I started Monday off with a renewed determination to get stronger in the off-season with another great strength training session! Yes, even though I have three 5K’s this fall, I consider this the off-season with no more Ragnars or halves until next spring.
On Monday afternoon I got a fun email from a dentist office in Dumfries, VA (several miles south of DC, and nowhere near me). They had included me on their list of Virginia bloggers to follow and asked if I would share the love by letting my readers know. You can check out the post on Dr. Silk’s website at All Smile Dentistry, and if you’re looking for a dentist in the Dumfries area, check them out.
Tuesday morning found me back on the running trail at 5:30 AM with my MRTT friends. A new group has formed that meets at 5 AM, but this mama just can’t get up at 4 AM for a 5 AM run. She just can’t! The early group was kind enough to swing by to pick us 5:30 AM slackers (I kid) up for half of our run. They laughed when I got out of my car in shorts and a short sleeved shirt in the 39° temps, but I felt great as soon as we started running and I didn’t have to shed a jacket five minutes into our run. The other two sleepy-heads and I ran 6.2 miles at a 9:31 pace.
Photo courtesy of Erin
I hit my home gym on Wednesday for another great lifting session and tried to work the soreness out of my glutes. Yes, this old girl’s glutes were well aware of lunge-slacking (not to be confused with lunch-slacking – that would never happen) the last couple of months. While I was at it, I foam rolled everything and my legs thanked me.
Thursday’s run didn’t turn out as planned, but sometimes things work out better than expected because you screwed up. I have an old atomic alarm clock that is supposed to automatically adjust to the giant satellite clock in the sky. It is supposed to always be correct, and adjust in the spring and fall to Daylight Saving Time. Only it doesn’t. The first couple of years it was great, but once DST started moving earlier in the spring and later in the fall, my clock has been totally confused and randomly adjusts on the wrong day in the spring and fall. The spring is fine because it means I accidentally get up an hour earlier than necessary, but the fall…
I’d forgotten about my clock having a-mind-of-its-own in October, and hadn’t been using my iPhone as a backup. Thursday morning when my alarm went off at 4:30, I rolled over and saw that Bill’s clock showed 5:30 AM. I bounded out of bed, texted my friends so they wouldn’t wait for me, and quickly got dressed. Some things you can’t rush in the morning (if you get my drift), and as soon as all things were taken care of, I headed out the door.
I met my friends around 6:15 AM on their return from their run and turned to run them back to our cars. I headed back out to finish my 1.5 mile warm-up, and preceded to run six 800’s with 200-meter recoveries. I finished with an approximate 1.5-mile cool down. Had I met my friends on time, I would have run their post-MCM-pace recovery run, and missed the opportunity for a great speed workout.
With over two-inches of rain during the past 24-hours, it was a foggy mess before the sun came up and the weather system moved on out. I have to admit that it was very creepy running alone, so I stayed within a mile of my car doing several out-and-backs and hoped that I didn’t run into the same skunk we saw running on the trail toward us the week before.
On Friday, Bill and I met a couple of friends from the wellness center for coffee at 6:30 AM. Being a non-coffee-drinker, I had water. Afterwards, I got my third and final strength workout in for the week. Done, and done! I met one of my long-time girlfriends, V, for lunch and a movie Friday afternoon. We both love Adriana Trigiani and have read all of her books, so we wanted to see Big Stone Gap. Even though it was a little slow, I enjoyed the movie; however, I would not recommend it to someone who hasn’t read the book.
Saturday morning found me at the party store as soon as it opened to purchase cat ears and a tail. I had decided that despite my Halloween whining on Friday, that I would dress up for the 4 PM Ghost, Goblins & Ghouls 5K, and have fun! Check and check!
Deb and Erin before the Ghost 5K
The race was a blast and I’m so glad that I decided to dress up. Stay tuned in the next day or so for my official recap!
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check them out and the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Have a great week!
- Questions:
- Do you run alone in the dark?
- Did you have many trick-or-treaters? ~ We only had fourteen.
- Did you race this weekend?
