With week 7 complete, we’re half way through training for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how well training is going, even with a few bumps in the road. My long run is already longer than it was at this point last year, and I’m at the highest mileage during the first three months of the year than I can ever remember. It’s been a painful winter, but I think it will pay off.

Monday- 0

Tuesday-5 Miles

Wednesday- 5 Miles, 1 Mile, 5×800, .5 Mile

Thursday- 0

Friday- 0

Saturday- 1.5 Miles, 1 Hour Yoga

Sunday- 12.6 Miles

Total Miles- 24.1 Miles

Something I was excited to start this month was the new MCRR 30 day challenge. Last month were planks, but I could only make it so far without struggling. But I’m excited for this challenge…buns, guns and abs! Darren has also joined in, so suddenly it has become a competition.

Tuesday was spent on the indoor track, which I actually missed for once. It felt so good to be moving around, rather than staying on the treadmill. Mallory and I ran 5 easy miles, pushing the speedwork to Wednesday.

Wednesday I ran my 800’s at home on the treadmill. I was feeling a little feverish all day, so I was hoping to sweat it out. I pushed myself more than I normally do on this workout, and hopefully it will pay off.

Saturday I wanted to try something new, so I went to the local yoga studio for an hour of relaxation. I started with a 1.5 mile warm up run, and an hour of super warm yoga. It was a good class, but a little warmer than I was used to. I’m definitely interested in going back and trying a few other classes. I think getting back into yoga will help with my hips and hopefully keep me from getting injured.

Sunday I was finally able to do a long run outside. We went to Hinckley Reservation and were met with almost perfect road conditions. There were a few spots of ice, but with the temps between 25-35 degrees during our run, it was perfect!

We had a group of 5 and we kept a pretty steady pace. The 9 mile loop is full of hills of all sizes, and considering I hadn’t run anything with major hills for a while, I was a little nervous. I made it through and even tackled Effie without stopping, knowing the hardest part of the run was over at 6.5 miles in.

We finished up the 9 mile loop and dropped three runners off. Mallory and I hit the lake loop to get up to 12 for the day, dodging ice and conquering some smaller hills. I’m looking forward to warmer weather and hitting up the lower loop and trails without falling.

Even though our pace was slower than normal it was still great to get out there and get the miles in. I always feel like running Hinckley is more of a challenge than most places, but I also feel that I’ve pushed myself harder as well. I’m still getting used to the hills and each time I can tackle Effie, I know I’m getting stronger.

Half way done with training, and my long runs are exceeding expectations. I’m looking forward to continuing my speed work and making my long runs stronger.