Training Recap - 02/08 through 02/14

Last week, I hit 33+ miles, so I wanted to be around 30 for this week. However with the 10k trail race on Sunday, I knew the weekend in running wouldn't be as much. Here's how it worked out:

30+ miles in six runs, including one trail (race)
1 legit strength session
1 extra core session
5 maintenance/Myrtl sessions

ETA: I checked my heart rate six mornings out of seven last week. I averaged 65.5. I would really like to see that drop to the low 60s. Beer consumption affects it (two versus three beers seems to be the line).

Pretty successful week, actually.

Monday: 4.82 miles in 1 hour (136 avg HR) + 20min strength & maintenance

It's weird: I was looking forward to running easy all day, but once it was time to run, I just wasn't feeling it. After 1.5 miles, I stopped running altogether, but about a mile later, I felt ready to run again. I was at home, so I did some full-body strength-training after. I really need to get more serious about that.

Old pic of Rajah

Tuesday: 4.61 miles in 1 hour (dog running, 145 avg HR) + Myrtl
I took two dogs out in the snow last night, and we moved pretty well considering all the stops they like to do. (Those stops are convenient for me, too, because they keep my heart rate down. I think that's cheating, but that's my life.) One of the dogs is a husky mix, so she was loving the snow. Rajah is a senior pup (11 years old!), but you'd never know it with the way she likes to run. With the snow coming down, I felt like we should be in a commercial.

Wednesday: 4.5 miles (10:49 pace, 162 avg HR) + Myrtl
It was cold and snowy for last night's run. The paths weren't very clear, which is why my HR was so high even though the pace was so slow. Also I was really hoping to hit 20 miles in my runs Monday-Thursday, and being short of 5 miles on Monday-Wednesday makes me need to hit just over 6 for Thursday. We'll see - that's a long time to run on the treadmill at a dreadfully slow pace. I don't think I foam-rolled at all, but I did do my normal Myrtl routine. 

Thursday: 6.1 miles running (11:47 pace, 145 avg HR) with 0.3 miles walking to cool down + 15 minutes core & Myrtl

I ended up at the gym for this (stupid snow). I'm on track for 30 miles for the week so that's good. Because I spent over an hour running at the gym, I went home after, but I got in some core work and my Myrtls while watching tv.

Friday: rest

Saturday: 3.61 miles (12:28 pace, 147 avg HR)
Spent ~45 minutes on the treadmill before heading out for the day. Nothing much to speak of. My HR was a little high, so I had to keep dropping the pace and/or walking to stay under 150. I had three beers the night before, so I think that was to blame. 

Sunday: Dirty Love 10k trail race (12:19 official pace, 172 avg HR with 189 max) + Myrtl
I definitely need to recap this, but it went well -- mostly because I felt really good throughout the race. Negative split, passed a lot of people.

ETA: Here's the race recap for the Dirty Love 10k.

Training Recap - 02/01 through 02/07

It's February, so it's time for shit to get real. I'm still worried about my calf, but easy running and lots of maintenance should keep it in check. Big jump in mileage this week, although a lot of it was easy and/or dog running. I tried daily 10-minute strength sessions, and that doesn't work for me. After not doing anything on Friday's rest day, I just gave up. I'll go back to trying to do strength twice a week. No cross-training this week, and now that I'm running so very easy most of the time, I'm guessing XT won't happen.

6 runs in 6 days (4.5trail)
33+ miles
155 average heart rate, 179 max heart rate
65 average resting heart rate
4 strength (short sessions)
0 XT
5 maintenance (foam-rolling, stretching, Myrtl)

Sunday's trail run at Plateau Trail

Monday: 5.24 miles in 1 hour (11:27 pace, 146 avg HR) + 10-15 min of strength (lower) & maintenance
I headed home after work and just hopped on the treadmill for an hour, still doing that low HR thing. I watched some Buffy while running, and by the end, I had to drop the pace horrifyingly low to keep my HR from being too high. Trust the process, trust the process.

I'm aiming for at least 10 minutes of strength work per day, so Monday was lower body (squats, one-legged squats, Myrtls, etc.).

Tuesday: 5.25 miles (dog running, 143 avg HR) + 10-15 min of strength (core, upper) & maintenance
I took three dogs out: Minnie, Buddy and Carlita. All of them were easy-going joys! Young Minnie continues her recovery from surgery, Buddy is young and Carlita is older. <3

Wednesday: 5 miles (9:41 average w/ middle 3 at 9:10, 172 avg HR) + 10-15 min of strength (lower) & maintenance
Group run night! Except I decided to pick up the pace at the 2-mile turnaround so I ran 2 miles solo and then Aaron joined me for a cooldown mile. I ran my fastest mile of the year so far: 8:29. Max HR was 189. Felt pretty good.

Thursday: 4.25 miles (dog running, 146 avg HR) + 10 min of strength (upper)
Another dog running night! No one new, but two dogs who needed to go out. Bernice (my little project) and Karma are both in the back, and I think it's hard on them. They both pulled more than usual, so there must have been something in the air.

Friday: rest

Saturday: 9 miles (Hadd test, 1:45, 160 avg HR) + maintenance
See this post for details of the Hadd test, but a lot of this run was VERY slow because it was based on heart rate. I felt good, though, and I'm looking forward to repeating the workout in six weeks. Also it's kind of fun not worrying about pace at all, just going by HR.

Sunday: 4.5 miles (trail, 163 avg HR) + foam-rolling
Beautiful morning for a trail run! I felt pretty good too. There's something to this slow running.

Upcoming week:

Monday: 45-60 minutes easy + strength
Tuesday: dog running (may switch w/ Thursday)
Wednesday: 5-6 miles (speed)
Thursday: 45-60 minutes easy + strength (could always be dogs)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 3-4 miles easy
Sunday: 10k trail race

January Recap

(Oops - never finished this so I never published it.)

Given the weird calf issues and general out-of-shapeness, January turned out okay:

Walk/Run	Run	Avg Run	Runs	Trail	Dog
110.61	109.61	4.38	25	4	4

Fast Mile	Speed	Avg Pace	Time	per day
0:08:49	2	0:11:26	24:16:02	0:46:58

Races	Strength	Bike	Ellip	Rest
1*	6	2	2	4

I also started doing more heart rate training, so I'm not even going to really look at my overall pace. I've slowed WAY down (which is fine and to be expected), but it will be useful as HR training progresses, right?

I've also started tracking my average resting heart rate (first thing in the morning, before getting up). I only have four days in January, and the average was 64.5.

Heart Rate
Avg	Max	Rest	Aerobic	Too High
156	175	64.5	13	13

* The only race I did in January was the Dirty Snowflake Prediction Run where I finished third.

Training Recap - 01/25 through 01/31

Last week of January! Because of everything going on this week, the goal was 6 runs for mileage in the mid 20s plus one strength session and lots of foam-rolling/stretching/Myrtls. I also planned to start heart rate training and to check my resting heart rate first thing in the morning. The initial plan is to keep my heart rate under 150 for every run except for the Wednesday group run (knowing that it's dark and I don't want to run alone). How did I do?

6 runs in 5 days (0 trail)
26+ miles
148 average heart rate, 166 max heart rate
1 strength
0 XT
4 maintenance (foam-rolling, stretching, Myrtl)
1 massage

Monday: 3.79 miles (11:52 pace, 150 avg HR) + strength + maintenance
Despite the nice 40+ temps and clear skies, I headed to the gym. Training by heart rate means everything takes way longer. I walked first and then started slowly jogging, and I still had to take a walk break or two to keep my heart rate under 150. Frustrating.

