This past week completed week 12 of my 16-week Run Less Run Faster (affiliate link) training cycle for my OBX Half Marathon. The week was to be all about getting back out on the trail as I eased back into running while getting a feel for how my leg was healing. Spoiler alert, my leg felt great and there was less easing than I expected to be necessary.

Released to run for the first time since surgery to removed an unruly spot of abnormal cells on the skin above my knee (this melanoma warrior was taking no chances), I decided to keep my first run at a mile on my treadmill (affiliate link). I felt nothing unusual until about .93 when I felt a tiny bit of pulling, so at that time I slowed to a slightly slower pace (around 11:30) to finish out my mile. A little ice after my run made my leg feel as good as new.

 

Scheduled for my Tuesday track workout was 3 x 1600’s at a 7:40 goal pace with 400-meter recovery intervals between each repeat, bookended by a 1-mile warm-up and 1-mile cool-down. I decided to skip my 400 recoveries and recover by pacing alongside the track. I had decided in advance to shoot for 8:30’s so I held back on my first repeat as I tested how much the skin was pulling and hit that repeat at an 8:08. Feeling nothing unusual, I decided to run on feel and hit my next two 1600’s at 7:44 and 7:43.

 

I was delighted to see that instead of the usual tempo run scheduled for Thursday, I was to run 6 easy miles – talk about perfect timing for easing back into my training plan. I hit those 6 miles at an 11:07 average pace and felt really good about my run. Again, my incision didn’t bother me at all. I ran mostly alone (I started out with my friend Tiffany who was running faster) and in the complete darkness so there are no pictures. I caught up with Tiffany briefly while she and a biker were stopped to let a skunk cross the trail.

Saturday’s long run called for 10 miles at a 10:48 average pace. I slept in and headed out alone at 8 AM. I had touched base with a couple of friends about running together and when that didn’t work out, I decided it was best that I run alone so I wouldn’t push myself more than I might when running with friends. I finished my 10 miles at a 10:28 average pace and felt great!

 

Once home, I iced my knee, had breakfast with Bill and Daniel, gardened for an hour, showered, and took a 2-hour nap!

Aside from working and my workouts this past week, we had friends over for pizza on Friday evening. Our youngest son Daniel joined us and then spent the night. Saturday morning he picked up breakfast burritos for my post-run and Bill’s post-ride breakfast.

 

In case you missed it on the blog, this past week I posted this article:

Looking ahead to this coming week, I’m thinking about writing a very short recap for the race I wasn’t able to run, the Army Ten-Miler.

In addition to the runs I mentioned above, here’s a run-down of the other workouts I completed this past week. I’m able to add most of my strength training exercises back into my routine except for lunges. I did, however; demonstrate lunge form to a new client this week and paid for it with a little pain at my incision area for a few hours afterward.

 

Fitness tools beyond the equipment in my gym that I used during the week included:

Cameras used for blog photography include:

 

  • Questions:
  • How good are you at pacing when you run on feel? ~ I used to be very good, but nowhere nearly as consistent these days . 
  • Have you tried a breakfast burrito? ~ The only other time I’d had breakfast burritos was after the Fountainhead Park Trail Ten Miler.
  • Did you race this weekend? 

 

Have a great week!

 

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.

 

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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 out not only the hosts’ posts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!

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