"I was ready to come in last place if that's what it took to finish." - Courtney Dauwalter
Honestly, that quote is me right now. And, well, you know Dauwalter is one of my biggest inspirations. If you have a spare 38 minutes, you really should check out the latest video documenting her 200+ mile race. I'll link it here.
I really wanted to start with that quote, though, because I've had a big mind-shift this past month or so. I really use to obsess with trying to be fast all of the time. Literally, if I didn't feel like I was working hard, breathing deep, and didn't have the taste of blood in my throat, the workout was pointless. Instead of beating myself up and comparing myself to others, I've shifted toward running just to run. Enjoying every mile. Still pushing myself but not the point of draught. There is so much uncharted territory out there, even in this small town we live in, that I have yet to set foot on and that's more exciting right now than wishing I was better or sulking after a bad run. I've been living more in the moment with each run and it's really brought out more of my love of this sport. I still have personal records I'd like to close books on but for now, let's enjoy the ride of distance.
This past week brought some really great, quality miles! The weather here in Arizona is literally perfect. Breezy, 85 degree days with the sun rising by 6:00am. It almost pained me to cycle indoors but alas, we still have yet to look over our bikes since the move to make sure everything is in working order. Let's take a look at this week's workouts:
45 min spinning 
4/1 - 5 easy miles 
4/3 - 3 miles w/strides 
4/4 - 3 easy miles 
4/5 - 6 mile trail run
The biggest takeaway from these would have to be Friday. I know I've mentioned before but in case you were absent, I said I'd like to get more into trail running. We set out on a new trail in town, Andrew-Kinsey. It connects to Sunrise, the trail we had done previously. The terrain of Andrew-Kinsey is so much better for running at a more consistent pace. It's like a semi-groomed single-track trail with your steady climbs and fast descents. The Adero Canyon Trailhead is super nice and you pass by some extremely expensive homes on the way down the road to it. My Peregrine shoes are holding up very well and I'm glad I decided on them in the beginning. I didn't include the data but my husband and I did a 10-mile hike Saturday morning. After a 6-mile trail run, my feet were barking after but I think I can say that for the both of us. It was, again, gorgeous out. We really are blessed to live here with access to so many things to do outdoors. And yes, the desert does have flowers. I have proof:
Another goal, besides cycling once a week, is to read more. It's hard to time manage everything else going on but I find it relaxing and inspiring. Before we left for Michigan, I saw a friend reading Deena Kastor's book and wanted to check it out for myself. What a winner! It was really interesting to follow her career through college and to see her journey after. You can really connect with the highs and lows, especially if you are a runner yourself. I really related to the part where she talked about feeling by herself after finding that the men's team didn't like her. Although I don't have experience with running with men, I know what it's like to feel alone in something you love. I highly suggest picking it up from your local library or reading it on your Kindle. My next read will be Meb's 26 Marathons, which I received as a birthday gift from my parents. How could you not want to read this? I'll review it once I'm done. In the meantime, you can check out a great interview he did with my favorite podcast, Marathon Training Academy.
As we talked about today, the weather is perfect. With temperatures reaching into the mid-90s, meal prep took a shift to a refreshing salad. I think I hit a home run with this one not only with the veggie servings but the dressing! If you're a fan of simple yet delicious, look no further than this Thai quinoa salad with a peanut butter dressing. Holy hades (I said it again, Steph), I could eat the dressing alone right out of the mixing bowl. I think it took me maybe 15 minutes to put enough lunches together for both me and my husband? I cook the quinoa in my Instapot so it's done in 6 minutes and let it cool in the fridge while I chop the veggies. I'm sure you could cut time with that as well by using a food processor. I always rely on my portion fix containers to keep me in the game by hitting my eating goals. Really though, give this salad a go. If you're dying to add meat, I'm sure some grilled chicken would be a fine addition. I'll link the recipe here. Happy prepping!
Alright, folks, that's the end for this week. Keep an eye out on Wednesday when I drop a new 'Wine of the Week'! Thanks for stopping by.
No comments:
Post a Comment