Before I get to the creamer shenanigans and other stuff, here’s how the workout week went. I wanna say I’m about 8 weeks out from the Indy Monumental Marathon, the halfway point, I think. You’re right if you guessed I’m sort of winging it and still up in the air as to whether I’ll run the full or the half.
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Strength & Yoga
Wednesday: Speedwork 2(6x400m)
Thursday: Plyo Intervals
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run 17 Miles
Sunday: Strength & Swim
This was the week I vowed to stop half-assing my workouts. A very welcome break from the heat and humidity helped make that possible. Lots of whole-ass efforts for me, I’m happy to say.
Unexpected cool weather means my plyo workout happened outside on the trails
Because it was so divinely cool on Saturday morning I decided to bang out my long run. The 17 miler I cut short last week got done! The going got tough around mile 10-12 because my endurance is just not there and running out of drink at mile 13 wasn’t optimal but I slogged it in. I knew if I stopped at the house to reload I’d never go back out to finish. Running is truly a different animal when you take heat and humidity out of the equation.
I was feeling pretty darn sore the next day, not my legs so much but my back, especially the lower back, where I wrenched it doing goblet squats on a moving cruise ship last spring. Yeah something’s still not right there and pounding it with 17 miles probably didn’t do it any favors. I spent quality time at the gym the next day baking it in the sauna and working it out on the Power Plate among other things and it’s feeling much better for now.
Sad: My mom lost her bestie of 50+ years, who’d fought a difficult battle against aggressive breast cancer. It’s very sad and I’m glad she’s no longer suffering, but I worry about my mom now as she finds a new “normal” without her friend. Speaking of my mom, her birthday is in less than 2 weeks and I’m clueless as usual on a gift for her.
McDreamy is hanging in there. Considerably bigger than he was in this pic.
Garden: I’ve rescued….I mean harvested all the jack-0-lantern sized and smaller pumpkins that haven’t been eaten by predators but the 3 Big Moon variety ones remain out in the patch. It seems they are not as desirable to the wildlife…at least I hope that is the case. I feel like a pregnant mom of multiples: each day they remain in the patch without being attacked is huge because they grow approx 2cm per night. They aren’t officially ready to be picked until the vines start to wither so hopefully they can spend more time out there before I have to pick them.
Food: I’m all about tomatoes lately. They’re bursting off the vines and there’ve been lots of BLT’s, ALT’s (avocado lettuce tomato) and what have you. So freaking good. It’ll be hard to go back to the store bought ones this winter.
Drink: I discovered a new (to me) Kombucha. I’ll be honest they had me at Lavender. This one smells like lavender more than is actually tastes like it, but it’s tasty all the same.
Creamer: I’m a relatively late comer to the coffee drinking thing. I was in my 40’s before I had a single cup. Once I discovered its endurance-enhancing properties for the long run though, I was hooked. For years I drank it black with a dash of Stevia. Lately I’ve traded the Stevia for a splash of milk. I’d never bought creamer until just this week I succumbed to a sale + coupon making this one almost free. Plus how bad could “5 simple ingredients” be? I’m giving up my beloved coffee for five days and drinking all Gerolsteiner Sparkling Mineral water all the time starting Monday, September 12 so this was one last hurrah. I added a dash to my morning java. Holy macchiato it was SWEET! Alarmingly sweet. Way more than I’m used to. But don’t get me wrong. Tasty. Very tasty. Too tasty because it made me wanna drink more coffee than I already do. I like my plain, uncreamered coffee just fine so I reeled it in. No more creamer for me.
For fun: Fave Snap Chat filter of the week is this one. Still pretty clueless on the whole thing but it entertains/irritates the kids so there’s that.
How was your week? Did you race? Travel? Creamer: Yay or nay?
This week on Tuesdays on the Run linkup we’re flying free so join us with any post about running!
I’m linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap…
…and with Ilka and Angela for the Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup. Join us!
We really do live parallel lives. In this case, sadly. My mom lost her BFF a few weeks ago, and last Sunday I attended the wake. This woman really was like an aunt to me. She was sick for a long time, and while her passing was a blessing, we will all miss her. Especially my mom.
I only like chocolate soy milk in my coffee.
Marcia. Sorry to hear about your mom’s best friend. I can understand how you are worrying about her.
The last time I had creamer was many years ago – but I love Gerolsteiner water, a great tasting mineral water and soo refreshing! Now I actually want some, too!
Congrats on your 17 Miler – must have felt great with the cooler temps!
I’m sure those tomatoes from the vine taste awesome – a garden grown tomato is just the best!
My kids can’t wait for me to install Snapchat – hopefully my pics will look as cool as yours! 🙂
What a coincidence! I, too, tried Kombucha for the first time this week. Mine had Chia seeds in it…the taste was delicious but the texture was odd. Creamer? Yes!! I’ve always used a liquid creamer until a few months ago when I tried ‘Leaner Creamer’…and I love it! I mentioned it in my Weekly Wrap post as well…go check it out! Have a great week!
So sorry to hear about your mom’s best friend.
How did you make it to 40 without coffee??
I just discovered snap chat too! So far I have only been saving pics to my phone and not actually sending them to people.
