Happy belated Mother’s Day to all of the mothers and mother figures out there! Did you do anything special over the weekend? How were your workouts this past week?
I’m now less than 2 weeks away from the Buffalo Half Marathon! I’m getting so excited for my hometown race, but I still have some work to do!
I’m joining Courtney of Eat Pray Run DC for her Weekly Training Recap linkup and HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap! These are great ways to keep accountable and share your workouts with fellow runners!
By the way, congratulations to Cody and Michael for winning my Utah Valley Marathon race giveaway! I hope they both have a wonderful time at the race next month! Remember, you can save 15% on entry with code rwnr15!
[bctt tweet=”How was your week of running? Time for weekly training update for the @buffalomarathon half! #bibchat #weeklywrap” username=”Janelle_RWNR”]
Weekly Wrap: Mother’s Day Weekend
Mother’s Day Weekend was really nice. Saturday started off pretty busy – I helped to coordinate a scholarship and awards brunch for the local Professionals Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. We were able to give two incoming college freshman $1,000 scholarships, recognize the community and corporate partners over the past year, and acknowledge the contributions of NSBE members and board members. My sister attended the event to support and Bret came as well. While the event had some minor hiccups, it turned out pretty nice in the end. I’m getting back involved with NSBE as a board member so all I can think about is how to make things better for next year!
Jennifer was also in town so that she could check out apartments in the area. That’s right…my sister is moving back to Philadelphia! She accepted a faculty position at Temple University so in a matter of months, she will have a Philadelphia address again! Obviously I’m very excited, as we are very close. After the brunch, we drove around the city so that she could find some apartments and neighborhoods of interest. She has her eye on West Philadelphia, so I’m looking forward to seeing where she chooses to move!
In the evening, we had a tasty “indoor barbecue” with hot dogs, hamburgers, and baked beans at Bret’s mom’s house. It was a good meal and we had fun time!
Sunday was another full day. After my long run, I had nice phone conversations with mom and grandmother to wish them a Happy Mother’s Day. They had a nice dinner at my grandmother’s house with all of the fixings, of course! The rest of the day was spent with Bret’s family, and we went down to South Philly for some Mother’s Day Mexican food and margaritas! We had a great time. After such a rainy Saturday, it was nice to be out in the sunshine!
Workouts for the Week
Monday 5/8: Yoga day! I only made it for a half hour of class but I appreciated what I was able to get! We spent a lot of time in the Warrior poses and I continued to struggle with tree pose. The time always goes way too fast!
Tuesday 5/9: Speed work day! Due to timing issues, I had to do my 4 miles on the treadmill. I started with a 10-minute warmup then did 4 sets of 3 minutes at 8:27 pace, 2 minutes easy. Once that was done, I finished to get to 4 miles total. It was hard to believe I was running on the treadmill that fast but I’m glad I was able to handle it! I was wearing my New Balance Fresh Foam’s that I got a year ago and have only worn a couple of times; I’m testing them to see if I want to wear them for the Buffalo Half. They seemed to work pretty well even though they feel a little bit roomy.
Wednesday 5/10: Spin class after work. It was pretty intense and I was worried that since the bike was a bit wobbly, I’d go flying off! Thankfully I had no issues and I made it through class in one piece, though of course, I was drenched in sweat!
Thursday 5/11: I ended up taking a rest day. I originally planned to do my 4-mile run right after work but I wasn’t feeling well and skipped the workout. It didn’t take long for me start feeling guilty and angry with myself for not going on the run…ugh.
Friday 5/12: Redemption! Bret and I ran together (it’s starting to become our routine) for 4 miles. Unfortunately, the New Balance’s were a DISASTER this time and I was in pain for the entire run. My calves were tight, my shins were sore, and my knees weren’t happy with me either. I had to stop several times to stretch and re-tie my laces. It was very discouraging but now I remember why I never wear those orange shoes!
Saturday 5/13: We had pouring rain all day long! So instead of having my long run on Saturday as planned, I did a little over 3 miles outside in the elements. The rain was just obnoxious, lol, but I’m glad I toughed it out and hit so many puddles! I wore my Adidas Supernova’s and they were okay, though they are definitely too small to wear on my runs consistently.
