Ya know, being sick sucks. And not necessarily for that actual being sick part of it. I can deal with that: the coughing, runny nose, headaches, body aches, etc, etc…..I mean, it’s not fun per say, but deal-able. But what I get the most upset about is the loss of fitness.

I know it was just a week, but coming back to running on Tuesday, I still had to take it super slow…And that was SO frustrating. Running is so important to me, and I did not like the feeling of taking a step back.

I also know that everyone gets sick, and I do know that it wasn’t that big of a deal, and I’ll still be able to finish my marathon. BUT man, was I frustrated at the beginning of last week and was super mad that I had gotten that incredibly sick and thus couldn’t run.

Anyway, I’m better. I’m glad. And I’m taking measures to remain healthy. Step one was quitting one of my jobs. I am full time at Bally’s and was continuing to work at Dick’s to catch up with finances. I’m doing a lot better (finances wise) and made the decision to put my two weeks in at Dick’s. It was actually a hard decision because: A) I have pretty good benefits at Dicks. B) I actually didn’t mind working in shoes that much. I got to talk about running all day and my co-workers were all super nice and cool. but C) I was super stressed, not getting rest and thus getting sick. Not worth it. Honestly, I wanted more time to run and enjoy a little bit more of boarding season. I NEED a day or two off a week to stress relieve with a nice boarding session or long run plus catch up on sleep. I don’t think that’s unreasonable. For the last couple of months, I was working many weeks without any days off.

So, I made the decision to put in my two weeks and I only have one more shift left! That should help me catch up on sleep lost throughout the week from working early morning and going to school late at night.

Last week’s training went pretty decent.

Monday: Rest day. It’s normally a rest day, but I wasn’t completely over the flu at that point anyway.

Tuesday: 3 miles. 1 complete. It kinda…burned…my throat still to run…lol…so I just ended my workout at 1 mile.

Wednesday: I decided to push my 3 mile to this day and completed it just fine and strong.

Thursday:  6 miles. I was going to split my run into two parts anyway due to time constraints so I did a 2 mile workout at the gym that one of the personal trainers showed me (TRY IT: Set the treadmill to 15 incline. Walk BACKWARD at a speed of about 2 -2.5 for six minutes then turn around and walk forward for 6 mins. Lower the incline down to just over what you normally set it – I did 2.5 – and run for the remaining 2 miles. Hold on to the sides when starting to walk backward. It’s a lot harder than you imagine. Believe. Reach your foot way behind you to really engage your muscles). Then I ran 4 miles around my house when I got home from work, before school. It was also in the wind AND the fastest 4 miles I had ever ran (about 35 minutes!). Try that workout though; it’s a hamstring killer! I then did a pull day with straight leg dead lift at school.

Friday: 3 miles. I did 3 miles at the gym on my lunch….but look what I got!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep! NEW SHOES! New, FREE, $110 shoes! One of the perks I’ll miss from working at Dick’s. But I got these because we were supposed to have a meeting with the Mizuno rep one morning about a month+ ago. He ended up not showing, felt really bad, and then promised us all shoes – any Mizuno shoes we wanted. Unfortunately, over the month, I was the LAST person to receive mine…and I asked for the most common model! It’s actually a long story, but basically, he brought EVERYBODY, including the cashiers their shoes and kept forgetting mine. I was super disheartened because out of everyone, I was the only one training for a race and I even worked in the actual footwear department. Plus, my other shoes just weren’t cutting it. Finally, my manager asked him about it and it turned out he lost my shoes in his car. Either way…I got new shoes! They are the Mizuno Wave Rider. And I love them.

Saturday: Rest day. I did get to try out my new shoes at my elective class for school this day. I took a Heart Zone Training class on Saturday. In about two weeks, assuming I pass the test, I will be Heart Zone Training Level I certified! Super excited to share the information with you and apply it to my current training and future clients!

Sunday: 9 miles. What a beautiful day for a run! I woke up at 7am (after going to bed super early the night before), laced up my new shoes and headed out the door. It was a lovely run. That is all.

Total Miles Week 6 of Training: 22 miles. Plus however much I ran on saturday in class.

OH YEAH!!!! This is my 100th post!!!!!!!! YAY!