sidebar | life and training 7.7 – 7.13
Race #2 result: meh.
I may have prior mentioned this, but right before both the June and July races of my summer 5K series, my allergies returned with a vengeance against my sinuses. The ENTIRE WEEK leading up to this past Saturday’s jaunt, I was sniffly, headache-y, and extra fatigued, and I know I wasn’t coming down with any sort of virus or similar.
Shit timing. The world has it in for me this season.
Friday, pre-race, I wandered again to Concord for a cookie and a cappuccino with Ba before riding over to packet pickup. I like this ritual: it feels calming and comforting, a normal part of routine.
When I got home I made my traditional spaghetti and Gardein meatballs for dinner, with some added zucchini shredded up since I think the only vegetable I had that day was a piece of lettuce on my sandwich. Fail.
The July Watermelon 5K was not exactly my best rout. I woke up feeling fairly optimistic and well-rested, which was odd considering my 3:40 am arousal. I did my usual pre-race rituals: a walk around the block, coffee and a stroopwafel (with Little Miss Ba’s company), got ready, and put a mellow jazz playlist on my Spotify for the 45 minute ride to Lakeland.
After a trip to the porta-potty, avoiding one in which a spider was dangling from its homemade web, I embarked on a 1.25 mile warmup with some strides. I felt like doodoo. The heat and mugginess immediately pummeled me and I just knew my breathing would end up compromised during the race in an hour.
I waited around, finally ran into my pal, who also claimed he felt like shit that morning, before the usual pre-race rituals passed and the corrals were finally released onto the race course.
I felt really good through about mile 1.25, then suddenly I just fell right off a cliff. I couldn’t breathe, my legs went leaden, and sweat poured right off me as if from an internal faucet. I struggled hard through mile two and had to keep encouraging myself through the final miles with shit like “I can do anything for 3 more minutes!” “I can do anything for .25 miles!” Absolutely fucken rough. The final bit I had no kick and four or five people whizzed by me, which was discouraging. I usually have a little something left for the final .1 miles.
I bowled myself over after I crossed the finish and knelt by the guardrail to catch my breath for a moment. The volunteers were concerned at first until I blew out a “Yeah I’m okay” and chuckled. Another one wandered over but the first woman waved her off and said Oh she’s fine. I met up with my friend and checked my final pace on my watch.
23:51, 7:38 by my GPS and 7:40 officially. 15 seconds slower than last time. Bluh.
We got some watermelon and caught out breaths for a few, then ran a 1.75 mile cooldown before parting ways. I was practically useless for the rest of the day when I got home. The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative either so it was kinda perfect that I just lazed on the couch all afternoon.
In the evening J and I went to Nueva Cantina‘s new location downtown for tacos and margaritas. Never disappoints. The joint was fucking loud which I didn’t love, but the peach margarita, salsa, and tacos (fish and veggie for me) hit hard. It seems that the working trend at restaurants is blasting their music and I wish that wasn’t the case since it kinda kills the vibe of a date night.
We finished off at Chill Bros for our weekly ice creams. Double Down Oreo for me, Key Lime Pie for him. It was pretty people-y out and I crashed hard after dinner, and so didn’t manage to finish my cone and was ready to go home soon enough.
I’m looking onward to my final summer 5K – unless I snag another one or two after August, of course – and thinking about how to adjust my training for the brief four-week window before that race. I’m considering cutting down my strength training to 3x a week and working more on range of motion and function than heavy lifting. Building up my aerobic machine, AKA more threshold running, and working at paces faster than my goal 5K. Four weeks isn’t a big block but I hope I can at least sharpen up to improve next time, assuming the starting temp isn’t 80 degrees or some fucking lunacy.
Meals from the week! Balsamic hot honey shrimp with salad and potato salad, “steak frites” with Caesar, and pesto shrimp and zucchini. Obsessed with the pesto shrimp skillet situation lately.
That’s all for now! Have a great week, friends!
The Fuck We Cooking This Week?
…Peachy cinnamon rolls!
…A simple, creamy potato salad.
…A bright peachy cocktail.
Favorite Summer Corn Recipes
Let’s get a lil corny this week as our favorite kerneled friend comes into season! Here are some of my favorite FMG corn fixtures for you try.
