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MCM Training: Week 8: A Hurricane, a Dolphin, and a Rest

This past week was mostly a lesson in rest and trying to better schedule it in so I don't just shut down when I need to be performing.


I did manage to get my mileage in, but I fell asleep before CrossBoot Wednesday, so that ended up being a rest day. I also didn't get any biking in, because again, I just felt like sleeping in Sunday morning, but that's okay. I'm trying to remember what's important here, and I think completing the mileage is at the top of the list.

On my 12-mile run, which I was looking forward to mostly because it was a shorter long run, I ended up with a slower average pace than I had during my 20-miler! But that was partly because I was still coming off of that 20-miler and partly because I was running in the beginnings of Tropical Storm Isaac, which later became a hurricane. I welcomed the cooler, cloudy weather, especially when the gusts of wind were pushing me from behind, but once I turned around to head home, that wind was no longer my friend. But I will say that it made me push, because you just can't run lazily against the wind.

And almost as a reward (and a welcome reason to stop), at the end of the run, I was very fortunate to see a dolphin playing extremely close to the bay wall:


And as I don't carry my phone with me on my runs, I did the unthinkable and asked a stranger if she wouldn't mind emailing me the picture she took with her phone. In retrospect, I was appalled at myself for asking, but she was very kind about it, and now I have this wonderful memory captured in a picture! (Thank you, again!)

Later on, I had plans to meet Josh for lunch, and he told me he had to stop at the running store--Feet First--and I jumped at the chance to meet him there beforehand. I was out of energy gels, and I wanted to try a few different kinds. I've typically been a GU girl, but lately I've found them too thick and hard to swallow. I picked up two of my favorite flavors, for when I want something tried and true, and then I got three new brands, all of which seemed to have thinner formulas: PowerBar, Carb BOOM!, and Accel Gel. I have high hopes for the Carb BOOM! gel, as it's made mostly of fruit. But that could also have a negative affect on my stomach. Reviews to come.


I have a 15-miler to complete this weekend, with no hurricanes or tropical storms on the horizon. Hopefully we'll still have some of the cloud coverage that has made the past two weekends' long runs more tolerable. Here's hoping!

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