Week 6 ~ Eh

Eh, that's how I feel about this past week of marathon training.  My enthusiasm is being sucked out of me by trying to conserve my sanity with the never ending snow storms.  It is remaining hard to balance it all but I am working on it.  And as much as I did NOT want to, I had no choice.  I joined
Planet Fitness this past week.  Which meant with the exception of my long run on Valentine's Day I hit the Mill for all my week day training runs.  It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to run on the treadmill and I managed a couple 4 milers.  With timing and schedules I didn't do the exact mileage planned for each day but I DID run all of the miles I was supposed to run. So I did a two 4 milers instead of two 3 milers and a 5 but it all equaled 11 miles and I figured that was what was important.

Marathon Training Week 6

The Miles:

Tuesday~ 4 miles
Wednesday~ 3 miles
Friday~ 4 miles
Saturday~ 7 miles

The Weather: 

Maine winter, really enough said.  Usually, I am fine FINE absolutely FINE with Maine in the
winter.  I truly love it here, all four seasons plus mud season and nothing bothers me.  I am just fed up with not being able to run outside due to it being unsafe NOT cold.  I am not a wimp just a cautious runner.

Routes:

The routes were pretty stationary this week.  However, Saturday's long run was again run around the local high school area.  The roads are rarely traveled and the looping is easy to get the miles in.

Gear:

Well, I added in a treadmill as gear and I got to break out my tank tops.  That was sort of nice to not have to layer up so much to run.  I also enlisted some friends to hit the gym with me so that talking to them while I ran would help pass the time of me running yet going no where.  And yoga!!! I am taking part in the #bringingyogaback challenge put on by prAna and Fit Approach.  I have realized I NEED to add more yoga in.  I am so so so tight and if I could stretch out I could probably run better! (speaking of prAna use code  leapnpinks15 for 15% off valid through February 28th) 

Lessons Learned:

I learned this week that a -9 degree run never felt so good.  After a week of running inside it was such a welcome treat.  That winter running friends are hard to come by.  Not everyone enjoys being cold and running in small loops until the mileage is met, but you CAN find others who are as crazy as you.  I am so thankful that I met up with some wonderful ladies from the neighboring town run club.  I am

thinking they are going to be priceless to getting my training in! I have also learned that by taking a friend to the gym, it's not so intimidating OR boring.  My biggest lesson though was probably that I am NOT a failure if I don't do every run on the exact scheduled day with the exact scheduled mileage.  I can be flexible and getting the miles in is getting the miles in.  That's not always an easy feat to do.  Being a mom and a runner means I need to see running as something I can fit in within MY life.  I can't do what the other runners out there are doing.  We are all doing our best and make what works for US happen.