Training: Week 2 update

Well week 2 is in the books.  Again it did not go according to plan, but I am not terribly disappointed either.  Ok, I am a little disappointed.

Here is a look at what was done:
Monday: rest day - accomplished with great success
Tuesday: 3 miles at 9:46 pace (a bit behind my 9:30 goal but not terribly)
Wednesday: 5 miles was the goal. Zero were run.
Thursday: 3 miles were planned, I ran about 1.5 with the dog.
Friday: rest day - but I did that HIIT workout instead and ran about a mile
Saturday: turned into cross training day with lots of walking
Sunday: 9 miles planned, 8 miles completed (see below)


So what happened?
I am going to blame part of my failure on my ankle and wanting to give it a bit of rest since it has been acting up lately.  A very large portion of the problem has been the weather though.  I don't enjoy running in the rain but I will do it, however we have been having terrible storms with rain so hard you can't see anything accompanied by thunder and lightning. I don't play with lightning.
While I am worried that the weather is holding back my training, I also know I will soon have access to a treadmill on a semi-regular basis so I am feeling okay still.

I also realized I have been lazy with posting so I figured I would share a little more about my week!
Monday night I went to the dog park and met up with the boyfriend.  After Hank wore himself out we went for a walk.  It was a super pretty path that I need to go back and run eventually!  There was shade pretty much the entire time as well, so that alone doubles the amazingness.  Tuesday was nothing special but my run actually felt really good and I was happy to get close to my goal pace.  Wednesday I worked late, changed into my running clothes, and stepped outside just in time for the storm to roll in, so I came home and watched Netflix instead. Because I am a responsible adult.  Thursday Hank really wanted to join in on my run so I took him thinking it was cooler than it actually was.  He was a trooper and would have kept going, but by a mile and a half I could tell he was getting way too hot and panting harder than I was comfortable with.  We walked the rest of the distance so I suppose I really did get in three miles, I just didn't run them all.

We run together and post-run relax together.  I stretch while he lays on top of the AC vent.



 I posted about Friday already :)


Now for the weekend!  Hank's lesson in Raleigh got canceled (again) because of these darn storms so I planned on getting up to run...or sleeping in and running later.  However, my friend called me at 7 a.m. needing me to pick her up from the airport (in Raleigh) because she had been in an accident.  Of course I was out the door in record time.  I talked her into a stop at Trader Joe's because I was out of cookie butter and needed my fix. I also picked up these delicious snacks and apparently the peanut butter is a new item.  It's very sticky and very addicting.

That afternoon we hung out and went shopping for her son's birthday present from me.  He's only turning two and I am not a baby expert, so I took full advantage of having her input on what he actually needs!  We walked the mall for a few hours which I am sure adds up to at least a couple miles!

Finally today I went for my run!  The only good thing about this crazy weather is that I was able to run at 4 in the afternoon without dying of heat exhaustion!  Which is probably good because I forgot to pack my water bottle and shot bloks.  Oops.  I also forgot my KT Tape so I was a little concerned about my ankle but I figure if it started to hurt I would just walk back to the car.
I went to the Cape Fear River Trail again so I tackled a lot of really steep hills but also had some great views!

 There is even a covered bridge and lots of this wooden boardwalk stuff which is actually pretty nice to run on.  The trail is 4 miles one way and well marked, which is great since my Nike+ app decided to crash halfway through. Again.  I planned to double back a half mile at some point to get to my planned 9 miles, but the rain was moving back in very quickly and my knees and hips were starting to complain from all the hills.  Basically I am falling apart already!  They are all old just problems that flair up occasionally and are pretty manageable if I just take care of myself.  Weather changes never help my case though!

My running selfies obviously need some work, but I did find this sign in a very convenient location. Also can I just say how much I am loving that mesh shirt from Brooks? It's reversible and beyond comfy. Plus I think I got it for about $10 at TJ Maxx!

There is a (heavenly) water station around mile 3 that I was so happy to stop at, but I was really impressed that I made it without my own water or any kind of fuel. I don't think I'll intentionally try it again, but I am really glad to know I can do it if I need to.

I refueled with a pepperjack bagel and hazelnut swirl iced coffee from Dunkin.  They were out of cookie dough iced coffee which just about broke my heart.

Overall it was a great week despite the rain and storms!  Hope you all had time to enjoy your weekend.