The last few weeks have been filled with lots of easy aerobic running as I try to get my iron levels back up. The previous 3 weeks were mostly unenjoyable but last week I think my increase in iron is starting to take effect as most of my runs felt good. My long run for the week was in Winston Salem, NC at Salem Lake because my U12 girls soccer team had a tournament in town. Salem Lake is a 7 mile rolling loop with each mile marked. It is a great place for a long run as the ups are pretty moderate in comparison to Moses Cone but those ups are followed with downhills that allow you to really roll over the second half of the run once your body is warmed up.
I was not planning on running particularly fast based on the previous 20 days of trudging along, but my body surprised me with some good energy. I ran the first mile of my long run in 7:45 but completed the first 7 mile loop in 47:30(6:47 avg.). Let this be a lesson to anyone reading this: starting your runs slow is very important! In every other sport you warm up so why would running be any different? Hitting the ground running your prescribed “pace” from the first step is both uncomfortable and can lead to injury if something is already tight going in! Your body will be much more able to run faster at the end if you allow the first few miles to be as slow as your body needs.
On my second 7 mile loop I ran 51:50 (5:58 avg.) and then finished up the last 5 miles ranging from 5:40 down to 5:24. It was a great run considering my last month and it felt pretty controlled until the last mile or so. The rest of the week was similar in that my legs felt fairly fresh and I enjoyed all the runs. I am retesting my iron next week and am excited for the next few months. Pete and I have sat down and talked about what my revised racing schedule will look like in June and July. I plan to run Litchfield Hills Road Race on June 8, Grandma’s Half Marathon on June 21, and Peachtree Road Race on July 4. I may add another race or two but that’s the plan for now!
Here is my last week of training (4/27-5/3):
Sunday: AM: 19 miles (Salem Lake) PM: walk
Monday: AM: 7 miles PM: 5 miles
Tuesday: AM: 12 miles PM: 5 miles
Wednesday: AM: 12 miles
Thursday: AM: 13.5 miles
Friday: AM: 9.5 miles PM: 8 miles
Saturday: AM: 11 miles
Total: 102 miles, 1o runs
Also, you can stay caught up on my blog here in case something doesn’t get put up on the ZAP site!