Welcome to another week. For all the moms out there, I hope that you had an amazing Mother’s Day. I had a very busy week this week with training. It is amazing how far that I have come in my distance and strength goals. I still have my days of feeling tired and sore, but it is nothing like it used to be. I attribute this to starting training in November vs. January and changing my eating. I have been following a ketogenic diet lately, and it has really helped with energy during my workouts.
This week I started listening to Margret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale narrated by Claire Danes. I will have to say this is an amazing story and reminds me very much of 1984. I am really getting wrapped up in the visuals to the point that I am finding myself losing track of how many miles I am walking. This is good for the longer walks, but for the shorter ones, it can be trouble. I will probably finish it this week as it is fairly short (12 hours). I have two additional audiobooks in the cue: Stephen King’s 11/22/63 and Paula Hawkins Into the Water. I haven’t decided which story I want to delve into next as both look very interesting.
As far as training, this was a tough week. I had to rearrange my training schedule again this week due to the hubby’s work schedule. I have a challenging time walking with the baby for four miles (she’s just not use to being out in the sun and heat that long), so I need him home for me to complete my endurance/long walks. So, instead of Friday and Saturday, this week the walks were Wednesday and Thursday. It is looking like this upcoming week will be rearranged as well due to high temps later in the week too.
This week I increased my mileage by 8 miles! I even set a record for myself. Before this week, the longest that I had ever walked was 13.1 miles (half marathon). This week, my long walk saw me doing 16.01 miles around half of Lake Natomas in Folsom, CA! This was a great walk, but man, the cyclists are brutally territorial about the lanes. I kept having to jump out of the way because the cyclists were three across and going about 40 mph. Haha! This week, I’ll know better to walk on the soft shoulder so long as there is no overgrowth of brush—lots of wildlife, including snakes, were seen scurrying across the path. I did this workout fasted, something that I have been experimenting with lately.
Having been eating ketogenic for the past six months, my body is fat-adapted and able to use my bodyfat for fuel. I had water and BCAA’s with electrolytes with me which I was sipping on the entire workout and experienced no hunger during the workout. But by the time I was finished, almost five hours later, I was ready to eat. The hubby had a huge steak ready for me to nibble on when I got home. It was a great reward after a long workout.
Doing long workouts back-to-back is interesting. I know that it is beneficial for getting the mind and body ready for the Avon 39 when I will be walking 26.2 miles on Saturday and 13.1 miles on Sunday. I would never dream to skip the second endurance workout for this very reason. But man, I cannot believe how SLOW I am the second day. Not to mention, I was super sore in my back and hips from the previous day’s workout. But, I think it is normal.
I have been foregoing my slow days (Monday’s) and instead have used it as an active rest day. I think my body really needs this day to repair itself and prepare for the upcoming endurance walks. I have also taken up yoga on one of my cross-training days to help “work out the kinks.”
I wanted to take a minute to let you all know how much your support and donations during this journey have meant to me. Your support has played a major part in my fundraising success for 2017: AVON 39 The Walk to End Breast Cancer: San Francisco. I chose AVON 39 because I see a world without breast cancer for our daughters and nieces. If you have not donated, please take a second to support me on my journey here: http://info.avon39.org/goto/cbbhattacharya. Thank you in advance.
Have a fantastic week!
Listening to: Audiobook- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood
Total Mileage: 32.06 miles
Total training time: 12 hrs 29 mins
- Sunday, May 7: Cross training/Yoga 30 mins
- Monday, May 8: REST
- Tuesday, May 9: 4.02 miles FAST
- Wednesday, May 10: 16.01 miles
- Thursday, May 11: 8.01 miles
- Friday, May 12: Crosstraining/Yardwork 120 mins
- Saturday, May 13: 4.01 miles Moderate
