Week Seven Confusion

{Me before setting off on my long walk.  Hi!} 

Marathon Training Week Seven (Week of July 22, 2013):

Monday: Off (didn’t feel well)

Tuesday: Long walk: 106 minutes.

Wednesday: Treadmill work-out.  37 minutes total: warmed up for 5 minutes, {ran 2 minutes:walked 1 minute} x 10, cooled down for 2 minutes.

Thursday: Off (though with at least an hour of casual walking around during the day)

Friday: Walked 50 minutes to do errands (so hot…so slow…)

Saturday: Bike ride to Kohl’s/HEB

Sunday: Evening walk with Paul (not counting this in my minutes total)

Total minutes walked/ran this week: 193 or ~12-13 miles

A few notes on training this week:

* Somehow I managed to confuse myself with my training plan.  (I so smrt!)  Here is what I was supposed to do in minutes—>followed by what I have actually done for long walks.

~Week 5: Walk 90 minutes—>Walked 105 minutes.

~Week 6: Walk 105 minutes—> Walked 106 minutes.

~Week 7: Walk 120 minutes—>Walked/ran 73 minutes (I did this today.)

The reason I’m so confused is that technically, I’m supposed to do my long walks on Sunday.  In reality, I do them whenever it suits me best, which right now tends to be Monday or Tuesday.  The important thing, I suppose, is that I’m getting those miles done.  This week, even though it’s Week 8 now, I am going to get my 120 minutes done because dammit, I’m not even running much these days, which means I’m doing way fewer miles than I’m supposed to be!

The takehome message: I cannot follow a training plan to save my life.  Send help immediately.

* I’m experiencing some pain in my left foot.  It feels like a foot cramp, except I can’t seem to pop or stretch it back into place.  I noticed it on Friday, I think, and I’m not sure if I should be worried about it.  It didn’t hurt at all today while I was out walk/running, but if I try to stretch it now, I can feel it’s not quite right.  Hmm.

* Today I did 20 minutes of run 1 minute/walk 1 minute, and I felt pretty good!  After two weeks of walking (and NOT running!) outside, letting myself run today made me feel very fast.  Also, the run/walk intervals are a good way to keep me from pushing too hard in the heat.  It is very, very hot here now, and it would be way too easy for me to push myself beyond my physiological capacity for exertion.  I liked the run/walk intervals so much that I’m going to do them again this week for the 120 minute work-out I was supposed to do last week.

* I am starting to believe that I can actually do this marathon thing.  I’m feeling happy that I didn’t bow out of it.

Have a great week, friends!