Sunday 5/14: I finally had my 12-mile run! The weather was great, though a little bit humid. This was the first time I had speed incorporated into a long run – 4 miles easy, then two sets of 2 miles at 9:55 pace with a 0.5 mile jog in between before cooling down to end with 12 miles. I was definitely tested on this run but I enjoyed the challenge. My paces were really good – I even had a 9-minute mile (oops!). My knees were really hurting though about 10.5 miles in. I wore my old pair of Mizuno Wave Riders from over a year ago and they were so much more comfortable. The main reason I wore them was because my Adidas were still wet from Saturday!
Week 7 Report Card
This was a really interesting week of training. The running shoe saga made it so that I wore three different pairs of shoes this week, and I’m still not 100% happy with any of them. I’m most likely going to buy a new pair of Mizuno Wave Riders in the next week. The magnitude of knee pain that I’ve experienced this week has ranged from mild to really concerning…on Saturday morning I woke up and my right knee was aching. My knees have been talking to me since the Parkway Classic a few weeks ago so obviously, I’m a little bit concerned, but not worried yet. I think getting the right shoes will alleviate these issues.
Because I had two successful runs with speed work and I finally got to run 4 times in a week despite the pouring rain, I’m going to give week 7 of training an A!
How was your week of working out? What did you do to celebrate Mother’s Day?
I worked all day yesterday so I didn’t do anything fun. But it was a nice day out working on the patio while the band played. I love Mexican food, and you can’t have that without a margarita! Sounds like a great weekend!
So awesome about your sister moving back to town – I know you are uber excited!
Ah, the never ending shoe saga. It’s such a pain trying to find the “right shoe”. Have you considered insoles? I started using insoles this year and it’s made a difference. I still have injury flare ups, but they are not as frequent.
I hope that your knees start to feel better. Using KT tape seems to help a little bit while running and I’ve also been icing my knee after runs and at night to help with the minor swelling.
I hope you can find the right shoes in time for the race. I’m always scared when the new models come out because my feet and knees may not like them.
I know – why do they keep changing shoes that are fine just the way they are? I’m probably going to get the Wave Riders online…hopefully I can find a deal!
Still looks like a great training week to me! I need to fire up a new pair of shoes this week–my feet have been talking to me–but I love the black Asics I’ve been running in since February and I hate to give them up! It’s time, though.
It’s tough when you have to “say goodbye” to the shoes you’ve loved for so long! I wish I could wear Asics but I always end up returning them!
That’s so great that your sister will be back in Philly!
Sorry about the serious shoe fail 🙁 Sounds like your Wave Riders are treating you the best. I’m on the hunt for new shoes too – the struggle is real!
Thanks, Michelle! Definitely going to stick with what works! I hope you find the right pair for you!
Sorry you had some shoe issues this week! Finding the perfect pair is always tough. I hope you figure out what works for you so those aches and pains go away!
Girl. Do NOT ignore that knee pain. Nip it in the bud before it becomes unignorable! I speak from experience, unfortunately. So awesome your sis is moving there! I wish my sister lived closer.
Oh, I’m definitely not going to ignore the pain! Getting my plan together now! 🙂 The sister bond is like no other, I’m really excited for us to be reunited.
You definitely deserve an A for the past week. I love that you get in a variety of workouts besides running. And what’s a little rain?! 😉
How exciting that your sister is moving nearby!
That’s so great your sister is moving closer to you! Mine lives 10 minutes away and even though we don’t see each other all the time, it’s really nice to know she is right there! Another great week of training – sorry about the knee though. Mine has been quite sore of late – so I haven’t run since my last race over a week ago. I have my first run today and going to warm it up quite a bit beforehand. I think getting the right shoes will definitely help you. Crossing fingers that your knee feels better this week.
My family came over on Saturday for a BBQ to celebrate Mother’s Day and then we visited my out of town in-laws on Sunday. I’m ready for a nice relaxing weekend! It will be wonderful to have your sister in the same city. I keep begging my sister to live close to me and not half a continent away. Shoes can be so tricky. Just when you think you’ve figured out the ones you like…they either change them or discontinue them. Thanks for linking, Janelle!