Hello everyone! As soon as I’ve made the commitment to the Erie marathon, now I wish I could take it back! It’s been a toasty, sweaty week. So so so so humid! Ugh. I did manage to complete all of my assigned runs, with 44 miles for the week, and 55 miles of biking this week.

Before I get into the workouts, I will start you off with a story.  Sit back and enjoy…my car adventure!  We have a little treasure in our garage – a 2000 Mustang GT.  It’s practically a classic car now, right?  When you get into it you are truly transported back in time to a simpler age.  A cassette desk and a stick shift.  Compared to our current vehicles it’s like the stone age, but you don’t need anything fancy in this ride.. just raw power!  This car is soooo fun to drive.  I rarely drive it (maybe a couple of quick trips down the road a year), but since we have 2 teenagers sharing a car now, some days require us to get creative.  The cars were all claimed, it was this or my husband’s truck.  It was decided I would drive the Mustang to work.  Yay!! It’s a 20 min drive, mostly all on the expressway.  I was nervous about it, but also excited when my drive to work was nothing but a good time.  So speedy!  I was zooming down the highway!  Good times!

On the way home I decided to put the top down.  It was a hot sunny day and it felt wonderful.  I merged onto the expressway and got up to cruising speed.  Oh, did I mention this car is a diamond in the rough??  The speedometer isn’t accurate because I was going at least 70 mph and the gauge only said 60.  Meh, that’s nothing.  As I popped into 5th gear and got into the “speedy” left lane, all of sudden all of the lights on the dashboard lit up and the gauges dropped.  OH NOOOOOOO!  This car also has a “tiny issue” that sometimes a computer chip will briefly disconnect if the car hits a bump and the theft detection turns on.  That means the car is undrivable.  No power steering.  The engine isn’t running. And as you can imagine, flying down the highway in crowded traffic is not the time you want this situation to happen!  I freaked.  What should I do?? Luckily I was able to switch lanes and steer the car over to the side of the road to safety.  It was scary to be sitting in this little car with semis blasting past me.  I couldn’t find the hazard lights, so no one was getting over.  I was almost in tears thinking I was going to be stuck on the highway and was going to get hit.  After a few calls to my husband I found the right spot to smack in order to bring the car back to life.  See? It’s as simple as pounding on this box hanging down with the wires.  OMG.  I got back home safely but was on edge the entire way that it was going to happen again.  We can all laugh about it now, but I’m shocked I didn’t have nightmares about it.  Until a permanent fix is made, this car won’t be going farther than 10 miles away from home when I’m driving! 😉 

The actual spot that I have to “smack hard” to make it work again 😂

Mon – 5 easy miles along the trail today.  

Tues – 10 miles running. This was my tough workout for the week.  My training plan indicates which workout is the “must do, no matter what” workout and which could be dropped if life gets in the way.  This was 3 x 2 miles at tempo pace, with .25 mile rest.  I wasn’t sure what pace that would be, and it turned out to be around 8:20.  The first set was good.  The second set required one stop.  The third set required about 3 rest stop!  Haha!  Yes, it was a challenging run.  It was 68 and high humidity.  I’ve never seen a mile click by so slow.  But, it’s done!

Although it sucks for running, it was a great day for the pool and I enjoyed my WFH day. Lunch and reading my AARP magazine by the pool on my lunch hour. Ah, the good life. haha!

15.5 miles riding, Ladies Group Ride night!  It was another nice social ride around the town tonight.  Here are a couple of the ladies I rode with.

Weds – Rest day! I did make it out for a walk, but we opted not to go on the Windsday group ride because it was hot, windy and a storm was brewing.

Thurs – 9 miles. This was another doozy! When I read “9 easy miles with 4 at race pace” I was excited. It wasn’t until I was a mile into the hot sweaty weather that I realized that this was practically half the run at race pace. Ugh!!! With a couple of rest breaks I did it. Fun pic – there was a big turkey practically in my front yard.

Fri – 5 easy miles. I got to run with my friend again! We have been trying to get together since she went to Boston in April. Although we only ran 4 of the miles and walked the last mile, it all worked out because I mistakenly thought I had 5 on my plan, when it really said 4 miles. What luck! It was great to catch up with her again. As you can see by my outfit, it was yet another super humid run!

My daughter and I went to a “First Friday” event (art shops and boutiques). Just a couple more weeks and she’ll be moving back to college. Sniff.

Sat – 15 miles, long run. The plan said “last 20 mins finish strong” but with this crap weather and humidity, “just keep moving” was all that I could accomplish! As soon as I made it back to my house I jump straight in the pool. It felt amazing!!

It was not hard to talk me into Starbucks and donuts after that run!

We escaped the heat of the day by going to movies, and making snow cones by the pool. Snow cones are good, but no where near as good as those delicious “shave ice” in Hawaii! We saw the Minions, Rise of Gru. It was funny!

