Reflecting on April- Running, Strength, Life

For a month of quarantine, April seemed to go by pretty fast for me! I think my birthday month always does. It also signified one year since I left my full-time job and went back to school full-time (SCARY! EXCITING!). I had a BIG month of training with some of the best long runs I’ve ever had. I mixed in middle tempo miles on roads that weren’t flat and just pushed along at a steady pace. I stayed with it when runs felt like a slog and really tried to slow down on my recovery runs. I honestly still want to slow down more -> goal for the month of May.

I also still continued to do strength training generally 3 days a week and yoga 2-3 days a week. I’m really proud of continuing to both of these because my mileage jumped quite a bit this month from last (~30 miles). Normally when my mileage goes up = strength/stretching goes down.

I’m also proud that I was able to find some elevation to gain during my hilly recovery runs (over 1,000’ is pretty good when you don’t necessarily live in the mountains)- they’re actually one of my favorite days because it reminds me vaguely of being on the trails. All of our trails are closed here, so sadly exploring isn’t an option right now.

I celebrated my 30th birthday! Also weirdly since then I’ve been feeling achier than normal- is that what happens when you turn 30? IDK but oddly feeling no longer ‘like a Spring chicken everyday’.

I’ve got ~14 weeks left of classes before entering the “REAL WORLD” again full-time and am currently starting to apply for jobs. Right now, I’m really interested in working in an ICU-type of environment (also currently interested in becoming a CRNA someday)- so trying to figure out the best positions to help set me up for that later on. I’m also trying to decide on how far I want to travel for a job! It’s exciting/scary. Yup, just adding more fun into the whole pandemic situation over here ; )

I’ve also been loving a lot of Epsom Salt baths lately given that it’s been basically windy/rainy/cloudy for 30 days straight (or so it seems…)

I’d love to know how your month went! Anyone else feel like it went by really fast? What were some of your ‘silver linings’ in April?