Easter. Training. Running & the what?
Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a great Passover and Easter holiday. Before we headed back home to celebrate Easter with family and friends, hubby and I got in two (separate) 8 milers. My friend/running coach Lottie wanted it to be slower than my 13 miler the week prior. She wanted 8:45 – I came in a bit faster than that because although I was able to wear shorts my hands were freezing and I wanted to get home. The run felt good and I got out early enough to get home, packed and ready to head out.
This was my last long run before my race this Sunday. This week would be a lot of shorter tapering runs to keep my legs loose and rested.
Easter weekend was fun. We got to celebrate with my in-laws and catch up with old friends. Bill and I had a date night and met up with dear friends for an awesome dinner and night out. Church service early Sunday morning was lovely and I was thrilled to see that the Easter bunny embraced my healthy eating and brought me these as a snack (along with a super cute J. Crew tee for the summer):
Easter, in our house, is NOT a second Christmas as it apparently has become. We keep it simple. This year I did two large eggs (fillable) and a few small eggs. The girls got either some make up, lipgloss, nail polish, band tee shirts/tanks and some jelly beans. The bunny also brought along some nice monogrammed travel cases for them from Hilton Head which were darling.
We went to our favorite farm (dairy) and walked around to check out all of the animals they had. Enjoy the sunshine and the beauty of the spring day.
Despite my daughter being a bit freaked out by this one’s pupils… I thought they were really cool. Had no idea they were horizontal!
Talk about nature’s beauty… this peacock was gorgeous!
Then we came home. After speaking to two running experts and friends, both agreed that I had to pick what race I’m running. Wait, what? Well I have two races scheduled – one this weekend and one next weekend. I was told I can’t run both at full-on effort for risk of injury so I need to run one at a slow pace and the other at my racing pace. Well I couldn’t decide. My half this weekend I’m running alone. I’m faster than I was at my last half in November (even at a relaxed pace) but Broad Street I’m running with one of my running gurus/expert/friend and she wants to run it together and she’s fast. Because I’m a go-with-the-flow type of runner, I figured that when I started running on Sunday – I would figure out if that was the day to give it all or just run it at a nice pace. Some race days you feel good and some you don’t. I just wanted to beat my race time from November, which wasn’t a problem.
In hindsight I should’ve known something was up with my body. Saturday on my run I felt very cold. While visiting with my in-laws I felt very tired. I never feel tired. Just kept commenting that I needed a nap. Sunday on the way home I fell asleep in the car. I slept for about an hour. Monday came – got up and went to the gym and followed what my plan was for the day. Then by Monday night I had a cough. By Tuesday morning I went out an ran 5.5 per my plan. Slow with a faster mile or two in there. Came home and started shaking uncontrollably. I knew something was up.
It was an odd day. I ran. I came home. Shaking. My husband informs me that I have a flat tire on my new car that only has 800 miles on it. Okay. And I got an email that I won a $1000 gift card to Nordstrom! Wow what a strange day. I got my car to the dealer. Got myself to the doc and was diagnosed with the flu and a fever. Tamiflu was given with the hopes that I will be okay to run on Sunday. Well I guess that settles what run I’m really running… looks like Broad Street is the winner! I’m still hoping to run the half this weekend even if it’s at a relaxed pace. I’m resting, drinking tons of fluids and doing everything I can to beat this!!! My gym efforts this week are on hold. Hoping to get a short run in later this week but that will depend on how I feel. Stay tuned…
— Knead to Cook