Tuesday: 4.95 miles (dog running, 147 avg HR) + maintenance
I ran three dogs: Minnie for almost two miles, Bernice for over two miles and Sandy for the remainder. Luckily the dogs like to take breaks, which made it easier to keep my heart rate under 150.

Wednesday: 5 miles (9:49 pace, 172 avg HR) + maintenance
I knew I'd be out of my heart rate zone for this run because I was running with the group. I didn't want to run solo! Despite the high HR, I felt fine. Calves were tight, but not painful.

Thursday: massage
I had hoped to get up and run easy before work, but sleep won out. I was tired. After work, I got a massage. I don't think I require as much work right now, so my next one is in 4 weeks. I may move to 6 weeks after that.

Friday: 5.07 miles (11:50 pace, 145 avg HR) + maintenance
             + 2.14 miles (11:41, 142 avg HR)
The benefit of the treadmill is that it's easier to watch my pace. I ran an hour before work while watching Gilmore Girls and just kept it nice and easy. After the first mile, I didn't change the speed on the TM, but I did hop off to grab a drink, which is why there are variations in the splits.

M1: 12:05, 136 HR
M2: 11:42, 144 HR
M3: 11:44, 146 HR
M4: 11:55, 148 HR
M5: 11:46, 149 HR
(.07: 11:45, 154 HR)

Since my HR didn't go over target until the very last bit, I guess the hour was just right. It'll be interesting to compare similar workouts. Also, my cadence is too slow on these slow, easy runs, so I need to work on that.

After work, I spent 2+ miles on the treadmill testing out my new Newton Gravity shoes.

Saturday: off (Pittsburgh)

Sunday: 5.16 miles (dog running, 141 avg HR)
When we got back from Pittsburgh, we headed over to the shelter. I actually ended up taking out the same three dogs as earlier in the week. My heart rate shot up over 190 when a loose dog charged me and Bernice, but I recovered quickly :)

Upcoming week:
It's time to get serious. I have done all I can to verify that I don't have a stress fracture, I'm doing lots of maintenance to keep the calves in check and I'm running mostly easy. It's time to build up the distance again so I can run all of my races! 27 to 32 miles with two strength-training sessions. I may have to start doing morning workouts to get in two strength. Ugh. All runs but Wednesday and Saturday should be under 150 HR; not sure how I'm going to handle Sunday's run because trail runs typically get my heart rate above target.

• Monday: 3- to 5-mile easy run or XT + strength
• Tuesday: 3- to 5-mile dog run or easy run
• Wednesday: 5-mile group run (maybe 5 miles w/ 3 at pace?) 
• Thursday: 3- to 5-mile dog run or easy run + strength
• Friday: rest (possibly move strength to here?)
• Saturday: 9-mile Hadd test (5x1.5M w/ 1.5M cooldown)
• Sunday: 4-mile trail run

Training Recap - 01/18 to 01/24

I feel like my training was better when I had a plan, when I recapped the week and previewed the next week. I'm winging the plan these days (training myself, if you will, ala Brad Hudson's Run Faster from the 5k to the Marathon), but maybe I should put some more thought into it. Recapping and planning the week ahead will help.

I also bought myself a wrist-based heart rate monitor (Mio Link) that connects to my Garmin or my phone/iPad, so that should be some fun data to track. I've just been using it to track my HR during runs/workouts, but I think I'm going to start checking it first thing in the morning for a while.

The plan going into the week was to bump up my mileage a bit (from low 20s to mid 20s) and to do two strength-training sessions and probably one cross-training. As my calf is feeling better and I am upping my mileage, I'm guessing XT will fall again. I need to keep up with the strength though. Only goal for the first half of the year is to stay injury-free -- any "fast" races are bonuses.

I ended up with 27+ miles and two strength-training sessions (admittedly, however, the second one was much weaker than the first). No cross-training.

Monday: 3.25 TM miles | 10:46, easy | 146 avg HR | full-body strength
Gear: Saucony Mirage 5
I ran 3 miles slowly and walked a quarter-mile to fully cool down. I followed that up with about 25 minutes strength-training. I didn't do as much ab work as I should have, but I did stretch and foam-roll a bit; I also did my Myrtls.

Tuesday: 5 TM miles | 10:31, speed | 162 avg HR, 188 max
Gear: Saucony Kinvara 5, calf sleeves
Because of my cranky calf, I am easing into speed workouts. I warmed up for a mile, ran two miles at half-marathon pace (9:03), ran moderate for a quarter-mile (10:00), ran a quarter-mile "fast" (8:00), walked until my HR dropped, jogged until I hit 4.5 miles and then walked until I hit 5. I followed that up with some stretching, but I skipped my Myrtls and don't think I did any foam-rolling. I iced my calf while having a beer.

Wednesday: 4 miles | 10:08, pub run | 169 avg HR, 186 max
Gear: Saucony RunShield Kinvara 5, calf sleeves
Monthly pub run! We were a little group of four among the big group, and we just ran pretty easy (although my max heart rate indicates otherwise). I foam-rolled my legs when I got home, and they felt better.

Thursday: 4 miles | dog running | 150 avg HR, 174 max | strength
Gear: Saucony RunShield Kinvara 5, right calf sleeve
I had THE BEST dogs Thursday night. I started with Karma, a cattle dog/terrier mix, who is gentle and responsive. We easily ran 2 miles, and I only cut it short because of the cold. She got something (maybe salt?) in her back paw and had no problem with me removing it. Very sweet. Stops, pees and sniffs some. I followed up Karma with Minnie who is another mix. They say shepherd and Shiba Inu. Her ears look like a Corgis - so cute. She recently had surgery so she's on a strict exercise regimen and I was happy to help. She needed 20-25 minutes so we did another 2 miles. She likes to hold the leash. I followed up with about 20 minutes of at-home strength-training (lunges, pushups, etc.).

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles | trail | 12:36 pace | 169 avg HR, 185 max
Gear: Saucony Peregrine 5, calf sleeves
A group of us met Saturday morning to check out a new trail. Honestly I didn't feel great. I didn't drink a lot Friday night, but I also didn't eat a lot, nor did I drink enough water. We parked at the Wetmore trailhead, but crossed the street to do part of the Langes trail, finishing up on the Wetmore. Good loop that we can easily add on more mileage. My right calf felt mostly okay, and I stretched, rolled and did my Myrtls afterward.

Sunday: 6 miles | 10:19, easy | 164 avg HR, 175 max
Gear: Saucony RunShield Kinvara 5, calf sleeves
We met at the Towpath for six easy miles. I lagged behind the group some to keep my heart rate down. (Why is it always so high?! Starting to do more research.) I felt better than Saturday though.It was really cold initially, but it did warm up by the end. My right calf bothered me a little afterward, but nothing bed. Stretching seemed to help, although I did not do enough.

Upcoming week:
Things are tricky this week. I have a massage Thursday, and we're going to Pittsburgh for the weekend. I need to be a grown-up and get shit done despite other activities. Aiming for mid20s again, but realistically only one strength session. I should be able to fit in some ab work maybe, and at least foam-rolling uses my upper body!

