Running: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

I have been a runner for most of my adult life. The impact that running has had on me is immeasurable. From mental health to physical fitness, from confidence to composure, from youthfulness to body acceptance--the list could go on forever-- running has provided me with so much more than miles. After two runs with friends this week, I was reminded once again of the many benefits of this never-ending gift. 

My why regarding running has changed over the years, but no matter what reason I have for a particular run, I always get so much more than I need. Even the bad runs teach me something--and really, is there ever a bad run? I feel so lucky to be a runner; as I age, even more so! Running truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Trail Sisters run 5.5 miles

Monday: Strength Training

Tuesday: Fluid running

Wednesday: Trail run 8 miles

Thursday: Strength Training

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: rest

On Easter morning, I pulled into a full parking lot at the preserve to meet up with 2 of my Trail Sisters for a loop around the preserve. It was early, but there were a lot of people there already! One of the women in our group locked into her brisk pace, and I struggled to keep up. I kept telling them to go ahead, but they stopped to wait for me to catch up. We didn't find any Easter eggs or see any deer, but we had a nice run and some lively conversation! I do love these ladies!

Monday's strength class had 3 rotations followed by sprint work:

Rotation 1: 3 x Max Effort Push-ups. I did 10 each round for 30 total

Rotation 2: 5 x 50m Sled Push (155#) done!

Rotation 3: AMRAP Plate Pinch Catch. This had us using a plate to work on grip strength--most people did this solo, tossing the plate and catching it or rotating it in the fingers of one hand. One of the other participants and I did a plate toss workout, tossing it alternating hands. We started with the 10# plate and then increased to the 15#. This was so much fun and made us sweat. We tried a 25# plate, but I couldn't grip it and dropped it on my toe. 

Spring E3MOM 15 minutes :30 row. I did my best to keep my pace under 1:50 for each sprint!

On Wednesday, one of my former Brooks Running Collective teammates drove out from the city to meet me at my preserve for his first ever trail run! It had been raining all morning, but as soon as we hit the dirt, the rain stopped. It was so much fun--taking him through the woods, crossing creeks on narrow logs, spotting deer and birds, all while we filled the run with conversation. We also took a ton of photos, which you can see here and here. Once again, I was reminded that running has brought THE BEST people into my life.

 

Thursday's strength class had us doing 4 rotations, 10 minutes each:

Rotation 1: 4 x8 Turkish Situps. These are done holding the dumbbells straight overhead for the entire sit up. I did my first set using 12# DBs but struggled, so I dropped to 10#. I had extra time, so I did an extra set.

Rotation 2: 5 x10 Partner Lying Catch/Throws. With one partner lying on the floor, the other stood over them and dropped a wallball, which the partner on the floor had to catch and, extending their arms fully, forcefully throw back to the partner above. I went light on this one, using s 6# WB because I'm simply not coordinated enough to do anything heavier. It did get easier with each rotation.

Rotation 3: Landmine thrusters 4 x8 (70#). I did an extra set because we had enough time left. 

Rotation 4: Reverse hypers. This was done on the GHD, facing down and lifting our legs to do a back extension. They felt easy, so she had us hold a wallball between our lower legs. That spiced things up!

On Friday, the rain predicted for the morning hours was pushed to lunchtime. Yay me! Not only did I get my 6 miles in, but I was also witness to a beautiful sunrise! I felt off when I woke up, and that played out on this run. My legs felt heavy--most likely due to those landmine thrusters we did at CrossFit the day before. I also had to make multiple pit stops--thank goodness for all the portapotties along the bike path. I'm not sure what the problem was, but I still made the most of this run before heading into work!

Off the Road...

We headed up to the lake on Saturday and finally, finally! The weather was beautiful. It could have been about 10 degrees warmer, but I will not complain. The sky was pure blue, the wind was light, and it was 57 degrees. Pretty darned near perfect. The hubs and I drove to Devils Lake State Park, but first, we stopped at Tumbled Rocks, one of our favorite breweries, located right outside the park. The beer was good and so was the food. After we ate, we went into the park and walked along the glacial lake, which is surrounded by rocky bluffs. When I run here, I am up on the bluffs. It was fun to see the park from this perspective. I couldn't talk the hubs into hiking up to the bluff--he's still struggling with knee pain--but he indulged me by walking along the shore. Once we returned to the cabin, we sat outside, soaked up the sun, and played fetch with Cocoa. It was about as perfect as a spring day can be! 

How was your week? What gifts has running given you? Are you enjoying the spring weather? I'll be heading out to the trails in the morning, so be sure to check my IG where I share all my adventures!

BTW, it's the end of the month and that means my mini book reviews are coming! I'll publish them on Tuesday, April 29. I've had all good reads this month, so you won't want to miss it. 

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