Summary – This was a really good week. The 3 hour run to start the week was a bit of a shock to the system and a rough beginning for the week. However, things progressed nicely and by the end of the week we feel well prepared for next week’s scheduled back to back 3 hour runs.
Adding tennis was the big thing this week. We started playing early in the week and got out there 4 times. I have a marked skill advantage currently but Julie is quickly improving. She has the basic skills and isn’t prone to unforced errors often. As a result, if I provide her with standard shots, she inevitably has me running all over the court. It’s been a good workout and a good addition to our exercising regimen.
Lastly, I need to make more of an effort to keep up the stretching and core work. Next week, I’ll likely reduce some of the walking and substitute it with more core and stretching.
Total running time: 525 minutes (8 hr,45 min); Walking: 305 minutes ; Core: 32 minutes; Stretching: 20 minutes; Tennis: 200 minutes
Saturday – Julie and I ran for 75 minutes today on the beach. We ran 41 minutes out so we could get to the second pier to the south of our condo before turning around and heading back. We then walked the rest of the way when we hit the 75 minute mark. Feeling fresh and good. The sand was a little softer today which is a little tougher but also nice on the feet.
We played tennis for around 50 minutes during the afternoon. During the Notre Dame game I did 17 minutes of core and 20 minutes of stretching. I walked for around 20 minutes total.
Friday –Julie and I are back in Myrtle Beach and hit the beach at 9 am for an hour run. I felt really refreshed after the day off. We did 6×30 second strides and I was really winded. Since Beaufort, I’ve been trying to focus more on my leg follow through on my strides. I noticed a couple weeks ago when seeing my shadow how it looked like I had little leg lift and when I focused on stronger form, it was the follow through I’ve really been lacking on. It’s amazing how undertrained my body is for this type of running. I am really tired after just the second 30 second stride, as if I was doing all out 200’s. I’m not going all out though, only working on good form and follow through. I’m excited to be working on this and hope it pays off with better running economy and avoidance of some of my classic injuries.
We also played an hour of tennis today. It’s getting really fun as Julie is getting better with her game and has been getting me running all over the court. It’s been very enjoyable to do a different kind of exercise, especially one with the explosive actions associated with tennis.
To get our three hours in, we also walked in the evening after dinner and got in a total of 60 minutes of walking for the day.
Thursday –We took the day off! I did 8 days in a row and since we were volunteering for the Charleston 5k. We took the day completely off and I ate only one big meal since I did no exercising whatsoever.
Wednesday – I ran 90 minutes by myself on the beach at 9 am. Julie was walking for the day and I wanted to get in the miles since we were planning on taking tomorrow off. I felt good, started easy, and picked it up as I went. It was a much better beach for a few reasons: I didn’t run 3 hours today so my feet and legs weren’t hurting nearly as much, it wasn’t as sunny, and I felt fresher to start. The only difficulty was strong wind. I ran out 46 minutes and once I turned, was running back into the wind the rest of the way.
I managed to get in another 90 minutes of walking over the course of the rest of the day, primarily in Summerville with Julie, Greg, and my sister.
Tuesday –Julie and I ran for an hour this morning and did the same route as yesterday. We’re feeling much better today and got quite a bit further than the previous run. The weather here is awesome, 60’s or low 70’s. My foot is a bit achy, has been that way since the long run on the beach but it doesn’t hurt when I run.
I did 15 minutes of core in the afternoon, played tennis with Julie for 45 minutes and walked for a little over an hour around the condo complex.
Monday – Ran 60 minutes with Julie this morning at 9:15 am from our condo. We skipped the beach today and ran neighborhood roads and sidewalks. It was a good change. We were both sluggish today and felt the effects of yesterday’s long run. Glad we did it and hopefully tomorrow with feel a little smoother.
We walked for 75 minutes around the neighborhood and played tennis for 45 minutes together. This was great and had me working muscles differently and having to be much more explosive than my slow running of late has provided me. Hopefully this will be something we keep up for our three weeks in MB.
Sunday – Ran for 3 hours with Julie on the beach north from our new condo home in Myrtle Beach, SC. This was the first time I was really feeling it on a run so far since I’ve started up the new training. It got hot, we were out in the sun and got a little burnt, and the slope of the beach caused my foot to get pretty sore. I had one water bottle for the three hours and didn’t eat anything. I felt ok overall but my joints and feet were sore by the end and I was pretty hungry and thirsty by the end. Glad to get it in though and it’s my longest run since the failed 100 mile attempt last February.