• Monday: 3-6 miles - if at the gym, I'll add speed, strength and XT; if not, I'll do some at-home stuff while foam-rolling, stretching and Myrtling
• Tuesday: dog running so 3-5 miles with foam-rolling, stretching and Myrtling later
• Wednesday: group run so 5-6 miles probably, hopefully I'll at least Myrtl
• Thursday: 3 miles, easy (before work) + massage after work
• Friday: 6 miles, before work, hopefully I'll at least Myrtl and do some foam-rolling before going to work
• Saturday: rest
• Sunday: 3-5 miles, easy (or maybe trail in my neighborhood) plus foam-rolling, stretching and Myrtling

Thursday, Friday & Sunday are going to be the issue! I should probably try to front-load mileage as much as I can.

Training Recap - 11/16 through 11/22

Oh look - the last training log I started.

Monday: 4 miles, 42 minutes, NB 1400
Target: 30 minutes, easy

I met a friend for a dark run on the Bike & Hike. It was fine, although I wished I'd worn my light gloves. I didn't feel good, nor did I feel bad. I note that I really need to get my running back on track. It's the 16th and I hit 50 miles for the month (will I even hit a hundred?).

Tuesday: 3.5 miles, dog running, 55 minutes, Newton Fate
Target: off, XT or 30 minutes, easy

I had my sweet Puggle Penny again and then a cocker named Andy. Both are from puppy mills, very sweet and joggers, not runners. I should probably not hang out with Penny anymore seeing as how she climbed into my lap and I nearly took her home.

Wednesday: 5.75 miles, 56;30, Newton Distance
Target: cruise intervals for ~8-mile workout (6x1k + 3x200m strides)

We skipped the pub run so we could get home earlier and get stuff done before going to Asheville this weekend. Because of the unpredictable weather, we ended up running in Kent. It was fine, and I finished well. I am disappointed that I continue to not follow the plan and wonder if I should just ditch the idea altogether.

Sidenote: My Garmin has been giving me fits. It's just over 2 years old, and the charging contacts are really pitted. I've been working with Garmin Support, which sent me a new charger back in May. That didn't fix the problem. I'm still limping the watch along (replacement options are disappointing: another 610 for $99, which is fine, or 20% off another watch, but not the 230, 235 or 630, which is a shitty option). The upside is that I finally got my Timex Ironman OneGPS+ watch that I won a while back. I'll do a full review/comparison, but early indications are that it's not going to work for me long term (no accelerometer, have to do workouts ON THE WATCH, touchscreen doesn't work with gloves).

Training Recap - 11/09 through 11/15

I want to make these recaps more useful for me, so I'm going take a more analytical view of the week's training. Here we go!

What went well: My effort was on point this week. I had a little health issue and skipped my Tuesday run, and I think that was fine. Between the hill workout and the 5k, I did try to accomplish something. I'm also pleased with two dog runs!

What I can improve on: I need to do a better job preparing for a workout, and I also need to be more IN the range rather than on the low end of the range. I also need to balance the dog running better (more minutes and lower mileage are fine, they just need to be balanced by solid runs).

Daily Recap:
5 runs
21+ miles (target 24-28)
242 minutes (target 240-275)
0 strength
3 Myrtl

Monday: 4 miles, 56 minutes, dog running + Myrtl (Newton Fate)
Target: 30 minutes, easy
I ran two dogs Monday night: 1.65 miles with Danny who wasn't much of a runner and 2.35 miles with Herman who could be a great runner but is easily distracted right now. A yellow lab mix, Danny is a little portly and also very intent on marking EVERYTHING. Herman is a young Boxer with energy in spades. He's also super-sweet and knows how to sit.

Tuesday: unplanned rest
Target: 30 minutes, easy or XT (optional)
No one needs the details here, but it was fine for me to skip this run. Bummer though. Officially moved my hill workout to Wednesday.

Wednesday: 5.4 miles, 49:57, Saucony Kinvara 5 + Myrtl
Target: hill run (warmup, 6-8 repeats, cooldown)
The intent was to do a warmup then do six to eight repeats of a hill that would take me 60-75 seconds to run up (recover equal distance) and then do my cooldown. Well, where we ended up running initially seemed perfect, but the hill (a bridge actually) took me around 30 seconds to run. So I ended up doing 10 or 12 repeats of that hill (pretty quickly - the last one was at a 6-minute pace... of course it was only for like a tenth of a mile!). The cooldown was done with the group and was faster than ideal, but since I didn't actually perform the workout as designed, I had plenty left.

TL;DR: Didn't do workout as designed, but the effort was solid. Good first attempt.

Thursday: 2.5 miles, 48 minutes, dog running, Newton Fate
Target: 30 minutes, easy or XT (optional)
Good thing this was optional because I didn't really get "running" dogs Thursday! (This is where the optional runs/lower mileage of McMillan fits in well right now. If I'm going to follow Hansons again at a later date, my dog runs will have to be on days where I double.)

Friday: 6.1 miles, 60 minutes, New Balance 1400 + Myrtl
Target: 60-75 minutes, easy (usually my rest day, but wanted to save that for Saturday)
First run in my new shoes! It was super-windy and the middle miles were right into it.

Saturday: rest

Sunday: Hot Chocolate 5k, 28:11, Newton Distance III
Target: 5k race
I ran under a friend's bib, and she was corralled way farther back than I would have been. (We were BEHIND the 13-minute pacer, for example.) The race was crowded, tons of walkers (walking several abreast), people holding hands, etc. I am confident that I ran faster than a 9:05 pace, and I had a great kick. After a late bedtime and a terrible night's sleep, I'm happy with it.

Training Recap - 11/02 through 11/08

I started the week following an intermediate maintenance plan from McMillan, which had scheduled 330 to 420 minutes, easy. (I also joined the McMillan RunClub to test out the community, plans, etc.) The plan goes by minutes, while my mind still goes by miles -- it's weird, but I'm giving it a shot! On Thursday, I switched to a 5k plan (230 to 260 minutes). I'm guessing I will be above the minutes for the 5k plan, but that's okay. I wanted to switch it up, run less but also run harder.

Anyhow, to sum up the week: 5 runs for 22 miles and 230 minutes running. I did a little strength training (squats, core, push-ups) so that's a good thing. I'm disappointed in how Saturday's race went (I should be able to do that trail race at a 10-minute pace), and I'm disappointed that my volume was so low. However, maybe it's what I need.

Monday: 5.28 miles, 9:44 pace (52:00), Newton Fate + Myrtl + strength
Target: run 50-60 minutes (5k plan = 30 minutes)
I ran in a neighborhood by work, so I wasn't always 100% sure where I was. The intent was to run 50 minutes. I changed my watch to show current pace (but didn't look at it) and time, and I discovered that view is elapsed time (may need to make a view that is JUST time). I planned to run for 50 minutes and ended up stopping at 52 when I got back to the car. ANYHOW. It was dark and I hated that, but I was able to wear shorts and short-sleeves, so that was nice.

Tuesday: 4.2 miles, 10:07 pace (42:30), Saucony Kinvara 5 + Myrtl
Target: run 40-60 minutes (5k plan = off, XT or easy 30 minutes)
I met Aaron for a 40-minute run after work at the Bike & Hike. Completely dark, but again, I was able to wear shorts and short-sleeves. I felt generally okay, but lacked much desire to further. Negative split, at least.

