10 weeks to chicago. and mileage.

Oh. Why hello blahgesphere. Good to see you're still out there as I've been holing myself away for a few weeks. For no reason other than feeling uninspired and just plain hot really. It's just hot. I'm hot. ALL. THE. TIME. And I will throw this out there now, at the risk of being unfollowed for such blasphemy. I am not a fan of summer (unless i'm on or near a body of water). It drains me and makes me tired and kind of grumpy. I lose most motivation to do things, and honestly when it gets above 100 degrees I like to pretend the world isn't going on around me. My husband makes fun of me for this fact on a regular basis. Something about how I am about as Nordic as they come and how I would happily live in the mountains, skiing my way around everywhere, wearing furry boots and earmuffs. Oh don't think I wouldn't!

However. Yes, this is a big fat however. I have been managing to run (despite a week straight of 100+ temps plus at least 30% humidity everyday--don't worry, that's at least, it's usually a good 70% or so) in the flatland summer. Should I continue whining or just suck it up and tell you about my running? I'll move onto running, my whining isn't attractive, although I bet it's a bag of chuckles to read!

Moving on. Running. Yes. It's been going well, China is actually not bothering me too much the past few weeks. I'm keeping it in check and it hasn't caused too much problem. I heeded the advice in my comments and have been taking care of it regularly and also drinking beer. Hey, who am I to defy a commenter? I do tend to wear my recovery socks on a lot of longer runs, despite the heat. It helps. All of which brings me to my big happy news (see, totally done whining).

Interwebs, I hit a mileage PR last month. I was thrilled. A mileage PR.... UNINJURED! SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!

This brings me to my next point. Mileage. Okay, so yes I hit a mileage PR for July, but I intend to hit another one this month, and again next month, then again in October. Sensing a theme here? I've decided, thanks in part to one smart running chicken's running wisdom, that I haven't been running enough miles in training for a marathon. Last spring I was doing maybe 25 miles a week. Then when the this guy mentioned he cramped up thanks to lack of training mileage I started really thinking about it.

I came to the conclusion that my low mileage absolutely had something to do with my OKC fail. I wasn't running enough for what my body needed to go out and run a marathon at the pace I set out at. Go figure! In my training defense of the spring, I was so terrified of getting hurt that I ran a minimal amount to preserve my legs. Of course, in the end it was my downfall even if it did keep me from initial injury (but wow my legs paid for that marathon for weeks afterwards). Since I'm feeling great running wise and have no sign of injuries (we are coming up on the one year anniversary of my last stress fx mind you) I'm going to keep pushing my mileage for Chicago.

And perhaps, with the right fueling (mistake no. 1 in okc this year), higher mileage (mistake no. 2 in okc) and smarter crossing training (not really a mistake, just a little extra lesson i learned) I will finally run a marathon in Chicago like I know I'm capable of, which is well.

Week 5 - Chicago Training
Wednesday = 7 miles
Thursday = 6 miles
Saturday = 6 miles
Sunday = 14 miles

Total = 33 miles


Week 6 - Chicago Training
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wedendsay - 6 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Saturday - 5 miles
Sunday - 16 miles

Total = 35 miles

Total Miles for July = 117

Normally I would downplay something like my monthly mileage PR, knowing that for a LOT of runners that is nothing for monthly mileage, that is in fact really low mileage. But in the end, it's a PR for me. Like I said, I'm pretty thrilled about it and excited to see where my running goes from here. Especially once the humidity dies down and my body is all....awwwww snap, there it is. Time to run ho-bag! It's gonna be a good fall. I just wish it were going to be here tomorrow.

This week I am struggling a bit though, I'm having sinus grossness and it's been extra hot this week. But that won't stop me. I am going to run seven miles tonight and so help me if I don't come back tomorrow to post the fact that I ran seven miles... This is why I'm posting mileage on my blog this time around. I don't want to humiliate myself and come back here and have to admit I didn't run because I was tired, or didn't feel 100%. So tomorrow. Hold me to it.