Overall, it was a challenging week. My epiphany was that I have an A-Team supporting me. Between my physical therapist, my "remote" running coach and my mobility and strength coaches, I'm in very good hands. The week itself had its ups and downs. Physically, I attended more strength sessions than planned, and fell one short for my cardio sessions. My meal plan wasn't real successful because I didn't plan well last weekend. The lack of planning combined with lack of sleep mid-week meant I only lost one pound in my Take Down Challenge. The good news is I feel as strong as I've felt in a long time. The Achilles is still a bit tight, but I continue to push it.
I've been able to run more than I have since September, and doing it with a close eye on my heart rate. I ran three miles last Tuesday and four miles yesterday - keeping my heart rate under 130bpm. Given the stress I put on my body yesterday (strength/cardio session in the morning and my four miler in the late morning), I went out today intending to keep my heart rate under 122bpm for two hours and did pretty well. The last couple miles I focused too much on pace, so I saw 130bpm a few times.
A couple goals popped up over the past several days. First, the Battlefrog 15k. I've had this for awhile, but lost sight of it as my Achilles recovery has taken longer than expected. Second, an obstacle sprint in May that my strength/mobility coach put in my head. Third, a 5K at the end of January that is untimed. And...the best for last...fourth, a half marathon in mid-February. I went out for 9 miles over 2 hours today. Let's see if I can add 4 miles to that time over the next month. Friends are running the Gasparilla in Tampa, so I'd be going to cheer them on anyway. Even if I walk it, I'm in. But, again...if I can add 4 miles to my 2-hour Sunday block and finish close to 2 hours, that'd be a major accomplishment.
We'll see!