Hello and happy Friday!
I’m so excited – tomorrow morning I’ll be running my favorite DC race: the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA half marathon! I received a free bib from their PR team in exchange for sharing a recap here on the blog after, but I would have signed up anyway because I LOVE this race. Yes, it’s huge and crowded, and the pre-race stuff can be a bit of a hot mess (ARRIVE EARLY!), but the course is fabulous and so are the crowds and bands along the way. This will be my third year doing the race (last year’s recap: 2013 Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon, and the recap from 2011 when it was still the National Half: National Half Marathon).
Unlike most DC races, the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA half doesn’t involve much running down on the mall or around the monuments. For out of towners, this might be a bummer, but as someone who does a lot of DC races I love that they mix it up and run through the neighborhoods instead. This is also nice because it means that there are a lot more people out cheering, since it’s easier for people to simply walk outside vs. head down to the national mall. I have already heard from a bunch of friends who will be out cheering, which is awesome!
In the past, I’ve made this race a personal record (PR) attempt race: last year I finished with a new PR of 1:48:01 for an 8:15 minute/mile pace, before breaking that record a couple months later at the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, where I somehow busted out 1:43:44 for a 7:54 minute/mile pace (seriously still not sure how I did that). Before I received the LA Marathon opportunity, I was going to try to PR this race again, but clearly that’s not happening now. Instead, I’ll be taking it easy, enjoying the views and crowds, and taking photos! My college buddy Sarah and I are planning to run together and just make it into a fun adventure. With the exception of the Calvert hill coming out of Rock Creek Park, it’s not super hilly, which is nice.
I tested out the waters today with a short run – my first since the LA Marathon on Sunday. Matt and I did a nice little 2.5 ish mile jaunt before work this morning. My legs actually felt surprisingly good! Still a bit sore but nothing crazy.
I’ve been doing a lot of foam rolling this week, which I think has helped! I also treated myself to a massage. 🙂
In terms of other workouts, here’s what I’ve been up to this week:
- Saturday: 5k shakeout run in Santa Monica (with elite runners, nbd)
- Sunday: LA Marathon!!
- Monday: rest
- Tuesday: Yoga @ Edge Yoga (hit up Mark’s 1 hour lunchtime class – love it – everything felt good except for chair pose, which was just not happening.)
- Wednesday: rest
- Thursday: 30 minute morning swim (loooove swimming when my legs are sore/tight) – alternated freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke
- Friday: 2.5 mile shakeout run
As you can see, I kept things low key this week to give my legs time to recover! On my rest days I did some light stretching and walking which I think helped too.
On the eating front, we got another (complimentary) From the Farmer delivery so we’ve been working our way through some of the veggies from that. (p.s. I updated my original From the Farmer review post with a coupon code if you’re interested in trying them out!)
Mmm the apple cider was a fun surprise. 🙂
We got a ton of lettuce and kale and some fun baby greens too, so I’ve been doing a lot of salads for lunch.
I’ve mostly been having my usual combo of salad greens + veggies + grains + beans + homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Sometimes cheese or avocado, too. Today I had a quinoa and chickpea variation. Yum!
And now – time to finish up some work and AnneTheRD client calls before heading to the Rock ‘n’ Roll expo to grab my bib!
Zara says: have a nice weekend, everyone! 🙂
What do you guys have on the docket this weekend for fitness adventures?
Who else will be out running the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA tomorrow? Are you doing the full or the half? Good luck – and if you see me out there, come say hey! 🙂
