I hope everyone had a lovely long holiday weekend!
On a normal year, Dustin and I would be up at his family’s cabin, running a 4th of July 5k, and then watching the fireworks. This year, we’re not sure we’ll be going to the cabin all summer; just one of many changes due to the pandemic, I guess!
This year, we stayed in Minneapolis and did lot of house projects and hanging around in the city. We’re almost finished with a project to turn a guest closet into a guest bathroom; I’ll share before and after pictures soon! Dustin did most of the work himself, which took awhile, but turned out really well!
There were plenty of HOT runs this week; summer is definitely here, that’s for sure. Most runs include some sort of carried hydration and are most likely sports-bra-squad runs!
My coach challenged me to try to run more miles in July than I ever have in a month. Almost all of the miles will be an easy pace, which works well considering how hot and humid it is here in Minneapolis. It’s impossible to run fast right now!
This mileage challenge should give me some good endurance if I decide to do the Fargo marathon. I’m registered for it (August 29th) but if its as hot and humid as it has been here, I don’t know if I cover 26.2 miles! I also am waiting to hear what kind of Covid-19 precautions they take before making a final decision.
Here’s how training went this past week:
Monday: Complete rest.
Tuesday: Complete rest except 1:1 virtual strength training session with Discover Strength. Finished off June with TWO rest days in a row before a big July!
Wednesday: July has begun! 10 miles before work, 9:15 min/mile.
After work, I finally got in for a haircut and highlights! Masks, frequent hand washing, only one other stylist and client when I was there, but I still decided I felt more comfortable waiting outside while my highlights processed. Outdoors just feels safer to me!
Thursday: Another 10 miler in the morning! 9:20 min/mile.
Virtual 1:1 with Discover Strength after work. They sent me this little chart with some data; apparently I’ve been one of their most dedicated virtual clients!
Friday: Christie and I both had the day off of work, so we met at 7:30 for 5.5 miles together, then I aded on about a mile with Ruth. 6.5 miles total.
Later that afternoon, we drove to St. Paul to take a short hike with the dogs to Shadow Falls. My niece had gone there recently and I couldn’t believe she knew of a waterfall in the Twin Cities that I had never been to. Pretty!
Saturday: I ran from my house at 6 am to meet Christie around 6:15, we covered about 13 miles together via a downtown route that took us past her condo a few times for cold Gatorade (amazing). Christie is now part of my “quarantine circle” at this point, though we are still trying to be somewhat careful! But we are running together with no masks and I went into her (air-conditioned) condo for Gatorade. Running in the time of a pandemic…!
It was a really tough 14 miler for me; I wore my camelbak hydration pack filled with ice and water, but it was a heat-advisory, 90% humidity, 95 degree sunny day. Brutal. We took plenty of walk breaks, and instead of running home to get to 15.5 miles, Christie gave me a ride and I cut it short at 14 miles.
A 1.5 hour nap was definitely in order before we eventually went to our friends Sarah and Jeremy’s for a socially distanced backyard BBQ. Ruth and Matilda came with and had a great time playing with Jeremy’s dog Odin in his big, fenced in backyard. A low-key but nice 4th of July.
Sunday: Dustin and I slept in – big mistake! We didn’t get outside until nearly 10 am and my goodness it was so hot. We ran 7 miles together, but I had to take breaks in the shade nearly every mile to cool down a bit. Brutal. I don’t think my body was fully recovered from the long run the day before either. Just a tough one overall.
Summary: 48 miles of running, 2 strength sessions with Discover Strength, and two rest days!
I purchased this mask from Etsy- runners! Love it.
Not much running with Ruth this week; it’s just too hot for pups! This is her after just a short walk in the heat, ha!
And that’s a wrap! I’m linking up with Running on the Fly and Confessions of a Mother Runner . Check it out below:
Awesome job on your workouts this week – especially with all the heat and humidity. I love that mask that you purchased from Etsy – so cute!
I got my hair cut 2 weeks ago, but I came to the salon with it already washed and blow dried. That way my stylist just had to cut it and flat iron it completely straight. It only took 10 minutes which I appreciated because, like you, I didn’t want to be inside any longer than necessary!
Thanks Kim!
That’s awesome that you were in and out in 10 minutes for your hair- impressive!