Wednesday: 5 miles, 9:48 pace (49:05), Saucony Zealot blue
Target: run 60-75 minutes (group run) 
Aaron and I ended up skipping the group run on the Towpath and running in Kent. It was nice running with streetlights, and the temps were fantastic. Obviously I was supposed to run for at least an hour, but it's hard to feel that motivated during maintenance. We ran quickly, with a negative split. Of note: the blue Zealots are really feeling dead, and my right calf was okay without compression, although it was still noticeable.

Thursday: 3.3 miles, 40 minutes dog running + Myrtl + strength
Target: run 40-60 off, XT or easy 30 minutes
I had the joy of running with Harvey Dent, a young hound/Jack Russell mix. To me, he seemed like a giant JR. Good pup, cute, strong, lots of energy. We kept a good pace even with his frequent stopping to sniff. I stretched and foam-rolled when I got home and then followed up with squats, abs, and push-ups.

Note: On Thursday, I changed my McMillan plan from a maintenance plan to a 5k plan ending Sunday, Jan. 17, which is the date of the 4-mile Dirty Snowflake Prediction Run. I expect that I will run on the high end of the range here, but I figured this might be more motivating than the maintenance plan. After the race, I'll just jump into the 10k program for the Dirty Love or start the half-marathon program for Athens -- we'll see how they line up.

Friday: rest 

Saturday: 4.4 miles, 46:45 (10:38), Saucony Peregrine
Target: Munroe Falls Trail Race (4.4 miles)
→ should be long run, 90-105 50-60 minutes 
I'm pretty disappointed in this. Slower than the first race by about 40 seconds, and I have no idea why. I think I should have run a course PR. I feel like I'm broken.

Sunday: unplanned rest
Target: run 50-60 off, XT or easy 30 minutes
For several reasons, a run didn't happen today, but at least we raked leaves -- that's some activity at least.

Upcoming week: 

• Monday: 30 minutes, easy
• Tuesday: hill run (warmup, 6-8 repeats, cooldown)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes, easy (probably will go longer since it's group run night; also considering moving the hill workout to Wednesday)
• Thursday: 30 minutes, easy
• Friday: off
• Saturday: 60-75 minutes, easy
• Sunday: 5k

October Recap

So October was all over the place! I had a peak week, tapered, raced and recovered. I also started dog running weekly.

• 27 activities
• 131.24 miles in 24:17:02 (11:06 pace, which is great considering the walking and dog running; pace was 10:21 if you take those out)
• 5 dog runs
• 5 walks
• 19 Myrtl routine
• 2 strength
• 8 rest days
• 4 trail runs
• 2 races (Munroe Falls, Columbus HM)
• 2 speed sessions (5x1M, 3-mile time trial)
• Highest mileage week: 49 miles
• Lowest mileage week: 13 miles

I'm also well on track to hit 1500 miles for 2015.

Training Recap - 10/26 through 11/01

Week 2 without a plan, enjoying running shorter right now. Initially I kept up with the Myrtls, but other strengthening fell by the wayside. I ran just over 26 miles, which is perfect.

Monday: 4 miles on trails, 11:05 pace, Saucony Kinvara 5 + Myrtl + Core
Is it possible that I'm still not recovered from that 18-week training and the half-marathon? I guess so. On Saturday's run, I felt like the effort was too high for the temps and the pace, and I felt similarly Monday night. Usually when I do this loop, I run for an hour and do whatever within that hour. I decided to cut it short when I hit 4 near the trailhead. Effort seemed too high for what I was running.

Afterward, I made sure to do my Myrtl exercises and some planks, and I'm calling that core work. Baby steps.

Tuesday: 3 miles dog running! Saucony Zealot (blue) + Myrtl
I took out a lovely little 3-year-old Pomeranian/Sheltie mix on Tuesday night. We covered just over 3 miles in 40 minutes. While there were plenty of stops (he pooped three times and peed more than that), we were going at a nice clip. He's a sweet dog who kept looking back for me, likes to jump and spin and really just wants to hang out. It was fun. Later that night, I did my Myrtls and some light stretching.

Wednesday: 5 miles, 10:08 pace, Saucony Kinvara 5 + Myrtl
I really am going to be sad when these 5s are done. Wednesday group run was an easy-paced 5-miler. I'm still feeling tired. Negative-split the first and second half, but the third mile (with the turnaround) ruined a complete negative split (and at 10:22, is what put the pace over 10).

Thursday: birthday! 3 miles, 8:53 pace, Newton Distance III + Myrtl
We had dinner plans, so I only had time for a few miles. As I was running, I decided to consider this as a time trial in preparation for Home Run for the Homeless. Negative splits (9:12, 8:57, 8:29). I know I just posted about a plan for Home Run, but I'm looking at a very structured 2016 and I'm thinking less structure might be better. The idea is to push the pace weekly on a short 3-miler.

Also, these are a new pair of Distance IIIs. They're 8.5s and they're perfect. I loved my old pair, but they were just slightly too small.

Friday: rest
I thought about doing something, but we need to get the house ready for visitors. Plus, Fridays off are my jam.

Saturday: 8 miles, 9:57 pace, Saucony Kinvara 5
I ran by feel and eased into the run. I backed off and let my friends run ahead because I didn't want to be faster than a 10-minute pace. Second half done without looking at my watch was faster than the first, so that's always nice. Finished strong

Sunday: 3.1 miles, dog running with Tag, Saucony Zealot blue
Gorgeous fall day so after I got done with work (baby fair), Aaron and I headed to the shelter to get in a few miles. I had Tag who was pretty great. Sweet and energetic. I think these Zealots are getting close to retirement.

Upcoming week:
Not sure what the plan is going to be. I'm roughly following a McMillan intermediate maintenance plan until half-marathon training starts up again in January. In the early part of the maintenance plan, the runs are all easy; then we move into a couple of workouts per week. I, however, would still like to include a hard 3-miler each week to test progress, although Saturday's race might be my effort run for the week.

McMillan is a mindshift since the plan uses minutes instead of mileage, and obviously I think in terms of miles (I'd like to hit 30 miles this week.) I'm going to give it a shot, though. I joined the McMillan RunClub to test it out. The plans are nice, and there looks to be a really strong community establishing. (That would have been really helpful with Hansons; they should add something like that.) The weather looks good this week, so I don't expect I'll make it back to the gym even with it being dark after work. In any case, back to six days a week!

• Monday: run 50-60 minutes
• Tuesday: run 40-60 minutes
• Wednesday: run 60-75 minutes (group run)
• Thursday: run 40-60 minutes (dog run)
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: Munroe Falls Trail Race (4.4 miles)
  -->should be long run, 90-105 minutes
• Sunday: run 50-60 minutes

Training Recap - 10/19 through 10/25

This was a recovery week, so there really wasn't much going on. I have the Home Run for the Homeless 4-mile race on Thanksgiving, and I would like to do well on it. For that to happen, I need to recover this week (and probably next).

(I also have the second Munroe Falls trail race on Nov. 7, and I hope I will do better than the first one since I didn't push too hard then.)

• Mileage: 13
• Strength: 1
• Stretching/Myrtl: 5

Monday: rest
I skipped the Myrtl routine after the race (and the shakeout run, I think), but when I got home from Columbus, I made sure to do some stretching, Myrtl routine and legs up the wall.

Tuesday: rest
It was weird not packing my backpack for a post-work run! I went home and made dinner (and did some meal prep as well). I also did some stretching, rolling and the Myrtl routine. My calves are still tight, and there is a pretty good knot in my left calf.

