Back At It

I spent all last week working on my IT band. Boo! So I haven't run since the 18th (6 miles outside) and the 19th (6 miles on the elliptical). I trained hard last week, though, to try to regain strength where I need it and was feeling good enough Monday to hit the road.

This was my route, from the CSY, and my time was 55:59. The first 3 miles were as close to tempo as I get: 7:47, 7:45, and 7:30; then I ran around Aspen Grove Park, stopped at the bathroom/bubbler, and had crosswalks and stoplights to deal with. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with sub-8s!

Monday afternoon run

Tuesday morning was back at Todd's for the CompuTrainer. As soon as I sat down, I felt the same tug on my knee, despite having spent forever Monday stretching and rolling and having rolled on the foam roller before riding. It worked itself out somehow and didn't bother me too much, but man was this a hard course!

Tuesday afternoon after a good 3-minute ISO workout I came home to find this at my door:

Bike stand

I won it in a giveaway Amy at Who Said Nothing In Life is Free??? had, and I was super excited to get it and put it up. BB was in the car, though, so you'll have to wait for a picture of the stand put together and doing its job.

Wednesday morning I worked out and then, in the afternoon, I did a sprint workout on the elliptical. Thursday morning workout and then ride at T's in the afternoon. Either Thursdays are better for me or afternoons are better or I'm just that much stronger by then, but this workout, although the SAME EXACT workout in terms of course and difficulty, went way better than Tuesday.

Tuesday: HR was 174, I started at 230W and ended at 200W, and I did only 60 minutes of the workout. No sprint.
Thursday: HR was 170, I started at 230W and stayed there, I did the entire 90-minute workout. Sprint watts: 698.

Isaiah 1:16-20
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. 

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Friday I woke up to this! Snow makes everything look so much more beautiful and cleaner!

Psalm 51:7-13
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.