My next race is the Fools 5K on April 2nd.

Day 519 | March 21, 2011: 7 m run (1 mile, 2 mile, 2×800) + cross

This session of speedwork seemed particularly daunting – 1 mile with 400m recovery, 2 miles with 800m recovery, then 2×800 with 400m recovery in between – but it went well! I ran loops on the roughly 800m path in the neighborhood park, and the workout flew by. My legs felt most taxed at the end of the two-mile portion.

While I was running my first 800, another runner ran on the outside of the path, so I stopped to chat with her during one of the recovery intervals. Turns out she is training for the Madison Marathon. She lives really close so maybe we’ll run together sometime!

Distance: 7.0 | Start Temp: 48° | End Temp: 49° | Time: 59:38 | Avg Pace: 8:31

In the evening, Steven and I went on a walk on the new trail by our house. The bridge is getting close to being completed!

Distance: 3.85 | Time: 1:10:32

Day 520 | March 22, 2011: strength class

We did another kettlebell workout. This workout had less of a focus on cardio and more on strength (so less kettlebell swings, yay!). I felt spent when I was done, but not as wobbly as the week before! I didn’t have much energy during class, so I think I may have been half-assing it a bit.

Day 521 | March 23, 2011: 4.5 m run

Lunch time run in the gym. Confession – I am a little bit treamilled-out. I am sick of running on that thing. But I run during lunch so I don’t have to get up early, and so that I can spend my evenings with Steven. I wish I could run outside during lunch, but yeah… I wouldn’t get very far with my measly one-hour lunch break!

Anyway, this was a simple and easy run at 6.4 mph. I just wanted to get my legs moving after the previous night’s strength class.

Distance: 4.5 | Time: 42:15 | Avg Pace: 9:21 | Incline: 1.0

Day 522 | March 24, 2011: cross

Recumbent Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 7.62 | Set on “Manual,” Resistance Level 5.0

Day 523 | March 25, 2011: 7 m run (tempo)

I ran early in the morning with my pacer friend from the Grayslake Running Club (GRC), Terry. The plan was a 2-mile warm-up, with 3 miles at tempo, and a 2-mile cool-down. I knew if I ran with Terry though, that we would be speedy – so I did 5 miles at tempo with a 2-mile cool-down. And boy, did that cool-down feel good.

I was out there wearing tights. Tights! In the end of March. Will spring ever come, for real?

Distance: 7.0 | Start Temp: 22° | End Temp: 23° | Time: 1:00:29 | Avg Pace: 8:38 | 1: 8:32 | 2: 8:20 | 3: 8:16 | 4: 8:20 | 5: 8:33 | 6: 9:21 | 7: 9:01

Day 524 | March 26, 2011: 16.85 m run

I met some fellow GRC friends in Grayslake for this long run. It was a good run to do with friends – I needed distractions from the awful wind!

I started off pretty fast with two of the men in the club, then left them to run slower with some other women for the remainder of the run. I didn’t want to get too burned out. And it’s hard to tell if I was or not. My body felt fine, but the wind pushing on me from all directions was making me feel exhausted. And I had to stop and get water in the last few miles. I think I didn’t properly fuel the day before the run (I had a bad headache and took a long nap then didn’t have any appetite).

After the run we ate at Something’s Brewing – the coffee shop where we met in the morning. I usually don’t feel hungry right after a long run (takes a few hours or a day) but I still got a bagel and apple! I know that ideally, I am supposed to eat within 30 minutes after a long run. Do you feel like eating immediately after a long run?

Run stats: I wore my orchid Asics Cumulus 12s. I wore tights with shorts over them, Under Armour Cold Gear, a windbreaker, gloves and a headband. I took GUs at 4 miles, 8 miles and 12 miles. I drank 32 ounces of water. We stopped quite a bit – to get directions from the run leader, go to the bathroom, get water, wait for people, and at mile 7, to walk across a railing to get over a flooded part of a trail!

Distance: 16.85 | Start Temp: 24° | End Temp: 29° | Time: 2:32:11 | Avg Pace: 9:11 | 1: 8:49 | 2: 8:47 | 3: 8:52 | 4: 9:08 | 5: 8:55 | 6: 8:59 | 7: 9:49 | 8: 9:02 | 9: 9:09 | 10: 9:05 | 11: 9:32 | 12: 9:28 | 13: 9:14 | 14: 9:08 | 15: 9:29 | 16: 9:25 | 17: 8:00

Day 525 | March 27, 2011: yoga

When I woke up, all I could think was YOGA. My left calf felt so tight! I did the Yoga Works Beginners DVD to stretch out.

Week Summary: 35.35 miles

Well, I am getting the miles in, but I feel like a slacker when it comes to cross training, strength training, and yoga! Even though the year has been going well, and I feel like I am ramping up my mileage smartly, and haven’t had any serious pain, I still worry about injury. When will I ever get over that fear?!