Weekly Recap: October 20-26

This week was a rest week after the Buffalo Creek Half Marathon last weekend. It felt so weird to not  follow a training plan. Save for five weeks in the summer, when I still followed an in-between-training-plan plan, I've been following a training plan all year. It feels odd, but I'm reminding myself that taking a rest will do me good since my next training plan starts in January for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. This week I did get some things accomplished though.

• I developed new running goals for the next year-and-a-half. I'll be doing a separate post about that.
• I have a training plan for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon thanks to "coach" Mike, a running friend who helped me with my last training plan.
• I created a new strength training plan to follow for the next month or so.
• Total weekly mileage was 12.25.

The bad thing about this week is that the "I can eat anything I want!" mentality from after Saturday's race carried through all week. You might wonder how a vegan eats poorly, but it's pretty simple: white bread (my weakness), candy, and chips...and lots of all of them. I haven't weighed myself in a few weeks, but I feel like I've gained 10 pounds so this week I need to get back on the wagon. So long, white bread, candy, and chips...I really loved you this past week, but I know you're awful for me so we need to break up or, at least, see each other much less.

On to the recap!

Monday
60 minutes Yin Yoga, hip series

Tuesday
15 minutes core exercises

Wednesday
Easy run: 3.1 miles, 37 minutes, 11:56 pace

Thursday
45 minutes Plyometrics Strength Training

Friday
Very sore from the new strength routine!
20 minutes Core Yoga from Runner's World

Saturday
Jack-O-Lantern Jog: 3.1 miles
Will post a recap on Tuesday!

After the race, we took Django to Ohiopyle.

At the main falls at Ohiopyle with Django showing off his bare bootie.

We decided to hike Meadow Run Trail, a 3.2 loop hike we'd never done before. It was very pretty and follows what I assume is Meadow Run the whole way, with lots of pretty little waterfalls and cascades. The majority of the leaves were off the trees, so hiking was tough with the leaves covering rocks and roots so that we were constantly twisting our ankles. Plus, with the leaves over the ground, everything looked the same and we lost the trail twice. But the real problem was that we never found the turnoff for the loop and ended on another trail. We realized it an hour-and-half out and had to choose between continuing on the trail we were on and hoping it looped back eventually or turning around and going back the way we came. By that time, we were tired, hungry, and our ankles hurt. Even Django was whining. But we decided to be safe and just turn around and go back. We hauled ass to be sure we made it back before dark and got back in an hour. So, it was a negative split hike!

Django checking things out.

With Django by the natural slides at Ohiopyle.
Wearing Lululemon Purple Fog Cool Racer Back & Cadet Blue High Times Crops and
Fabletics Plum Cumberland Tee.

Meadow Run Trail followed this stream.

Sunday
Long run: 6.05 miles, 1:09
I met Amanda at North Park for a long run. She was doing 9 miles, and I originally thought that sounded great. But I was so beat after Saturday's hike that I wasn't sure about doing the whole 9. It was very chilly but once we started going I warmed up quickly. It was a lot of fun. The miles flew by quickly. And it's so nice to talk to someone who loves running as much as you do about running! But after we started up the hill to do a second loop, I started feeling a little beat. The pace felt just a little too fast for me, and I wasn't sure I could do a second loop. So we parted ways at the top and I ran back to my car. Still, it was a fun 6 miles! And, even though I had both my phone AND a camera, I forgot to take a picture. Gah!

It was a gorgeous day today, but we just took Django on a short walk near us on Washington's Landing since all three of us were still a little tired.

Happy running and working out this week!