Sunday, January 3, 2021

Weekly Sweats: Sandbagging

Going into the last week of the year, I was already at record annual mileage, so I made the most of it and "sandbagged" with lower volume runs and an extra rest day.  22 miles this week and hey-o I'm still hitting the weights.

I'm linking up with the Weekly Run Down, please head over to Kim and Deborah to check it out.  

FYI. my annual State of the Run post is here.

Monday: weights and 4.25 miles outside.  Sadly my legs did not want to move, so the run was an exercise in going through the motions.

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: weights and 4.25 miles of an "I made it up myself" workout: 1 mile warmup, 1 mile of 0.1 fast/0.1 slow, 1 mile easy, 1 mile of 0.25 fast/0.25 slow, cool down.  Best run of the week!

Thursday: off

Friday: New Year New Miles!  And thanks for asking I started it right by getting the weights in first. Also...New Year New Ice Storm so...hey treadmill! 4 miles.

Saturday: For no reason that I can think of, I just plain could not sleep so it was a write-off day for doing anything useful.  Even though I felt like a wreck, my body was down to move and the ice was gone so I went for it and ended up with 6.25 miles.

Sunday: I slept like a baby and was planning to spend the day on the couch but...I felt too good.  3.25 miles with mile 2 being 0.1 fast/0.1 slow.  My other best run of the week!

What's Next

I'm heading in the direction of more mileage.   There's no formal speed plan right now but there will be a lot of "minute fast/minute slow" stuff.  Unfortunately (and predictably) winter is doing its thing, so my routine is going to be a little erratic for the next few months as I bounce back and forth between inside and outside running.  Race wise I'm registered for a 10 miler in April (deferred from last year) and a half in May.

Athlete Crush of the Week

Kathrine Switzer!!!  I'm listening to audio version of her book Marathon Woman and IMO it's a must read (or in my case a must listen).  If you had asked me who she was before I started reading her book, I would have told you that she was the first woman to run Boston and that she got pulled off the course, which isn't quite correct...she was the first woman to officially register for Boston (women "didn't run marathons" at the time) but a few had bandited the course.  There was no rule stating that you had to be male and she often used "K. Switzer" as her name on paperwork, so it's fair enough to say that they didn't ask, she didn't tell, and she paid her $3 entry fee just like everyone else.  Race officials tried but were not successful in removing her from the course.  And that's just the beginning of her story!


31 comments:

  1. K Switz definitely has a great, inspiring story to tell! She's a real sweetheart in person, too (I've talked with her at a couple different race expos). Welcome to 2021!! I'm excited for all the possibilities awaiting us ;-)

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    1. I bet she is! I love listening to her telling her story on the audiobook.

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  2. Awesome job this week and way to start off the year strong! Katherine Switzer is such a badass! I love learning more about her and her story.

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    1. I love her! I listened to more of the book tonight while I was making dinner and it's like the further she gets into the story the better it gets.

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  3. Winter is definitely doing its thing. Very annoying on decided where and when to run and if it's too icy outdoors.

    I usually only run 16-19 miles each week. So yours doesn't seem low.

    Loved Marathon Woman! A great story.

    Happy new Year.

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    1. Happy NY Darlene! Frickin' ice. I need to live somewhere where it's "just" cold instead of cold with endless snow and ice.

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  4. Great job this week! Nice work keeping up with the weights. That sounds like a great book about Katherine Switzer!

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    1. It is an amazing book! So much good detail about running in general, so much fun stuff about the running life before Garmins, and of course all of the trail blazing. Definitely recommend!

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  5. Well I would not consider that sandbagging. You still stayed pretty active. It's nice to have some lower key weeks from time to time. I am also working on building back up miles. This is my favorite time of the year to run. Thanks for joining and have a great week

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    1. Remind me to move to VA...I can handle the temperature but the ice is a dealbreaker.

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  6. To think Boston only cost $3 :) I think the cheapest full marathon I've done has been at LEAST $50 and Boston is at least $200 now I think..

    Anyways, amazing work keeping up with the weights!

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    1. The book is full of good details like the $3, which had to be paid in cash. They didn't have mile markers or water stops on the course...running was very different back then.

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  7. Yay for the best workout being one you designed yourself. I can't remember if I've read Marathon Woman, but I'll check. Amby Burfoot's First Ladies of Running is another good one if you haven't read it

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    1. Ooh you must, must, must read Marathon Woman. I think you'd remember it. Thanks for the tip on First Ladies of Running!

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    2. Goodreads has no record of me reading it, so I'll remedy that soonest

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  8. So you weren't reading my blog when I met K Swiss back in 2017. I was interviewed by Humana for being a runner with RA and they filmed me running RnRChicago. I brought my copy of Marathon Woman to the expo and had her sign it. She is an amazing woman. Oh, and don't get jealous or anything but she was at the finish line and put my medal over my head! I wrote about it on the race recap. Talk about fangirling...

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    1. Oooh...I am totally jealous! Guys, ya gotta see this one: https://www.takinglongwayhome.com/2017/07/race-recap-rock-n-roll-chicago-half.html

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  9. Looks like a good week to me! Katherine Switzer is amazing - thanks for the reminder that I need to pick up her book. Can't believe i haven't read it yet!

    Happy New Yeay!

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    1. I think her book may be my favorite running book that I've read yet. Definitely recommend.

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  10. So fun to listen to K Switz! I believe we first met at NYCM. She's wonderful. The weather has taken a turn toward winter here finally. I swear it felt like it was raining ice chips the other day. They pelted me! Great job as always!

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    1. Ugh, hopefully winter will be short this year. <3 K Switz

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  11. I have one of her books that I bought when I met her in New Hampshire. Now I need to find it and actually read it. Winter is here too and I hate it. Hard to get out there and run.

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    1. It's such a good book! I have 3 hours left to go and I don't want it to end.

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  12. Switzer is so awesome. We are so fortunate to have had the way paved by brave, strong women like her.

    We are in winter, and I know it's different, but we are going from 80 degrees on Saturday to 30 something tomorrow. It's awful.

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    1. I don't care where you live, a 50 degree temp swing is no joke! I hope the forecast is wrong.

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  13. OMG $3 for Boston. Crazy! I met Kathrine Switzer at a race expo a couple of years ago with a bunch of other bloggers. She was so gracious and sweet, taking time to talk with everyone individually, post pics, etc. I will have to check out her book!

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    1. I can't say enough how good it is. I have 3 hours to go and I'm going to be very sad when it's over.

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  14. I met Kathrine Switzer at the 2010 Boston Marathon expo and she's every bit as sweet as you would think! She even suggested we get a picture together, probably becausue I was babbling like a fool and couldn't ask. LOL

    Great job on your week! Happy New Year!

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    1. If I ever met her I would not be able breathe let alone talk. She is so awesome.

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  15. I'll have to check that book out. I saw her at one of the Boston marathon expos, but the line was too long to meet her so I just took a "stalker" picture of her LOL! She won our local Glass City Marathon one year too!

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  16. Katherine Switzer is so awesome- she's definitely a woman crush! I actually met her at the Gasparilla races in 2017- she was there along with Meb and Joanie Benoit Samuelson. They actually had dinner with the Gasparilla race committe in the same restaurant my group was eating in and we got pics with them and everything. So cool!

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