2015 Running Total Week 11

This week was pretty uneventful, so today's post is short and sweet. Weather and other factors limited the amount of actual running I could do, so I did more indoor workouts instead. Apparently we've begun the rainy season here in Spain, which is not good news for running! Here's hoping I get breaks in the weather when I need them most!

This week brings my 2015 running total to 118.9 kilometers!

2015 Running Total Week 10

This week was another great week!

None of the middle schoolers were able to run on Monday, so Jessie and I took advantage of the time to do a longer, faster run. She really pushed the pace for me and I ended up running an entire 5k at a sub-7 pace! I felt like I was dying and flying simultaneously! I don't enjoy fast running, but I know that I need to do it more often. If I keep up with this, maybe I'll finally be able to finish a 5k in under 30 minutes...

Wednesday was a shorter run with the girls, but we forgot to get a picture together. Another new face joined us, while other regulars weren't able to make it. It was incredibly warm that day, which made our regular 3 kilometers feel even harder than usual. It was also during this run that I hit the 100 kilometer mark for 2015! Whoohoo!

I had plans to run hills on Friday but since I had stayed out late the night before celebrating my birthday I was pretty wiped. I also had a pile of grading to finish for the end of the quarter, so I opted to go home and get into bed to rest up for Saturday's long run.

Saturday morning was cooler than usual, so I donned long sleeves for our 10k. I was worried I'd get hot from the sun, but the brisk wind kept me quite comfortable, if not slightly chilled. We'd been running hills so often lately that I suggested a less scenic out-and-back towards Alcalá and it made a huge difference! This was the first time since officially beginning my training that I ran an entire 10k without walking breaks, and by the time we finished I still felt pretty good. I rewarded myself with chocolate milk and a hot bath to relax my muscles. I've been working them pretty hard lately and my knees were starting to ache a bit, so it felt justified.

This wonderful week brings my 2015 running total to 111.3 kilometers!

2015 Running Total Week 9

This has been an awesome week for me in terms of running! I had been looking for ways to not only get back into my routine, but to really get my mojo back, and this week I did both.

It started a little over a week ago during youth group, when somehow a conversation with a group of my middle school girls turned to exercise and motivation. Not sure how they would react, I asked the girls if they would be interested in running with me after school a few days a week. They responded positively, but I was unsure whether they would actually follow through.

Turns out, they were actually pretty excited about running, so another teacher and I set out on Monday afternoon with three 7th and 8th grade girls. We challenged them to run two miles and they did it! Encouraged by their progress, I invited them to return on Wednesday.

You can only imagine my excitement when, on Wednesday, all three returned along with two new girls! Once again we ran them through town, covering a distance of two miles. After our run we went through stretches and rewarded ourselves with the chocolate milk that I had stashed in the staff fridge prior to heading out.

Encouraging new runners this week has been great for me, and a good reminder of how far I've come in the last few years. It's also motivated me to want to continue to improve. I'm exited to run with the girls again next week and am hoping that more girls join us!

I also did two longer runs this week, since I am still working on increasing my mileage for RnR Madrid. I explored a new set of trails with a friend today and even though we did take a few wrong turns, we found our way pretty quickly and had a great 10 km run. The only thing I didn't like about this path was the insane amount of hills. We were literally running up or down a hill for about 75% of the run ... a very small portion was actually flat ground! I guess as long as I stick with it, it will get easier each time!

This fabulous week brings my 2015 running total to 92.6 kilometers! 

2015 Running Total Weeks 4-8

Since my last update I have really been struggling to find the motivation I needed to get out there and do my runs. I've also been struggling with sickness and muscle aches that have prevented me from performing at my best when I do actually WANT to run. As a result of all that, in the last four weeks I've only done a total of five runs. Five runs is better than none ... so I am still celebrating them.

a Valentine's date with myself

With the beginning of March I should have hit close to 100 km to reach my year-long goal of 600 km, but I am a bit behind. Since the RnR Madrid half marathon is now less than two months away, I have high hopes that I will be back on track by the end of April. Here goes nothin'!

This week's runs bring my 2015 running total to 67.3 kilometers! 

2015 Running Total Week 3

Last week I started off so strong and this week? Well, it was a lot harder to stick with my plans two weeks in a row. For someone who is such a creature of habit, I am just really not doing well following my own plans! 

On Monday afternoon I ran a shorter-than-usual path with a friend, and we were overwhelmed by the wind! We literally ran north, south, east, and west (a square loop) and yet, the wind was blowing into our faces the entire time. I remember thinking, "I just have to turn the corner and then we'll have some relief," and then each time we turned, the wind would shift as if to say, "Sucker!"

The temps dropped on Wednesday and the winds picked up, so we took our workout indoors. My friend Sophia has a gym membership so she brought me and another friend, Jessie, and we got in for free because we told them we were considering getting a membership there (NOT a lie - I am actually considering it!). So in addition to running on the treadmill -- which I hate, by the way -- we took advantage of the other equipment available to us and used the machines and free weights. That was entertaining. We determined that I have killer legs but weak arms, and Jessie is a beast upstairs with not so strong legs. Together, we are one strong person! One of these days I'll get back to a regular arms routine ...

I ended the week in style by totally skipping out on Friday and Saturday's scheduled runs, which meant I HAD to run on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully it was a beautiful day with clear skies, warm sunshine, and NO wind! I ran five miles, which is the longest run I've done since RnR Lisbon back in October. It felt good once I fell into a rhythm, but since the first three miles were uphill it took awhile for my body to get there. I imagine if I run that trail enough times, I'll adjust soon.

Did you think I was kidding? This was a killer!!

All in all it wasn't a terrible week, but it could have been better. I still have a lot to accomplish if I'm going to hit my monthly goal, but I am honestly not too worried about hitting it this month. If I do, great, but if I don't, no big deal. There will be plenty of time in the next few weeks to make up for it!

This week's runs bring my 2015 running total to: 32.5 kilometers!