Chasing 1000 miles

When checking my annual mileage last week, I discovered that 1000 miles for the year was within reach! This week, I chipped away at that goal, getting to 989 miles for 2023 after Friday's run. Barring any unforeseen issues--illness stay away!--I think I got this! 

The last time I topped 1000 miles was in 2020, during the pandemic. That year I ran 1208 miles, which included several virtual and live half marathons. In 2021 I ran 917 miles for the year, despite being sidelined for several months after breaking my ankle and foot. Last year, I ran 970 miles. I wasn't paying attention--otherwise, I would have pushed a little harder to top 1000. 

What's so important about topping 1000 miles? I never set a mileage goal for the year, but there is a certain satisfaction in hitting such a big number. A Google search revealed that 1000 miles is a fairly common goal for runners--defined by Runner's World as 'both terribly daunting and totally attainable'. For this runner, topping 1000 miles feels very satisfying. Hitting 1000 miles for the year reminds me that I can do hard things. It's a goal that takes commitment and consistency, a gift that extends into other areas of my life and makes me a better person.

"The journey to 1000 miles begins with a single step." ~ Lao Tzu

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: trail run 5 miles

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: run 8.5 miles

Thursday: Strength training

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: CrossFit 12 Days of Christmas workout

Sunday was rainy and gloomy, and I knew the trails would be muddy. But I needed to run! Once I got to the forest preserve, I made a quick pit stop in a freshly cleaned porta-potty--isn't that always a treat? I made an on-the-fly decision to head into the woods on a new-to-me trail, and within minutes, I ran into mama deer and her little one! They didn't run away from me and let me take some photos before meandering off into the woods. This set the tone for a fun, muddy run around the preserve. I miscalculated my planned distance--no surprise--and didn't go as far as I wanted. It was slick in spots, but thankfully I stayed upright!

I found this half bridge in the middle of the woods. So many questions!

Monday's WOD started off with a clean and jerk complex at 55-60%. I had no idea what my max is. Coach said they should feel easy, so I built to 55# and stayed there. Before we started, the coach put us through an extensive warmup to open everything up. I was really happy with my lifts! In between the lifts, we did 20 second hollow hangs from the bar. The MetCon was a 14 minute AMRAP: 40 double unders (I did 80 singles), 40 atomic situps, 15 goblet lunges (30#), 10 KB swings (30#), and 5 KB hop burpees. Rinse and repeat--I did 4 full rounds of this and 40 single jump ropes before time was called. 

My RHT friend Frank asked me if I would interested in running the F3 half marathon on February 3. I've never run this one and everyone says it's really fun. I haven't run a half marathon since last summer. Could I be ready to do one in 6 weeks? On Wednesday morning, I decided to lace up my Brooks' Ghost 15s and work on reeling in my pace to see if I could run 8 miles without stopping to walk. I drove to the retention pond with the 2 mile loops and settled into what some might call sexy pace. I was really pleased with this run and finished 8.5 miles with a 10 m/m average, not stopping to walk. I felt good after I was done, too. Maybe, just maybe I have a few more miles left in these old legs! I'll let you know what I decide in the next couple of weeks.

For my strength sesh with SJ on Thursday, we revisited those power clean complexes--only this time she had me do them with more weight, sets of 2 power cleans and 2 front squats. We built to 85#. As the weight got heavier, that became a challenge! I alternated 2 sets of those with handstand holds x2, then a horrible exercise where I put my toes on a 36 inch box and walked around the box using my hands. As if being upside down isn't difficult enough! I finished with 2 sets of 15 hollow rocks. 

It was another unseasonably warm--45F--morning when I headed out into the dark for my Friday run. My legs were tired from Thursday's strength workout, but I pushed them, only stopping to tie my shoes, snap photos, and change the song on my playlist. Nothing eventful, just some nicely paced miles--this run averaged 10 m/m again. 

On Saturday, I did the 12 Days of Christmas workout at CrossFit. "That workout is so much fun," they said. You be the judge. I felt a little pukey after this one. It was a large class, so we were split in half. I started from the bottom and worked my way up. The other half did the workout in order, so if you sing the song but substitute the workout, you get the gist of how it went. Oh, and we did this to the Def Leppard Christmas album.

Off the Road...

The hubs and I took a trip into the city on Sunday to see Hamilton! We missed it the first time it came through and I was determined not to miss it this time. We splurged on good seats in the loge balcony, center stage and it was so worth it! The Nederlander Theater is the refurbished Oriental Theater, which dates back to 1926 and was fully restored in 1996. It's a beautiful venue. The show exceeded my expectations--the amount of talent on the stage just blew me away. After the show, it was a short walk to Catch 35, where we had an amazing dinner and split a bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse. On our way back to the car, we took a brief detour along the riverwalk to soak in the atmosphere. What a fun day!!

And just to keep it festive, I wore a Santa hat to work on Friday morning. I got some odd looks from my younger patients who didn't understand why Santa was examining them! She sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you are sick...

How was your week? Are you experiencing unusually warm weather? Do you set mileage goals for the year? I have to apologize for the change in font size--I have no idea what happened and I couldn't fix it!

Happy Holidays! No matter what holiday you celebrate, I hope you are spending time with the special people in your lives. 

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.