Rule #1, Just Stay In The Game

The last few weeks of training have been a roller coaster ride. 

Running a threshold workout on the trail is not easy!
Trail miles are just not the same as road miles. I tried to run a workout (T paced) on the trail recently, and was using a heart rate monitor.

This was a crazy idea- at least on the trail I chose.
I didn't have to run very fast uphill to get my HR up (and above) tempo zone. Then, as soon as I ran downhill, my heart rate dropped and was impossible to keep in Tempo zone.

Workouts from week 5

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Total
Jun 1 Easy 6mi 8:43 (Top end!)	2	3 Easy Session: Easy 9mi	4 Easy 6mi 8:43	5 Easy 8mi 8:43	6 Easy 5mi 8:43	7 Quality Session: Easy 12 mi (trail = not easy, distance ?)	45.0mi

Trail run that started and finished at Dorena Lake

Week 6 was fun :)
Calf strain
One morning I woke up with a pain in my calf. It felt very tight and sore in a specific location, and I guessed it was a tear.

I can only guess I got it while sleeping, since I never felt it before going to bed or during a run! This is probably related to the PF, which I still have residual issues with.

My course of action was to immediately STOP RUNNING, which is easy enough for one day.

I could feel the pain while pressing on it and stretching it. So, I spent the next several days:

• Taking hot baths and massaging the heck out of my calves and feet. (Shampoo is great!)
• I took ibuprofen and every few hours I would use a heat pad or "little hotties" on the outside of my socks, along with a calf sleeve, and then would massage it HARD after the heat. 
• I also stretched my calves 3 or more times a day. 

By the 5th day, I felt it had improved enough to run the next day.

And I did. 12 miles on the road.

After 5 days off, the 12 miles was glorious at first (legs felt so light!) , and turned rough towards the end, as it felt like I had not ran long in a long time. My hips got sore!

8 Easy 4mi 8:43 (top end!) + Add Activity

9

10 Quality Session: Threshold, Interval, Repetition  10 mi

11 Easy 4mi 8:43

12 Easy 5mi 8:43

13 Easy 3mi 8:43 DID NOT HAPPEN Woke up with calf strain ??

14 Quality Session: Easy "trail" 17mi DID NOT HAPPEN

41.7mi actual= 23 mi

Week 7 
I decided to shift everything over so I could run long on Sundays...

Then I had a friend ask me to run long on Saturday.  I definitely prefer to run with a friend when I have the chance, so things got a little bunched with training. My L foot ended up sore after the run - well afterwards (I worked at a local race right after our run) ,so it is now being pampered.

 I lost no miles for the week, because I had skipped a 5 miler, but ended up doing a make-up 17 miler (instead of 12), and had a great time on a nearby logging road!

15 Easy 7mi  DID NOT HAPPEN

16 shifted schedule over -> (rest day 4)

17 Quality Session: Easy, Marathon (scrapped for a rest day) ( rest day 5)

18 Easy 12 ( was supposed to be a T workout the day before.

19 Easy 7mi

20 Easy 8mi

21 (was supposed to be 12), but did a make-up 17 miler from last weekend

Looks like 44 ?

Now I am in the middle of week 8, and almost halfway to my race!
My calves are good to go!  I just need to keep all my other leg parts from falling off ☺

Can't complain too much about running on the local roads this time of year :)

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Are you planning to race on Independence Day?

I'm contemplating running a favorite 4th of July race. 

It might be ugly, but I haven't raced in a long time and it sounds so fun. Besides, my Altra singlet is RED and I think I have a potential patriotic theme there...And, I need a good excuse for some light racing shoes, like the  One² ;) 

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Anybody want to watch 3 charming young boys for a week? 

(You must pass a very strict test first. Only special people get this honor!!!)...

  

Active at Altitude has an amazing camp for Women held in July, August and September. 

Read more about these top-notch retreats HERE, and save $100 on a 1 week camp if you register with promo code: smalltownrunner