Hello again friends!  Time for Weekly Wrap 16!  February is just flying by, this was week 7 of Earth Day 50k training and another build.  It was my biggest week of the year so far, and I felt good for most of it.  Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap 15.

Monday 2/19

Run:  Easy 7.25 mi +  NP Stair Mondays!  This is a recent development for November Project, not an officially led workout. We meet at 6:15am at the Chicago Riverwalk, between Clark and Dearborn.  I ran there and back from EDGE.  This was a lot of fun, and based on my run schedule I should be able to go every other week.

Other: Even though it was President’s Day and CPS had off, we had to work.  It was out All Staff Meeting day where the departments report out on how things are going for the year.  It was a pretty meh kind of day, but I did enjoy some nice falafel at lunch.

Tuesday 2/20

Run: 7 miles of elevation on the treadmill, 2020 ft.  Workout was:  .75 WU, .25 15%, then 5x [.25 6%, .37 2%, .125 6%, .25 15%] 1 CD.  Felt totally easy

Other:  In the evening, some friends and I went to the “Sliceapalooza” event at Chicago House of Za, an all vegan pizzeria in Lakeview. I had heard great things about this place – most Chicago vegans say it is the best vegan pizza in Chicago.  Not going to lie, I was disappointed.  Normally, they sell by the pizza, whereas for this event they were selling by the slice.  I think they didn’t know how to keep the pizzas adequately warm, or they had anticipated more people coming than actually did?  Either way, the pizza came out looking like re-heated pizza instead of fresh… like it had been sitting around for a while.  I definitely want to try the place again to see if this was a fluke, but overall I was not a fan.

Wednesday 2/21

Run: Strength class in the morning and then an easy 10 miles after with Katie O.  This was my No Work Day for the week so I had time to have a long morning.

Other:  Published a new recipe! Caramelized Shallot and Rosemary Focaccia.  It’s divine and I may or may not have eaten an entire loaf… or two… in a matter of days.  Check it out here.

Thursday 2/22

Run: Rest Day for running, just a strength day.  Initially, I thought I had signed up for the 6am morning posture class, but then I double checked and saw it was the 7PM class- Total Body OVERLOAD.  The purpose of the class is high weight, low rep.  It was intense and the next morning my inner thighs were tiiiiiired!  Definitely will NOT try to do total body both Wednesday and Thursday in the future.

Friday 2/23

Run: 8 miles. Ran to and from NP for the first time this month.  We played “Rabbits and Wolves,” which is basically sharks and minnows.  Now that the weather is warming up, I didn’t feel cold at the workout after running there.  I’m hoping to go more now that that’s the case, but like Stair Mondays, this will fit in every other week with training until after the race.

Saturday 2/24

Run: 20 miles at Waterfall Glenn.  This felt way harder than I hoped it would, considering that last week I had 5050ft of elevation but with a trail run I only got 800.  Feet hurt, calves hurt and I definitely got dehydrated; discovered in the morning that one of the bottles I use in my pack had a massive crack in it so I only had 1 bottle for the run.  I was stubborn and didn’t want to go back to my car to refill, hence the dehydration that hit around mile 15.  BUT! I did make a new friend along the run, Mike.  He caught up to me when I stopped for a fuel break and we ran together for a few miles after that.  It was nice to have company for a bit.

Other:  I immediately booked myself a massage on the way home.  The fact that I was on the struggle bus so much this run was a hint that I was long overdue.  There was an opening at Mobile Health and Wellness (my FAV place) and they cupped me everywhere.  It felt amazing.  I also paid a lot of attention to my nutrition the rest of the day since I think that was also a factor in feeling bad in the morning.

Sunday 2/25

Run: 14 miles at Waterfall Glenn with Nez. Supposed to be longer, but the trails were so muddy that I was going about 30-45 seconds slower than normal, so my “time on feet” was longer than I wanted.  BUT I felt loads better. My back still has angry red circles all over it, but I feel like a new person.  NOTE TO FUTURE BECCA, stop being an under-buyer and get massages more often.

Other:  Met my parents and Jon for brunch at Wishbone for some delicious refueling.  Those black bean cakes are my favorite savory brunch in Lakeview, plus their beet ginger apple juice is great for recovery.  In the afternoon, I made a ton of energy bites because I had two orders!  I also went to the Thoughtluck for the month on Belonging.  Thoughtlucks are my favorite way to end the month.

And that’s Weekly Wrap 16!  I totaled 66.5 miles for the week with 4,000 ft of elevation.  Next week is a “maintain” week, where I’ll aim for the same amount of mileage, adjusting it midweek to have 22-24 and 15 on the weekend. And then a glorious recovery week and adventures at Expo West!

How was your week?  Have you tried a vegan pizzeria before?  Have you ever struck up a conversation with another runner on a run?  Follow my training on Strava or Instagram for inspiration and motivation, and don’t forget to sign-up for my Newsletter for exclusive recipes and training tips. 

Happy running,

Becca