Baltimore Marathon 2013: Marathon #2

Last year, I registered to run the Baltimore Marathon to raise money and awareness concerning child sex trafficking. We were in the process of a move to the area - a move that did not happen as quickly as anticipated.

I ran Hartford Marathon instead and deferred Baltimore - just in case.

I did not plan on running a marathon this year. As of August, my longest training run was 13 miles, and that was in May. Not exactly stellar training.

I met a woman in my running club who was running Baltimore. I thought maybe we could run in together. We did a training run together in September: 16.5 miles. And then I did a solo 20 miler.

Ready for a marathon? Just really sure - but I was going to do it!

The week of the marathon, she decided to go all out and try and hit a personal goal of hers which was out of my range. I thought I'd try and run with the pace group aiming for a 4:30 marathon.

Can I just stop and say I loved this marathon? The whole thing is basically in the city (here is the course map). Over the course of 26.2 miles, you travel through beautiful parks with lakes and rundown neighborhoods with boarded-up buildings. I loved that. I loved the homeless guy who ran a couple blocks with us and the street preacher who warned us about the end of the world. I loved the people taking iPad videos of us out their apartment windows. The crowd support was consistent throughout, more so than any other race I've done. It was just an all-around great race.

Back to my race :) I ran with the 4:30 pace group for 11 miles, but lost them after a pit stop. 

This marathon is hilly. It was painful. I swore I'd never do it again. Did I mention it was hilly? My quads hated me for days after. The last 6.2 miles felt like 10+. My stomach did OK, with some painful cramps around mile 14, but the salt pills seemed to help. I also kept fueling simple: water, a LaraBar and organic jelly beans (not sports beans - actual jelly beans).

I eventually settled with the 4:45 pace group and finished just ahead of them for a final time of 4:45:12 (I started in front of them - hence the difference).

This was a 13 minute PR from Hartford.

Here I am, smiling at my family as I crossed the finish line.

Trying desperately to smile at the end, blue lips and all:

The Medal

And now I surf the web for other local marathons to run......I seemed to have caught the bug :)

Perseverance and Patience

Life is hectic, friends. New job, training for that job, a very heavy semester at grad school - everything else has to be minimized and/or pushed to the side.

Like running. And writing.

I desperately miss both.

Life feels hard right now. Maybe it's grief (my father passed away November 9th), or the move, or the location change, or the classes I chose this semester.

But I'm drained. And tired. That kind of fatigue that creeps into your bones and lingers.

Running is therapeutic for me. Something happens on my long runs of 13+ miles. At a certain point, my mind completely clears. Nothing matters anymore. Nothing seems too difficult. Life becomes manageable.

I have not experienced that feeling since September. That was my last training run of 13+ miles. The farthest I've gone since the marathon is 12 miles.

I've shared before that I've been having some trouble with my legs for some time now. I remember exactly when it started. March 16th, driving home from an early St. Patrick's Day breakfast. It began as excruciating pain in my right hip and inner knee. My husband said he'd never seen me in such pain (which is saying a lot, considering we saw me through an unmedicated homebirth).

Through several rounds of PT, visits to the doctor, and rest days galore, the pain moved from my hip to behind my knees. It's stayed there. Sometimes coming around front, but mostly hanging out in the back of the knee(s).

So, I've been doing cross-training. Spin class, interval training, walking, elliptical, and most recently Piloxing (a combo of Pilates and boxing). One of my strength training teachers told me that due to my legs being different lengths and my severe hip weakness, running is setting me up to need hip replacement.

Not really what a runner wants to hear.

Yet I cannot escape the fact that I am a runner. I will likely never place in a race (unless I'm 80). I'll always be a mid-to-back-of-the-packer.

But I'm still a runner. I've become one. Through and through.

The day after I was told I'll likely eventually need hip replacement, I ran 8 speedy miles with friends. One mile was 8:28. The cross-training is making me stronger; for that, I'm thankful. But it's difficult to avoid discouragement.