White Street Corn Chili Chowder
Chipotle Street Corn Dip Pasta Salad
Jerk Salmon with Creamy Corn Risotto
Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
This Week’s Menu
Meatless Monday...Spicy Pesto Pomodoro Stuffed Shells
Tuesday…One Skillet Creamy Coconut Lime Salmon
Wednesday…Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
Thursday…Spicy Sweet Pineapple Buffalo Cheddar Pizza
Friday Happy Hour…Peach Old Fashioned
Saturday Baking…Cinnamon Bourbon Peach Crisp
Sunday BBQ…Grilled Balsamic Hot Honey Peach Shrimp Bowls
Shops & Wish List
Fashion
H&M…Some cute finds here recently. Love this twist detail dress (not sure about the bubble sleeve on me since I have man shoulders), this blue floral poplin dress, this endearing lemon romper (OH so tempted), and the black halter + shorts set
Target…Been looking for a lace crop top like this one. The plunge neckline might be too much but I’ll have to check it out…
Week in Training
Monday, 7.7: 7.5 miles, 10:06 pace + 31 minute legs
Tune up workout: 3 x (3 x 400m), increasing pace each set and increasing rest as well. Read this one in McMillian Running and wanted to give it a go. Nice little session that felt challenging but not too strenuous. First set goal was 7:25-7:30: ran 7:32 (GPS goofed here very clearly), 7:26, and 7:27 with 75 seconds rest and an extra 90 seconds after the set. Second set goal was 7:20-7:25: ran 7:22, 7:23, 7:21 on 90 seconds rest and an extra 90 seconds after. Third set goal was 7:15-7:20: ran 7:13, 7:15, and 7:16 on 2 minutes rest. It was BALLS hot out but I felt strong!
Strength:
- 3 x 15 squat 50#
- 3 x 15 high leg press 150#
- 2 x 20 curtsy lunge 50#
- 3 x 12 BW eccentric step down
- 2 x 20 walking lunge 30#
- 3 x 15 ea. glute bridge 20#
- 3 x 20 ea. single leg hop
Tuesday, 7.8: 4.25 miles, 11:14 pace + 30 minute upper body
Fucken HOT this morning, 83 degrees at start time with a 76 dew. More like the July I know and hate.
Strength:
- 3 x 10 chest press 60#
- 3 x 10 T raise 15#
- 3 x 12 narrow lat pulldown 50#
- 3 x 10 curl 15#
- 3 x 10 triceps extension 25#
- 3 x 10 ea. airplane
- 3 x 22 Russian twist 20#
- 3 x 12 ea. diagonal leg extension
Wednesday, 7.9: 6 miles, 10:43 pace + 20 minute legs
Pre-race tuneup this morning: 3 x (2 x 200) with lots of rest. Aimed to progress in the sets from 5k-3k-mile pace but overshot all of them: pacing 200s with slower speeds is REALLY hard. Ran 7:15 and 7:18, then 6:44 and 6:35, finished with 6:15 and 6:11.
Strength:
- 3 x 6 shoulder press 25#
- 3 x 8 ea. single leg deadlift 50#
- 3 x 8 ea. supported single leg squat
- 3 x 8 ea. sit squat
- 2 x 12 ea. single leg press 90#
Thursday, 7.10: 2.5 miles, 10:45 pace
Morning shakeout run. Started much later than I usually do and my allergies were pretty pissy.
Friday, 7.11: 4.25 miles, 10:24 pace
Warmup, 6 x 100 strides, cooldown. Felt heavy and clunky and my allergies are still racking up, but thankfully I have a batch of Sudafed to help tomorrow if need be!
Saturday, 7.12 *WATERMELON 5K*: 3.13 miles, 7:40 pace
Not my best day today at 23:51, but certainly not my worst. My splits were more consistent than last time but had 0 finishing kick in me and couldn’t knock off a few seconds that way. I’m glad I stayed below 24 minutes even so. Just trying to take the positive with the less than positive and tack it on as a learning experience – can’t PR every race!
Also ran a 1.25 mile warmup and 1.75 mile cooldown to get to about 6 miles for the day.
Sunday, 7.13: 3.1 mile walk (46:56)
Total running mileage: 30.6
