The Road to 26.2: Week 8

Didn't I just post one of these?  I can't believe how fast this training plan is going.  It feels like I just started, yet somehow here I am, recapping week 8 of the plan.  Week 8 was not without flaw, but I hit all of my workout milestones: 4 runs, 3 strength workouts, and 2 yoga sessions.  A bit more detail about those workouts:

Monday (1/26):  4 mile run and strength work.
An easy run to start the week that truly felt easy!  It felt good to move my legs and start the week with a BRF run.  Post-run, I did some squats, lunges, core and glute work.
Tuesday (1/27):  7 mile run.
With very tired legs.  My brain was engaged, I was enjoying the finale of Serial, but my legs were toast.  All the wise mother runners on Strava assure me that this is part of the process; running on tired legs is mental and physical prep for race day.  How do runners train for marathons without such sage voices?  I'm fortunate to have a cadre of mother runners supporting me on this journey.
Wednesday (1/28):  yoga and strength work.
At 9:40pm.  Better late than never, right?  This was mostly a going-through-the-motions sort of a workout.  My heart was definitely not in it, but hopefully my body still reaped some benefit.

My training partner on Thursday.

Thursday (1/29):  4 mile run.
With my husband traveling for work, I had to get a bit creative for this run.  I could have logged the miles on my treadmill, but I'm still traumatized from last month's 12-miler to nowhere.  Instead, I laced up early while the kids slept, took my baby monitor, and ran lots (and lots and lots) of laps in front of my house.  My neighbors surely think I'm nuts...
Friday (1/30):  15 mile run.
My sister offered to watch my kids for the afternoon, and I jumped at the chance to run in sunlight.  I'm certainly not an afternoon runner, but in spite of that, I felt surprisingly good during this run.  I explored a new-to-me running route near her house, got lost in some podcasts, and enjoyed the sunlight on my face.  My legs felt strong throughout, perhaps in part due to the pancake-flat route.  All in all, a terrific long run!
Saturday (1/31):  yoga and strength work.
My body was stiff after accumulating my highest-ever weekly mileage, so I did a long yoga workout.  It felt good to release those sore, overworked muscles.  The strength workout felt tough, especially on my legs.  To get the work in without taxing the legs, I focused primarily on core and arms.

Sunday (2/1):  REST!
A legit rest day.  With very little on the family calendar, we enjoyed a quiet day at home.

This week marked a departure from the previous ones with several unusually timed workouts.  Late night yoga and afternoon runs are not usually my cup of tea, but it's nice to know that I can still get the work done, even at an odd time of day.  Marathon training is about flexibility, right?  If so, I definitely honed some workout flexibility this week.