Training Week 7: Where is the sun / universal healthcare rant
The wonders of warm and sunny days were absent this week in good ol’ Lakewood. It was significantly colder, snowier, and gloomier. Most of my runs were on pavement. Most of my runs involved long sleeve shirts, and sometimes even gloves. The forecast is looking better for next week, thankfully, but it was mentally harder to get out the door the last seven days. Work has also been very busy that even just taking an hour to myself feels tough.
In other news, I am finally getting an MRI on my hip tomorrow. Want to hear something crazy? The MRI was $300 less expensive paying out of pocket vs going through my insurance. Our healthcare system is so fucked, it really makes me angry. Healthcare shouldn’t be a business. I repeat! Healthcare shouldn’t be a business. Did you know CT scan costs $896 in the United States, but only $97 in Canada? Oh, and universal healthcare has another small benefit: coverage would be comprehensive and universal, meaning nobody would ever be unable to afford the care they need.
Whoah. Feelings. Let’s get to the miles:
MONDAY
Yoga/PT
TUESDAY
7 miles, roads
Notes: It was rainy and snowy for a good portion of the week so I knew trails wouldn’t be in good condition. Took this one easy on the roads around the house.
WEDNESDAY
7 miles, hills
Notes: I miss going over to Green Mountain for hill repeats! Work has been crazy busy though and I still don’t know if driving over to a TH is the best thing to do. So I did 5x repeats of a steep hill near the house that takes about ~4-5 mins to get up. Felt good!
THURSDAY:
7 miles, roads
Notes: This run suuucckkked. It was snow/sleeting and the trail conditions were a slushy, sloppy mess. I definitely filed this run under ‘mental training’ over anything else. And unlike that silly phrase, “you never regret a run,” I had fun for 5% of it so I might have to disagree. Pic below.
FRIDAY:
PT/yoga
SATURDAY:
18 miles, roads
Notes: Effing snow! It snowed and rained on Thursday and I knew trails would still be a mess. I ran a new-to-me road loop through Bear Creek State Park to Morrison and then up to Green Mountain to see if the fire road was dry enough for a repeat or two (it wasn’t). I ventured back home on a mix of bike paths and sidewalks. The clouds were out and my hip wasn’t enjoying any of the pavement. I also felt so tired. I know 18 miles is a lot but it wasn’t even a 3 hour run, something that on trails just..feels different. I started thinking about how a 50 miler is 12+ hours but not ready to let me head totally wrap around that just yet.
SUNDAY:
10 miles, TRAILS
Notes: Bear Creek was dry enough for some soft dirt. I had a 90-min recovery run on the schedule so did a loop that’s in my regular rotation. Conditions were tacky. I legit “bonked” at mile 7 and got very hungry — gorged down some food as soon as I came through the door. :D
Total Mileage: 49 miles
Total Hours: 7 hours 25 minutes
Total Gain: 3,330 ft
Overall Emotions: Very tired, looking forward to a cutback week, and need new road and trail shoes (Altras) ! Luckily they are arriving tomorrow !
