Week 10 Review- Chicago Marathon

Monday- Rest
Tuesday- 90 Minutes Bikram Yoga
Wednesday- 90 Minutes Bikram Yoga
Thursday- 90 minutes Bikram Yoga
Friday- 90 Minutes Bikram Yoga
Saturday- 8.5 miles, 1:19.00 With the CES Group
Sunday- maybe a run, maybe yoga or maybe nothing

Total: 6 Hours Bikram Yoga
8.5 Miles running

My philosophy on training for the Chicago Marathon has changed from 10 weeks ago when I started. Before it was, train smart- but push the pace a little to really see where I can go. Now, I try to take every day, one at a time and evaluate what I need to do to cross the finish line healthy in a few months. While running with the CES group on Saturday morning (9:00 pace group) I had already decided to just do what the half marathoners were going to run- somewhere between 8-10 miles instead of the 14-16 miles the marathoners were going to do. I just felt like crap during the run and decided to stop at 8.5 for the day. My calf/shin was starting to bother me and I felt sick and thought that there was no reason to push for another 2-3 miles. Currently, my calf/shin is bothering me, not bad- just very present and worse than the last few weeks. Perhaps it is because I havent been foam rolling-stick-TP therapy-compression as much as the past week.

This week I plan to do 5-7 yoga sessions, and do some nice slow runs of 5-7 miles, a "slow" 5K time trial on Wednesday with CES, and a long run on Saturday of 8 miles with 5x 30 second pickups.--only if the calf is okay. Maybe this will be the first week I actually complete a saturday workout with CES?


This week my daad came to visit Chicagoland. We bummed around and ate a lot of food and acted like tourists minus the stopping dead in our tracks in the middle of the busy sidewalk to gawk at something or take a photo or look at a map.
First stop was the Willis Tower (aka Sears tower)

Wonderful, Wonderful and I on the scary glass overhang.

My daad and I and Chicagoland.

Then we visited the Bean.

Then we saw the new Marilyn Monroe statue... Um yeah..

Look at that girl picking her nose in my photo.. RUDE!

After walking all over Chicagoland we went to Sheffield's for some BBQ and Beer.


I tried all 3 of the ESB style beers they had. All were delicious.


Wonderful, wonderful and his beer.

It was a great weekend with Daad. Next time i'll get him to come up for a 5k or half marathon.


What is your favorite style of beer? (stout, IPA, lager, etc)
-I love Stout. And IPA is growing on me.

What up Willis!?!

The view from the top.



Long way down!

Have a great weekend!

-Xaar

Week 9 in review- Chicago Marathon Training

Week 9

Monday: Bikram yoga 90 minutes
Tuesday: Bikram Yoga 90 minutes (Didnt run with the other group due to the heat)
Wednesday: Bikram Yoga 90 Minutes (CES group was canceled due to the heat)
Thursday: 5 Miles, 42 minutes (running)
Friday: Bikram Yoga 90 Minutes @ 6AM
4 Miles, 44:30 (Run with the CB dog, It was HOT)
Saturday: Bikram Yoga 90 minutes
6 Miles, 52:30 (running on the tread) Dont eat spicy food when you know you will go run later...
Sunday: 15 Mile long run- 2:09:06 (on the tread)

Total Hours Yoga: 7.5
Total miles running: 30! The most miles i've run for this training cycle!!


Things I learned this week:

I think this is the first week I've worked out everyday, in a long time- or ever. I have also eaten really healthy this week. Im feeling good, and think I'm starting to see some results.

Got my Running Chic shirt in the mail that I won over at Christy's My Dirt Road Anthem. I wore it to my first yoga class and it was so comfortable! I got the Navy Alo tank, and am contemplating buying a few more very soon. Thank you Christy for randomly picking me :) (I love the Chic with the dog.. reminds me of CB and I)


Bikram yoga is AWESOME. The 1st day I had to lay down several times because it was hot, and intense. (studio is 105 degrees with 40% humidity) By the end of the week I could get through class without having to lay down. Ive never sweat so much in my life. By the end of the 90 minute class i'm literally drenched- as in jumped in the pool with my clothes on then caught out in the rain kind of soaked. It is so refreshing!

Nothing is more perfect after a long sweaty workout than Horchata. (rice almond drink)
Just like morning running, early AM yoga is super hard more challenging for me. My flexibility and coordination and balance are a little off in the morning- just as my early AM runs seem to take more energy to achieve the same pace that I easily run at in the PM's

The calf/shin thing is pain free while running now. If I start poking the "spot" on my leg, it is still tender- like a moderate bruise feeling- No pain unless I touch it. I should stop touching it now.

I am still having motivation issues. The Bikram Yoga has really changed my view on life and running (maybe a change in cross training was all I needed). I am less sour about marathon training, but still just want to run for fun. and HOLY CRAP! Im running the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon in 3 weeks. OMG. (praying for a freak cold front to come through and drop the temperature to 45 degrees during the race)

My 15 miler was on the treadmill again. Saturday at 2am a really wicked lightning storm rolled thorough dumping 5-7" on Chicago. Poor CB was freaked the entire 2 hour duration of the storm and as a result I didnt get any sleep. When my alarm went off for Marathon group- I accidentally hit "off" instead of snooze and woke up at 5:45, 15 minutes before the group run. D'OH.

CB looking all kinds of crazy after my 15 miler today.Eh, we both look a little off in this photo. I have an excuse! lol

This week i'm looking forward to:
More Bikram Yoga!
Celebrating my wonderful, wonderful's birthday with him (all the cool kids are born in July!) haha
Getting to show my dad around Chicagoland for the weekend (and drinking yummy craft beers)
*and going to the CES group runs this week- especially the long run on Saturday.


 What are your favorite cross training activities?


Does your running club ever get canceled because of excessive heat? (my friends in Florida laugh at me for this- because its consistently 95+ everyday and 100% humidity there. I thought it was supposed to be hot in Chicago during the summer...I dunno)