I used to run in the dark often, but not recently (since I got a treadmill and also got lazy about driving places to run). I don’t mind it too much, but it is definitely situational. Love the costumes – I bet it was a fun event. I look forward to hearing more about the race.
Kelli recently posted…Weekly Wrap: Back to the Track
I used to run alone a lot on the streets and parkways in my neighborhood, but haven’t needed to recently. I’ve gotten so used to always having a running friend since joining our MRTT chapter. I was a little more creeped out since I was out on the running trail in the middle of nowhere on Thursday! :-/ I got a treadmill last winter, but don’t want to use it until I have to on our first icy morning!
I read Big Stone Gap a long time ago! I didn’t know there was a movie. I don’t even remember what the book was about!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Full moon fever….and #fasterthanBOO10k
HaHa, that happens sometimes doesn’t it! I remembered the book well because it was about southwestern Virginia somewhat near where I grew up. I was visiting my dad in the hospital when they were filming the movie, and it was a really big deal.
I love the costume! Very cute. I still don’t think I see a skirt though? 4 am IS very early but I am getting very close to that myself to get pool time before work. Kudos to you for getting in a different workout when you missed your scheduled one. Today I drove to the pool and it was closed for a swim meet. I could have gone right back home, but I drove across town to a different one. I guess you do what you have to. Thanks for linking up!
HoHo Runs recently posted…The HoHo Chronicles (WW # 13)
Good for you for driving across town to find an available pool! Not sure I would have done that for swimming. Running yes, running in the pool or swimming? No.
You are correct – no sparkle skirt! Gotta keep my readers guessing when I will next don a sparkle skirt! 😀
I run alone in the dark three mornings a week. I just run within the neighborhood. Sometimes I psych myself out over little things, but most of the time I feel pretty safe. We had less than 10 trick or treaters. There weren’t many people passing out candy in our neighborhood this year. I’ve never worn a costume during a run. Yours turned out cute! I can’t wait to read the full recap!
Debra recently posted…Weekly Wrap-Week 13 Marathon Training
Thanks! The race was so fun and I posted the recap today.
We ended up with only fourteen trick-or-treaters – far fewer than usual.
Loved the last minute costume Deb. It is so much fun dressing up to participate. Wow I love your home gym. I sure wish I had the space to create my own. I was running in the dark and taking my dog, I’m trying to decide if I’ll continue with him now that it will be light outside before work. He will surely miss it. Since I”m coming off the high of my weekend I haven’t had a chance to adjust for DST although it was nice this morning. I won’t like it this afternoon though. So glad you linked up with us this week, appreciate you and hope you have a great week!
Tricia@MissSippipiddlin recently posted…Weekly Wrap #13 Spooktacular Halloween
Thank you! Of course, my home gym is also my office since I train clients in it! 🙂
It sounds like you had an amazing weekend! So, so fun!
Great week you had!!
That is weird about your clock.
I actually bought a little mask too for halloween(lol!)
I run in the mornings when it is dark by myself.
We went to my parent’s neighborhood so I have no idea if there were any trick or treaters at my house but at my parent’s we had enough to go through a 150 count bag.
No racing for me last weekend.
Wow, that’s a lot of trick-or-treaters! We only had fourteen this year – way down from previous years…
I will run alone in the dark if I know where I am. But I try not to because I will scare myself with the shadows and fear of creatures in the dark. But if I have to I’ll do it. I did not race last weekend but I’m racing this weekend at Ironman Florida. EEEEEK. I’m procrastinating packing right this very minute. I did not get any trick or treaters. There are only 4 houses on my street so we go to another street a little ways away to trick or treat. I was home this year sitting it out since I have a race coming up and I was hoping for some costumed kids … but nope. Oh well, more candy for me.
Amy recently posted…It’s Ironman Florida 2015 Race Week – and the weekly recap
You’re doing an Ironman?!?! You are my hero!!! Good luck and I hope you plan to write a recap next week.
We live in a gated community so we get a fair amount of trick or treaters- fun! I love the costume, now wasn’t that fun? 🙂 Love the clock story!
Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…What’s a normal week like?
I can’t lie, it was fun dressing up for the race! 😀