Category: Running

Second Sole Made in America Half Marathon Recap

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Sunday morning I ran the Second Sole Made in America Half Marathon, my first half since May. I didn’t have a goal in mind, especially since I had really only “trained” for the past five weeks. I knew I just wanted to get back out there and complete the distance. I decided to aim for a 9:30 pace and see where it went. If I felt it was too hard, I’d back off, if it felt too easy, I’d push it a bit, but no pressure to to PR or try to come close.

We had a group of MCRR members running, and most of us met up at 6:15 to make the drive to Massillon. We ended up arriving early, but it gave us plenty of time to stay warm and use the port-a-potties a few times. The race started at 8:00, with some sun on our back, it was the perfect weather for a half.

We started next to the Tuscarawas River and had a slight downhill. We were on a back road that twisted and winded around some houses, industrial buildings and woods. I was definitely nervous and hoped I could find a good pace to stick with. I started a bit too fast but was able to slow myself down by the first mile.

It was within the first mile or two that I realized I had to use the restroom again. Race nerves? I tried to focus on my surroundings and fellow runners, which seemed to help a bit.

Mile 1- 9:16

Mile 2- 9:21

The road had some rollers, but nothing too big to handle. Surprisingly I actually enjoyed having some uphill and downhill rather than an absolutely flat course. The trees hadn’t lost all of their leaves yet, so it was somewhat pretty when we were surrounded by woods.

The biggest hill came in mile 3 and I felt confident climbing it. I was a little worried my hip wouldn’t approve and I’d have some pain, but luckily my legs felt great. My stomach on the other hand didn’t. I kept my eye out for a port-a-potty, but nothing.

Mile 3- 9:34

Mile 4- 9:30

Around mile 4 we got off the road and turned onto the towpath. I was excited for some flat land, beautiful scenery and hopefully a steady pace.

We continued along and my pace was still decent, along with some pain free legs. My need for a bathroom was growing, and I even thought about dodging behind a tree. Instead, I kept my eyes focused in front of me, praying a port-a-potty would appear after each bend.

Mile 5- 9:32

Mile 6- 9:46

I should have taken my honey stinger at mile 6, but I was too nervous it would cause me harm, so I waited, focused on the runners around me, and zoned out for a while. I noticed my pace dropped a bit, but every time I tried to speed up a bit, my stomach would rebel. Back to focusing on the runners and the scenery.

Mile 7- 9:49

Mile 8- 11:57

By mile 7 I was starting to struggle. I had gotten to the point where I was getting a bit bored of the trees and desperately needing that bathroom. I trudged along, no longer caring about my pace, but contemplating dropping if I didn’t feel better soon.

But then, magically a port-a-potty appeared right  before the turn around. Finally! I lost about 2 minutes, but I felt like a new person and was ready to run! I also took the time to eat a Honey Stinger to get my energy up for the last 5 miles.

Mile 9- 9:39

Mile 10- 9:50

We pass the turn point and headed back toward the start. The sun was in and out of my eyes so I focused on the ground. It was a little uneven, and I didn’t want to trip or slip on leaves. I felt much better and even my legs felt great. Thankfully up to this point, my legs were handling the half well.

Mile 11- 9:55

Mile 12- 11:24

I continued along and would bounce back and forth between zoning out and trying to pass runners. My legs were beginning to become sore, which I knew would happen eventually. I started to stop at each mile marker to stretch my legs and hips, hoping they could keep up with the final miles.

My back started to cramp up in the last mile and a half, so I started stopping every half mile to stretch, walk a bit, and get my body to a comfortable pace to finish. I kept getting pulled in with the other runners paces, so I tried to imagine myself on a short run on my own trail to get me to the finish.

Mile 13- 11:01

With a mile left, I knew I could make it, because I certainly questioned it earlier on. I kept a pace I was comfortable with, without stressing my hips too much. We made our way to the finish, and I was excited to see the MCRR group at the top of the bridge before the finish. ( I swear I was excited to see you guys, even though my face didn’t show it.) I pushed what I had left, and crossed the line of my 23rd half.

Las 0.20 – 9:23 pace

When you cross the line, you’re given your medal and a blanket, and offered water, food and the option to get beer. I grabbed my stuff and met up with the rest of the group. We hung around for a while and then walked back to our cars. Shuttles were available, but why not walk some more after running 13 miles!

