Week Two (August 6th-12th)
Monday: 9 miles, long run, then strides
Once again, SUCH A FUN LONG RUN! I tried to make sure that the beginning miles weren't too fast, because I had to keep in mind all the hills and gradual inclines that are found throughout the run (because they are inescapable in this area of New York where the cabin is). I enjoyed running on some dirt roads in the beginning miles, then had to turn off onto paved roads for the rest of the run.
There was a pretty long stretch of gradual incline a few miles in, but when I made a turn onto a back road, there was a beautiful view! After that, there was a mile that had a huge downhill in it, so I got a second wind and then realized how good I felt, so I let my stride open up more in the last two miles or so. I averaged out 7:04/mi, but was a bit surprised to see on my watch that I ended with a 6:22 last mile.
My mom had drove near me throughout the run, and I guess that when she pulled up beside me during the last mile to play "Panama" by Van Halen, it helped push me up the last big hill more than I realized! I did strides afterwards, then went back to the cabin, packed up, and made the trip back home to PA! Once we got home I did about 15 minutes of core work.
Tuesday: 5.5 miles, easy, 7:22/mi
In the afternoon I did a series of plyometric exercises. Later, I ran to a park in town where I could meet up with some of my teammates to hang out. In the park, there was an event going on with free food, so I had fun seeing friends and other people who all were there. I really enjoyed this run because it was super relaxing, it was lightly raining, I saw a full rainbow, and then I got some free ice cream!
"My mom had drove near me throughout the run, and I guess that when she pulled up beside me during the last mile to play "Panama" by Van Halen, it helped push me up the last big hill more than I realized!"
Wednesday: 4.5 miles, easy, 7:35/mi
I didn't feel very good on this run, partly because I woke up a bit tight--but I didn't stretch out much beforehand. It was really humid and quickly getting hotter, so I just wanted to get out the door as quickly as possible. I kept it easy, and then rolled out afterwards. Later, I did upper body weightlifting and core work.
Thursday: 6.5 miles, medium effort, 6:58/mi
Today, I tried a new run from my house. I always love exploring new routes, and this one had a nice balance of flat, hills, and downhills. I went off of feel and the pace ended up being very consistent, with each mile just slightly faster than the last.
Afterwards, I did strides. A few hours later, I once again pretended that I was a swimmer by hopping in the pool. I did the same swim workout as last week, but did my best to see if I could do some of the intervals a little faster.
Friday: 5 miles, easy
Today, I woke up earlier to run because I had plans to go to Hersheypark with my teammates for the day! My legs felt pretty tired, and I didn't push it because I knew that I had a lot of action in store for the rest of the day! After my run, I quickly did my yoga routine (I always need my weekly yoga to feel refreshed!!), and then rushed to get ready for Hershey.
(I had so much fun with my teammates!! But I forgot just how much your feet can hurt from standing in lines all day.)
Saturday: 7 miles, hilly run, 7:14/mi, then strides
I am a WRECK after getting back super late from Hersheypark last night. I only woke up at noon! Thankfully, the only plan for today is a hilly run with my coach. We ran at the nearby Messiah College campus to do a route that he called the "Tour of Grantham Hills." Compared to the incline run that I did last week, none of these hills were too bad because they were shorter and more spread out, and I actually felt a little better than expected! Afterwards, I finished up with some strides.
Sunday: Day off
No running today, but I enjoyed going on a short hike with my sister and a few other friends.
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Total Mileage: 37.5 miles
Reflection: This was a fun last week of summer training before preseason starts for me and my team! I felt great at the beginning of the week, but my day at Hersheypark required some extra time for me to feel recovered. However, my day off on Sunday was the perfect reset for me to feel ready to go for another week of training
Related Links:
- Summer Training Blog With Brooke Rauber
- Summer Training Blog With Cole Sprout
- Summer Training Blog With Tori Gaitan
- Summer Training Blog With Grant Gardner