I'm going to try some new things. A new strength and stretching routine. A training plan with less running that is more concentrated. Some dietary tweaks. We'll see if anything helps.

Despite the challenges, I have had some beautiful runs. Just a bit shorter :) I'm enjoying running in new territory, making new routes, learning new places.

See the deer?

I'd love prayers as well. I've experienced miraculous healing before. I'm certainly open to God doing that again.

More than anything, as always, I deeply desire that God be glorified.

My psalm this year is Psalm 25. Verses 4 & 5 are literally carrying me these days. I encourage you to read them out loud with me.

Show me your ways, O Lord,
    teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.

All day long, Lord. All day long.

Marathon Training: 18th & Final Week

Week 18.

Physical marathon training ends. 

Let the mental and emotional and spiritual training continue.

I run for the kids.

Have you given yet?

I met my goal of raising $100/mile and have set a new goal: $125 per mile.  

I need $558 more to hit that goal.

Have you given yet?  For the kids?

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 3.46 miles

Thursday: 4.2 miles

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 2.5 mile walk

I traveled 10.16 miles this week.

Hartford*, here I come. 2 short days away.

For the kids.

*I was originally going to run the Baltimore Marathon, but because we haven't moved yet, I signed up for Hartford.

Marathon Training: Week 17

Week 17.

Beginning the taper.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 4.25 miles

Wednesday: 4.35 miles

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 3 miles

Sunday: 11.75 miles - final long run before marathon

I ran 23.35 miles this week.

Hartford*, here I come.

*I was originally going to run the Baltimore Marathon, but because we haven't moved yet, I signed up for Hartford.

Marathon Training: Week 16

I ran 20.86 miles this week, including the awesome Zooma Half!

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 4.3 miles

Wednesday: 3.46 miles

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 13.1 miles: Zooma Cape Cod Half Marathon

Sunday: Rest

Zooma Cape Cod Half Marathon: Redemption

On June 3rd, I ran the hardest race of my life.

It was likely a combination of factors.  I was experimenting with my diet to try & reduce the inflammation in my leg.  I was physically tired due to various factors.  I didn't sleep well.  I started too fast and pushed too hard.

Who knows exactly what happened.  All I know is it was a half marathon, and it was awful.  Hard. Horrible.  Wretched.

I cried. Literally cried I felt so awful.  Do you know how hard it is to run when you are crying?  I only kept running because it meant it would be over sooner.

Needless to say, I had mixed feelings when I won an entry to the Zooma Cape Cod half marathon through the running club I'm in.

We drove down Friday afternoon to stay in a place my husband vacationed at as a child.

A few miles away, we came upon this:

Do you see that rainbow off in the distance?  It almost looked like a reflection from one of those prisms you hang in a window.  Soon it became this:

And then this:

A double rainbow.

I couldn't help but wonder: would this race bring a redemption of sorts?  Would it restore my confidence in my body's ability to run a race?

Everyone told me not to race. Treat it as a training run, they said.  The marathon is only 3 weeks away, and you should be tapering.

So I had no expectations.  I was hoping to run a 2:05 half, but hadn't even done the math to figure out what pace that would be.  My previous half marathon times were 2:12-ish, 2:00:00.0 on the dot, and 2:09-ish (the hardest race of my life).  I figured I could likely do 2:05 without pushing myself too hard.

I got to connect with Colleen Fit Bee before the race (love that woman), and we hung around and chatted for a few.

Before we knew it, it was time to run.

So I ran.

My legs felt heavy the whole time.  They usually do.  Running does not come naturally to me; it never has. It has always been hard work.  I've never had that "light" or "fresh" feeling that runners talk about. I keep running because I can & others can't.

So I wasn't concerned that my legs felt heavy.  I was maintaining about a 9:05 pace initially.  Then the hills set in and my mapping app sort of lost me.

This race was hilly.  Very, very hilly.  We didn't have a serious downhill until after mile 6. And then we went right back uphill.