Lovely MCRR group!

Lovely MCRR group!

Overall, this was a pretty good race. Despite my own personal stomach issues, the course was pretty well laid out, 4 miles on rolling roads and the rest on the towpath. Everything seemed well organized and from what I’ve read, the race has improved a bunch in it’s third year. I don’t know if I’ll run it again soon, but I recommend trying it out. And for $30, you can’t beat such a great deal.

Race swag

Race swag

Results

Time: 2:12:36

Age Group 25-29:12/20

Female: 122/240

Overall: 297/453

Weekly Fitness Update

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This week was a bit of a taper as I got ready for my first half marathon since May! I honestly planned on running more this summer, but things just didn’t work out. I wanted to take it easy and make sure my legs were fresh for Sunday’s race.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 3 Miles + Abs

Thursday: 5 Miles

Friday: 0

Saturday: 0

Sunday: 13.1 Miles – Second Sole Made in America Half Marathon

Total Miles: 21.1 Miles

Wednesday I stuck to the treadmill since it’s now completely dark when I get home. I kept my pace easy and focused on Netflix so I wouldn’t be completely bored out of my mind. Nothing hurt and my left leg didn’t give out at any point, both good signs. I followed it up with some ab workouts and some good stretching.

Thursday I planned on hitting up the treadmill, but with the warm temps Mallory and I decided to run outside. The weather was almost too warm, but we couldn’t let the great weather slip by. We met at the rec and ran the developments nearby. Pace was easy and I only felt a twinge when going uphill.

Reflective vest, headlamp, hat with lights and a blinking armband....ready to run!

Reflective vest, headlamp, hat with lights and a blinking armband….ready to run!

I decided to take Saturday off and allow my legs to be ready for Sunday’s race. I knew if I ran back to back weekend runs, I’d probably end up with some slight pain by miles 6 or 7 of the race. So instead, I carbed up with Chipotle and chugged water until I felt confident I was ready to race again!

Sunday I raced the Second Sole Made in America Half Marathon with a bunch of MCRR members. I knew I wasn’t going to try for a PR, but I wanted to focus on pacing. My plan was to stick to a 9:30 pace and see how long I could hold on. Afterall, it’s been over 5 months since I ran a half marathon, and only 5 weeks of running after I took my month plus break. Stay tuned for a recap later this week.

 
Overall it was a another good week. I feel much better now that I have another half under my belt, and I’m looking forward to my next one in just three weeks!

Weekly Fitness Update

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Another week of solid training is complete and I’m feeling like I’m finally back to my old self (running wise). Thankfully after a few weeks of decent running, followed by three solid weeks of running, I’m getting back to where I feel comfortable and don’t doubt my workouts.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 7.55 Miles

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 8 Miles

Sunday: 3.1 Miles + Abs

Total Miles: 18.65 Miles

I started the week with a Tuesday evening accidental long run. I met up with Mallory and we started from the square, down to Roscoe, through a bunch of developments, and up  Route 3. When we started it was still a little light out, but as we continued, it got darker, which meant we were limited on where we could run. Even though we had headlamps and reflective gear, we made some detours to stick to streets that had sidewalks. We ended up going a little further than we planned, but it was a good run and I felt great the entire time.

I intentionally took Wednesday and Thursday off due to my leg. I still had that weird shin, calf, leg pain that would pop up now and then. I had the same thing earlier in the year, when I took time off and then ramped up running a little too quickly. I listened to my body and didn’t push it.

Saturday was my long run, and since I have a half marathon coming up this weekend, I cut back to 8 miles. Just one week of taper after 5 weeks of running, sounds about right to me. I met up with a group for their last 8 miles starting at Buckeye Woods. We ran the marsh and decided to run the Rise and Shine 10k course out on the roads. We kept an easy pace and I felt ok, not fantastic, but also not horrible. I finally fueled at the right time, around 6 miles, and never hit a big wall, even with the hills.

Beat by a buggy, must be going too slow...

