August Training Review

August Running Review

Running gives me a sense of controlling my life. I like the finiteness of runs, the fact that I have a clear beginning and end. I set a goal and I achieve it. A good run makes you feel sort of holy.
~Nancy Gerstein, Runner

Past Monthly Reviews
January: 85.75 miles
February: 58 miles
March: 68 miles
April: 95.22 miles
May: 74.6 miles
June: 97.17
July: 109:43

August Stats:

Number of Miles: 139.86 **highest this year!
Days Running: 18/31
Days at the Gym: 7/31 (Pilates, FIT, yoga, lifting, and cross training)
Longest Run: 20 miles (2)
Days of Speed Work:  10 (Tempo, Track, and Hills)
Number of Runs over 10 miles: 5
Number of Races: 1 (Not Quite Fall Classic 4-Miler)
Number of Rest Days: 7 (no gym or running)

Thoughts:
I am glad I got more miles in this month because I had more time to run. It was nice to be able to “sleep in” and still run before it got too hot out. I was also able to focus more on speed work and long runs. My dad and I ran a 2 more 20 milers, for a total of 3 to get read for Steamtown. I was hoping to run 3 in August alone but woke up sick one morning and wasn’t able to get it in. We should still be able to do a total of 4 before the big day. It helped that I only ran one race this month, and was able to focus more on training, but the race was a confidence booster because I felt the track work paying off.

Looking Ahead:
While I really can’t believe it is September (seriously?!) and I am definitely NOT ready to go back to work, (don’t hate, yes, I am a teacher but I *only* had 3 weeks off, not the entire summer) I have always loved fall. I look forward to cooler running weather, pumpkin spice lattes, the marathon, and more fall races! Since Steamtown is fairly early for a fall marathon, I hope to recover quickly to be able to get a couple of additional races in before the end of the year. Last year, the Philadelphia Marathon was pretty late in the season, and my dad and I pretty much took it easy for the rest of the year. We ran one race 3 weeks after the marathon that I was not prepared or recovered for and then we didn’t race again until March. This time around, I hope to focus on recovering quickly, but thoroughly, and enjoying the rest of the racing season.