Around that time, I decided I felt good enough to push myself a little harder.  I kept telling myself I could slow down if I needed to.  At about mile 7 or 8, my phone said I was running a 9:14 pace.  It was more like 9:20 based on the difference between the course markers and the miles my phone thought we were running (i.e. much shorter miles!).

I just kept running.  I ran fast up the hills, even though it was hard.  I ran & ran & ran.

At mile 10, I timed a mile.  8:35.  Not bad at all.  At mile 12, my phone said I'd been running somewhere around an hour and 50-51 minutes.  I couldn't quite read it.  I did the math and figured out I was pretty close to getting a personal best.

So I really, really ran.  I figured if nothing else, I could get in really close to 2:01 or 2:02, which would be amazing on such a difficult course.

I was near the end and rounded the corner.  The big clock said. 1:59.  1:59?????  Would half marathon #4 finally break the 2 hour barrier?

I sprinted and gave it my all.

Almost done - check out that joy!

The clock read 1:59:24.  I gave all the glory to God.

Redemption.

My official time was 1:59:13.  Amazing!

You can see my dear friend Colleen in the reflection! She's so speedy she PR'ed with 1:39 AND placed 2nd for her age group! And did I mention she has lost over 100 lbs?  An inspiration!

Thanks, Zooma ladies, for contacting Parkway Running Club & giving me this amazing opportunity!  The race was unique in so many ways.  It was almost all women.  There were pacers!  I've never seen pacers in a race before.  In fact, after mile 12, we did a little out & back down a side street. Seeing the 2:00 pacers let me know I was close!  Instead of a race medal, we got a cool running necklace that said "Run" on one side and "Zooma 12" on the other.  There was food, music, and lots of fun!

I run because I can.

If you haven't yet read about why I will run a marathon in 19 days, please do.  I will be running 26.2 miles to raise awareness & funds in order to trample on child sex trafficking.  Please consider giving to this great cause.

Marathon Training: Week 15

41.82 miles.

Those are the numbers one would expect to see from someone training for a marathon.

41.82 miles.

I woke up on Sunday of this week with a very sore back, so I did not run Sunday or Monday. Tuesday, I set out for a brief jaunt, and by Thursday, I was at 95%.

Because I was running in a friend's 30th birthday 5K on Sunday, I needed to run 20+ on Saturday. It would be my last opportunity to attempt over 21 miles (my longest run a few months prior).

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: 3.56 miles (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 7.75 miles (Longer Run)
Thursday: 4.9 miles (Rest)
Friday: Rest (Cross-training)
Saturday: 22.51 miles  (Shorter run)
Sunday: 5K/3.1 Miles (Long run)

My fellow Weight Watchers employees who ran the 5K:

22.5 Miles

This is what 22.5 miles looks like, people.



My husband texted me toward the end of the run to say they were leaving for Whole Foods Dedham. I got my phone out of its baggie (it rained) and stammered, "I'm on the corner! Wait for me." I then staggered to the back porch and made him take my picture.

This is also what 22.5109 miles looks like:


You may not be able to tell from this iPhone photo, but my lips are blue. This is apparently my new post-long-run norm. And I wasn't cold, despite it raining for the last 7 miles of my run.

I learned in this run that I can run at least 5 miles on completely exhausted legs. I also learned I can run 22.5109 miles (4 hours 1 minute and 57 seconds) with no music.

Soon I will introduce you to the cause for which I will run 26.2 miles on October 13th.

Marathon Training: Week 14

Rough week. Rough several weeks.

Tuesday night track was cancelled due to rain, so no run. Friday & Sunday mornings, I had to be at work quite early, so no run.

This week on Thursday morning, I got up to go running and realized my dog was very sick. I took him in to be checked out, and he died in my arms in the waiting room.

So this is all I conjured up this week.

Monday: 8.35 miles (Rest)
Tuesday: Rest (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 45 minutes elliptical (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: Rest (Cross-training)
Saturday: 7.19 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: Rest (Long run)

I ran 15.54 miles this week.

We miss you, Noodles.

Noodles, when we adopted him

Marathon Training: Week 13

Week 13, marathon training.

