Friday Favorites

Hi! Happy Friday!

Let’s start with a training update and then I’m going to share some Friday Favorites.

Here is what my training has looked like so far this week:

Monday: 19 mile LR
Tuesday: 7 Easy + RW group run (6 miles @ 7:40 avg.)
Wednesday: 7 Easy
Thursday: 9.25 w/ 4 tempo miles + 4.75 easy
Friday: 12 Easy

I was supposed to do my long run last Sunday, but after we got back from the beach I had a hard time adjusting back to post-vacation running reality. I was worn out and the long run didn’t happen. I’m sure skipping it all together would’ve been totally fine, but this was the last “long” (relative terminology of course) run on my schedule before the 50K. I decided to give it a whirl again on Monday. Rebecca and I ran 8 together and then I did the rest of the run by myself. I kind of did a run/walk combo, but I got it done.

So speaking of the 50K … It’s NEXT WEEKEND! Ahh. Rebecca and I are doing a 100K relay in Jackson MS and each of us will run 50K. The course is a 10.3 mile loop and we will just run that same loop several times. We are going to do alternating loops, so Rebecca will run the first 10 miles, then I will run the next 10, and so on until we have each done 3 loops.

We are hoping for an 8:30 (ish) average pace. The total race should take us somewhere between 8 and 9 hours. The team that runs the fastest last lap (regardless of whether you finish first or not) wins $100, so obviously that would be pretty sweet. Hopefully that’ll help us pace ourselves on the other laps as well and finish with a really strong leg (and legs (get it?)).

I’m not really worried about the mileage as much as I am a little apprehensive about what running at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. is going to be like (in July in Mississippi no less). I am used to running at 5 a.m. and 5 or 6 p.m., but not really during those in between times. We are definitely going to pack a cooler full of all.the.drinks and a tent for some shade.

Enough about that. Tuesday morning my legs were pretty tired from the long run the day before. I was [thisclose] to not going to the group run that evening, but I ended up having a really good run. The same exact thing happened last week. It’s crazy! I slept in Wednesday morning and was [thisclose] again to not running at all, but Daniel wanted to go after work and I figured that I might as well join him. You never regret a run, right? You only regret it if you don’t go.

We were going to do 5 miles, but ended up with 7. My legs pretty much felt like garbage during the run, but of course I was still so glad that we got it in! If you are a runner you likely get it, and if you aren’t you likely think that sounds absurd. Running in the evenings after work is the best time that we have to talk and catch up on how the day went.

I described Thursday’s tempo workout in my last post, but ICYMI: I did a 3 mile warm up, a 4 mile tempo at 6:24 average and a 2.25 mile cool down. My legs felt surprisingly good! Thursday evening I met Rebecca for an easy 4.75 miles, so I ended up with 14 for the day.

Rebecca and I did 12 miles this morning. We were both pretty tired from our Thursday workouts, but we managed to make it through.

Now that we’ve covered the run stuff, let’s move on to the fun stuff! Here are some things that I am loving lately …

Brooks Lauch. I have found my shoe. I have worn the Launches on and off for several years, but lately they have become my go-to shoe 95% of the time. My feet haven’t been bothering me at all and I think that a lot of that has to do with these shoes.

Birkenstock Mayari Sandals. These are my go-to non-running shoes. I love how they mold to the contours of your feet. They are known to guide your foot into a healthy walking position, delivering exceptional comfort in every step. I wear these to work (or basically anytime that I am not running). After dealing with plantar fasciitis for so long, I refuse to wear heels or wedges anymore. It just isn’t worth it.

Chick-Fil-A diet lemonade. So tart, so refreshing! I been craving lemonade after hot runs. We hit up Chick-Fil-A Tuesday evening after our run and I got my fix.

Pop-Tarts. Daniel has gotten me on pop-tarts recently. I don’t remember eating them growing up or really ever for that matter. If I am still hungry after dinner (which obviously means I haven’t eaten quite enough that day), I have been eating pop-tarts. Not exactly the healthiest of snacks, but they hit the spot and satisfy the need for calories and the desire for something sweet.

Aveeno wipes. I love these face cleaning wipes. I like to wipe my face off with these after running. They have aloe in them and they feel great on your skin.

I guess that was kind of a random assortment, but those are a few of my favorite things right now!

What are your favorite running shoes?