Diana.burkartwaco

I rode in the feed truck with Marlboro Man last week when the family was gathering cattle, and unfortunately for Marlboro Man (hahahaha. Ha?) I had no voice so we couldn’t talk.

But it was still nice to spend time together.

I like that fella.

 
 
 
It’s fun to watch the cattle. This one was ready to eat!

 
 
 
Actually, they were all ready to eat. And that’s the fun thing about riding in a feed truck this time of year: You drive out into a pasture in any sort of truck and you feel like the most popular person on the planet. You can’t keep the cows away!

 
 
 
They’ll follow you to the ends of the earth and back. The promise of food propels them forward.

The promise of food always propels me forward, too.

So I know exactly how they feel.

 
 
 
In the distance, you can see the others coming.

 
 
 
“If you drive a feed truck, they will come.”

 
 
 
Hey…there’s Bryce! I’d roll down the window, wave, and holler, “Hi, Bryce!”…

But it would sound like this “___ __________!”

So I just took pictures instead.

 
 
 
B-Man. He’s getting so big. So tall. So old.

But still dimpled.

Thank God.

 
 
 
Soon, all the cattle in this pasture had come from far and wide and were following the truck, the cowboys and kids pushing them from behind.

 
 
 
Then we drove through the gate that would lead to our house, and the cattle went right on through…like clockwork.

 
 
 
Clockwork may be boring in some areas of life, but on a cattle ranch, it’s always—always—something to be thankful for.

Happy Monday, friends!

I can’t believe I am already finished with my second week of marathon training. My marathon is going to be here before I know it! However, lets not get ahead of ourselves.

I had another great week of training. My body seemed to recover a bit better than it did the previous week, and I was able to hit both my workout and my tempo run. That is a sign of a good running week for me!

 

My long run went really awesome on Saturday. I woke up a little earlier in hopes of making sure to beat the rain, and besides a little mist it was a perfect day for a long run. Overcast, a slight mist, and in the high 60′s. During August in Virginia you don’t get much better than that.

I still need to work on pacing, but for the first time in a long time I went out on my long run without a course mapped out. I ran down various side roads, up and down a few back roads and just tried to avoid doing an out and back. It ended up making the run go by much quicker.

After my run I changed my top and headed out to find Wes along his 20 mile route to give him water. Thankfully he had a great run too which means a great start to Saturday for both of us.

I made sure to keep my PRO Compression socks on even after I was done to help my legs recover some. Even though I felt good I know how fatigued my legs can feel the day after a long run.

 

Here is a break down of my workouts for the week:

Monday (7/28)

6 easy miles

 

Tuesday (7/29)

1.5 mile warm up
5 x 1000 meters (400 meter recovery)
2 mile cool down

 

Wednesday (7/30)

7 easy miles

 

Thursday (7/31)

1/2 mile warm up
6 mile tempo run (7:54 average)
1/2 mile cool down

 

Friday (8/1)

Rest Day

 

Saturday (8/2)

12 mile long run

 

Sunday (8/3)

6 easy miles

 

What I’ve Learned This Week

Still Need to Work On Pacing

I did better this week but one of my prime focuses is pacing. Most runs went fine, but my long run this week still ended up being quicker than I was set to run. I averaged an 8:27 pace when my training pace called for around an 8:40. Not a huge difference, but with Hanson’s cumulative fatigue it is important that I stay as close to the set pace as I can. I don’t want a small difference in pace to affect a tough workout further down the road.

 

Foam Rolling

The foam roller has been my best friend this week. I had a really tight muscle deep in my glute I’ve been having to foam roll really good every day this week. It finally seems to be settling down, but I seriously don’t know what I would do without that thing!

 

 

Toughest Run

This is a tough one this week. I actually had a really great week overall when it came to training. I guess if I had to pick my hardest run it would be the easy run on Wednesday. I could feel the fatigue in my legs and there were a few parts that I remember being tough, however if that is the toughest run I have in a week then I am OK with that.

 

Best Run

I have to say that my best run this week was my tempo run on Thursday. It wasn’t easy by any means, but I felt very much improves from my first tempo run and felt strong almost the entire time.

 

Pro Compression

Finally, I am excited to announce that I have been chosen to be a 2014 PRO Compression ambassador! You all know my love of PRO Compression socks and so I am honored and privileged to be able to help represent this company!

If you haven’t already, you should head over and check out their website.

 

What was your best and toughest run this week?

How far along are you into your training?

The post Hanson’s Marathon Method Week 2 Recap appeared first on Loving on the Run.

Image:  Date of Post:  Thu, 2013-04-04

Choosing the right breed of chicken is a lot like dating. Well, not really, but there are serious matters of compatibility at stake and hundreds of breeds to choose from. Before making a commitment, take a moment to consider your “type.”