I was still sick for much of this week. I was also having calf pain from the severe dehydration.

So I went out and got some compression sleeves.



I love them! Got me through 12 miles on mostly functional calves.

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: Rest (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: Rest (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: Rest (Cross-training)
Saturday: 1.5 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: 12 miles (Long run)

I ran 13.5 miles this week.

Marathon Training: Week 12

8.29 miles.

That's how far I ran this week.

8.29 miles.

It was a rough week anyway, and then I came down with the plague on Saturday night, which made a Sunday long run impossible.

So here it is.

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: 6.8 km track workout: 400m warmup, 6x1000 at tempo, 400m cooldown (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 46 minutes elliptical (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: 2.03 miles (Cross-training)
Saturday: 2.03 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: Sick as a dog: no miles (Long run)

Marathon training at its best.

Marathon Training, Week 11

I am a week behind!

On Tuesday night, I put on my new running shoes (pair #2), and my toes still hurt. So I called the running store, and they said, "Sounds like your shoes are too small."

Yep!

On Wednesday, I went back for pair #3.



I ran a few short runs and decided to go long on Sunday to see how the shoes held up.

I headed out on a route I'd done once before. I decided to try to keep a good tempo, under 10:15 minutes/mile.

Around mile 9 or 10, I saw some wild turkeys.




I ended up running 17.39 miles at an average pace of 10:07 and decided I really liked the shoes :)

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: 5.2 km: 400m warm-up, and then 3x1600, first at threshold, second at tempo, third half tempo, half speed. Serious business! (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 50 minutes elliptical (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: 3.5 mile run, 20 minutes swimming (Cross-training)
Saturday: 4.3 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: 17.39 miles (Long run)

I ran 28.42 miles this week, swam for 20 minutes, and did 50 minutes on the elliptical.

Marathon Training, Week 10

I mentioned last week I was discouraged. I wasn't sure my new running shoes were a good fit and was unsure what to do.

At Tuesday's track workout, the coach mentioned I was running strangely and I told him my concerns about my shoes. He said, "Take them back." So I took the rest of the week easy (and in my old shoes) until I could try to find some different shoes on Saturday.

Monday: 45 minutes elliptical, 1.65 mile treadmill (Rest)
Tuesday: 2 x 400m warmup, 1 x 400m @ THRESHOLD, 1 x 800 @ TEMPO, 1 x 1600 @ TEMPO, 1 x 800 @ TEMPO, 2 x 400 @ SPEED: 2nd one was 1:39! (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 4.35 mile run (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: 50 minutes elliptical (Cross-training)
Saturday: A few short jaunts up & down the street and under the block, trying out shoes (Shorter run)
Sunday: 10.61 miles run, 2 mile hike, during which I carried the dog 90% of the time (Long run)

I really like my new shoes. Really, Really. That's likely evident by the fact that I went out & ran 10.61 miles in them the day after I got them, missing the men's Olympic marathon. The only issue is they might be too narrow. The insides of my big toes hurt afterwards.

They are Saucony Hurricane 14's, basically the new version of the shoe I've run 3 half marathons in.



Yesterday was a rest day, but we'll see how tonight's track workout goes in my new shoes :)



I ran 19.85 miles this week, did 2 cross-training sessions on the elliptical, and hiked 2 miles, carrying my cocker spaniel.

Marathon Training, Week 9: Discouraged

Here's how this week shaped up.

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: Track workout: 800m warmup, 400m @ THRESHOLD, 800m @ TEMPO, 1600m @ TEMPO, 800 @ TEMPO, 2 x 400m @ SPEED, 400m cool down (ran one 400m @ 1:44) (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 45 minute hill workout on elliptical (Longer Run)
Thursday: 4.5 mile run to the running store (Rest)
Friday: 2 mile run (Cross-training)
Saturday: 2 mile run (Shorter run)
Sunday: 3 mile run (Long run)

I'm actually feeling pretty discouraged in my running this week. I knew I needed new shoes, so I took it easy. The shoes I decided on are completely different than my last 3 pairs (which were 3 pairs of the same style of shoe), and my legs are struggling to adjust. I also either hurt my back on Saturday, or the shoes are making my back hurt, and as of today, it still hurts.

