Strep Throat, New Shoes, & My Latest Workouts

Last week was pretty rough.  I had a really killer run on Monday, and then the rest of the week went off the rails running wise.  I wasn't able to run a single step until Sunday and as of yesterday (Wednesday) I am finally starting to feel like my old self.  I know for sure that I do not want to run the LVTC Holiday Half marathon.   I'm not ready to race a half marathon, and being the competitive person that I am, I don't want to toe the line if I'm not 100%.

I think I have finally found my writing style for this blog, and I enjoy laying it out in chronological order via my training updates.  It's a way to keep track  of my training and share a few details with you along the way.  The only downside to this, is that I need to blog at least once a week or I will be throwing up runs from many weeks ago, and then the details become fuzzy...

My Latest Workouts

Week of December 7-13
Sunday 12/7- I ran 6 miles around the neighborhood in the foothills, I ran these at lunchtime, and I didn't take my Garmin with me.  I ended up talking to my mom on the phone for about 30 minutes.  It was nice to catch up with her, and it was kind of like having a running buddy to talk to along the way.

Monday 12/8-Lunchtime 10k- I'm loving the cooler weather, and I felt like doing a tempo progression run.   The first mile was flat, followed by  two miles uphill, and then the last three miles were downhill, it's pretty easy to run tempo progression with a downhill at the end, Here's my Garmin data:

That night I noticed a slight tickle in my throat.  I thought it was allergies, because I had been dusting some furniture.

Tuesday 12/9- Rest, I woke up late and didn't have time to workout before work.  I also had a few errands to run at lunchtime.  That tickle in my throat was also accompanied by a sluggish tired feeling. Uh oh.

Wednesday 12/10-  Rest- I left work at 10AM and felt like garbage.  I thought I was coming down with the flu.  That night I was having a lot of trouble swallowing, and it didn't feel like just the flu.

Thursday 12/11- I went to work... We were having our holiday party/White Elephant gift exchange.  I was in charge of organizing the party, so I felt like I couldn't not show up.  I also made it to the Dr.'s office that day.  My diagnosis was Strep Throat. EWWWWW.   I haven't had that sickness since I was a teenager.  I was given a prescription for antibiotics, and I also asked for some syrup with Tylenol/codeine.  Oh I was such a happy camper once I came home and was able to drink some medicine....
Eating and drinking had been so painful, that I wasn't really eating or drinking much fluids.

Friday 12/12-Rest,  I had a serious case of mommy guilt when I dropped my kids off at day care in the morning.

I took this picture that morning.  They were being really cute.

I felt rotten, but I figured that I was still really contagious and I didn't want to get them sick.  I also knew that sleeping would be next to impossible with them at home with me.

Saturday 12/13-Rest, (sort of)  I took the kids to the park and did a little bit of Christmas shopping. The antibiotics had started to kick in, and I was feeling more normal.  I also finally got my appetite back too.


Week of December 14-18
Sunday 12/14-  Almost 5 miles,   I tied up the laces and headed outside.  It was pretty cold for Las Vegas (41 degrees)  I felt stiff and tired.  I thought that an hour run would be a smart idea....    The first mile or two I was considering flipping a u-turn back home, but once I warmed up the endorphins kicked in and i ended up running 4.9 miles.   It honestly felt like I had ran twice as far.

Monday 12/15- I ran 4 miles on my lunch break, and again I felt really sluggish.  I ran two miles up the hill and two miles back down the hill.  Here's the Garmin data:

I noticed that my shoes were feeling old, and the pair that I was wearing are going on 6 months old.   I found a really good deal online, and I purchased a pair of ASICS GEL- Kayano 20's.

The new Kayano 21's are coming out so this is the older model, but originally these shoes cost $160.00 before tax.  I found these online at Kohls.com and after tax I paid $90.00.  This will be an upgrade from my GT-2000's. I didn't get a chance to try these on first, so I hope they are a good fit.  Kohl's.  has a pretty good return policy if they don't work out.

Tuesday 12/16-  I ran two miles before work No Garmin, I ran these at recovery pace., and lifted some weights.  I did flat bench chest presses with a 45lb bar to work on my form, one arm dumbbell rows, cable flys, lat pull downs, and some Roman chair leg lifts.
Wednesday 12/17-Lunchtime 10k.   I headed out at lunchtime and I chose a route that was pretty flat.  I didn't expect my legs to feel fresh, but they were ready to go.  I ran this at Tempo pace and just tried to keep the miles consistent.  Here's the data.

After my run, I went to the office gym and did a few exercises.  I did cable shoulder lifts, bicep curls, and a few burpees.

Thursday 12/18- Today will probably be a rest day, I have to head out at lunchtime to try to knock out some more Christmas shopping.

Next week, I'm hoping to do some more structured workouts/speed work.  I have two upcoming 10k's that I want to race.  I"m not sure if I'm PR ready, but I would like to give it really good try.

As always thanks for reading.