Aesthete Runner

This past weekend I went on a little running adventure to a trail I've always wanted to explore, but hadn't - Lake Renwick. While I will definitely be back after August 15th so that I can explore the closed portion of the trail (see below), this will not be the last time I visit. It was a beautiful 5 miles on a paved trail, with some decent tree cover and pretty scenery.

The weather has warmed up, it's a holiday weekend, and some people have started marathon training. I love this time of year! I completed my second week of maintenance training last week with the Daniels Blue Plan. It was another tough week of two quality workouts - a speed and tempo workout. My hamstrings are hating this plan, but I can tell I am starting to build back a lot of speed.

The best part of running outdoors all year round is seeing the changes in nature as the seasons change. After so much brown, it is a welcome change to see everything green and growing.

One of the best parts of finishing a race is recovering, healing any aches and pains, and then holding on to that fitness base. When I first started running, I would train hard for a race but then ultimately take so much time off afterwards that I would lose most of my fitness. When the next training cycle came along, I would have to start from square one. Over the years I have perfected my art of maintenance between training cycles. I absolutely enjoy taking time off and focusing on other non-running activities, but I also like being able to utilize my fitness base when starting to train for a specific race.

This week's Trail Tuesday is full of pictures of my bird. I get excited every time I run and see the herons and loons out. They are so cool to watch and beautiful to see flying.

It's hard to believe that three weeks has passed since my first 50k. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, and other days my body reminds me that it wasn't. This past week marked the third and final week of scheduled rest, and I am feeling very ready to jump into maintenance mode. I did very little running and while that feels strange, I tried to enjoy it because I know what's a few months ahead.

This week's Trail Tuesday is underwater...literally. I happened to notice the trail near my house on the news last week for severe flooding and when I ran to it the next day, it was definitely underwater. I'll be taking to drier, higher ground until most of the rain stops.

With two weeks down and one week to go, I feel like I am recovering well since the Earth Day 50k. I have been running very little, with a lot of focus on cross training and yoga. And rest. Lots of rest. It really is amazing how much more time I have on the weekend when I don't have to run 20 miles, but there have been days where I'm itching to run.

It's May, and all of the April showers have brought out some beautiful May flowers!