Zenaida Arroyo

21
Jan
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 8

categories: Brooks Running, Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Oiselle, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #8, January 15-21

M OFF
T Ran 3.09 miles
W Did not run
TH Ran 3.17 miles
F OFF
S Ran 100 minutes for 8.45 miles
S Ran 3.35 miles

Even with a 4 day work week, it felt like a LONG and exhausting week. Two tests (MAP) were given this week and my kids were all tired from them.

We got more snow on Monday so there was plenty of it still on Tuesday. I took it slow because I did not want to fall and actually enjoyed it. The sunset was beautiful!!

I had to do a quality session run on Wednesday (1.5 warm up and cooldown and 8×2 minute intervals at 10:02 pace). I changed clothes at school and made my way to the airport. I started running and then all of a sudden I got really cold and simply gave up. I did not want to deal with the cold weather. I did try to convince myself that it would get better and to just run. Nope, didn’t work. I went home.

Lola wondered why I was home early. She was not pleased with my decision.

By Thursday most of the snow had melted. It made the run a little easier. I have a Nathan headlamp but cannot find it. I have an old one I used during Ragnar a few years ago but don’t like it too much because it isn’t as bright like my other one.

I was supposed to do my long run on Sunday but asked my coach if I could do it on Saturday because it was supposed to rain on Sunday. It was GORGEOUS on Saturday! I wore my Oiselle Wazzie Wool top and a vest. I was a little afraid because I thought I was going to be cold but I was actually comfortable. The sun helped too.

I wore shorts for Sunday’s run! It wasn’t as warm as yesterday and cloudy but it still felt really good. Can you tell I love my Brooks Launch 4? 🙂

Another great week of marathon training. The warmer weather makes me happy and made my runs more pleasant. I am enjoying my easy runs and have managed to stay on pace. Just less than 14 weeks to go till the Illinois Marathon!

Total mileage for the week: 18.06
Total mileage for this training cycle: 139.28
Total mileage for the year: 60.50

Here’s how training has gone so far:
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7

How was YOUR week? Any suggestions for a headlamp?

Link back to the host and let’s support other bloggers linking up as they train for a marathon, half marathon, or any other event.

An InLinkz Link-up

18
Jan
2018

Random Thoughts Thursday 3

categories: Random Thoughts Thursday

Random Thoughts Thursday

Another cold week here in Chicago! Man, I am ready for some warmer weather. Maybe not HOT and humid but definitely warmer than 20 degrees. I was off on Monday and it felt great to sleep in and do a few errands. Now read on to find out about my random thoughts.

• I got a night guard. During my last visit to the dentist, he noticed more wear on some of my teeth. I had one a few years ago but then it got old and dirty and I threw it away. I forgot about it and didn’t replace it till now. It feels weird when I put it on (sexy look) but it is actually quite comfortable.

• Have you heard about a PowerPoint Party? One day I was listening to the radio and they were talking about it. Basically you invite people over for dinner and they also do a presentation on a topic they like. I had no idea that was a thing. Me? I would use Google Slides. 🙂

• “Sex and the City” never gets old. Thanks to Amazon Prime I can watch again all of the episodes. Currently, I am on season 4. Charlotte is going through a divorce, Miranda is pregnant, Carrie is with Aidan, and Samantha is Samantha.

• I am loving my Popsocket. Bought one at Target for $2.98. I realize there are so many different ways to use it but mainly I use it as a stand. It is perfect for when I use my phone to watch movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime!

• Meat and beans in chili? I like meat but this year I am trying to not eat too much of it. I’ve been making chili on my crockpot with 2-4 different kinds of beans and I’m loving it. My recipe includes beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, quinoa, and spices. Very simple and sometimes a bit bland but am up for suggestions on what else to add to make it tastier.

What are some of your random thoughts today?

14
Jan
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 7

categories: Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #7, January 8-14

M OFF
T Ran 3.32 miles
W Did not run
TH Quality Session (1.50 miles warmup, 5 x 3 minute intervals with 2 minutes recovery, 1.50 miles cooldown)
F Ran 2.53 miles
S Ran 5 miles
S Ran 100 minutes for 8.46 miles

I went back to work this week and it was tough! Even my kids struggled. Lots of coffee helped me get through the school day and my workouts.

Tuesday’s run felt warm compared to the earlier in the week. It actually felt great out there.

I missed Wednesday’s workout (30 minutes). Somehow I did not see it in my training calendar. I was focusing and planning for Thursday’s run. It wasn’t until 9:30pm that I checked my calendar and noticed that I had a run that day. Ugh! I actually felt bad for missing it and sent an email to my coach. It would have been a perfect evening to run because the temperature was in the high 50s.

I had a meeting on Thursday so I knew I didn’t have to get to school early. I went out for my run and it was awesome! I did overdress and I could have worn shorts. The goal for each interval was 10:02 and I nailed each one–even if almost all of them were positive splits! It was definitely a confidence booster and next week I get to do 8 x 2 minute intervals.

Since I missed my workout on Wednesday, I ran on Friday after school. Cold again. Thanks goodness it was “only” 30 minutes.

