Goals for This Past Week:

• 15 mile long run
• Run at least 1 mile at 7:00/mile pace
• Eat extra clean so I don’t feel weighed down for the Turkey Trot, but if that means a bite or two of sugar, oh well!
• Make time for a massage and/or serious foam rolling; the hips are feeling TIGHT

How did I do?

Pretty. Darn. Good.  Especially given that it was a wild week at work.  I didn’t get in a separate 7 minute miler anywhere, but I did a few quicker miles during my long run, and I pushed myself at Orangetheory even more than I have been (earning a compliment from a classmate!).  And I worked some self care into the schedule!  Just seven weeks until the Mississippi Blues Marathon, with Thanksgiving, my 30th birthday, Christmas, and the new year all squeezed in beforehand!

Monday:  Rest day.

Tuesday:  Another rest day.  (Rest days are important!)

Wednesday:  3.5 mile run plus Orangetheory strength day.  Got in some GREAT intervals on the treadmill.  Used 7.5  mph as my base pace, 9 as my push, and 11 as my all out.  One of the blocks involved several inclines (at base pace), which was perfect for my training.  The highlight of the workout/day/week/month: when I walked past a guy after class and he pointed at me and told his friend “This girl is fast.”  Thanks, stranger!!!

Thursday:  Reformer pilates.  Lots of one-sided and stabilizing movements.  Just what my body needs!

Friday:  Rest day, plus a deep tissue massage after work.  Hopefully that got out all the kinks.  I asked my therapist to focus on my legs (yikes, my calves were so so tight) and my shoulder/neck area, where I carry all of my work tension.  If you don’t get massages, I highly recommend trying it out.  And I totally justify the price by telling myself it is a health necessity.

Saturday: 15 mile long run, after a mini shopping spree at a closing City Sports.  What an incredibly beautiful fall day for it.  I’ve been SO lucky with the weather this training cycle.  I was in a hurry to get home for Friendsgiving (photo below; I made celery salad) so I pushed the pace a little more than I’d usually do for a long run (i.e., I usually don’t push the pace at all on my long runs).

Sunday:  Vinyasa yoga.  Felt very necessary.  I have not been stretching my legs enough.  (Congrats to all of the Philadelphia Marathoners today!  What a great race!)

Goals for This Coming Week:

• Run my Turkey Trot as close to 7 min/mile pace as possible
• Do some kind of activity (even if just walking) while out of town for Thanksgiving
• Stop myself from eating so much mashed potatoes/pumpkin cheesecake/carbs thatI feel sick
• Squeeze in an easier 10 miler

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO Y’ALL!  (Check back closer to Turkey Day for my post about things for which I am thankful!)  Can’t wait to hear about everyone’s turkey trots!

Also, I’m interested to know what folks do with their training/fitness plans when they are visiting family or otherwise have their usual schedules disrupted?  Do you strategize how to juggle running and working out and visiting family and eating and relaxing?  Or do you just take it easy and chalk it up to recovery?