Wednesday: 3.65 miles, 10:22 pace, Saucony Mirage
First run back! If it hadn't been a pub run night, I would have waited until Thursday. Luckily I found some company to take it easy with me. It was a really nice night to run, so I'm glad I was able to get outside. My calves were super-tight, so I skipped the 5-mile route. Calves loosened up, and the giant knot seems to be gone.

Also of note: I wore my new Saucony Mirage 5 for the first time. I envision this being more of a long-run shoe, but I wanted to test it out. I don't normally run with any stability so I was a little apprehensive. It's a lightweight guidance shoe with a 4mm drop, and the posting didn't bother me at all. So far, so good.

Thursday: 2.15 miles running dogs, Saucony Zealot (blue)
We took out two 10-month-old bulldog mix puppies, so "running" is subjective. It was definitely a jog/walk, which was perfect for me. (Calves generally felt okay, but my hips are still tight.) We wore those adorable pups out though! I can't imagine they'll be at the shelter for too long. When we left, one of these was meeting a family, so hopefully that worked out!

Friday: 2.15-mile lunchtime walk, Saucony Triumph
It was mid-50s and sunny, so I figured a lunchtime walk was in order. My right calf/lower hamstring was pulling, which nixed any thoughts of trying to run fast this weekend.

Saturday: 5.1 miles, 10:23 pace, Saucony Mirage + strength (!!!)
I slept in, which was glorious. It would have been a nice morning to join my friends for a trail run, but a) I wanted to sleep in and b) I didn't want to run fast. 5-ish miles around the neighborhood in some very light run followed by stretching and some actual strength work. Maybe I'll get back to it.

Sunday: rest
Another morning to sleep in! I shouldn't get used to this.

Upcoming week:
No plans, although I would like to get the mileage to around 20. I'm looking at a 5k on Saturday morning just to see how my legs move. I would also like to get in a strength session or two. Even a short one is better than nothing, right?

• Monday: easy run + strength
• Tuesday: dog running (maybe strength here if I didn't Monday)
• Wednesday: group run
• Thursday: off (but I could probably fit in a quick strength session)
• Friday: easy run 
• Saturday: easy run or 5k
• Sunday: off

Columbus Half-Marathon Race Recap

tl;dr version:

Time: 1:58:48
Official Pace: 9:04
Gear: all Saucony! Bullet capri, Transition Sportop, Kinvara 6

Leading up to the race:
In the week leading up to the race, I tried to get more sleep and eat a banana daily. I didn't drink more than two beers daily (that was pretty much what I did for the final two to three weeks), and I upped the carbs in the few days before the race. I actually ate the most Friday and ate more normally Saturday. I also had two Gatorades on Saturday and probably had some Nuun as well.

I was decently rested, well-fed and properly hydrated.

The morning of the race:
Most of our group was staying in the same hotel. We planned to meet in the hotel lobby at 6:20 so that we'd have enough time to warm up before getting to our meeting spot (for those not at the hotel). I set my alarm for 5:20, although I was up quite often throughout the night. (Get up to pee, drink a little more water...) When my alarm went off, I checked my phone for a few minutes and finally got up. While drinking cherry lime Nuun (caffeinated), I ate about half of a Cinnamon Crunch bagel from Panera along with a banana.

I dressed in my planned outfit. With the temps not getting out of the 40s by the end, I nixed the idea of shorts, tank and arm warmers. I also wore an old pair of Saucony gloves with throwaway gloves on top. I had an old sweatshirt of Aaron's that I used as a throwaway along with a crappy knitted headband I made a few years ago.

We ended up running a little late so we didn't get in a mile warmup before meeting up with everyone else. But we were able to get everyone together so that was awesome. We made our way to our corral (most of us were in B, although a couple were in A).

Note: The Columbus Marathon is a pretty well-run event. Each corral had port-o-potties, and I found some extra gels. I had brought three gels with me and then I gave one away to a friend who'd forgotten hers. Finding the gels in the corral was nice because I was able to grab one and take it before the race (strawberry banana Gu - not my favorite, but got the job done).

The race itself:
Several of us planned to run the race under 2 hours, and for the first couple of miles, we were sort of together. I let two friends go ahead and stuck with a friend was running the full at the same pace. Another friend played pacer and ran with the marathoner through the first half. At one point, another friend came from behind and passed us. We let him go ahead. The three of us ran together for the first five miles or so. I pulled slightly ahead, but I was within sight so our unofficial pacer knew I was okay. (I figured the marathoner needed him more than I did. He could hold her back throughout the first half so she could run strong the second half.)

I felt good throughout the entire race. The pace felt comfortable, and I played it very conservatively. I took a gel around 4.5 or 5 (Roctane) and another around 10 (Roctane). I took water during most stops, and I took Gatorade once. I did actually skip two or three stops. The cool temps definitely helped make fueling and hydrating easy.

Mile splits:

Yes, my last mile was 8:22, which is a clear indication that I held back. At mile 11, I hit 1:40 and I knew I had the sub-2. I still held back and didn't let loose until the last mile. And that's just fine.

Final notes:

• Columbus is a great race, and I would like to do it again.
• Staying downtown where you can walk or easily get dropped off is a great idea (no parking or gridlock).
• Proper training and tapering really makes a difference. Eventually I'll do a post about Hansons. 
• I kept the auto-lap on my Garmin, but I changed the display so I only saw total elapsed time and current pace. I knew I would run the course long, but I didn't want to manually lap at every mile marker. This way, I stayed on track with pace and I could do the math at the mile markers to see if I was still on pace. 
• I could have gone faster, but I was afraid of blowing up. I'd never strung together that many miles and I wasn't confident that I would keep it together. 
• Post-run: back to the hotel to shower, lunch at Hofbrauhaus, then Land Grant Brewing, Rehab, Pies & Pints for dinner and Seventh Son for sleepy-pops.

Weekly Recap: Week 18 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

The last week! I will do a full review of the training program as well as a race recap later, but for now, the recap of the last week of training. Ended up with 33.5 miles and a new half-marathon PR!

Monday: 5.2 miles, trails and Bike & Hike, 60 minutes, Newton Fate
Target: 5 miles, easy
As mentioned, I'm getting bored with where I've been running. I knew you could access a 3-mile trail from the Bike & Hike, but I'd never done it. I figured it out. It's about a half-mile on the B&H, then 3 miles on trails and then I decided to finish up the run with whatever I got in 60 minutes. It was nice. I'm curious about running for time.

Tuesday: 5.3 miles, trails and Bike & Hike, 60 minutes, Saucony Zealot (blue)
Target: 5 miles, easy
I liked Monday's run so much that I did it again! Same deal, ran for an hour, but I had a little more pep in my step, particularly on the trails. Although I feel fine, no more trails until after the race.

Wednesday: 4 miles, 9:50 pace, Saucony Kinvara 6
Target: 5 miles, easy
I'm purposely cutting mileage now so that I'm well-rested for Sunday. It was kind of nice to not run for an hour!

Thursday: Dog running! 3.5 miles, Saucony Zealot (blue)
Target: 6 miles, easy
I took out Bernice, a year-old pit mix, for about 40 minutes. We covered 3.5 miles and negative-split the run. She was great -- pretty much willing to go whatever pace I wanted, it seemed. Well, until she saw a squirrel. I guess she's not compatible with cats.

Friday: rest
Spending the day eating carbs and hydrating, which isn't much different than any other day. I am eating more though (I ate an orange-cranberry muffin for breakfast*, which is weird; also, how does anyone convince themselves that muffins are better for you than doughnuts? Totally dessert for breakfast.).

