feelings. My workout this morning (Monday) was stellar, and very encouraging, but I ebb and flow between confidence about reaching my goal and knowing that running 5K continuous in the heat is far harder than intervals at pace. Race environment and the taper have a huge impact on performance, so it’s possible my rested self will perform far better than I expect. The weather will be a huge factor, too.

We’ll see. No use doing a butt ton of speculating. Race day will be the indicator.

Feeling good today and hoping this week goes smoothly. A few fun recipes in mind, lots of reading (got 4 new books to tackle and am working through the final ACOTAR novel currently), a treat stop sometime and somewhere, and the Rays game Saturday. The team is retiring Evan Longoria’s number, a phenomenon I doubt will ever happen again in the franchise’s future, so I can’t miss that.

Take care, peeps! Until next week!

The Fuck We Cooking This Week?

…A saucy one skillet salmon dinner.

…A new, simple ice cream flavor based on one of my favorites that I’m still bitter was discontinued 20+ years ago.

…An easy crostini appetizer.

A Few Things I’m Digging

Beach towels…Target has the cutest beach towels right now and last week I bought myself the tomato pattern and J the ice cream sandwich. They’re nice and long – about 6 feet – and soft. About time I owned one instead of struggling to stretch out on a regular bath towel!

Books…I’m enjoying the escape provided by Elin Hilderbrand’s books. They’re beach reads through and through. Last month I read The Hotel Nantucket and Golden Girl. Just fun, relaxing stories that are easy to get through and make you feel good.

This Week’s Menu

Meatless Monday…BLT Caesar Pasta Salad

Tuesday...Salsa Verde Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Wednesday…Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus with Honey Butter Polenta

Thursday…One Skillet Thai Basil Coconut Curry Salmon

Friday Happy Hour…Garden Party Margarita

Saturday Baking…Toasted Coconut Lemon Layer Cake

Sunday Snack…Hot Honey Caprese Whipped Ricotta

Shops & Wish List

Fashion

Target…This ruffled A-line skirt is super cute. Like these linen trousers (brown), this patriotic striped sweater (perfect for 4th of July), and poplin A-line dress (white or black).

Week in Training

Monday, 5.26: 8.5 miles, 9:48 pace + 32 minute legs

Pure lactic acid after this bad boy today. I hate LT workouts since I never seem to gauge the effort correctly, but I was very mindful today and this session went extremely well. 6 x 800m at threshold: 7:57, 7:57, 7:55, 7:56, 7:56, 7:53, all on 75 second recovery (bit of walking but mostly jogging). 2 minutes extra recovery then 5 x 200m – this part KILLED me. I ran between 6:40 and 6:54 which surprised me, but my cooldown was extra stiff and difficult and I wound up modifying my strength workout to accommodate my jellified muscles.

Strength:

• 4 x 10 deadlift 90#
• 3 x 10 ea. split squat 60#
• 3 x 12 front squat 50#
• 3 x 20 walking lunge 40#
• 3 x 12 ea. single leg bridge 25#
• 3 x 15 ea. single leg hop
• 3 x 6 ea. split squat jump

Tuesday, 5.27: 4 miles, 11:20 pace + 30 minute upper body

Whew, I was not feeling my gym workout in the afternoon. I ended up dropping the weight for most of the movements to something that felt more manageable – it goes like that sometimes.

Strength:

• 3 x 6 machine chest press 70#
• 1 x 8/2 x 10 shoulder press 25/20#
• 3 x 12 biceps curl 15#
• 4 x 8 row 35#
• 4 x 10 overhead triceps extension 30#
• 2 x 15 ball hamstring curl
• 3 x 10 ea. sit squat
• 3 x 16 Russian twist 30#

Wednesday, 5.28: 6.5 miles, 9:53 pace + 31 minute legs

Doozy of a workout today! But very satisfying. 1k at 5k (2:30 minute recovery), 4 x 300m at mile (2 minutes between reps/3 minutes after) 1k at 3k. Hit the first five reps but missed the final 1k, I just can’t keep my effort aligned in the middle of these longer segments! Ran 7:26 for the 1k (goal was 7:25-7:30), 6:40, 6:38, 6:34, and 6:36 for the 300s (goal was 6:30-6:40), and 7:19 for the final 1k (goal was 7:10-7:15). Still happy with the progress I’m making!

Strength:

• 3 x 12 jump lunge 30#
• 3 x 15 ea. single leg deadlift 15#
• 2 x 10 ea. eccentric step down 10#
• 3 x 10 step out squat 50#
• 2 x 12 ea. single leg squat 20#
• 3 x 15 ea. under leg pass 10#
• 3 x 6 ea. sit squat jump

Thursday, 5.29: 5.5 miles, 10:55 pace + 30 minute core

Typical 8 x 50m sprints. Not sure what my max speed was: my watch picked up a 3:32 but I highly doubt that was correct, then again a 3:56 – also don’t believe it. I’d guess I might have gone under 4:20 (ayy) but there’s no way to really know.

Strength:

• 3 x 12 weighted pushup 10#
• 3 x 18 triceps dip 25#
• 3 x 20 calf press 180#
• 3 x 10 swing 65#
• 3 x 20 cross mountain climber
• 3 x 10 situp 20#
• 3 x 16 deadbug 20#
• 3 x 20 plank shoulder taps 5#
• :30 Copenhagen plank/side
• Stretching

Friday, 5.30: 3.19 miles, 10:58 pace

Easy treadmill recovery run on a deadly humid, dreary, drizzle afternoon.

Saturday, 5.31: 11 miles, 10:39 pace

Started out horrible humid and hot (83 degrees, 75 dew point) and ended in a downpour. My body drinks up rainy runs and it showed in my stats: this average is far faster than usual and my heart rate was pretty low for the pace (158 avg). Didn’t love walking home basically blinded by the droplets on my glasses but overall had a nice time trotting through the puddles during the final three miles of the workout!

Sunday, 6.1: 2.25 mile walk (33:26)

Total running mileage: 38.7