It Is What It Is (WW # 90)

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RECAP:

M  Strength

T   Ran 3.25 Miles (Easy)

W  Nothing!

T   Ran 4.50 Miles (Tempo) + Strength

F   Nothing!

S   Ran 13 Miles (Slow)

S   Ran 6.25 Miles (Recovery)

Total = 27 Miles

In 12 days, I will line up to run my first half marathon of the year.  Wow -- what a difference from my obsessive Half Fanaticism of years gone by.  It will be my 45th half.  A mere seven weeks ago, I was not running due to injury.  Again.  You'd better believe I cycled through it like a crazy old woman to maintain my cardio fitness.  But the harsh reality is, there hasn't been enough time to properly prepare for this race. Throw in a couple of vacations and -- It Is What It Is.   I certainly wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to run in beautiful Door County Wisconsin (a new state!) with my dear friend Wendy. #HoLottaFun  #HoLottaCheese

Did that sound gloomy?  That wasn't the intention.  I'm excited to be back racing the distance I love most.  In fact, I am grateful to be running at all.  Any distance.  Any speed.   If neither of my feet speak to me while running, it's a flat out victory!  So grateful, I am.  (ala Yoda).   It's all about perspective. After two humbling foot injuries in a short span of time, it is not so much about the numbers.  The simple ability to run is now appreciated first and foremost.  The rest?  Delicious gravy. 

A sweaty mascara mess after a tempo run in new SMDS gear.

The previous week was a super active week for me.  With 27 miles running, 20 miles cycling, strength exercises AND water skiing, I started off this week...spent...and with a sore left hamstring.  So my RECAP reports two days of full rest and no cycling.  It Is What It Is.  {Try it, people.  It's liberating!}

In other news, I've been testing the Blink 3.0 Heart Rate, Step and Cadence sensor as part of my new ambassadorship with Heart Zones.  You can see it on my forearm in the picture above.  I want to use it for a while, and also for different activities, before doing a full review.  I can already report it is very comfy and syncs with a host of fitness apps.  I'll be talking more about it, as well as heart rate training, in future posts. 

Glad to be done with 13 miles!  It was my longest run since January.

I opted to run long on Saturday morning due to Sunday's rainy forecast.  Blech, was it warm and humid or what?  I repeated the hilliest loops in my neighborhood to prepare for Door County.   I felt strong through mile 9 and then....yeah, not so much.  It Is What Is It.  {OK OK -- I'll stop now!} 

After the rain moved through Sunday, I went out intending to run just a few recovery miles.  Running at a low heart rate (149 per Blink, 158 per Garmin) and ignoring my pace felt fantastic.  Maybe it was the product of my recently adopted IIWII attitude -- but whatever the case, I did not want to stop.  I made myself quit at 6.25 miles.  

I'll leave you with this deep thought (LOL):  It'd be really special to get rewarded with a little gravy.   But if not, I'm happy with the biscuit.

And that's a wrap! 

Do you track your heart rate?  If yes, what type of monitor do you use?

Do you run using a smart phone app?  If yes, which one?

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