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July 17, 2005
Weather gets in the way, again and again
According to my training schedule, this week was supposed to be a "Recovery" week. But I ended up switching out weeks again because last week I only got in 40 miles (too many commitments on drill weekend) and didn't want another lower mileage week.
Thursday I did an easy 7-mile recovery run on Rocky Run trail. My legs felt heavy and my right calf tight at first, but everything eventually loosened up. It was warm but not as humid, for once. On one part of the trail, I had to run over a secluded bridge where 6 men where loitering. In retrospect, I probably should have turned around because it absolutely did not look like a safe situation, but at the time I was just thinking "Look confident, run fast, get past them." I passed without incident and flipped over my wedding rings so you could only see the bands (not the diamonds). I turned around at a park and had to pass through this area again,but the men weren't there anymore. I was still skittish, though, and scanning the woods for any thugs. Even though we live in a safe neighborhood, I'm always conscious of out-of-place situations like that. I ended up pushing the pace for the last mile.
I had to cover the early shift on Friday, so I got out of work at 2pm and went shopping at the Leesburg Premium Outlets. I bought a pair of very nice jeans, two tshirts (that aren't like race shirts: dresses), a silk cardigan set, and two pairs of khakis for R. I wasn't feeling particularly motivated to go to the gym afterward, but I convinced myself that I'd feel better once I had music. I lifted arms and did my core, pull ups, push ups, and a few light leg exercises. The gym was mostly empty, so I guess everyone went to happy hour.
Saturday morning, I skipped out on SLR because everyone is at the Outer Banks this week for the annual beach trip. I decided to save some driving time and do my long run at Burke Lake Park again. It was very hot and humid again at 7:30 (100% by Accuweather's account). I felt fine for the first two loops, but I thought I was running faster than I actually was since I felt light on my feet and my heart rate was up. I finished the second loop with a 1 1/2 minute negative split; then, I started to feel heavy legged as a result on the third loop. I finished that a bit slower but still on a negative. I was absolutely drenched during and after the run, down to my socks and shoes. Disgusting. When I got home, I rode my bike trainer for 30 minutes on a low gear while watching Food Network. It was making me soooo hungry. I weighed myself and realized I lost a ton of water because I was only at 96 lbs...and this was after drinking a bottle of chocolate milk immediately after the run. So, I started pushing more fluids and ate some leftover pasta.
Audrey, Nanda, R. and I met up for dinner and to watch War of the Worlds in Arlington last night. It started out an intense movie, but frustratingly, we never got to see the end because the power went out right in the middle of a nailbiting scene. It was neat because a storm scene was playing the same time thunder, lightning and heavy rain were occuring outside, and at first, we couldn't tell if it was the movie or real storms.
This morning, I ran 3 easy miles that weren't on the schedule. I just felt like it. My legs were heavy and it was so, so humid. I finished up with 6 x 20 second striders in the parking lot, good practice for higher turnover (on the downhill) and power (on the uphill). It's supposed to rain, so we probably won't be able to go on our long ride. That's fine by me since my long "to do" list has only one thing crossed off at this moment.
Posted by Leilani at July 17, 2005 10:15 AM
Comments
That's super weird we both had "safety" concerns on our runs this week. Glad you are safe and sound. Have a good week and hydrate!!!
Posted by: Audrey at July 17, 2005 01:42 PM
Did you guys get to see the rest of the movie? It was great seeing you guys this weekend!
Posted by: Nanda at July 18, 2005 02:33 PM
Trust me, I feel you on the humidity issue. I am kind of jealous that you and the other bloggers get to hang out all the time. But I'll see you soon, hooray!
Posted by: becky at July 18, 2005 04:22 PM