To stretch, or not to stretch, that is the question!

Stretching is not really the question, the question is really to stretch before the run or after the run.  Due to my various medical conditions I have to be exceptionally careful in my training or I will end up stuck in bed for a month!  On Monday I figured I would get a few miles in on the treadmill since I was so short last week.  Within the first mile my calves and my back were KILLING me.  I paused the treadmill to try to stretch but it didn’t really do any good.  I managed to get a whole 1.7 miles in before I had to call it quits.  Tuesday, I put on a pair of compression socks and hit the dreamill again.  This time I spent a few minutes of warm-up stretching, more than 3 ½ miles later I was finishing up my time feeling great!  I did the same thing today for my “easy” run and had an incredible run!!!  I figure as long as the warm-up stretching makes my run great I will keep doing it.  I do always warm-up, but I think I need the warm-up stretching.

I have one more short run this week, which is on the calendar for tomorrow and then Saturday is my long run.  I am working on convincing my sister to do a portion of the run with me, it will be nice to see my sister out there on the trail.

Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.

–Swami Sivananda

Week 1 – over

Week 1 of training is as complete as it is going to get.  Wasn’t the greatest start, but it was a start all the same!  Since before Christmas a nasty little stomach bug has been passed around my house.  Little man had it on Christmas Eve, kiddo had it the following Saturday/Sunday and then I came down with it on Tuesday.  I got an incredible swim in on Monday, but then I was stuck in bed/moving very gingerly on Tuesday/Wednesday.  Thursday morning after I gave my mom her medicine I came home and went out for a run.  When I run outside I use the RoadID app so my family doesn’t freak out.  After my mom got the ‘I have finished’ notification I received a text saying “ARE YOU NUTS?!!” Yea, my mom loves me! <3 I might want to mention that, it was 19 degrees, had a good inch or so of snow on the ground and it was starting to snow again. But in my defense, I saw two other runners out there! I had planned on doing a full three miles, but the snow and my back do not get along so I cut my run short.  It felt great to be out there, but I was glad to get home and get warm! Friday was a run here, run there kind of day.  Saturday was another day of appointments.  Every Sunday (unless I am sicker than sick) I drive my dad to church.  Yes, I was brought up in the church he attends, but it is not what I believe so I took advantage of being in a very beautiful area and went for a short run.  I went a mile down the hill and a mile back up the hill.  On the way up I was SURE I was going to die! The side of the road was snow covered so I was very careful, when I could I was slide over where it wasn’t so slick, but as soon as I saw a car coming I moved back over to the very edge.  I got back to the car and cranked the heater, it felt great running it in, but when my body temperature started returning to normal the 0 degrees hit kind of hard!

Did I mention the church is on the TOP of a hill?!

Week 1 is over, yes, I only managed to complete about a quarter of the miles I was supposed to do, but there is nothing I can do about it.  Kiddos go back to school on Wednesday which will make my schedule a little more flexible but I still have daughter duty which I can work around for the most part. 
Here is to a good week of training!

	Week 1		Week 2
	Planned	Actually	Planned
Monday	“Rest” – pool time	Swam 2,650 yards	“Rest”
Tuesday	3 miles	Sick L	3 miles
Wednesday	3 miles	Sick L	3 miles
Thursday	3 miles	1.55	3 miles
Friday	“Rest” – Cross	Rest	“Rest” – Cross
Saturday	6 miles	Appointments	7 miles
Sunday	“Cross” – rest	2	“Cross” – rest
	15	3.55 (24%)	16

Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.

–Swami Sivananda