Saturday morning views

Sunday I took advantage of the extra hour and slept in for the first time in weeks. With a slow start to the day I didn’t get out the door until 11:30, but I lucked out with shorts and short sleeve weather. I headed to a nearby neighborhood and ran some streets I hadn’t been to for a while. I felt great until about 2.5 miles in, when of course my left leg started acting up. So I headed home and stretched and rolled for a good 30 minutes. I felt something pop in my hip and suddenly everything felt normal. My guess is I’ve had something out of line, so hopefully I’ll be back to normal. I followed the run up with some abs.

Shorts in November? I'll take it!

Shorts in November? I’ll take it!

A pretty easy week, mostly to take care of my body. The goal for this week is to stay healthy, stay hydrated and run an evenly paced half marathon. No need to try for a PR since I know I’m nowhere near sub 2. But if I can keep an even pace for the whole race, I’ll be happy!

Paws for the Cause 5k Recap

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This past Saturday I ran the 3rd Annual Medina SPCA Paws for the Cause 5k. This was the first time I had signed up for the race, and I was excited to get another 5k in before the weather turned for the worse. Even better, proceeds go to protect injured, abused and neglected animals that the SPCA takes in.

The race started at 9, so I got there at 8:30, picked up my bib, used the restroom, warmed up a bit and met up with some fell MCRR members. The race course was the same as the Twin Sizzler 5k, and also almost every 5k in Medina, so I was fairly familiar with what to expect.

Because the race was put on by the SPCA, dogs were allowed to participate. I positioned myself up near the front to avoid getting tangled or stuck behind any dogs. I knew I didn’t want to go out too fast, so I aimed to stay at 8:40 for the first mile, and then negative split.

Ready to start!

Ready to start!

We started from the square and headed south towards 57. We started with a nice decline, and then had our forever incline up 57. I waited a bit to check my pace, and found myself going a little too slow. I started to pick it up, but felt like I was never really moving fast. I even got to a point where I was by myself and started to zone out a bit. This was not what I wanted for my first mile, but for some reason, I couldn’t get into the groove. Surprisingly, I hit my first mile under goal.

Mile 1- 8:36

We turned into one of the developments and started the section of turns and rollers. I tried to stay consistent with my pace since I was feeling good, but some of the hills got the best of me. And I was again reminded I need to do more hill work.

This mile went by quickly and shortly after I felt we entered the development, we were on our way out and heading up South Court.

Mile 2- 8:47

I knew If I wanted to do well, I’d need to pick up the pace in the last mile. We continued along Court, and I focused on the ground ahead of me. I knew the uphill finish would be here soon and I wanted to prepare myself.

We turned onto the brick road and surprisingly, I still felt great. I felt like I was flying. I wasn’t, those bricks can be so deceiving. So I picked up the pace and moved to the side for the flattest section.

We ran past the 57 intersection and I knew that dreaded hill was coming. I was started to get into a groove and I felt confident I would be able to crush the hill this time. As myself and another runner approached East Smith I watched as a cop allowed to cars to go through the intersection. He saw us getting closer and stopped traffic so we could cross to get to the finish line. As we entered the intersection, an old, black SUV came speeding through, not even 5 feet to the left of us. We immediately had to stop or else he would have hit us. The cop yelled at him, but he had no clue what was going on.

Mile 3- 8:17

I caught my breath and tried to get back into somewhat of a decent pace as I continued up the hill to the finish. I felt off and just wanted to be done, so I sped up as much as I could to cross the finish line.

Last .1- 7:11 pace

Almost to the finish!

Almost to the finish!

Overall, this was a great event. I will gladly run any race that supports animals, especially local. The course was predictable, which I enjoy because I know when I can push it, and when to save it. I never had any issues running into any dogs, and they all seemed to be pretty well behaved. Participant dogs even got a little bandanna to wear during the race. Can I borrow someone’s dog for next year?

After I finished, I saw Mallory and her dog Walter finish and we walked over to the goodies table. I was a little distraught that I was so close to going under 26, but I’ll take a few extra seconds rather than getting hit. It was a good reminder to be aware of traffic, even during races.

Post race with some speedy MCRR ladies.

Post race with some speedy MCRR ladies.

I’ll certainly be back to race next year, and hopefully I’ll be able to run a course PR!

