Week in Review: Be Happy Where you are on the way to where you want to be

This is me tapering for Kiawah :-) Still putting in some miles but mostly keeping them easy. I was feeling off at the beginning of the week with low body temps (thyroid) so I pushed my workout till Tuesday and was rewarded with feeling fast and smooth on my fartlek reps. I could have done several more with ease which is great sign. I needed that one extra day of recovery.

So this is my 2 weeks out from Kiawah taper week which I think it is great. Not going overboard on tapering and making myself crazy without the miles. This is sort like a 10 day steep taper which I feel better suits me.

Week in Review

Monday 11.50 easy
Tuesday 11 with 8 x 3 minute fartlek at 6;18 with 2 minute easy recovery
Wednesday 7 miles easy
Thursday 8 miles easy
Friday 10.20 easy
Saturday 3 miles easy
Sunday 7.50

Total - 59 miles

6 days to the Kiawah Island marathon - Basically this quote below is my state of mind regarding it.

I am always dreaming of that day where I can run feeling amazing! I hope it is that day but whatever kind of day I still will enjoy the hell out this part of my adventure.

Weeks in Review - It has been too long - I know!

I am going to do that last 2 weeks in review in one post. I need to keep writing in here as I am really feeling like I am growing a lot not particularly in my running per see but mental shifts I have made that are exciting me. Even huge emotional and personal growth since Chicago which feels really good.

I have gotten to that place of surrender and completely content with where I am. I know no longer feel that angst about feeling like I should be in some other place with my running.

Right here, Right now, what is here and happening is the only important thing to me.

It is sounds cliche and I have written about it before but my soul and spirit really get it now!

Focus on the journey and not the destination! How many time do you see this written or piece of advice given? Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - It's the journey not the destination. Right?

Well I get it now! I see the value in just enjoying myself where I am at and getting there isn't why I am going on this journey. I am going because I am suppose enjoy the process of becoming and be happy with adventure of it all. The people, the places, the experiences....

I am learning, growing and expanding!

This is why I set out on this journey in the first place.

It is the becoming and journey that makes the story so wonderful and beautiful!

How many times does a story start with I decided to accomplish this goal and than I did - The End.

NO!! Boring! Really??? Who want to read a story like that? Who want to live a story like that?

It is the pages filled with hope, hurt, determination, obstacles, joy, happiness, and the overcoming that make the story beautiful, wonderful and worth the journey.

This blog and my life story is about all that.

My mental focus will be on making the most out of my adventures and opportunities and one day I will arrival at my goal, Until than I plan on making the most delish, fun, happy, adventure that I can!

Last weeks of miles -

Monday 9 miles - 7 x 3 minute fartlek at 6:18 pace with 3 minute easy running recovery
Tuesday AM 6.50 easy  PM 6 easy
Wednesday 11 easy
Thursday AM 7.5 easy PM 4.5 easy
Friday AM -16 miles (10 at 7:30 average) - PM 4.5 easy
Saturday 6 easy
Sunday 10 miles easy

Total - 80 miles

This week of miles -

Monday 11 miles fartlek - 4 x 8 minutes at 6:30 pace with 3 minutes if easy running between
Tuesday 10.5 easy
Wednesday 10 easy
Thursday 10.5 easy
Friday 18 easy
Saturday 7 easy
Sunday 10 easy

Total miles -78 miles

And she writes again....

You know one of the hardest things about having a thyroid disorder and being a coach is knowing the training works but not being able to run to my potential in race. I do not like explaining myself to people that I have a thyroid disorder. Most people have no idea what that means anyways. I do not want to have a reason not to run well. I do not like explain myself away on day I had when I race and it wasn't there or I felt bad thyroid wise. 

I love finishing no matter what knowing that whatever that time it says on the clock - I fought hard physically and mentally for it and being happy with whatever that days brings. It is always discerning to me when someone wants to know I didn't run faster or to their eye I didn't ran a great race.

Having the hormonal fluctuation that makes counting on being able to run to my potential is the most difficult part of my journey. I know without a shadow of a doubt how fit I am - I have had glimpses of the amaziness during my training cycles. 

I have played around with every variable when it comes to marathons and tapers such how much time I need to recover from a work out, how much of a taper I need into to recovery both glycogen stores and T3 levels. When to do acupuncture and when to take iodine and when not to get acupuncture and when not to take iodine. 

Trying to figure out if my T3 levels dip to much in the later miles or the mild asthma is at plan when I have a hard time closing well in a marathon. These are just variables I am working on...

I am constantly experimenting with how my body (thyroid) will react to training, mileage, intensity and nutrition and treatment (thyroid). 

I am constantly keeping my eye on where I want to be! What is my goal? Remember, Jamie, your goal not your obstacle.

Would I love to be able to run 3-3;10 hours like my training paces suggest I can run!! Hell Yeah! I am happy that I can run at all! Hell Yeah! I am happy that I am putting myself out there many times over to try! Hell Yeah! I am happy with every opportunity I have to run! Hell Yeah!

While my progression may not look likes yours or anyone else does - that is okay! I am making progress because I learn new things about myself and my body every time I try! 