In general, my legs hurts most of the time, even when I'm not running, whether I run 10 miles a week or 40. It especially hurts to sit or drive. I will be going to a doctor Friday to find out if anything is actually wrong.

So, yeah. I still have well over 2 months to train and at this point, I could likely walk 26.2 miles even with a sore back. But it's hard not to feel discouraged.

I ran 14.98 miles this week.

Marathon Training, Week 8

I traveled this weekend and knew I couldn't do a long run, so I shifted the schedule a bit and rested.

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: 400m warmup, 1x1600 threshold, 2x800 tempo, 4x400 speed. Only timed one 400m, but did it in 1:46 :) Not bad! (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 4.15 miles (Longer Run)
Thursday: 3.01 miles (Rest)
Friday: 45 minute spin class, 15 minutes elliptical (Cross-training)
Saturday: 3.5 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: 45 minutes elliptical (Long run)

I ran 13.89 miles this week.

Marathon Training, Week 7

Challenging week in marathon training land.

Due to some leg issues, I'm doing quite a few exercises for strengthening my legs. I have a standing desk at one of my jobs, so I do strengthening and stretching while I work.

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: Track workout, 400m warmup, 3x1600 with 800 @ threshold, 400 @ speed, 400 @ threshold, another 800m at tempo (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 6.46 miles (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: 15 min elliptical, 45 minute spin class, 1 mile treadmill (Cross-training)
Saturday: 4.25 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: 16.73 miles (Long run)

My long run on Sunday was HARD. Very HARD. Did I mention it was HARD? I think it has something to do with the fact that I need new shoes. Not only a new pair of shoes, but a whole new style and fit of shoes.

I will be away this weekend, and my mileage will be way down. I hope the rest will help with my right leg pain and the IT band pain I'm having in my left leg.

I ran 32.17 miles this week.

Marathon Training, Week 6

Lots going on this week. A delayed update :)



Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: Track workout, 400m warmup, 6x1000m, 2 at threshold, 2 at tempo, 2 at speed (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 9.08 miles (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: 15 min elliptical, 45 minute spin class, .5 mile treadmill (Cross-training)
Saturday: 2.03 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: 12.04 miles (Long run)

I ran 31.92 miles this week.

My Weight Watchers Story: 60 Pounds Lost

I've been wanting to post my Weight Watchers story for a while. Having just passed my one-year anniversary of becoming a Lifetime member (lingo explained later), I figured this is a great time to share!

I weighed 183.5 the day after I had my second son. In the euphoria of having a HBAC, I somehow gained 10 pounds in 6 weeks post-birth.

My precious 6 week old

Baking with the 2 1/2 year old

4 months after that, I was back at 183.5, but not budging. This was in May 2010. These pictures are from around those times.

Still drinking green smoothies

My almost 6 month old

I knew something needed to change because what I was doing wasn't working. My reservations about signing up for a formal diet program were that I had an eating disorder for well over a decade, though I had not been symptomatic in 7 years at that point. I had several friends with disordered eating history who had success with Weight Watchers, so I started doing it "unofficially" (this was the old Points program, so points were easier to figure out), just counting points every day based on the info I found online. I did that for about 2 weeks, lost weight, and my head was still in a good place.

Weight Watchers On-line
At that point, I signed up for the on-line Weight Watchers program.

I was pretty active, chasing 2 little boys and taking lots of walks, so I lost about 10 lbs/month until I reached my goal (about 3.5 months later), which was just under 150. My weight had generally been in the high 150's into the 160's for most of my post-esating disorder years, but my doc had told me years ago that a good healthy range for me is 138-150, so I thought 150 was a good goal.

This was in about October, 2010. I introduced more high-fat foods into my diet and ended up losing about another 7-10 pounds.