I think your goal of high mileage for July and then the marathon at the end of August sounds like the perfect way to get through the beast that is summer running. I go back and forth between “eh, summer running is hard, just stay indoors on the treadmill” and “hey, I get enough treadmill in the winter so might as well stay outside now”. But man it is hot and our forecast is going to be in the 90s for a while.
Summer running is most definitely a beast…90’s for awhile here as well. Heat advisories and whatnot..
Another solid week for you! Ambitious project with the bathroom renovation. Doesn’t it feel great to get your hair done? The little things we used to take for granted!
Haha, yes the closet-into-bathroom was quite ambitious, but it turned out great!
I was so happy to get highlights… 🙂
I love how you take on the summer mileage challenge head on. It sure is tough out there. That waterfall looks nice, though — I’d want to dive in. Scooby usually tries to avoid lawn sprinklers, but a few times I’ve run right through them to cool off for a second.
Haha, I’m with you, I hit all the sprinklers! Ruth doesn’t seem to like them yet, she’s so far scared of the water.
Another solid week!! We try to walk Max twice a day (with a few other potty breaks in the backyard), but he does his business not even 1/2 a block from our driveway and “puts on the brakes” until we turn around and just head back home (instead of the usual 1-2 mile walk). He’s not interested in the heat as much as me LOL What a cute mask!
I try to remember that our pups can’t really cool down very well, other than panting!
Poor Ruth! She looks so exhausted.
I feel your pain about the heat. However, I didn’t run as much as you did but it was still tough out there.
I love your mask. I have to check it out because I want a cute one too. 🙂
I feel like masks are the fun new accessory!
Nice week–the heat and humidity is sure a challenge! Saturday’s run was just brutal–even though I subbed in a bike ride yesterday for my scheduled run, I was still feeling yucky. Today is going to be an unscheduled rest day. On Saturday, I felt ok while I was running, ran by HR and took it slow, but here I am, questioning everything! LOL. We’ll see how things go coming up.
This hot weather running takes so much out of me! Ugh…it takes awhile to recover.
Great miles in the heat! It really does suck the life out of you. Ozzy got so hot just walking the other day he turned to go home after half a mile. I was happy to oblige. I still haven’t scheduled a hair appt. I badly need to. Cute mask! My Etsy mask order should be here today.
I think I’ll be ordering more masks to have a variety…with whatever outfit I’m wearing 🙂
Wow! I always thought you ran a lot of miles. Now to run more miles in a month than you ever have before sounds quite challenging. You are gonna do awesome at Fargo. I have a friend who did the 50 states and she told me Fargo was one of her favorite marathons. I can’t wait to read what you think of it.
Loved seeing the photos of your puppies!
We’ll see how it goes…it helps that all the miles are just easy!
I have a feeling I’ll wish I did Fargo in May under normal circumstances. I’m nervous about the weather for an August race!
Another great week for you! Your mileage challenge sounds like a great prep for your marathon at the end of August.
That photo of Ruth post-walk is so cute 🙂
Haha, thanks Michelle!
OMG HER TONGUE! That’s hilarious!
I hope you do get some cabin time. It sounds like it would be lovely.
Yuo’re doing great with your training! Summer is hard to make it happen but you are powering through.
Maybe if things get under control, we’ll get to go to the cabin. We booked a camping trip instead for now to the Boundary Waters. 🙂
That tongue! Yeah, even the walks are killing Lola these days. They look very happy with your get together on the 4th, though! And that waterfall looks lovely.
Good luck with all your miles! I think you’re running more in a week than I am in a month right now. 🙂
It’s tough to be a dog in this weather…or a runner, haha!
Oh her tongue! I saw people waiting outside hairdressers with their foils on on Saturday (4th of July to you; Hairdressers Opening Again day for us!). Good work in all this heat. Weirdly I’ve done more miles per month May and June than I usually do.
Ha, nice, other people are doing the same as me. Just feels a bit better outside, even though it was so hot!
I got my hair cut and highlights put in today, too. It was long overdue!
I love your runners mask – so cute!
Thanks Debbie!
That runner mask is awesome.
I feel you -outside is safer. I did get a pedi but my salon not actually being open aside, I’m in no rush to spend time there. The foils make your eyes pop!
Pick your people and your bubble. Elizabeth and I still are mostly masked together because we do errands before/after run that necessitate masks, but neither of us worry if the other takes the mask off to drink whereas our first together we’d get about twenty feet apart before doing that.