Weekly mileage: 60
Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sun: 8 miles each day at a moderate pace
Tues: 2 mi warm up, 10 x 1000 m, 2 mi cool down
Sat: 1 mi warm up, 10 K race, 1 mi cool down
During my runs this week, the most notable difference is that it is easier to breathe especially while going uphill. This means that I don't need to expend extra energy trying to take in enough oxygen. For most of this week, my legs have felt sore so this morning after my run, I went in the hot tub then sauna then stretched and rolled out my legs. Tomorrow will be a rest day (no running) which will give my body time to recover. Next week I will run less mileage, and be sure to stretch and roll out my legs each day.
I ran the Exodus 10 K at Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday with a free registration. It did not go as well as expected because (1) the cone at the turnaround point was placed too soon making it 1 mile short - although I ran further past the cone and ran a total of 5.8 miles (2) the race volunteers didn't know which way to direct the runners (3) we had to make sharp 360 degree turns five times, requiring us to slow down and almost stop each time (4) we had to run around people not affiliated with the race who were on the course walking their dogs, pushing a stroller, and biking. The saddest part is that after the run, a man wearing a cow suit was passing out free Chick-fil-a crispy chicken biscuit sandwiches, and there were free donuts and muffins. Races should be promoting a healthy lifestyle. It just doesn't make sense to have junk food after running because your body needs nutrients rich in protein, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. Junk food is simply empty calories that gets turned into fat and can lead to bad cravings and serious health conditions, and does not fill you up because your body still demands foods with essential nutrients. I ran the race at 6:03 pace, but I believe I could have ran faster if it was better organized. What's more important is that I was able to get into race mode, meaning mental focus and pushing my body to run fast, but I had no competition to push me to another level. I received a medal for 1st place overall. The race coordinator personally apologized to me that the race was short of 6.2 miles and offered to give a full refund to everyone.
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| Soaking in the hot tub! |
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| Healthy meal at Starbucks |
Now there are only 2 weeks until race day. When asked how I feel about running the Chicago Marathon, I would say "nervous and excited." This is how I normally feel before a race. I am nervous because of the unpredictability of a list of things like the race conditions and how my body will feel on race day. The important thing is to stay confident and positive, and look at the race as a fun, exciting time to do what I love most - run.
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