pancakes

Spring 1/2 Training: Week 7

/ Amy / 1 Comment

Now that I started this last week, I’m going to do my best to keep it going.

  • Monday:  3 miles easy + Spinning, this time I ran 2 miles, went to spinning, and then ran 1 mile. I liked doing the single mile afterwards. It got my legs feeling semi-normal again after that weird feeling they get when I’m on the bike.
  • Tuesday: Did not run, ate pancakes instead.
Yum!

Yum!

  • Wednesday: I finally sucked it up and did my at home strength workout. It was  terrible and I hated it awesome, and I beat my current best for push-ups! New high: 26! I also ran 4 miles on the treadmill at an average 9:21 pace. How will I shave 21 seconds off that for 13.1 miles?
  • Thursday:  40 minute tempo run. Built to 2 min at 8min/mile. Average 9:11/mile. Felt like I paced myself correctly for the first time. Probably shouldn’t have run so fast on Wednesday, though.
  • Friday: 3 miles easy + I went to spinning again. I’m starting to really like spin class. I ran 3 miles, then went to spinning, then walked/ran a mile to “reboot” my legs.  That’s what I’m calling it, a reboot. Although, it might really just be crazy, I don’t know.
  • Saturday: First outdoor run in a month, or more? It was..well, not great. Ended up being 6 miles instead of the originally planned 10.
  • Sunday: Rest day. Recognized that today would have been good to do strength exercises a second time, but didn’t.

Last week, I set my goals as:

  1. Long Run: 10 miles – ran 6 miles
  2. Speed Work: 40 minute tempo run Check!
  3. Easy Runs: 2 or 3 runs @ 3 to 4 miles Check!
  4. Go to spinning twice Check!
  5. Do at home strength exercises at least twice – did exercises once

I didn’t get everything on my list done, but I still feel good about everything I did. I’m kind of surprised that I’m not more disappointed about cutting my long run short, but I’m not.  I think it’s because I had just done 10 miles the week before without a problem. I like that I put two of each distance in my long run schedule, takes some pressure off. 

This week, I’m hoping to:

  1. Long Run: 11 miles
  2. Speed work – 8 x 400m intervals
  3. Easy Runs: 2-3 runs at least 3 miles
  4. Go to spinning twice
  5. At home strength work – 2 times
  6. Stretch + Foam Roll – 3 times (Taking everyone’s advice to get stretching!)

Have a good week! I hope you’re adjusting to daylight savings..blech!

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It’s National Pancake Day!

/ Amy / Leave a comment

March has a lot of great holidays! You don’t always think of March as being full of them, but it really is. For example, today is both National Pancake Day AND Mardi Gras!

IHOP created National Pancake Day in 2006. They give you a free small stack of pancakes and ask for a donation which they give to children’s hospitals. I haven’t participated in IHOP’s version of Pancake Day, but I’m making pancakes for dinner tonight!

How this all affects my running: I’ll be doing speed work on Thursday instead of today because, obviously, pancake day is a day for being with FAMILY.

2014-03-04 07.29.57

Got my ingredients ready…10 hours early 🙂

I haven’t made the pancakes yet, so you get a picture of the ingredients instead.  Just think how lucky you are because now you know my secret ingredient! Hint: It’s the seltzer water. If you use seltzer instead of regular water, the pancakes are fluffier. (At least that’s what the box says.) Also, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m going to use a box of waffle mix to make the pancakes. Don’t worry, this is not a mistake. Just remember, the most important part about choosing a pancake mix isn’t that it says “pancakes” on the box; it’s that you only need to add water.  Who can predict when you’re going to have eggs, milk, or oil on hand?

Since you can see I’m well prepared for pancake day, you’re probably wondering what I have in store for Mardi Gras. Unfortunately, I don’t really know what you’re supposed to do to celebrate if you live outside of New Orleans. I think stuffing myself with pancakes is appropriate (after all, Mardi Gras = Fat Tuesday). The only other idea I have is that my friend Mike (from Louisiana) gave me a mix CD of Mardi Gras music, which I can play during our pancake party. Sorry Mardi Gras, pancake day is overshadowing you.

Check out the rest of the March Holidays:

  1. March 4th – National Pancake Day
  2. March 4th (sometimes, including this year!) – Mardi Gras
  3. March 14th – Pi Day
  4. March 15th – Ides of March
  5. March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day
  6. March 19th – St. Joseph’s Day
  7. March 29th (only in 2014) – Beth’s baby shower
  8. March (sometimes, but not this year) – Passover
  9. March (sometimes, but not this year) – Easter
  10. March (sometimes, but not this year) – Dyngus Day

Did I miss any? What’s your favorite March Holiday? Are you celebrating Pancake Day?