In one word, running is going: GREAT! This past week I got in a fartlek-style tempo run and some hills for workouts, plus a total of 40 miles which I haven’t been able to do for quite some time. Most importantly, though, each time I ran my legs felt strong, recovered, and quick. I’m really trying to get back my speed that I had a couple years ago, but at the same time I’m in need of some tempo-type endurance for my races. I actually feel like a runner again, though! I’ve been using a tennis ball as a massager each night and for some reason it seems to be working like magic to break up scar tissue/built up lactic acid and the quad pain that has plagued me for some time is so much less intense. Makes me happy 
The breakdown is a little something like this:
- Monday- 8.32 miles early, then 3 miles in the heat in the afternoon. Lift #1
- Tuesday- 16 min w-up, 5-4-3-2-1 min tempo with 1 min recovery jog, mile c-down
- Wednesday- FABULOUS 40 min run at <7:10 pace that felt easy, then 30 min elliptical
- Thursday- morning 30 min run to stadium, 5 stadium stairs, run to hill 5 hills, run back, 5 stadium stairs, then 1.5 mi c-down home; PM lift #2
- Friday- easy 5 mile run and strides
- Saturday- 6 mile run with teammate on trails
Today was a day off, which I felt like I really needed after my run Saturday, but now that I have the day off, I’m bored out of my mind. I went for a bike ride eariler, but I’m eager to get back to a workout routine tomorrow. I plan to skip a little of my morning class so I can meet some teammates to run… that’s how eager I am to run with other humans! It should be fun, and then a quick lab quiz, a short lab procedure, and another run in the afternoon to get in a 2-a-day. No work tomorrow… or until Friday, so I’ll have a lot of time to get in workouts and study for my exam on Friday.
I’m having some minor issues w/ body image right now which seems to be the only real downer. I was feeling very fit and good about myself until I saw a picture from a road race a little over a week ago posted online and I looked like a major chub. It’s so hard for me to see pictures like that after being so much tinier my first few years of college. I feel like I look heavy and overweight, even though I don’t actually “feel” that way. It’s hard. I have been eating great and working hard, but I have a very different body than I used to. Hopefully with more weeks of running I’ll lean up a bit more and start to be happier with myself, but for now I guess I just have to learn to appreciate my ability to run and improve. Here’s to a good week of running
