Happy 4th of July! Are you getting in your “4” on the 4th?!
Give it a try – aim for jogging/walking/biking/swimming 4 miles on the 4th! If you’re using a pedometer/pedometer app – aim for 10,000 steps!
There’s no reason not to get in a little activity on the holiday. I know personally this is easier said than done, but if you are aiming for results (training for something, weight loss, etc) then the more consistent you are with your goals – the more easily they become “habits” versus “things you make yourself do because you think you should”.
When I checked in last week I was more than half way through week 1. I finished the week – completing my 27 miles. I did 4 last Friday (the 27th), and 8 last Saturday (the 28th) and rested on Sunday. FYI – Sunday is my new favorite day of the week. Sunday = rest day.
I’m a big believer in how the first week of a training program goes- will dictate how well you do/adhere in the following weeks. I know that doesn’t hold true for everyone – but it kind of does for me. Last week was also a challenge because Pat and I went back to Michigan for a wedding – so I had to plan my days, and runs carefully.
I was able to run my 4 last Friday as soon as I got done with work, and got my 8 in last Saturday with the help of Pat’s dad who also likes to run.
One huge thing I noticed in my first week – is when I stack runs on top of one another i.e running Monday night then again Tuesday morning, 4 miles Friday night then 8 Saturday morning – I am so much slower and more fatigued on that second run – versus when I have a little more recovery time. So this past week (Week 2) – I have tried to run about the same time each day – to give myself ample time to rest/ice/foam roll.
Week 2 is essentially a repeat of Week 1:
Monday> 4 miles
(3 m at a comfortable pace, last mile at a faster pace)
Tuesday> 6 miles
(1 m warm up, 4 miles at steady, challenging pace, finsih the last 1 mile with a light cool down)
Wednesday> 5 miles
(all 5 at an easy comfortable pace)
Thursday> Cross train
Friday> 4 miles
(3 mi at a comfortable easy pace, 1 mi at a faster pace)
Saturday > 8 miles
(2 miles at an easy pace, 5 miles increasing pace as you go, 1 mile cool down)
Sunday> rest
This marks the second week that I have had travel plans. Thursday afternoon Pat and I left Chicago to go up to Grand Haven (Michigan) to visit his parents and stay on their boat.
Which requires extra planning – and packing. I have to plan for my 8 in terms of where I can run (thankfully this has been easy because of Pat’s dad, and Grand Haven is so beautiful that I don’t care if I get a bit lost!) I am someone that if I don’t have a very clear direction I am prone to stop and wander….
This week I have also been WAY better about hydrating. I am almost out of Nuun – so I’ll have to pick up some more, and my handheld has come on every run with me! I can tell a huge difference in my pace and performance this past week with better spacing of my runs, as well as hydrating (the humidity has also been a little better in Chicago this week – so that has helped too).
