Joining my local MRTT chapter was one of the best things for my running. Of course as with all things, you get out of it, what you put into it. I happen to be fortunate enough to be part of a very active and fun chapter. It’s very easy to want to meet these ladies regularly for runs, and we’ve created different types of runs for different days of the week. Usually I meet them three days a week, but this past week I ran with them four days.
I don’t usually do weekly recaps, but thought I would this week since I had such a variety of runs and took lots of pictures along the way! Perhaps this is something that I’ll start doing regularly.
Sunday
I ran 5.75 easy miles with my BRF at an 11:18 pace. Sundays are usually my recovery runs from my Saturday long runs, so I always run them at conversation pace. Conversation pace for my BRF’s and I means we work our masseter muscles more than our glutes, quads, hamstrings, and gastrocs!
Monday
I lifted weights, rested from running, and in general recovered from the holiday weekend!
Tuesday
I met my MRTT friends for hill repeats at 6 AM. I ran a total of ten repeats practicing running strong uphill and gliding down. After the repeats, a few of us tacked on some additional miles and I finished at 7.25 miles with an average pace of 9:43. I got home and couldn’t stand that I’d stopped running at 7.25 miles so I hopped out of my car and continued running to get to 8 miles.
Hill repeats replaced my tempo run this past week, but since I have three hilly, longer races coming up in August, September, and October, I need to add hills into my training. My plan is to add my tempo runs back into my schedule on Thursdays in another week once my body has had a couple of weeks to adjust to the new demand of hill repeats.
Wednesday
I lifted weights early Wednesday morning, and then my schedule didn’t allow me to run until the middle of the day. I ran 5.63 miles alone at a 10:10 pace under extremely hot and humid conditions. I needed to go to the bank, so I decided to run there. On my way home I ran past our church and took this quick picture of the gorgeous sky.
Immediately upon arriving home, and with the sun still out, I heard a loud clap of thunder and it started raining. I never saw a rainbow, but it sure missed a great chance to make an appearance!
Thursday
I met my MRTT friends again at 6 AM and this time for a fast W&OD Trail five-miler. We ran 5 miles at an 8:51 pace. We didn’t do a tempo run, but kept a steady fast pace. With the humidity, I can’t say that I missed my tempo run!
Oh yeah, that DC humidity has decided to make a huge comeback (it is July after all), and after the run were were soaked!
I got back to my SUV to see that I’d been flipped. It’s an MRTT thing where we flip upside down any Moms RUN This Town magnets we see on other cars. I’m sure if I tried this I would get arrested for attempted theft, but I suppose it’s safe when done in a running trail parking lot!
Friday
I had an MRTT destination run scheduled with a couple of my chapter friends and those of another local chapter. We were scheduled to meet at the C&O Canal at Point of Rocks in Maryland. Directions got messed up and the other chapter thought that it was going to be a two-hour drive instead of one, so they cancelled.
After a quick panic, I got the correct directions and was there in 25 minutes. It was a gorgeous morning, albeit a little humid, and we ran 10 miles at a 9:41 pace.
The train tracks that run parallel to the trail were very active with five trains going by during our run. We just happened to be in a clearing and I snapped this picture of Dora and Beth as the train approached.
We took a little break for fuel and water just before our turnaround point and walked down off the trail to check out this beautiful aqueduct.
Just before we continued on our run, I snapped this cute picture of my two running buddies!
Dora grabbed my camera and captured a picture of Beth and me as we ran along in front of her. The trail was gravel and almost completely shaded. It was wonderful!
On our return trip, I hiked through the mud to take a picture of the train tunnel, and kept an eye peeled for snakes and poison ivy.
About a mile before we finished, we stopped again at a park so I could get a picture of the Potomac River. Not too far down stream of this smooth as glass portion of the river, are the rapids of Great Falls.
Back near the parking lot, a glance toward the river shows the bridge from Virginia to Maryland, and what I’ll be crossing to go back home.
But first, I’ll have to cross this surprisingly narrow bridge to get out of the parking lot!
Saturday
On Saturday morning, Bill and I joined another MRTT friend, Kathy, and her husband for ten miles of her 16-miler. Since all runs have to have a name, I called this the Couples Run! I ran my 10 miles at a 9:26 pace, and I suspect that Kathy kept that pace steady for her entire run. Amazing!
We ran on the W&OD Trail and were back in the sun a lot more than Friday’s run. It wasn’t terribly hot, but it was horribly humid (99%).
