#mantuava

After missing out on the new bike purchase, it was back to the old bike for some interval miles in the neighborhood. I did 5 x 1 mile repeats over the rolling hills of #mantuava. 15 minutes each warmup and cooldown made it just about an hour ride. Monitoring the knee as I rode, I still felt the #petellartendinitis #runnersknee whenever I got out of the saddle, which I guess means I won’t be ready for a #testrun just yet. I’ll have to talk to my doc Monday to see if he still wants me to get it x-rayed or if I should stick to rest and #crosstraining. My running shoes all look so sad right now. But my bike is happy. #runblr #injuredrunner #bikeblr #cyclingforrunners #roadcycling #bikeintervals (at Mantua, Virginia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CH3nraTnyd_/?igshid=1i9f28dj7ti7

I put some very chilly for May miles in today, first 7.25 easy on my #mantuava neighborhood loop, then I did some #runningformdrills to finish up my Saturday work. I’m planning a #longrun of about 14 miles tomorrow, which will put me over 40 for the week. I’ve got one more week in this @mcmillanrunning #mcmillanrunteam #basebuilding plan, then it’s on to a #hilltraining plan for 6 weeks. I don’t know when races will start to be run again but I figure at this point I won’t be running any until late summer at earliest. So the best thing I can do is get fit and be prepared. When the time comes to race, I will be ready. #runblr #fitblr #springrunning #justkeepgoing #keepshowingup (at Mantua, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B__AZlcHY3r/?igshid=suym4rx3lp9m

Today’s #wednesdayworkout #crosstrainingworkout was a #brickworkout. I got the old #litespeedroadbike out and took advantage of empty roads, spinning my way over to @georgemasonu to cycle the #masonloop then after getting back to #mantuava I hopped off the bike, did a quick shoe change and ran a mile. I used to do these little bricks a lot, and I feel like I need to get back to them. Who knows, maybe I’ll even talk myself into doing another #duathlon. #runblr #fitblr #bikeblr #basebuilding #roadcycling #streetcycling (at Fairfax, Virginia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ldDnZHAZ-/?igshid=kexk6g9icemk

#latergram from today’s #trailrun. We are under a #stayathomeorder now in Viriginia, but I’m fortunate to be close to a few parks and that means I can still string together a decent off-road route. 6.5 miles total and at least 5.5 of them were on gravel trails or single track in both #mantuava and #danielsrunpark. Just trying whatever I can to keep moving forward during this challenging time. #runblr #fitblr #springrunning #runningfromcovid19 #runningforfitness #runningforfun #runningforstressrelief (at Mantua, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-bBcnIH0LQ/?igshid=1sg7vd3tlysvh

What a difference low humidity and a good night of sleep make. I floated through my #longrun this evening, up and down the hills of #mantuava. I’ve had a tough time balancing all the demands on me this summer, and between them and the stifling humidity, I have often felt like I am training and racing in a compromised state. Not surprisingly my performances have suffered as a result. Today reminds me of what kind of runner I can be if I can just get things stabilized and make my life a little less stressful. It’s a work in progress. #runblr #fitblr #summerrunning #5ktraining #masterstrackathlete (at Mantua, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1AHecaHKmH/?igshid=162ookhl15y5z

It only took 12 years of living in this neighborhood to finally get a membership in our swim club. Now that’s some waiting list. Actually it was “only” about 5 years since we actually put our names on the list. In any case, now we have the keys to the kingdom. I’m out of swim shape for sure right now, so I only did 700 today. I’ll build up from there. Still managed to get a good workout from it. #runblr #fitblr #swimblr #crosstraining #5ktraining #masterstrackathlete #mantuava #mantuastc (at Mantua Swim & Tennis Club) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzE9l65nX7I/?igshid=19sf2twf6m2

Not seen on my run, but right before it. Mama and her two fawns were out for a stroll and no doubt some shrub foraging in the evening drizzle. Part of life in #mantuava. #fartlekrun this evening and while it was still crazy humid, I was grateful for the cooler temps. 15 minutes warmup trot, then 8 x 1 minute at increasing intensity every two reps. The first two felt easy at 60% effort but the last two at 90% were a nice challenge. Overall I was happy with the results. Ideally I would have gotten gradually faster as the intensity increased, but the hills of this route make that progression tough. That said my last two, on relatively flat grade, were my fastest. I’ll take that. #runblr #fitblr #summerrunning #5ktraining #masterstrackathlete #mastersxc #fairfaxcountyva (at Mantua, Virginia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0mtQ0qHZCj/?igshid=17f4bpkbwkrje

#timetofly today up some big hills. I did #hillrepeats, 8 x 90 seconds up one the biggest meanest hills in #mantuava. Everytime I tell someone I did repeats on this hill, they tell me I am 🥜🥜🥜. So I must be doing something right. I focused on being in the 70-80% effort range and was actually about 75-85%, but I'll take that. Cool day for mid-May, windy too. I actually wore lightweight tights to keep my legs warm on those inclines, short sleeves on top though. I am putting in the work now 🔨 and I like it that way. #runblr #fitblr #5ktraining #masterstrackathlete #springrunning #endaitens (at Mantua, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxcyW75HJ1L/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ntsrfmiyq6fs