May is O-V-E-R. Whew, what fun it was, but thank goodness it is now June!! Between nights at work & a fabulous 5th wedding anniversary trip to Antigua, I only slept in my own bed 18 nights last month. Oh, & did I mention we took a single day + single night trip to OBX for the final day of May?! Can you say chaos & adventurous?! But through it all, I somehow stuck to most of my training plan! I also started the month & ended the month with 2 happy babies & an amazing hubby {yes, always very important!}.
The month of May produced my 2nd highest mileage of the year, only behind January by 4 less miles. My speed & tempo workouts were put on the back burner while I nursed my knee. I continued to see the “magic hands” of Jim Browning for this lovely IT band ailment, kept up with my magnesium supplements, & stretched/foam rolled at every chance I had. A couple Epsom salts baths thrown in there, & I can happily report that my knee is feeling much better {not 100%, but optimistic that it will be soon!}.
Perhaps the biggest running news of May occurred on the 2nd evening of the month when I won my first race! That certainly wasn’t a feat I thought I would conquer yet in my running career, but I happily embraced it!!!! And yes, look forward to that elation occurring again in the future!
From a coaching perspective, I continue to coach 8 amazing ladies on their journey to tackle the CHKD 8K in Downtown Norfolk. Their paces, goals, & lifestyles all vary, but combined, they each aspire to complete one awesome race. A family member who will be completing the Tough Mudder (10-12 mile obstacle race) on the same day as the ladies rounds out my athletes for the month. I did begin working with a new athlete, who will begin her training plan the first week of June. I am SO looking forward to hearing FABULOUS race reports from all 9 of those wonderful folks when they complete their races mid-June!! I am such a proud coach!
It would be silly to not mention the breathtaking sights in Antigua when recapping my month of May. On the morning after we arrived to the Caribbean island, I ventured out for a solo morning run. Hello heat & humidity! While I am used to this sort of weather, I usually have a chance to acclimate as the summer months approach. Instant sweat & panting I tell you! Regardless of the temperature, I set out on foot to take in some AMAZING views. The following day, I had probably my 2nd most favorite part of the trip (followed only by a day excursion out on the water in a speedboat)—a 5 mile loop with my sweet Scott. We ran & we jogged. We walked & we took selfies. We hiked up a trail to a sugar mill & we saw mountain goats. Fantastic time & great memories with my better half! Plenty of time of course was spent with drinks by the pool, eating way too much yummy food, reading a fiction novel, & RELAXING! A 3rd run & the hottest yet, occurred on the morning of our departure. I definitely look forward to returning to Antigua years from now for more adventures!
SOOOO, what’s coming up in June?!
Well, besides more nights with my head on my OWN pillow, my big race is on June 14th. This year, the CHKD 8K will be my 4th year running it. Because I am employed by Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD), this race is a big deal. It’s also a big deal because it was my first race {ever} back in 2010. And lastly, it’s also a big deal because I have revenge to get on the course!! Last year, the streets of Norfolk took my goal, ate it, chewed it up, & spit it out. So, my race goal this year!? Kick Norfolk’s a#$ & demolish that race goal! That is all I will say about that.
I should also mention that my marathon training will begin on the final day of June. Eeeeekkkk!! So happy I will have a few running buddies to help push me through my first ever 26.2 training! And did I mention it’s my birthday month?! Good times, good times.
From a coaching perspective, I do have a few things up my sleeve. Stay tuned!
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