Week five of Cleveland marathon training is complete! This included a nearly fallen off toe nail, a new running shirt and our first double digit training run! BUT I’m feeling good today, not too sore and my toenail is still (fingers crossed) intact!

This week called for Tuesday: 3. Wednesday: 5. Thursday: 3. Saturday: 10, for a total of 21 miles.

Monday: Rest day. I slept in and rested my knees and whole body, still sore from Saturday’s nine miles in the snow and wind.

Tuesday: 3.67 mi, PM indoors. Was really worried that this run would turn into the dreadmill nightmare that last Thursday had been. I had a 3 miler scheduled and B and I were going to run on the treadmill before our Valentine’s Dinner Date. For some reason, it was SO much better than last week! Watched Batman on the treadmill at the gym and did 30 minutes (3.22 mi) and then walked the rest to cool down.

Wednesday: 5.08 mi, PM outdoors, kept a sub-10 min mile pace. Such a great post-work run! Wonderful weather, new ellasport long-sleeved running shirt, and legs and toe felt great. One of those “Why can’t every day feel like this” runs.

Thursday: 3 mi, PM indoors after work. Yet ANOTHER miserable dreadmill run.  The whole time I just kept thinking, “This has to get better,” but it didn’t! What is it about indoor 3 mi dreadmill runs on Thursdays that are just unbearable?

Friday: Nothing! Slept in before work and then at night we hosted a few others training for the marathon for a pasta dinner, with homemade pasta (yes, B and I are loving our pasta maker!).

Saturday: 10 mi, outside at the metroparks. Ran with Brian and his sister and stopped off and got energy gels to keep us fueled pre-run. (Sidenote: Did you know if you join Second Sole’s texting club you get 2 free energy gels your first time in?)  The weather was so much nicer than last week’s long run, with temps in the 30s and windy (not perfect, but so much better!). I got to wear my new running shirt again and taped my toenail to my toe, in hopes it would stay put during the 10 miles of pounding. Kept it at about a 10 mile pace the entire time and even picked it up slightly at the end.

Sunday: Working – no I don’t have Monday off, so stop asking – from Starbucks, blogging, new church for Mass and no running!

I didn’t take any photos of anything besides my new running shirt this week – so I leave you with a dinner photo from Wednesday – chicken sausage, peppers and onions. Yum!