I feel so fortunate things are going well for me postpartum. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried during my pregnancy I wouldn’t be able to return to my previous state of fitness. I also worried that life with two kids would be too crazy to fit running in, but it is always a matter of what’s most important to you, and where there’s a will, there’s a way.
This past week I wrapped up a 50 mile week. I had some good runs, some not-so-great runs, and I completed three hard workouts this past week. I’m feeling stronger and fitter each week and hopefully that leads to some strong races this summer.
I may have to scale back the intensity of my workouts though as my left high hamstring is feeling a little twingy and tight after my long run on Saturday. I have an ART appointment tomorrow, and I’m taking a rest day tomorrow, so I’m hoping it will heal up on its own. I can’t let it flare up before this summer of racing, so if I need to I’ll take a down week this week or next.
Here’s a look at my workouts this past week.
February 24 – March 1
Monday
8 miles | uptempo workout on the treadmill + 30 minutes of weights
10 minutes @ 7:08 pace
10 minutes @ 6:53 pace
10 minutes @ 6:40 pace
I have been doing an up-tempo workout on the treadmill Monday mornings. It’s been encouraging how much progress I see in just one week. The last interval definitely challenged me, but it is kind of nice to just set the treadmill and hold on.
Tuesday
Off
Wednesday
8.5 miles | 5 x 1000+ meter workout
Splits – 3:58, 4:01, 4:02, 4:05
I had high hopes for this workout, but it didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped. Since our indoor track is 413 meters, I wasn’t exactly sure where to start for the 1000 meter repeats, so I know they were a tad long. However, I think trying to do a long run on Saturday, a harder workout on Monday, and then an interval workout on Wednesday is getting to be too much for my almost-37 year old body.
This next week I’m only going to do one tempo workout plus a long run and see how I respond to that.
Thursday
7 miles | easy run | 8:23 average pace
I was able to get out during the day since a friend watched Bjorn while Cullen was at preschool. It was a sunshine-y run through downtown Anchorage. I felt pretty good on this run–not great, not terrible.
Friday
4.5 miles | easy run | 8:16 average pace
This was a quick run before Craig had to go to work. I kind of slept in until 6:45 a.m. when I finally HAD to get up to pump because I was too engorged to sleep anymore.
Saturday
16 miles | long run | 8:37 average pace
The long runs still take quite a bit out of me, but I also know this is a winter-thing. Running long distance in the winter is hard as my body has to work that much harder to stay warm. Overall, it was a decent run, and I can tell I am getting stronger each week.
Sunday
6 miles | a slow, slow slog | 10:21 average pace
Usually I say ‘you never regret a run,’ but I could have done without this run. Ha! We got about three inches of new snow overnight and trudging through the new snow is my least favorite running condition. I took the dog for 3 miles and then finished up the last 3 miles by myself.
Total: 50 miles
Overall, I am feeling really good, but I know I need to stay on top of my PT exercises for my weak glute, pelvic floor, and postpartum core strength as I continue to increase my mileage. I am looking forward to my day off tomorrow after running five days in a row. And I’m hoping a certain little someone gives me a good night of sleep tonight. He’s been waking up the past couple of nights after sleeping through the night several nights in a row. (I knew I was going to jinx myself.)