Saturday: 2.25 miles in 24 minutes, Saucony Zealot (blue)
Target: 3 miles, shakeout
Just a little shakeout run.

Sunday: 13.1 miles in 1:58:48, Saucony Kinvara 6 (final run - left 'em in Cbus)
Target: 15.1 miles, race w/ 1m warmup & cooldown
Goal accomplished! Recap later.

Upcoming week: No plan!

* Every time I type "breakfast," I type "breast" first.

Weekly Recap: Week 17 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

I've never tapered more than a week for a half-marathon, but I've never done a training cycle this intense. Hansons advocates a 10-day taper actually. The schedule had 44 miles for this week, but going into the week, I knew I was going to cut that just a bit. In fact, the week actually got away from me. On Sunday, I took my first (only) unscheduled rest day of this training cycle.

Walking Mileage: 4.2 miles
Running Mileage: 30.3 miles

So I'm getting my rest!

Monday: 9 miles with 5x1M repeats at 8:37, Saucony Kinvara 6
Target: 6x1M repeats at 5k-10k pace
I decided to start reducing the mileage a bit, so I started with this workout. I probably should have pushed through for the last repeat, but I took off too fast and struggled to complete the fifth one. I was off-pace for the last one (8:50), but I'm not going to stress. Also, I should have chosen a different location or had a better plan. I ran on a section of the Bike & Hike that's only about 3 miles long and even that 3 miles includes crossing a rather busy road. I need something longer for workouts like this.

In shoe news, I'm now considering running the race in the 6s,

Tuesday: 2-mile walk at lunch, 6 miles, easy after work
Target: 7 miles, easy 
With the cooler weather and lighter running schedule, I've taken to walking during lunch. I look silly (like a 1980s working girl with my dress and running shoes), but it's nice to get outside for 30 minutes or so. After work, I headed to the Bike & Hike near work and mostly ran in the neighborhoods connected to it. I needed a change of scenery.

Wednesday: 8 miles with 5 at 9:05 pace, Saucony Kinvara 6
Target: 8 miles with 5 at HM pace 
While accomplished to spec, this workout didn't go as well as hoped. Because I wasn't feeling well, I didn't eat beforehand, and I never replaced the gel in my handheld that I used Monday -- so I was hungry. But this run officially ushered in the taper, and for that, I am grateful. I wasn't feeling that well and was a little under-hydrated.

Thursday: 2-mile walk at lunch, 2.5-miles dog running, Newton Fate
Target; 6 miles, easy 
Another instance of purposely lowering mileage. It's hard to get too much mileage with the dogs, but it is a workout! Probably more of a workout than I should have done, but it's fun. We spent some time working with a pit bull who is afraid of strangers; then we took out the same girls we had last week. They were full of the energy and good times. Firmly in taper mode now.

Friday: rest 

Saturday: 4.4-mile trail race, 10:30 pace, Saucony Peregrine
Target: 8 miles, easy 
I did this race knowing full well that my weekend mileage would be lower than normal. I wasn't sure if I'd do any mileage beforehand, and well, when I don't commit to something like that, it's not likely to happen. The weather was perfect, but my intention was not to run my hardest and I didn't. It was fun, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Sunday: unplanned rest
Target: 5 miles, easy
Saturday night, we had a party up in Cleveland. I didn't overindulge, but we didn't get home until after midnight. On Sunday, we needed to be out of the house around 8am to go get my birthday present (!!!). I'd planned to get in some running beforehand, but that didn't happen. I was exhausted.

Upcoming week:
I will probably reduce this mileage a little bit and maybe throw in a few pace miles. I do want to get in some dog running this week as well.

• Monday: 5 miles, easy
• Tuesday: 5 miles, easy
• Wednesday: 5 miles, easy
• Thursday: 6 miles, easy
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 3 miles, shakeout
• Sunday: 15.1 miles, race

Weekly Recap: Week 16 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

With three weeks to go, this is kind of a peak week (although it's similar to the last peak week that kicked my ass; at least I don't have to do speedwork, just the pace run this time). I'm trying to focus on rest and recovery as best I can.

I ended up with roughly 49 miles (50 scheduled) and a few of those were walks. I had about 45 running miles. Whatever - my goal was to hit my pace run and my long run, and I accomplished both of those. Thrilled with that. 

Monday: 8 miles, 10:34 pace, Saucony Kinvara 6

Target: 5 miles, easy

Nice and easy. Plus, a little longer since I knew I wasn't do the SOS workout this week.

Tuesday: 3.6 TM miles before work, 11:40 pace, Newton Fate

Target: 10 miles with 4x1.5

I had after-work plans (dog running orientation!), so I wanted to get in what I could beforehand. It was raining and there was a recent sexual assault in my neighborhood (that happened at 6:45 am), so I just hopped on the treadmill for an episode of Buffy. I had hoped to get in a couple of miles after work with a dog at the shelter, but orientation went too long. Soon though!

Wednesday: 10 miles with 7 at 8:48 pace, Saucony Kinvara 5

Target: 5 miles, easy

FINALLY. I had a good pace run. The rest and the temps combined, and I was able to run pretty well. My slowest mile was 9:00 flat, and I didn't feel like I was dying. I took a gel about halfway through. In fact, my overall pace was 9:15 or so, my warmup and cooldown miles were quicker than usual, and I could have kept up the pace longer. This was a confidence-building run that was desperately needed.

Thursday: 1.4-mile walk at lunch, 2.25-mile run after work

Target: 10 miles with 7 at HM pace

Apparently I don't follow my training plan anymore. This should have been a 5-mile easy run, but when you're running dogs, you do what you can. We just started volunteering at a local pet rescue, and it's so fun. Expect more dogs!

Friday: 2.5-mile walk, Saucony Triumph

I wanted to run 3-4 miles before work, but I was so tired. It's more important for me this week to hit the key workouts rather than the specified mileage.

Saturday: 15 miles, 10:22 pace, Newton Fate

Target: 14 miles, long

The weather was atrocious (low 40s, rain), but the run went well. I met a couple of friends for two miles before meeting the group (which wasn't there - lots of bailing due to the weather). Then I ran 13. I added a mile to up my overall mileage for the week. Negative splits (first 7 at 10:44, last 8 at 10:04), and I felt decent. Gels at 5 and 10. I had a Clif Recovery drink waiting in the car, so I drank that on the way home.

Sunday: 6 miles, 10:15 pace, Saucony Kinvara 6

Target: 6 miles, easy 
The weather was much better for Sunday's run. 6 easy miles felt pretty good.

Upcoming week:
Officially in the home stretch. Scheduled mileage is 44, but I might take it a little lower than that. Plus, there will be a dog-running day in there, so that will affect my mileage. On Saturday, I have a 4.4-mile trail race, so I might do a few miles beforehand for my long run. Alternatively I may run 8 on Sunday.

• Monday: 6x1M repeats 
• Tuesday: 7 miles, easy
• Wednesday: 8 miles with 5 at HM pace
• Thursday: 6 miles, easy
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 8 miles, easy
• Sunday: 5 miles, easy

Weekly Recap: Week 15 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

This week turned into a recovery week, and that's probably okay. I think I was supposed to run 48 miles, and I ended up with 44.5 or so (notice all of those missed targets!). This was my week to reset. I felt really, really tired and beat up.

