Hello my friends! This was such a fun week of running–I ran a ton with friends and family and had some exciting adventures and experiences. Also! My big life news of the week is that WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!! Anyone who is local knows the Boston real estate market is bananas right now, so this was a huge deal for us and the result of literally years of research, scrimping, and saving. We’re moving just outside of the city, which is a little scary for me (I’m an urban girl) but I’m excited to explore my new town and of course have already researched the local running club 🙂 We don’t actually move for a week or two, but it’s super duper exciting to make it official.

Back to the week, I took Monday off and easy and then headed out for some solo speedwork Tuesday morning. This was a tough workout for me–I’ve been running with pacers at track, so I had a hard time regulating my paces. But I got it done and I know these are the workouts that make me mentally and physically stronger. Wednesday I went to an event for Global Running Day hosted by our local Lululemon store. It was set up like a silent disco–we all wore headphones and listened to a couple of yoga teachers leading a moving meditation while we ran loops along the Charles River. It was a little cult-like and weird to be in such a big group all in matching tank tops (they were free for the event) but a cool and different experience.

Thursday I set up a run and happy hour for Oiselle Volee teammates–we went on a 5 mile run and then had tacos and margs at a fun spot. We had a great turnout and an awesome night! I love these women, I always learn a lot from them and being a leader has been an honor and a blast. Friday I did some very necessary yoga before we met with our attorney for our official house closing–so, so many papers to sign.

Saturday was the big adventure of the week! My brother had noticed that the North Face Endurance Challenge MA race was offering half off for their marathon relay, so we jumped on it. The hubs, big bro, and a teammate trekked out to Wachusett Mountain, a local ski area, for a day of fun, sun, and dirt. The race was set up on a 6 mile loop pretty much straight up the mountain and back down again.

We had been warned that the course was very challenging and very, very technical–both of which proved to be true. Bib pickup was a breeze–we got bibs for each team member and an ankle tracker (nicknamed the “Martha Stuart” ;)) that we swapped off between legs. J took the first leg up the mountain, and the rest of us hopped onto the ski lift to see him about 45 minutes later at the summit. It was perfectly timed so that you could head up, see a teammate, and then meet them back down at the bottom.

When Jeremy got down we swapped out our tracker, handed off the handheld water bottle, and I took off up the trails! The run started out pretty easy–I held onto a cruising pace as I kept my eyes down for roots and rocks. The trails were super well-marked with colored tape for each race (there was also a trail marathon, a 50k, and a 50 miler–woof). The terrain quickly stopped being run-able and I took it hand over foot up some major rocky climbs, taking off at a jog again to wave to my teammates at the summit. The way down was a fair amount easier but there was a big rock scramble that I took fairly slow to avoid wrenching my ankles. I was mostly by myself, so I happily chatted with a fellow participant as the trail flattened back out and turned up a fire road towards the finish. I wrapped up feeling strong and happy to be done! There were some good snacks (fruit, rice krispie treats) along with free water bottles and medals. After I wrapped up J and I beelined it to the recovery tent to hang out in the Normatec boots–it was his first experience and he was smitten 🙂 There were also ice baths, which we left to the 50k and 50 mile finishers. I also loved that this was a “cupless” race–everyone got a lightweight collapsible cup to carry and fill at aid stations.

While the rest of our team finished, we grabbed some food in the ski lodge and chatted with the folks nearby. I even got to see a couple teammates who had completed the 50k–so impressive! All-in-all, it was a really awesome day. There were barely any all-female teams so hopefully my teammates and I can kick some butt in that category next year.

Sunday I wrapped the week with a 10 mile easy run with another teammate–it was lovely to catch up with her and shake the legs out. A super social, excellent week!

Weekly total: 30.7 miles

• Monday: off! Did my PT and core exercises.
• Tuesday: 15 x 1 minute at 6:45 pace, 6 miles total
• Wednesday: 3.5 meditative miles
• Thursday: 5 miles + strides with the Oiselle gang
• Friday: 90 minute yoga class
• Saturday: 6 trail race miles
• Sunday: 10 mile long run with Sarah

Linking up with The Weekly Wrap (hosted by Hoho Runs and Taking the Long Way Home).