The Road to 26.2: Week 13

I have no excuses for not posting this training recap earlier in the week.  Best intentions and all, but it just didn't happen.  If only there were 26 hours in a day!  Week 13 didn't include any 26 hour days, though it did feature one 23 hour day (thanks, daylight savings!).  My week of training looked like this:

Monday (3/2):  Pilates.
Still fighting a head full of snot and trying to deny that the symptoms had moved down to my chest, I thought I should take an extra day off from running and do some cross training instead.  A little bit of Pilates kept me from feeling like a sloth, but I was itching to run.
Tuesday (3/3):  5 mile run.
I wasn't too sure how my lungs would feel (and there was some patchy ice on the roads), so I took to the treadmill for this one.  Quite a bit of coughing and nose wiping later, I finally finished this not-so-easy five miler.
Wednesday (3/4):  5 mile run.
Not back to full strength and the ice not fully melted, I was back on the treadmill again.  Thank goodness for Netflix!

Thursday (3/5):  yoga and strength work.
A good mid-afternoon stretch while the kids napped followed by my usual strength regimen: squats, planks, side planks, pushups, glute and core work.
Friday (3/6):  5 mile run.
Finally felt more like myself!  The kids were off school, so I could run slightly later.  I enjoyed a fabulous sunrise and felt nothing but gratitude during this incredibly cold run.  Chances are good that this was the last brutally cold run of the season!  Temperatures climbed all day, and we've enjoyed spring-like weather ever since :)
Saturday (3/7):  REST!
A packed family calendar with no room for a 3.5 hour run.  I felt antsy and off all day as I've done a long run on each of the last 12 Saturdays; it seemed odd to be preparing for the run rather than logging the miles.

My "I survived 19 miles and can still muster half of a smile" face.

Sunday (3/8): 19 mile run
Beautiful weather, sunny skies, and a brain that wasn't engaged.  I ran a lovely route through Forest Park, saw lots of other runners, and listened to some great podcasts.  Yet inexplicably, I couldn't find a groove and very little of this 19-miler felt fun or comfortable.  In spite of my brain's tantrum, however, I kept a fairly even pace throughout and managed a strong finish for the last mile.  The best part of this run was seeing my BRF at the end!  She was walking home from church in her Sunday finery, and I was a hot mess, but she gave me a hug anyway.  Aren't BRFs the best?!

Tiny bits of snow left in the grass.
Hopefully the last snow of the season!

I'm so happy to see that spring is starting to show her pretty face.  With the time change over the weekend, the mornings are pitch black again, but I'll take it in exchange for warmer weather, sunnier skies, and greener landscapes.  Fingers crossed that I've logged my last bitterly cold run of the season!!