How was everyone's Thanksgiving? I hope it was full of fun, food, and family! (alliteration!)
I've got a bunch to
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: Rest!
Wednesday: Rest!
Thursday: 20 mile run (!!!)
Friday: REST
Saturday: 4 mile run
Phew! It was long. (that's what she said) It was hard. (that's what she said) I had to stop a few times and stretch. But I did it.
The best part of the run? I felt like, with a little pep talk, I could've definitely kept going. I have a tiny bit of hope for possibly running 26.2 on Christmas. We'll see if the weather cooperates.
Someone recently said to me, "Nicole, isn't it SO BORING?"
Why yes, friend-I-can't-remember, it can be. But! One thing has made a HUGE difference in my ability to do these long runs sans company. Say it with me: "Books on tape."
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I know. I KNOW! It sounds so strange. And boring. Luckily, this cute runner told me she always does her long runs with an audio book and/or podcast, and let me tell ya, it works. In fact, it makes me want to run even further, so that I can listen to more of the book. Life changing stuff here, folks.
My current book of choice is The Maze Runner. A little action, a little mystery, a little scary futuristic beasts in a maze. It's a pretty great choice for a running distraction.
I also wanted to touch base on what works for me for post run recovery, which is a really important part of long distance running. If you don't recover well, you can't run efficiently!
If you do NOTHING ELSE, PLEASE STRETCH. I can't emphasize this enough. I definitely don't stretch as often as I should, but I make myself stretch for at least 15 minutes after a long run. (anything over 10 miles)
DRINK WATER. Rehydrate yo' self.
EAT SOMETHING. Or at least have some chocolate milk. Or hot cocoa made with milk. You need to get something in your cute little tummy, even if you don't feel like it. Recovery of your muscles is very important for your next workout. This is another topic for another day.
Elevate your legs! This is a new to me technique that I first read about on my favorite running blog. Her husband swears by it, and now I do too. I'm sure if you do a quick google search you could find out more information about it. All I know is, it makes a crazy difference in how much I have to waddle for the rest of the day. Fact.
ICE BATH. Okay, this one is scary. But put on your big girl (or boy) pants and get in there. Yes, it's cold. Duh. But I am such a big fan of how it helps my recovery.
So yeah, that was a lot of running talk today, huh? Don't worry, I've got some good sugary recipes on the docket to make up for all this fitness talk.
Happy Monday!
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