The most important part of all this is keeping my dreams and hopes alive. Nurturing them with belief and hope!

Mostly I dream of the day when all my hard work, commitment, passion, perseverance, and determination come together in divine timing and I run so fast and so free! I imagine what it will feel like to run without thyroid yuck and very feel strong and knowing that it is my day!! 

I know that is possible so I will keep dreaming of that day.

Keep Dreaming of your possibilities,

Jamie

Week in Review: 2 weeks to #Chimarathon

So I am very excited to say the least about going to Chicago and having the opportunity to run the marathon. So awesome!! I am happily tapering too! No taper madness or crazies with the reduction of miles.

I think my body was screaming for the taper last week as I developed a few aches and pains that I normally never have to deal with - one ITband and a very tight quad. I was able to run through it while having it worked on but it was touch and go. I admit to being slightly concerned. I had one ART treatment on it and a very deep tissue massage on both that left them quite sore for 3 days. By Sunday, I was feeling okay we are on top of this and everything is going to okay.

It was completely my bad I had done way too many miles on the roads and sidewalks. I needed to be getting a lot more of miles on soft surfaces. So that is my goal this week to run on all soft surfaces so my muscles can bounce back and be ready to take the pounding 26.2 miles.

Week in Review:

Monday 10.25 miles easy
Tuesday 16 miles with 2 x 6 miles (7:15 first step & 7:10 second set)
Wednesday Yoga class
Thursday 10.5 miles easy
Friday 16.25 miles moderate effort & Pilates Class
Saturday OFF
Sunday 13.75 miles

Mileage - 66ish miles on the week

Very happy with the taper mileage! Enough to keep the aerobic system up and enough to allow for some recovery on my legs. Very thankful for where I am right now!

Week in Review - Just keep running cause life is pretty awesome and funny!

Such a big and awesome week for me! I got a last minute entry into the Chicago Marathon. Truly amazed and feeling so blessed by this amazing opportunity to run my dream marathon. I have actually registered for it 2 times before and things just prevented me going and running. Life is amazing how when you least expect it a miraculous twist of fate has you doing something you have always wanted to do!

This week was a great last week of training before I taper for Chicago. I felt pretty strong all week. I did have a bit a achy arch on one foot after one of my long runs. I got a deep tissue massage on it and haven't heard from it since. And I will admit to feeling a bit snackered this weekend but still got the mileage in so I am happy.

Here is the week:

Monday (AM) 8.5 miles easy (PM) 4.5 easy
Tuesday 16 miles @ 8:01
Wednesday 18 miles @ 7:59
Thursday 8.5 recovery
Friday (AM) 14 with 3 x 3 mile reps with 3 minutes rest in  6:47, 6:45, 6:39 (PM) 5 miles + 1 hours Pilates Class
Saturday 7 recovery
Sunday 11 easy/recovery

Mileage Total - 93 miles

I am still standing - 2 weeks in the 90s! Yeah! Definitely gives me some confidence! I am mostly in awe that I am not smackdown tired at all. I am have been sleeping well and trying to get enough carbs too this week.

Week in Review: Biggest Week Ever

I am sort of stunned at how good I feel! I keep wondering how in the world I had the energy to complete this week. Totally in awe of the energy level and rhythm in found I high mileage.

I am getting better at fueling (eating enough) but still have room to really get this right running higher miles. I can really feel it on some runs and end up having to really knock back a few more gels that I thought I would need. I found out that I can get a terrific amount of carbs from black beans 41 grams of carbohydrate per cup! So I will be eating lots of black beans and rice to keep my energy stores high in coming weeks as I build to 100 miles a week.

I set the goal to hit 90 miles at the beginning of the week, never really doubting I could do it but run by run, mile by mile I felt so good and happy. Totally celebrating hitting this huge milestone for me and I ended up running 92 miles total!

Here is how it went:

Monday 10 easy
Tuesday 16 @ 8:07
Wednesday 16 @ 8:00
Thursday AM 8.50 Recovery PM 4 Easy
Friday AM 14.5 with 10 at 7;10  PM 4 easy & Pilates Class (1 hour)
Saturday 7 Recovery
Sunday 12 easy

Total miles - 92

I keep thanking God for the return to feel great running again! I am so blessed to be able to run this much and I keep thinking about how far God has taken me.

My goal is to keep my eyes on the stars, dreaming and believing! And enjoying the work as I so love running!

Week in Review: Keeping on Grooving

I had a great mileage week and a few workouts tossed in to keep the legs moving. I am pretty happy with the week as I felt strong for most of the miles and still feeling fresh after 3 weeks in the 80s and moving onto 90 this week.

Here is how my week looked overall:

Monday 8 easy
Tuesday AM 12 miles with 16 X 400 @ 6;18 pace PM 4 miles recovery
Wednesday 10 recovery
Thursday AM 8 with 2 x 2 miles @ 6:50 pace with 3 minute recovery PM - 5 easy miles
Friday 10 easy
Saturday 20 easy
Sunday 6 recovery

Total - 84 miles

I had hoped to get to 88 miles but with traveling for work/Running Camp and such. I will take it!

Feeling optimistic and just loving the groove of training.