The real step back and Hurricane Sandy

Two weeks ago (yeah, totally behind in blogging here) I took a step-back week. I asked a childhood runner friend of mine what is meant by a step back week. His response:  "my running mentor guy is hugely strong on every 3rd week being a step back when increasing your mileage, and every 4th week when training normally. Based on his advice I would suggest cutting about 20% from your program by reducing your long run, removing one effort session, and replacing another effort session with something shorter and sharper like 10 x 500m off 3:00 run at about 10kRP so you still get your speed fix without fatiguing your legs like longer reps do."

He also shared his training plan with me. Aaaaand then I spent 20 minutes with a headache trying to calculate what "krp" is in miles. 

Unfortunately I got his advice after I had finished my step back week. I decided I wanted to cut back on easy miles and just exert myself on the "key" workouts. It ended up looking like this:

October 22-28, 2012
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 60 mins elliptical intervals, core
Wednesday: Speed (8x800s at 6:27 on treadmill with 1% incline) - 7 miles total
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 60 mins elliptical intervals 
Saturday: 13 miles with last mile moderate (my Garmin died but I guess it was between 7:15-7:30) 
Sunday: 60 mins elliptical intervals + plyometrics

Total: 20 miles 

This week marked the beginning of cold weather in NYC, but not quite so cold as to warrant full winter gear. A tough (albeit very first world) apparel problem. I sat around whining one morning about how I had nothing to weeeeeeear.... until I remembered a jacket that I had bought for precisely this season. Lulu for the win:

Worked brilliantly. Kept me warm in the first few miles, but was sufficiently breathable that I didn't overheat later on. 

October 29-Nov 4, 2012
 Monday: 10 miles easy
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Speed (10x800s at 6:27 on treadmill with 1% incline) - 9 miles total (ran to and from the gym as subway was down)
Thursday: Elliptical - easy 45 mins + core
Friday: Tempo: 1 mile easy, 2x3 miles at 6:48 pace on treadmill with 1% incline, 1 mile easy
Saturday: Elliptical 60 mins + plyometrics
Sunday: 16 miles easy   

Total: 43 miles

Last week I tried to work my miles around Hurricane Sandy; I live in an elevated part of Manhattan in a pretty solid apartment building so we didn't expect to sustain much damage. Thankfully we did not, but my heart goes out to people who are STILL without power.  My husband was able to help out at some of the shelters and I have been buying up bread, peanut butter and jelly for our local soup kitchen. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to actually get people back into their homes and living their lives again. But with the intensity of the storm, I am at least thankful that more lives were not lost to it.  And it has been wonderful to see efforts of individuals to clean up the city and take care of each other. Only a few days ago, Riverside Park was still completely trashed (and closed to the public). On my long run Sunday, I was blown away by the number of people out in the park with garbage bags and rakes, cleaning it all up:

  
It doesn't even look like a storm came through! As much as I bag this city sometimes, I am completely astounded by its resilience and toughness.