But NO people. I was the only car in the parking lot of Deep Run Park. I had a 2 hr "enjoy the woods" NO DATA run this am. (Ok it was last Thursday...actually wrote the post and then didn't publish it...wtf). Of course I was in Richmond, so I had to try to find a soft surface run. Miss the easy knowledge of the river paths in ATL on days like this. Turns out that isn't so easy. And my recollection of this pathway wasn't quite that accurate...more asphalt than I remembered. But nevertheless I got it done...and eventually other people did intermingle with the squirrels on the pathway. It's an odd little park, mix of asphalt, crushed gravel, and trails filled with roots, that intertwine and meander about in such a way that it took me several twisted 'round about "loops" to recognize that there are actually only about 3 miles of trails that just keep doubling back on each other... There was a little old German woman that I kept passing, who I have to say was out there for a long time! On my about last run by her I smiled again, and said "you've been out here almost as long as me" and she laughed, then asked me if I could tell her how long this particular section of the trail was...so I ran it and told her. Sweet lady. And impressed with her perseverance!
So heading into this week, Coach checked in with me to see how things were going, (ok I had been kinda MIA on training peaks last week). Coming off the Knox race two weeks ago, I had a recovery week and then a transition week. It was a lot lighter than I expected. A mental break you might say so that I am ready to take on the next big block. Coach said to me we are "in it" again starting this week. And he wasn't kidding. Jaw dropped a bit when I saw some of the workouts for this week. Ok one in particular. The speed workout that always follows strength. I actually like those workouts even tho they are HARD. But this was a whole 'nother level...6x45"@6'49 AND 6%. <gulp>. I did ask him if he was smoking something. Of course, by now I know that if something is on my plan, it's because he does think I can do it, even if pushing the envelope just a little. But that's what training is all about...applying stress, recovering, and allowing the body to adapt. Adaptation is how we get stronger, faster, and you can't adapt without overload. (Of course the right recovery is critical and I think this is where Matthew excels). And as it turns out, it was totally doable...way more than I expected. His immediate response when i told him he was right, "you got it" he'd said, was 'ok, so can we go faster?'. Love him!
So with just over 16 weeks to go, we are definitely IN IT. This week is 14.5 hrs in volume, and it will only go up from here, trend wise. I'm excited and feeling good. I look back occasionally at the first go, and it's interesting to compare and contrast my emotions, and approach. Naturally it's a lot different on some levels. Since I know what to expect this time. Gonna be a great block of training. Here we go!
Happy training!
Kat
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