Week in Review

7 Miles
1 Weight Lifting Session

I spent more time this week running than I probably should have.  That is correct. I'm saying I shouldn't have run 7 miles this past week, but I did.  After five whole days off from running combined with five whole days of eating terribly delicious, unhealthy meals, my body started to feel quite gross.  If you don't believe me about eating unhealthy, here's a meal that I had for lunch on Thursday:   grilled mozzarella sandwich, individual bag of potato chips, big cookie, two brownies, and three mint chocolates.  I should note that I did not pay for a single part of this meal since I was at an offsite for Bank of America, which was the main contributor to the inordinate amount of food that I consumed. 

Needless to say, that insatiable desire to get out the door was undeniable and my blisters had finally healed, so I accepted Carolyn's request for a run on Friday.  As soon as I got out the door, my entire body immediately regretted the decision to run.  I didn't turn around though because I wanted to run with Carolyn and to socialize with her.  Mind over matter, right?  I desperately gasped for pocketed breaths between words and was very aware of the fact that she was four-stepping me and that I had no real power, intention, let alone ability, to catch back up and match her stride. 

After that fail of a run, I determined that for all future marathons, under no circumstances shall I run a step for an entire week.  Now that I've run two marathons, I've gained more wisdom (albeit a little), but I'm smart enough to make decisions based on how my body felt after each marathon.  Indeed, after Twin Cities, the same pre-marathon runner in me did not resurface until almost three months after the race, meaning that I felt sluggish for the entirety of those three months.  I'm hoping I can find that bounce back in my legs a little quicker than that since I'm already thinking about what's in store for 2012.

I have had time to think about what's next for me during this year of the Dragon, but the fall is still uncertain.  For the Spring, I will incorporate a consistency into my routine that has been non-existent in the past.  Some actions that will be incorporated regularly are:

1. Lifting every Monday and Thursday.  Garrett made me a lifting plan and showed both David Willis and I how to perform all of the exercises.  I'm already on track.
2. Performing an Ab Circuit all days except Sunday:  Stir the Pot, Mountain Climber, Side Star Plank, Dead Bug, Clam shells will all be included. 
3. Working out always on Tuesdays, Friday, and Sundays.
4. Rolling every, freaking day.  This one is annoying, but important.

This list is kind of boring, but these small things today are going to help me achieve my goals tomorrow.  For the Spring, I will focus on running as many local road races possible (without sacrificing the quality or quantity of my workouts) to win prize money.  So far, the Tobacco Road Half Marathon and Cherry Blossom Ten Miler are on the list.  I desperately need to lower my half marathon PR, so it's likely that I'll travel to the USA Half Marathon Champs in Duluth, MN in June.  The fall is not set in stone yet, but Meagan, Aaron and I are toying with the idea of a Fall Marathon, with the intent to work together to run a sub-2:40.  It may be a little ridiculous that I am already thinking of how and where to PR in a marathon again, but the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon is now over, and it's time to transfer that focus and dedication to another pursuit of excellence.