STOP + Double + Q & A!

12.04 miles @ 8:47 average to start off the day with Emilee and Maddie.  It pretty much felt like summer again because it was 31 degrees yesterday and not 3 degrees like last week haha.  AND IT WAS SO LIGHT OUT.

Skye was thrilled to be in the picture.

I was so lucky to be able to go in and see Dr. Bennett yesterday because my calf started bugging me again on Sunday (in a different spot but the same calf as a few weeks ago)!  He found all sorts of knots in there and crazy tightness so I’m going in for a sports massage today and he said it will probably take 2-3 of those to get everything feeling normal again.  I’m good to go on running through this but I just wanted to make sure to get everything taken care of.  I think I’m a little hypersensitive to hot spots that show up now because I want to get to CIM healthy so badly.

PS I really think it is a bit harder to stay injury free during the cold months of training because of cold muscles.  I need to be doing a better job at really warming my muscles up before I start speed and stretching better.

Pretty sure my left sock is inside out.

Skye was not happy when it was Andrew’s turn to get adjusted!

Next up—> A few errands.

It is almost guaranteed that one member of my family will be at Costco at all times ha.

Also, for those of you that are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints… while we were there we ran into President Uchtdorf and his wife and he shook our hands and patted Skye’s back.  He is an apostle and someone that I have listened to his talks on repeat for years… his words have gotten me through some tough times!  Some of my favorite talks from him are here, here here and here.

Went on a second run with Andrew and Skye! 4 miles @ 9:09 average.

Pasta (from Costco) with roasted brussel sprouts for dinner.

Skye is just so thrilled with herself because she can easily reach up onto the counter now.

Ready for bed by 5:52 pm (all of us were ha) in my favorite jacket ever;)

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On Sunday a few readers had some awesome questions that I wanted to cover more in depth in a post so here are my answers!

*Our coach does give us a weekly mileage goals to hit each week but also reminds us to really pay attention to how we are feeling, communicate how we feel with him and adjust the mileage accordingly.  I think there have only been two weeks where I had to adjust my mileage because of a niggle and then also travel but other than that I’ve been able to hit each week’s goal from him!   The workout and long run mileage is given to us and then we decide when and how to fit in all of the other easy miles.  I would prefer to get in more doubles than I do but with Andrew’s work schedule they don’t happen often (besides yesterday wahoo) so I get them in in the mornings.

*My appetite after taking gels= I need SO much salt.  I also feel like I need to brush my teeth for 10 minutes straight after I finish a run with a lot of gels.  I feel like after a really hard effort or long run my stomach is always a bit off and that might be because of gels but I make sure to eat even if food doesn’t sound great after a hard run so that I can recover.

*Recovery routine for those days where my body is feeling wrecked:  Shake them out (I always feel better after a slow and easy run on those days when I’m sore), BCAAs galore, lots of protein and carbs, recovery boots and Andrew is too good to me but he always gives me really great massages.  I think I’ve learned that this feeling is just part of marathon training so to roll with it but if I’m feeling too run down then rest days are the only answers.

*Christine, you are not alone in this!  I’m actually there as we speak.  My biggest recommendation is to recover more during this period.  The more sleep I get, the better I feel and I just have to remind myself I’m only going to feel this way for a short season.  I have another week or two of feeling like this and then the drop in mileage will help me to feel better.  I throw out the idea of balance and I’m currently thinking… laundry, extra outings/events, cooking a lot etc can all wait for a few weeks.  My priorities are with my family, faith and running right now and those other things will fit in again once running calms down.  Remember, it’s just for a short season so let go of the extras as you get through the intense training portions!

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Let me know if you have any other questions about our training that I can write a post about!!  

What are some of your favorite mental tricks when things get tough during a run/race?

What store do you go to more than any other store?

What part on your body seems to have the most problems/hot spots with running?

-This year it has been my right calf!