Monday: 8 miles, easy (10:50 pace), Saucony Kinvara 6
Target: 10 miles with 3x2M at 10k pace
I went into this run knowing that I might not be ready to do the workout. After the warmup -- where my both of my calves were hurting -- I tried the first repeat. I went about a quarter-mile and then killed the workout. I figured I could try again on Tuesday. Otherwise, the weather was great and my calves eventually loosened up. But man, the body is hurting right now.

Tuesday: 8 miles with 2-miles at 8:43, .5 mile at 8:46, 1 mile at 8:56, Saucony Kinvara 5
Target: 7 miles, easy
I suspected that the speedwork wouldn't go well, so I don't know if it was a self-fulfilling prophesy or if I was really tired. I started the second repeat and just felt like I couldn't do it -- so I quit. I figured I would run easy and then do a pace mile and then call it. No more speedwork this week. I need to take it easy.

Wednesday: 8 miles, 10:34 pace, Saucony Zealot (pink)
Target: 10 miles with 7 at HM pace
After Monday and Tuesday, I decided that I would just run easy Wednesday and Thursday and try to run Saturday's run at pace. My Hansons coach told me to just run easy until Oct. 1 when we'll return to workouts, so I guess Saturday's run will just be at my typical long run pace. I should end up close on my prescribed distance. For Wednesday's run, I hit the Bike & Hike and some of the neighborhoods. Apparently there must be a rule that you are required to buy a house WAY TOO BIG for you and your family.

Thursday: 5 miles, 13:00 pace, Saucony Zealot (blue)
Target: 6 miles, easy
For my fourth solo run of the week, I ended up running from home because I couldn't bear to run near work again. I thought I'd do 8 and then just decided to do whatever. I ran the long way to the park, 3 miles on trails and then home. I walked a lot.

Friday: rest
Target: rest

Saturday: 10.35 miles, 10:03 pace (negative splits/progression run), Saucony Zealot (pink)
Target: 10 miles, long
We were in Columbus for our scooter club's annual rally, so I didn't get much sleep Friday night. Regardless, Aaron and I were up and out the door before 8 for a run. We took the long way to the Olentangy trail. I ran about 5.5 with Aaron and then the last bit solo. I felt pretty decent (for the first time in forever) and finished strong with the last mile under 9.

Sunday: 5 miles, 11:50 pace, Newton Fate
Target: 5 miles, easy
I definitely was tired yesterday evening when I went out to get in this run. Again, I ran locally with about 3 miles on trails. I felt okay, just tired (better than last Thursday). 

Upcoming week: 
Peak week (which is actually kind of repeating the week before last) is upon us! Below is the schedule, but Coach Katie says no workouts until Oct. 1 (although I might switch Wednesday and Thursday).

• Monday: 5 miles, easy
• Tuesday: 10 miles with 4x1.5
• Wednesday: 5 miles, easy
• Thursday: 10 miles with 7 at HM pace
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 14 miles, long
• Sunday: 6 miles, easy 

Weekly Recap: Week 14 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

This was the hardest week so far. Nearly 51 miles. I am generally tired, and my legs are fatigued (and sometimes actually sore). Just a few more weeks...

I really hope I hold up.

Monday: 5 miles, 10:22 pace, Newton Fate

Target: 5, easy
I mentioned earlier that I was sick of out-and-back routes, but sometimes I just can't figure out where else to run. I don't like running in my neighborhood, so I just hit the Bike & Hike near work. Not much to say about the run. I felt okay and had negative splits (starting 10:40, ending with 9:47). My legs are starting to feel like they're breaking down. I've been reading how ice inhibits your body's ability to adapt to the stress of training, but ice baths are starting to sound like a good idea.

Tuesday: 10 miles with two sets of 3 miles at 8:50 and 9:17, Saucony Kinvara 5

Target: 10 miles with 2x3M repeats at 8:45
Well, that was disappointing. I don't exactly know why I failed, but I did. Previously I decided 8:50 for the first set and 8:45 for the second. I ran with a friend, and that helped. I struggled to hit the first set and then couldn't even maintain half-marathon goal pace for the second, which is VERY discouraging. I'm not going to stress about it because I knew this would be a tough workout. I probably got in my head a bit. Honestly, this week's pace run is WAY more important.

Wednesday: 5 miles, 10:00 pace, demo Mizuno Sayanaro 3

Target: 5, easy
The 10-minute pace is a little misleading as this was during the monthly pub run, and there was a lot of stop-and-go. I am really starting to enjoy the easy miles. I demo'd a pair of Sayanaros, and I wasn't a fan. The shoe was kind of hot, I didn't like the fit and it was like there was too much heel and not enough forefoot cushioning. I'm still vaguely interested in the 2, but there's no point in that.

Thursday: 10 miles with 7 at 9:11, Saucony Kinvara 5

Target: 10 miles with 7 at 9:09
I don't even care that I was off-pace! I've had three 6-mile pace runs, and I've hit exactly one of 'em, so to do 7 close to pace is a win. I had plans to meet a friend for part of his run, and he met up with me on the last half-mile of my pace miles (and I was struggling and way off pace). Of the 7 miles, two were off-pace -- 9:19 and 9:21 -- so pretty bad, but I'm not going to let it get me down. After work, 80+ degrees and sleepy... And dare I say I'm looking forward to trying again?

Friday: rest
I was looking forward to this day all week.

Saturday: 14.1 miles, 11:05 pace, Saucony Zealot (pink)

Target: 14 miles
My legs are just BEAT. My first 4 miles were solo and rough. I met up with the group and I only had to run about a mile solo. THANK GOD. This was a struggle, although the last 5 miles were at least under 11-minute pace at least. I had a Clif recovery drink (made with coffee and almond milk) waiting in the car, and then I took a sorta-ice bath when I got home (cold water and one sad single tray of ice) and then spent time stretching, rolling and Myrtl-ing.

Sunday: 6.75 miles, 11:07 pace, Newton Fate

Target: 6 miles, easy

Accidentally went long while trying a new route from the house. The ankle pain I've been having on-and-off is back, so I iced afterward with the Polar Cube (and also later in my normal way).

Upcoming week:

• Monday: 10 miles with 3x2M at 10k pace
• Tuesday: 7 miles, easy
• Wednesday: 10 miles with 7 at HM pace
• Thursday: 6 miles, easy
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 10 miles, long
• Sunday: 5 miles, easy

Weekly Recap: Week 13 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

I was supposed to be out of town Wednesday afternoon through Sunday, but the addition of Big Gray to the household has changed things. I'm pretty bummed, and I was definitely looking forward to running 10 miles in Chicago on Saturday morning.

I ended up with 47 miles, but I just don't feel great about this week. Struggling so much on Thursday's run overshadows Tuesday's relatively successful workout, I guess. One thing I'm noticing is how sick I am of out-and-back runs. I do a lot of runs on the Towpath and the Bike & Hike, especially workouts because I'm looking for some flatter territory, but man, I'm tiring of them.

Monday: 7 miles, 10:46 pace, Saucony Zealot (pink)
Target: 7 miles, easy
I ran with a friend for 5.5 easy miles and then finished up solo. I felt okay, if maybe a bit sluggish. I considered doing Tuesday's workout, but I was tired and no one else wanted to run that long.