My blogging schedule is all outta whack with our three day road trip to/from Pennsylvania…so I’ll be wrapping up last week (somewhat) and hopefully have that ready for ToTR. UGH. Blogging while traveling is too much work, especially when you spend a good 18 hours in a vehicle…on bumpy roads. And yes to tomatoes from the garden! I have made two killer batches of salsa that I’m practically eating with a spoon (chips are optional). And the creamer? I still have not acquired a taste for coffee….but I love me some chai latte’ (and I may or may not add extra creamer to it).
My kids won’t allow me to get snap chat. Brats! It’s okay; I honestly can’t keep up with a single other social media anything I have going.
I’m sorry about your mom’s friend. 🙁
I honestly thought we had 9 weeks. 8? Really? Well there goes my sorry training!! Ha. I think this marathon, if it happens, will be the least trained ever (well, aside from all those injured ones I ran – like Chicago). I just am going to go on faith that our bodies know this routine by now and will carry us through. I think we should go for the full so we have something to bitch and complain about afterwards :). Let’s catch up this week and discuss options!
LOVIN’ your pumpkin. So jealous!
xoxo
Sound like you had a great week of training! I agree that the cooler weather makes such a difference. Also thank you for the tips you left on my blog post about ho to conquer the long run 🙂
So sorry to hear about your mom’s friend – It’s so frustrating that we continue to lose people to that awful disease 🙁
My week was good, typical of back to school.
I like my coffee black. I weened off any kind of sweetener years ago, and I don’t like creamers either. They don’t even exist in France.
Sorry to hear about your lower back. Hope the sauna, etc. helped !
Sorry to read about your mom’s best friend. That is never easy.
No creamer, it’s too sweet, I like to add a little milk or plain cream. I think I used to drink my coffee black, but now I only do if I have to, I really like a little milk in it.
Cooler weather makes all the difference and is it ever feeling like fall here in Montana! YAY
I don’t like my coffee sweet any more, My perfect cup has a splash of half & half. I don’t even have SnapChat on my phone but the silly photos people share are amusing.
Sorry to hear about your mom’s friend. I drink my coffee black, but I do add creamer to my hot coco. Weird probably but it adds a little extra flavor to the coco.
So sad about your mom’s friend. I weaned myself off coffee but when I thank it I did love those fatteningly sweet creamers.
So sorry to hear about your mom’s friend. That is so terrible, and I just hope that she went as painlessly as possible. If she had advanced cancer, perhaps it was a blessing for all involved that she was no longer in pain, though death is never easy to accept. I hope they can heal, and that she is in peace.
Now, on another note, you definitely full assed those workouts! 17 miles is killer! See you this weekend!
I’m really sorry to hear about your mom’s BFF.
Tell me how in the world you ever made it to 40 without coffee?!? I keep my coffee pretty basic with just a little light cream and sugar. Do you know I’ve never tried drinking coffee before a run?
So sorry to hear about your mom’s friend. I was late at drinking coffee too and I usually drink it with a little milk. Those snapchat filters look fun! I never got into that app but it looks entertaining.
Okay, can I say hello to those guns in your first photo?? Love it!
I’ve never really been a coffee drinker. I’ve heard it’s great before running but I do not trust myself! I’m still super impressed by your garden – I need some serious tips! And great job on the 17 miler!
So sorry about your mom’s friend. My mom lost her best friend (who was also my Godmother) last November to lung cancer. I’m sure it’s really difficult when you have been so close to someone from 50 years to suddenly no longer have them to talk to.
I love coffee, but I prefer to drink it black. I actually didnt like it back when I tried adding milk and creamers to it.
The creamer title got me. I love creamer an have some leaner creamer coming. My friend suggested it to me so well see.
Hate to hear about your mom’s BFF passing. I hope she finds her groove. Great job on the long run. I think your getting closer an closer to making the decision on the full.
Have a good rest of the week b
I’ve really never been able to stomach creamer… so, always just drank my coffee black. I tried Kombucha a few years back and didn’t really care for it, perhaps I’ll need to give it another go… maybe I just got a bad bottle, the lavender one sounds great!
Congrats on that 17 miler! I hope this means you are feeling better about the marathon? I’m sorry to hear about your Mom’s friend! As for creamer — I love them all. Pumpkin spice is back now too. Just sayin’. Thanks for linking, Marcia!
I am so sorry your mom lost her bestie- that is sad- finding friends gets harder the older we get (I think) . 17 miles is awesome! It makes me sore just thinking about it! I don’t think I drank coffee until my late 30’s and yes I love creamers! There is an almond silk creamer too- yummy 🙂
Ok…first, I have Arm Envy!! Second…when I saw the 17 mile run, I felt a bit of… let’s say…jealousy, like when you are driving & see someone running & wish it was you…How I love a good long run…:-) Third…I love all your cross training that you log. I’m loving following your journey, thanks for sharing at Sunday Fitness & Food 🙂
I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s best friend. The same thing happened to one of my father’s friend so I knew the feeling. Not easy to get over it. Anyway, your week plan includes many kind of sport, it’s a comprehensive plan I think.
You seem have a reasonable training plan. I always wanna improve training schedule for myself but I still can not make it better.