Saturday was my last day pacing my group. It wasn’t too bad. It was cold and windy and there was one section of the lakefront that was covered in ice. While it did look pretty, it was very slippery. I walked very slowly and finally made it to the end of the icy path. On the way back, I took another route to avoid that path.

The past few weeks Sunday has been my day off from running. Today’s plan was to run 90 minutes. Somehow I made a mistake and saw next week’s run and ran 100 minutes. The sun was out and with all of my layer I was warm. I did get cold when I had to wait for the train to go through. Once home a hot shower and cup of tea warmed me up.

Illinois Marathon-57

Overall, it was a great week. I am pleased that even with the cold weather (except on Wednesday) I did all of my runs outside. I participated in the lululemon 40/80 Challenge but managed 63 kilometers. But let me complain again. I am tired of this cold weather. And I am also tired of complaining. Sigh. I’ll stop. 🙂

Total mileage for the week: 24.69
Total mileage for this training cycle: 121.22
Total mileage for the year: 42.44

Here’s how training has gone so far:
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6

How was YOUR week? What’s the weather like in your city/town? Did you participate in the lululemon 40/80 Challenge?

Link back to the host and let’s support other bloggers linking up as they train for a marathon, half marathon, or any other event.

11
Jan
2018

Random Thoughts Thursday 2

categories: Random Thoughts Thursday

Random Thoughts Thursday

This week I went back to work and it was tough! Even the kids struggled the past few days. Hopefully soon we’ll get back to our normal routine because we have lots of fun testing this month. Now on to my random thoughts.

• I love the smell and feel of freshly laundered clothes. I wash my clothes in cold water and love it when I take it out and it smells so clean. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been doing laundry at the laundromat and now I have my routine all set. At first I was annoyed that I had to do laundry there but now I don’t mind it too much. I go early in the morning when it isn’t crowded and am back home in less than an hour. I hang dry most of my stuff at home and rarely use the dryer.

• During the cold weather I always warm up my car before going anywhere. This article is telling me that I shouldn’t. Huh?

• I’ve been looking for a house to buy. I’ve seen a few but nothing has really stood out. I saw one last weekend that I liked a lot but wasn’t ready to make an offer (but could see myself in it). I mean, it is a HUGE commitment! Saturday night I got an email that someone else had put in an offer. I will admit that I was disappointed. But it is also my fault because instead of waiting, I should have made an offer right away. I just keep telling myself that there is the perfect one out there for me and I will find it.

• Google Gmail does a good job of filtering out spam email. About a month ago I entered my email address for a “free” tube of lash lengthening mascara. I then decided not to get it. Well, since then I’ve gotten so many spam emails. On average, in one day I see about 15-20 emails in my spam folder. Do these companies sell email addresses or what?

• My nephew graduates in May from Berkeley. I am planning to go to the graduation. and there will be a few of us going (his parents, siblings, and other family members from Mexico). I am looking into an AirBnB. Any suggestions on where to stay? I know it is cheaper in Berkeley/Oakland than in San Francisco. But I also know there is so much more to do in San Francisco.

• Are we becoming too lazy to write out all the letters in a word? I see “fave” for “favorite” and “recos” for “recommendations”. Is that really a thing? It irks me because my 2nd graders are always misspelling so many words and it drives me crazy.

What are some of your random thoughts today? Be sure to link up here so I can read about YOUR random thoughts! Or you can link up about something else.

07
Jan
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 6

categories: Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #6, January 1-7

M Ran 3.01 miles
T OFF
W Ran 4.01 miles
TH Ran 3.01 miles
F OFF
S Ran 90 minutes for 7.72 miles
S OFF

This week I was excited that most of my runs were “actual” miles instead of minutes. Started off the week and the New Year with a run on the treadmill. My gym wasn’t crowded but definitely more people than usual.

Tuesday was a rest day but I couldn’t believe that last year there were leaves on the ground!

It did warm up a little for Wednesday’s run and I actually enjoyed it! While I enjoy running along the lakefront, I also like running around Midway Airport. It is easy to get to, plenty of parking, and one loop is 4 miles. Earlier that day I made my first batch of Vegetarian Bean Chili. It wasn’t out of this word but still good. My mistake was that I added too many beans. Haha, now I know. 🙂

On Thursday it was sunny and that made the run even more pleasant. Still cold but better than negative 0 degrees.

Saturday morning I woke up cold and tired. I was supposed to meet up with a few other Oiselle girls at 10:00 for a run but decided not to go. Then I waited for it to warm up. I finally went out at 1pm. I wore 2 pairs of socks, 2 pants, 2 pairs of gloves, 3 tops, and 1 hat. The sun felt wonderful. There wasn’t a lot of wind and that definitely helped as well. At the end of my run I was tired and hungry. And then I was very cold.

Another great week of running! Sad that it is my last week of winter break. However, I enjoyed my two weeks off and am looking forward to seeing my kids tomorrow!

Total mileage for the week: 17.75
Total mileage for this training cycle: 96.53
Total mileage for the year: 17.75

Here’s how training has gone so far:
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5

How was YOUR week? What’s the weather like in your city/town?

Link back to the host and let’s support other bloggers linking up as they train for a marathon, half marathon, or any other event.