I left Kathy when she had about three more miles to go and she was running strong. She will be running her first marathon this fall!
After our run, Bill and I came home for well deserved nap. I used to be the queen of naps when I regularly ran twenty miles on Saturday mornings, but since I quite running marathons, I don’t need them any longer. After two ten-milers in a row, my body was desperately in need of some rest!
Sunday
This morning Bill and I took a four-mile recovery walk. We got up and headed straight out for our walk without eating breakfast. It was my hardest workout of the week!
- Questions:
- What did you do this weekend?
- Is it humid where you live? Please remind me of what it’s like not to live in a soggy climate!
- Who raced this weekend?
Way to go on all your great running this week. I love hills repeats, but I always feel I look like a crazy person running them by myself (on city streets) so I would love a group to run them with!
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These were my first hill repeats in several years. They went by so much faster with friends!
Wow, you are running a lot with MRTT! I have missed out on a lot of group runs because a lot of them are during the day and my boys are way too big to push in a stroller and then the others are at night, and my hubby gets home too late! Your hill repeats looks great!
We have a pinned document called “Where To Catch A Run/Walk” at the top of our MRTT Facebook page. Our tempo runs started because I wanted to start doing tempo runs and added that to the weekly document. Several other ladies wanted to join me and it became a weekly event. Another friend created the hill repeats. Perhaps you can get some runs organized in the early morning before your husband leaves for work. Good luck!
I love running with my MRTT ladies too! They are really the best. It’s been so humid and running has been a little tougher so having them waiting for me and talking the whole time really helps me keep going. I recognize some of those ladies in your pics!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Skirt Sports Virtual 10 on 10-Join me!
You are exactly right! In addition to having company on while out on a run, one of the biggest advantages of group running is the accountability factor.
Sounds like an awesome week of running (and looks like a scenic one, too)!
Way to go with the hill repeats- I imagine those are easier with friends!
It’s generally not humid here, but it certainly has been hot (up to 99 degrees!) for a long stretch, which isn’t typical for that extreme heat.
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It was nice to go on a few runs on trails other than my usual. A change in scenery is always good, especially when it’s shady!
Thankfully with the high humidity, the temps were only in the high 80’s last week.
I did my first hill repeats in a long time this morning. So humid and it’s getting dark enough at 5 am that I’m going to have to break out the headlamp that’s had a rest all summer. Hill repeats are my favorite way to get the week started, though.
Great running week for you!
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That’s awesome that you started doing hill repeats, too! We are going to tear up those hills in the DC Ragnar Relay!
I noticed on Friday morning that it wasn’t as light out when I woke up at 5 AM. That means it’s going to be harder for me to get up…
I love all your pics! I’ve recently joined a local MRTT group but it’s not very active [yet]. I’m hoping to get involved and help the group grow. It is SOO incredibly humid here…. Saturday I told the hubby “Next time I complain about it being too cold, remind me of this humidity!”
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I hope you are able to make your MRTT group grow. It’s so fun having friends to run with!
I really wish I could find a running group in my area. I’ve tried Google, but nothing. My local Fleet Feet does group runs, but they’re just far enough away that with rush hour traffic, I’d never make it over there in time.
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One of my readers just started an MRTT group in her town because they didn’t already have on. There’s no chapter charge or anything. Perhaps you could find a running friend to co-lead a group in your area.
Wow you had a great week! I loved all the photos that accompanied your runs.
Jennifer recently posted…NYC Marathon Training 7/7-7/13 – Week 4
If only all weeks could be so fun! 🙂
So many group runs! I love how you had to keep running on Tuesday to make it an even 8! I think my dad and I walked on the C&O Canal when we were in the Harper’s Ferry area a few years ago. I never gave any thought to what C&O stands for before now 🙂 Gravel paths with shade are my favorite! Isn’t it amazing how even on a cooler day (temperature-wise) the humidity can still make a run feel pretty tough??
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As we like to say here in NOVA, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity!”
I’ve run on the C&O Canal before, but not on this section. Usually we run down closer to DC, and it’s not nearly as shaded there.
[…] This morning my friends and I met at the C&O Canal at Point of Rocks, MD at 7 AM. The C&O Canal is a lovely gravel and dirt trail that runs along the Potomac River for 184.5 miles. I hadn’t run there since I met Dora and Beth there in July 2014. […]