Weekly Workouts and Updates 1/11-1/18

This week was a blur of activity, running and otherwise. First I’ll recap my weekly workouts and updates about my running and race plans, and then I’ll fill you in on all the other goings on that have filled the first month of 2016.

 

 

 

I decided to try and use the two weeks between my January half marathons to test my endurance and running ability with higher mileage. I ran my typical average number, but doing so after the exhausting weekend in Florida and during a pretty hectic week of work and other obligations showed me I can handle running with a pretty tired pair of legs and brain. On the other hand, I also realized that when I actually begin marathon training I need to prioritize sleep and a sustainable pace in life as well as running!

 

Monday: 4 miles at 10:23/mile pace

Tuesday: Rest day

Wednesday: 4.5 miles at 10:09/mile pace

Thursday: 4.5 miles at 9:31/mile pace

Friday: Rest day

Saturday: 7 miles at 9:45/mile pace

Sunday: 5.3 miles at 10:03/mile pace

 

I kept to my usual schedule of a few shorter weekday morning runs, a Saturday morning long run and a Sunday recovery run. I didn’t really pay attention to pace, I just took it easy on Monday after the race weekend and Thursday morning it was pretty chilly (with a few flurries!) which always makes me a bit speedier.

 

 

 

As I mentioned, this week I had a lot going on outside of running. Monday morning was my swearing in ceremony for the New York State bar, which means that six months after taking the bar exam and three months after finding out I passed, I officially became a lawyer. Having my parents there to watch meant a lot and we all had a nice brunch afterwards at Sarabeth’s. It was a great way to cap off our weekend running together in Florida.

 

 

 

 

The last time I was at Sarabeth’s was just the weekend after New Year’s. It was a brunch when I introduced one of my closest friends to my boyfriend Brett. Who I’m now introducing to all of you, after a few months of mentioning a friend I see a lot of 🙂 Finding someone who indulges my running obsession and is ready to cheer me on at a half marathon when it’s 20 degrees outside, takes the time to memorize my allergies and figure out how to cook around them, and is always up for fun with friends or meeting new people isn’t something I thought would happen. But it has, and I’m pretty happy about it. Even though life has been crazy, it keeps me sure that 2016 will be a great year full of (hopefully good) surprises.

 

 

 

 

To round out the week, we went to a party one night for the young patrons of the New York City Ballet. This was on top of a Junior League meeting for me and working from home the other nights, so the weekend felt like it couldn’t come soon enough even with the fun stuff mixed in. We ended up at the Picasso exhibit at MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) on Saturday after my morning run – coincidentally, where we also ran into one of my favorite law school professors.

 

 

 

 

I was glad I got to see it before it closed, and I enjoyed our leisurely walk in the park to get there and up Fifth Avenue passing all the shop windows on the way back, since that’s my work commute route these days and I feel like I’m so zoned out when I’m doing that. It also meant I worked up enough of an appetite to polish off most of a large bag of sweet potato chips before we went out to eat, and a “sharing” portion of sweet potato fries during dinner at Bareburger.

 

 

 

 

 

As for Sunday, I guess that was the day I finally took it easy! Other than my shakeout run (slow, stopping for lots of conversations and photos which I never do) I spent most of the day chatting with two close friends on my couch with a mug of tea in hand. I needed a restorative day or two before the week to come, leading up to the Fred Lebow Half Marathon next Sunday morning. Here’s hoping I’m not running knee deep in snow by then!

 

 

 

 

How does being busy affect your running stamina?

 

Have you ever run multiple long distance races just a week or two apart?

 

What’s your favorite way to unwind and recharge?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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