Training Week In Review
Monday – OFF
Tuesday – 5K (accelerations)
Wednesday – 15K easy
Thursday – 10K tempo
Friday – OFF
Saturday – 20K LSD
Sunday – 15K LSD
I think this has been my best training week so far in 2015. Every run was good and I’m feeling healthy and strong. Perhaps finally having some decent weather to run in has also put an extra spring in my step. Saturday and Sunday brought snow and cold weather again, but knowing it won’t last makes it a little more tolerable.
Fundraising for the Children’s Aid Foundation is going very well. There is a little extra bonus if you purchase a moisture wicking headband from me between March 13 and March 31, your name will automatically be entered to win this awesome mask. 
The mask was generously donated to me by Wasteland Artisan who created a special mask for me for an upcoming race and wanted to help me with my fundraising efforts.
Here are a few of my current favourite headbands:
To find out more about my fundraising efforts and to see more headband suggestions please visit: Fundraising.
Spring Freshness
Spring has finally arrived, although it’s hard to believe as the colder temperatures have returned. Knowing it cannot last helps me hang on to the spring fever I felt last week. I’m actually feeling very good and quite happy to have survived the winter training.
Last year due to my injury my training stopped around the middle of February. I did not get to experience the benefits of making it through winter and how it would affect my spring training efforts. I cannot explain the sense of accomplishment that I feel. I persevered through a minor injury that greatly impacted my confidence. I wrestled with the fear of being injured and not knowing how to discern the severity of my aches and pains. My injuries to date have seemingly showed up out of the blue, so how do you avoid it if you cannot see it coming? This honestly created a very fearful mindset.
My coach had to push me past the point of where my discomfort started, both physically and mentally. I didn’t like how I was feeling. Looking back it felt like a slow process but it was certainly building a solid base.
I feel strong as I head into my race season. I know I’m going to have to tap into the lessons that I learned through the winter as my mileage continues to go up. I’m aiming to cross a number of goal races/events off my list this year and I believe my mental health is going to help me achieve these goals.
Winter training helped me learn more about myself. It was a time to face some fears that I hadn’t realized had snuck into my life. I realized just how tough I am mentally. On some runs I had to deal with physical aches, mental fears and crazy winter conditions, but I laced up and did it anyways.
I’m so very thankful for what running does for me. Each training run offers a chance to push harder, have fun, get lost in thought, run with friends or just keep putting one foot in front of the other until it’s over. Even then, the feeling you get for getting it done is worth it.
This week is a taper week for me as I prepare for Around The Bay. Having a coach means he makes the plan and I just follow. 🙂 I’m sure I will go a little crazy but I’ll use the time to think about what I want the upcoming season to look like. Either that or I’ll get some serious spring cleaning done around the house! Ha!
How about you? Do you find that running has helped you overcome anything? What do you love about running the most?
