Surf City | Week 10 & Giveaway Winner!

After last week's seemingly long run bust, I wanted to rebuild and kind of re-focus. I think I started that off well this week and managed to carry it all out too. Stoked with how this week went - check it out!

Monday: Rest
Rest
Starting to think that Monday rest days make me lazy the rest of the week... re-considering rest day options. Maybe Sundays will become rest days, and Mondays cross-train days. Might try that this coming week and see how it goes. Update to come next week!

Tuesday: 9 x 400 / 5K Pace
Rest
Still couldn't get up early enough in the morning to get it together. Sigh. I need to get my morning act back on track, 'caus this isn't working all that well for me! I also had our office holiday party after work, so there was no chance to run after work... basically, Tuesday bit the dust. 

At least these guys turned out cute!

Wednesday: 8 miles pace
3.62 mi / 33:43 / 9:18 pace
Since I couldn't get my act together to get my Tuesday track sesh in, I opted to make up for it on Wednesday. Whether or not I was going to make it to 9 x 400 repeats was the real question. When I got to the 5th repeat, I was already struggling, and thought I could settle for 6, and then I got to 6 and thought I could handle 7, and then I finished 7 and wanted to be done more than anything. 7 it was - again, better than nothing, but not awesome.

Splits at 2:04, 2:03, 2:01, 2:06, 2:05, 2:08, 2:08, 2:06. Not awesome, but done.

Also, be sure you're joining me and Run DMT for Track Tuesdays (or, you know, whichever day of the week you prefer)! Check out this week's delayed post out here!

Thursday: 4 miles
3.93 mi / 38:01 / 9:40 pace
I was determined to get some good miles in on Thursday. Morning didn't happen (surprise, surprise) and the Athens Christmas parade was on Thursday evening. I was walking in the humane society's group, but that's next. I opted for some lunchtime laps - and oh my goodness! So glad I did! What an amazing run. I headed down a half-mile to the campus track, did a number of laps (while, did I mention, Reese Hoffa was practicing?), and then ran the half-mile back to the office. I think now that it'll be slower at the office during finals and the last week we're open, I'm going to try and get at least one or two lunchtime runs in each week. What a great feeling! Lunchtime success.

And then walked a mile in the Athens Christmas parade! Happy evening. I've never walked in a Christmas parade, but what fun! For a parade being on a Thursday evening, it sure does shut downtown down!

Molly sure puts up with a lot...

Friday: Rest
Rest
It felt like the longest week ever. Now that finals are here, the office slows down a lot since students are holed up in their caves... so the next few weeks will be slow! But that's okay -- countdown til Christmas vacation is here! After work on Friday, I headed to happy hour with a few new colleagues who started here at UGA in the last two months - super fun! And was grateful for some social time. Happy times ahead!

Saturday: 17 miles
17.02 mi / 2:57:52 / 10:27 pace

I think that says it all! I took off on a 17-mile adventure around 10 am, which turned out perfectly, except for the fact that it literally swallowed my entire day. Never mind that fact. Taking an idea from a Twitter friend, Lindsay, I planned to do a few loops around my house - that way, I didn't have to carry anything, but could break up the run into chunks and get back to water/energy refills when I needed it. Originally my plan was to do three 5.25-mile loops of the big block near my house and then a little extra .6 out-and-back stint from the last loop which would put me just about at 17, and I could finish off anything short of that around my complex. I finished the first loop at 5.6 miles and knew that I couldn't handle going back in the exact same direction again, so opted to back track and head backwards towards another 5-mile loop with a killer hill smack in the middle. And after that, settled back into the 5.5-mile loop again for the last stint. My Garmin died when I got back to my apartment complex at just shy of 15.5 miles, so I thankfully had my phone and went back to the Map My Run app (that I haven't used since August) and finished off the last 1.57 miles in loops around the complex. Not the best way to end it, but .... it's done! I did it! I did it! I did it! PDR, boom.

And then I tried that. Two bags of ice. I lasted maybe five minutes - maybe. I think next time I try it, I need to put a sweatshirt on or something so my upper body doesn't shut down in shock of it being so cold! After the ice bath fail, I headed back to the complex office to see if they'd unlock the pool for me instead, but no dice. Womp. Settled for a hot shower, compression socks, and TV for the rest of the afternoon. I survived!

Sunday: Cross-train
Rest
Surprisingly not sore in the slightest from Saturday's adventure. I feel like I'm moving slow, but really... I'm walking pretty normally! Victory even after ice bath/cold something fail! A few friends from the dog park and I had a pre-Christmas potluck before we all split ways for the holidays. Gorged a little bit, had some great company and a great afternoon! Such fun!

Total Week Run Miles: 24.58
Total XT Miles: 0 (oops)
Total Week Miles: 24.58


And now... what I know you've been waiting for... our Sparkly Soul Giveaway winner... !

Congratulations to...

Laurel Cedarblade!

 Laurel, and I've sent you an email with details! I must receive your response b 8 pm EST on Wednesday, December 12, or I will pick a new winner. Congratulations, hooray!

How did your training go this week? Any other tips for ice-baths? Brrr!