Sun – Biking 40 miles 👍🏻 Maybe kayak? just hang out at the pool?? Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll do it all!

We do have a new foster kitten with us. It’s Muchaha! She’s a chill little kitten. She has been found sleeping in her food bowl and on my laptop!

Need some more inspiration? I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Check out all of the fun blogs there!

Q: What’s your favorite refresher after a hot run?

Just some good old ice water is wonderful!

22 thoughts on “Weekly Workouts – what was I thinking?”
  1. That is a cool car. Fir a few years I had a bmw convertible.

    Yes it’s been a challenge to do those runs.

    Kudos to you on getting it done.

    Iced coffee or cold chocolate milk are my favs.

    1. Iced coffee is my go to when I’m done running – but this humidity has really made me soooo thirsty! I’ve been carrying both water bottles in my belt and actually drinking them both. That rarely ever happens!

  2. Nice miles in spite of the heat! I’m waiting for the rain to pass so I can head out for my run. It’s going to be steamy once I get out there. It’s tough to get the miles in this time of year!

    That’s a funny/scary story about your Mustang! Only a man would think of fixing a car by hitting that box, lol! What a fun car!

  3. Oh my goodness, what a scary car situation! I’m so glad you’re okay! Wow…

    Aww what a cute new little foster! Love it.

    Incredible work on your runs this week, even with some really challenging weather! Way to get it done!

  4. Okay, your car story is terrifying! I’m glad you were able to get to the side of the highway safely. That said, it is a beautiful car and I bet fun to drive! My first car was a 1979 Mustang stick shift.

    Nice job on your runs and bike ride. And how refreshing to be by the pool on these hot humid days.

    Muchaha is a cutie!
    Debbie @ Deb Runs recently posted…Weekly RunDown: July 31 – August 6 / Lots of Cycling, a Special Run, and a Loud BoomMy Profile

    1. I just kept thinking – what if I had to pull over on the left side of the road (there’s barely any shoulder!). What if a car had hit me?? Yikes. So glad it all worked out.

  5. That car story is terrifying and yet hilarious (now that it’s over.). Yes, I guess you won’t be driving it on the expressway again. And let’s just talk about Muchaha!!! Such a little cutie- I want more pics.
    You had so many great runs this week in spite of the heat- I know it’s uncomfortable, but you’ll be well-trained for your marathon! A dip in the pool, Starbucks and donuts should be required after every summer long run.

    1. I bet you love getting into your pool after a hard workout too! It’s so nice. Muchacha is a sweetie. She has started trying to befriend my black cat. So funny!

  6. Oh how scary! Reminds me of the time all the lights came on in my husband’s car, there I was more than 90 minutes on highways wondering if the car would just stop, so I can almost imagine what you went through.

    My car is the same age, btw. It’s not a stick, though, I never learned to drive one, and it actually has a CD player — but that gave up the ghost a long, long time ago.

    You did amazing in this heat!

    1. That does sounds like a scary situation for you too! We had another Mustang a super long time ago which had a timing belt break. Yep, it stopped working right there and we were far from home. Luckily my husband was able to fix it at our apartment… after it was towed there by his friend! Good times.

  7. I would have been a stressed-out mess if that was me driving the car under those conditions! I’m a terribly nervous driver as it is, I don’t need any other factors complicating things, LOL. Wow, that’s great mileage, Lisa! I love the summer heat, but the humidity has been off the charts recently. My 2-mile recovery run, this morning, was crazy sticky and icky…and it was a “cool” 77F (but the humidity was 74%).

    1. I think the car situation was especially stressful because I wasn’t familiar with the controls. They are so different from my vehicle and the hazard lights were in a super hard spot to find. I didn’t feel safe at all! That being said, I did drive it the next night because it’s a fun car. haha!

  8. Oh, man, that experience with your car sounds scary. Glad you got home safely! And I was stressed when my oil light came on an hour from home and I had to find a gas station that actually sold motor oil ….

    Great job with your training, even if the heat! Cooling off in your pool sounds amazing.

    1. Thanks! I’m glad to cross those runs off my training plan. Hopefully it’s making me stronger and more prepared for unexpected weather on race day!

  9. My heart was beating as you were telling the story about your car – how scary! Glad that you were able to pull over to the side of the road.

    You’re doing a great job with your training so far. I hope that the heat breaks soon!

  10. What a scary car story, well done for your presence of mind! I love that your plan tells you which runs you have to do no matter what, that’s very sensible and useful. We’ve got another heatwave so I’m certainly glad I’m not training for anything.

    1. The plan is from Another Mother Runner, so they want to make sure you can prioritize the runs and make sure you get the important ones done. They say to get a babysitter or put in a DVD for the kids. Just get it done! 😉

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