Trying Weight Watchers Meetings Out
I fluctuated a bit after that until in April, 2011, I decided to join Weight Watchers meetings. I wanted to try the different type of support and accountability, as well as learn about the new program (I was still following the Points program, not the new PointsPlus system). I was about 155-156 at that weigh-in.

I lost more slowly with the new program, but I made my initial goal weight of 148 in about 2.5 months. If you attend meetings, once you hit your goal weight and stay there for 6 weeks, you become a Lifetime Member and can attend meetings for free. I made Lifetime in June of 2011. I continued to lose weight and have lost about 60 pounds total (I still fluctuate a bit within a 5 pound range).

Personal Reflections on the Program
I love the new PointsPlus system. I love that almost all fruits and veggies have a zero PointsPlus value (so green smoothies are now free!). I like that protein and carbs are now factored in, so that the PointsPlus value has a better overall nutritional value.

I also love that every Weight Watchers member can make Weight Watchers their own within the construct of the program.

I've always eaten a mainly whole foods diet and have been able to continue that easily with Weight Watchers. I do eat a more fat than most people I know who do Weight Watchers. This is how I feel my best, and I adjust my Daily PointsPlus Target to account for this.

And that's the thing I love about Weight Watchers. If I feel like having a banana with peanut butter, I can. Dark chocolate? Sure! Full fat cheese occasionally? Yes! I even sometimes put whole milk in my coffee (I prefer it black ).

I have really grown to love the meeting environment. I love hearing others' success stories and what works for them, as well as getting to share my own experiences. I have found I also need the accountability of getting weighed at a meeting.

Still The Same Joyous Brenna
Though I have struggled with my weight for about 25 years, I still lived a very full, mostly happy life before losing weight. I cannot say, as some do, that my life began because I got thin. Far from it. I have an amazing, blessed life now as I did 2 years ago.

I share this mainly because Weight Watchers is a tool that has worked for me and empowered me to have a more sane relationship with food than I have had in the years since the eating disorder. Weight Watchers has taught me a lot, and I've found new habits and hobbies that will carry me for a lifetime.

Here are some more recent pictures of me. It seems the only time I get a full-length shot is at a race! I did get my husband to take the nice, sweaty shot below :)

Close-up, it was our anniversary :), December 2011

Half of Quincy with Heather of Run Faster Mommy, March '12 (we both PR'ed!)

Today, after walking home in the 90 degree heat carrying too many groceries, looking very serious

I'll talk more about the work of maintenance, my final weight goal and my newly discovered love of running in a separate post :)

Marathon Training, Week 5

How is it week 5 already?



It seems every week, there's some reason to not follow the schedule exactly. I'm OK with that :)

This week was preceded by Saturday and Sunday being rest days. There was no track on Tuesday, due to so many running the race on Wednesday. I am taking the train to work now, so it is difficult to do my Friday cross-training and get to work at a reasonable time. I had to do my long run on Saturday because I was leading the music at church on Sunday (long runs mess with my hydration and thus my singing voice).

Monday: 2.5 miles (Rest)
Tuesday: 3.5 miles (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: Four on the 4th road race (Longer Run)
Thursday: Rest (Rest)
Friday: 3.46 miles (Cross-training)
Saturday: 21.27 miles (Shorter run)
Sunday: Rest (Long run)

Yes. Saturday, I ran 21.27 miles. I was aiming for 20, but MapMyRun lost me at a certain point. It was not easy, but I finished.

I ran 34.73 miles week 5 of marathon training.

Marathon Training, Week 4

This week was a bit strange because I was in Minnesota for the Exodus conference.

Monday: Rest (Rest)
Tuesday: 5.37 miles (Morning yoga/stretching and evening track workout)
Wednesday: 3.25 miles outside in the MN heat & 1.12 mile on treadmill (Longer Run)
Thursday: 6.31 miles (Rest)
Friday: 20 minutes on the elliptical (Cross-training)
Saturday: Rest (Shorter run)
Sunday: Rest (Long run)

Total miles: 16.05