bring on may mileage!

Can we just pretend like the last week just never happened?!  Or maybe even the last month.  While there were definitely some awesome things that happened (hello, awesome half marathon time!), April really ended on sour note.  But, I'm thankfully feeling some closure and looking forward to a new month...May is definitely going to be an exciting month.  This is my last week of track, which includes THREE track meets - Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  And of course, Matt has track meets Wednesday and Friday.  We are for sure getting a date night on the schedule one day this month.  In addition, we only have 13 days left of school!  Thank goodness.  I don't think I've ever been more ready for a school year to be over than I am this year.  (I will say that the past week definitely did not help whatsoever.)  The next 2.5 weeks are going to be a challenge, but I'm hoping they go by fast and smoothly.On the running side of things, May marks the beginning of a new training plan.  I am so excited to be running Rock 'n' Roll Chicago for the second year in a row and having a weekend away with my hubby.  It's kind of like our yearly anniversary getaway now (although we plan on doing a real 2nd honeymoon for our 10 year anniversary next year).  This is definitely the year of the half marathon for me and I'm hoping RNRCHI goes much better than it did last summer.I also have two big running events in the next few weeks.  This coming Saturday, I am running the Cowbell Uncorked Relay with some friends!  I can't wait to share how it goes!  This will be my second relay (I ran the Mo'Cowbell Half relay with my brother a few years ago), but this one will definitely be different and super fun!And then I will be running a leg of the United Relay a few weeks later.  I'm getting more nervous about my leg because it starts at 3:30 AM.  Ugh.  How do you sleep in preparation for that?!  I'm thinking about taking a nap the afternoon before (it's my first day of summer break and Kenna + Matt will still be in school) and then staying up until 3:30 AM.  But, Matt has a track meet the next day so I'm not sure how well I will be functioning if I stay up all night.  It'll definitely be an interesting 10.5 mile run...So, this past week was my last week of my "off season" training and I start a new training schedule today.  I'm kind of excited about it as I am going to try to stick to the Unbreakable Runner half marathon plan.  I've talked about it in the past, but the more I read and researched, I feel like I should just give it a try.  I'm battling a few nagging aches and pains again, and if this claims to help keep me healthier and injury-free, why not try it for 11 weeks?  It doesn't have to be the way I train all the time (in fact, I just got a new half marathon book that will be one of my beach reads this summer).  I'm hoping that it will help build up my speed endurance a bit more so I can really start trying to hit that sub-1:30 half marathon goal.Because this was my last week of non-training, I decided to take the entire weekend off of running.  Well, it was storming Saturday morning and I think I'm dealing with some peroneal tendonitis in my left foot now.  Ugh, stupid tight calf muscles...  It was a much needed rest weekend though, so I have no regrets!Monday: 30 minute easy run (3.68 miles @ 8:09/mile)Tuesday:   30 minute easy run (3.80 miles @ 7:55/mile)4 rounds:Front Squats 10x, 45 lbsDeadlifts 15x, 45 lbsSitups 20xWednesday:  AMRAP in 15 minutes:Pushups 20xSitups 20xRun 200m(5 2/3 rounds - 0.63 miles)Thursday:  6 x 400m w/ 200m recoveries (3.42 miles @ 7:47/mile)Friday:  30 minute easy run (3.68 miles @ 8:09/mile)Thrusters 3x10, 45 lbsSaturday:  OFFSunday:  OFFTotal:  15.21 milesTotal Miles for April:  101.86 milesBring on May!  I'm so ready for a fresh start this month!