Tuesday: 10 miles with 3 2M repeats averaging 8:36, Saucony Kinvara 5
Target: 10 miles with 3x2M at 10k pace with 800m jog rest
It was in the 90s again, so I planned to do the workout on the treadmill even though 10 miles on the treadmill is awful (plus, I think I'm more conservative when I run on the treadmill). I did the first two repeats without issue, but the possessed treadmill reappeared for the third repeat. Ultimately I went outside for the third repeat and the cooldown. Running fast in the neighborhood is such a pain. I'm pleased with this workout even with the issues. Post-run, I had some pain in my left inner upper ankle (is that a thing?). I iced.

Wednesday: 6 miles, 10:40 pace, Saucony Zealot (blue)
Target: 6 miles, easy
Not much to say about the weekly group run. Ran with a couple of guys, took it nice and easy. Toward the end of the run, I felt the same pain as Tuesday.

Thursday: 8 miles with 5 at 9:07 pace, Saucony Kinvara 6
Target: 9 miles with 6 at HM pace
I was supposed to meet a friend for this run, but he got caught in traffic. I struggled so much through the first 2.5 pace miles that I decided 5 pace miles was good enough. (It wasn't. I should have pushed through.) Because this run wasn't great, I'll be revamping Saturday's run. I wore a compression sock on my right foot, and I didn't have any pain. On the plus side, the first three miles were at a 9:09 average and the last two were at a 9:04.

Friday: rest

Saturday: 11 miles, 10:23 pace, Newton Fate
Target: 10 miles, easy
I added a mile to make up for Thursday, but that's the only thing I really did here, aside from trying out the Fates for a longer run. I had Aaron drop me off further down the Bike & Hike and then met up with him. There were thoughts of a progression run, but that didn't happen. I ran 4 solo, 6 with Aaron and then my last mile solo. I managed to drop the pace to 9:14 for the last mile at least.

Sunday: 5 miles, 10:13 pace, Saucony Triumph
Target: 5 miles, easy
Nothing to speak of here except that I had a lovely negative split. First mile was 11 and the last mile was 9:18. It was pretty chilly, so it took me awhile to warm up. I pulled out the Triumphs, and I'm still not sure about them. They have roughly 25 miles on them.

Upcoming Week (50 miles!):
Looks a little daunting. I made plans to do Tuesday's workout with a friend, so hopefully I can just follow her and get it done. Wednesday is a pub run, so that should be fun. I'm trying not to think too much about Thursday's pace run, but I do need to figure out where I should do that run.

• Monday: 5, easy
• Tuesday: 10 miles with 2x3M repeats at 8:45
• Wednesday: 5, easy
• Thursday: 10 miles with 7 at 9:09
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 14 miles
• Sunday: 6 miles, easy

Weekly Recap: Week 12 of Half-Marathon Training with Hansons

Another big week of training, but with this program, they're all big weeks. Cutback weeks and/or reductions in the long-run mileage still include workouts. The SmartCoach programs from Runners World have weeks built in that are all just easy runs. I've talked with others about our concerns with that (the cut seems too extreme), but I do see the benefits in a week of just easy runs -- could help with recovery (mental and physical).

ANYHOW, back to my week.

It got hot again, which led to treadmill runs and moving my pace miles to my long run. That was my idea that was fully backed by the Hansons coach who's working with me. I ended up with just over 49 miles, and I can't really say the week was all that successful.

Monday: 10 TM with 4 1.5-mile repeats (8:30, 8:36, 8:30, 8:29), Saucony Kinvara 6
Target: 10+ miles with 4x1.5M repeats at 10k pace with 800m jog recovery
The run should have been 11 miles, but I cut the warmup and cooldown to 1 mile each because 11 miles on the treadmill just seemed crazy. (If I'd known I was going to be .68 miles from reaching 200 miles in August, I would have added on here.) High 80s are back, so I opted to do this run on the treadmill. My basement treadmill does not become obsessed unless you're adjusting the speed often, so the longer repeats worked just fine. I deliberately slowed own for the second repeat because I didn't think I'd be able to complete the workout with 1.5 miles at an 8:30 pace. Maybe I could have.

Tuesday: 5.15 miles in an hour, Saucony Zealots (blue)
Target: 5, easy 
To maximize the time before my next workout, I ran before work, which means there were fewer than 12 hours after finishing Monday's workout and doing this run. Oh well. Not much to say. I was tired, my right calf was a little cranky after Monday's run so I wore my calf sleeves. I really wish I felt more energetic on pre-work runs.

Wednesday: 9 miles, 11:07 pace, Saucony Zealots (pink)
Target: 9 miles, easy
--> originally supposed to be 9 miles with 6 at HM pace
I am so glad I decided to move the pace miles to Saturday's run. It was hot and humid, and clearly I struggled throughout the 9 miles. I was doing okay. I refilled my water and took a gel at the turnaround, and then on the way back, a couple of people stopped me for some directions. And after that, I couldn't stay going. Lots of stopping. I'm not sure why it went quite so poorly, but moving on.

Thursday: 5 TM miles, 11:56 pace, Saucony Zealots (blue)
Target: 5, easy 
To maximize my time Thursday night, I ran before work again. (That means I finished Wednesday's run at 7:45 pm and started Thursday's run at 5:45 am.) Not much to talk about. I started out walking and then slowly jogged. Legs are TIRED.

Friday: rest

Saturday: 14 miles with 5 at 9:11 pace, 10:14 pace overall, Saucony Kinvara 5
Target: 14 miles with 6 at 9:09 pace
--> originally supposed to be a simple 14-mile long run
I got to the trail before my friends so I got in 4 miles and then met up with the group who was doing 9. I thought I might be able to get one or two people to run the pace miles with me, but they all wanted to run easy. So I ran 2 with them and then moved into my pace miles. After the turnaround, I really started to struggle. I passed the group at its turnaround and my motivation practically vanished. After I hit finished the fifth pace mile, I started on the sixth and then just gave up. I stopped and waited for the group to catch up to me, and then I just ran it in. I'm disappointed in myself for not finishing the workout, but that was tough. I didn't hate throwing the pace miles in though.

Sunday: 6 miles, 11:45 pace, Newton Fate
Target: 6 miles, easy
Aaron and I just ran from the house because we had guests: 3 to the park, 2 on trails, 1 home. Not much to talk about here.

August Recap

I finished August .68 miles short of 200 miles. I kind of knew, but wasn't sure down the decimal how close I would be. I was tempted to add the .68 miles, but I was showered and it seems a little... crazy. I try to be relaxed about my training, but c'mon, I'm not. Stopping short of 200 miles is step.

Mileage: 199.32 (25% hard mileage, 75% easy/recovery mileage)
# of runs: 26 (2 on treadmill, no trails)
Average length: 7.67 miles
Average pace: 10:22
Races: 1 - Parkersburg Half-Marathon
Fastest mile: 8:34 at the end of a five-mile half-marathon pace set
Rest days: 4, none unscheduled

I ran my numbers in a pace calculator to see how August and July compared. August felt quicker, and it was! In July, I ran 170 miles at a 10:31 average. I'm pretty proud that I ran more miles at a faster pace. I'm still running LOTS of easy mileage, but the pace runs and "strength" runs (longer intervals) are going to help bring the overall pace down.

Looking at things like this is helpful. I tend to become discouraged, especially when I compare myself to other people ("Comparison is the thief of joy"). And I know it's silly. This is my training, my goals, my ability. But sometimes it's hard to accept that natural talent plays a role.

You know what else plays a role? Nutrition, sleep and rest. And strength. So there's plenty for me to work on!