Clearly upset they couldn't participate

Clearly upset they couldn’t participate

Results:

Time: 26:00

Age Group 20-29: 7/64

Female Overall: 28/316

Overall: 66/465

Weekly Fitness Update

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Another week gone and another week closer to getting back in shape. I was only able to get three workouts in this week, which was due to this lingering sickness. This whole congested head, running/stuffy nose and cough so deep you think a lung is going to burst, has been sticking around for two weeks now. Thankfully, I think it’s finally on its way out!

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 2.9 Miles + Abs

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: Paws for the Cause 5k

Sunday: 12.2 Miles

Total Miles: 18.2 Miles

I felt the worst on Monday and Tuesday, so I opted to take both for as a rest day. I felt a little better on Wednesday and took advantage of the beautiful weather. I booked it home and was out the door by 6:25. I sprinted to the back roads to watch the sunset, knowing it’d probably be my last run outside after work for a while. Luckily, I got quite the show. I was a little tired, but slowed my pace on the way back and did some loops in the development to keep me safe from traffic until the sun was gone.

Country sunsets are always worth the run.

Country sunsets are always worth the run.

I wanted to get a run in on Thursday, but just didn’t have enough time after work before dinner and Grey’s night, so I went into Saturday’s race with fresh legs. I’ll have a recap up later this week.

Sunday I set out for my last long run until my next half marathon. I met up with Mallory and Jennifer at Hinckley, and we started with the outer lake loop. My legs were a little tight from Saturday’s race, but I finally warmed up by the third mile. Once we got back to our cars, Mo and Sherri were ready to start the 9 mile loop around Hinckley.

It’s been some time since I’ve done the loop, but this is the perfect time of year to be out there. The trees were at peak color, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful everything was. We managed to keep a decent pace, even when I stopped to take some pictures. I never felt like I was working too hard, but the hills were a bit harder than I remembered.

Mandatory barn picture

Mandatory barn picture

Our little group!

Our little group!

It was about halfway through the 9 mile loop, I started to have weird pains in my left leg. I also started to feel a bit weak, but wanted to wait until we got to Effie to take my Honey Stinger chew. Again, I should have taken it at mile 6. (I’ll remember this for the race)

We continued on, and I started to fall back with Mo. We got to Effie, took our fuel and continued on our way, not too far back from the rest of the group. The pace was still pretty good, considering how hilly it is. We finished up, and I felt even more confident that I could handle a half marathon in two weeks.

Hills for breakfast.

Hills for breakfast.

Another week of getting back to where I was, and I’m definitely feeling more confident in my running. I’m starting to work on a training plan for the rest of the year, mostly to keep me motivated and on track. As well as start my short list of races next year. I’m finally out of my rut and glad to be back doing something I truly love.

 

Training Update

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It’s been a few weeks since I checked in with my training or current fitness levels. I’m happy to say that I’ve been lightly running and even raced a few local 5ks. I’ve enjoyed every run and I’m looking forward to adding races on my calendar. Speaking of which, I already have three that I’ve registered for within the next few weeks.

Up next I have a local 5k, and two half marathons…..Wait, what? Two half marathons in the next six weeks, without a full training plan? Yep! But to be honest, these are more like training runs and helping me to keep my fitness levels up for 2016. So let’s catch up and take a look at this week’s runs.

Monday: 3.1 Miles + Abs + Kettle bell

Tuesday: 4 Miles, 1 Mile w/u, 3×800 with 400 recovery, 1 Mile c/d + Abs

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 10 Miles

Sunday: 3.5 Miles + Abs

Total Miles: 20.6 Miles

Monday was the perfect day to run. With the sun setting sooner each day, I knew this would be one of the last after work runs I could get in on the back roads. So I did a nice recovery run from the previous day’s long run. I felt great and even pushed myself a bit on the hills. I kept it short because I started to run out of daylight, and I didn’t have my headlamp with me. I followed up the run with abs and a kettle bell workout I found on Pinterest.

Tuesday I jumped on the treadmill and did my first speed workout in months. It was a bit rough, mostly because I’m still a little out of shape, but also because of a nasty cold. I kept it light at three 800 repeats, but will work my way up and most likely switch between 800 and mile repeats over the next few months. I followed this workout with more abs, and missing swimsuit season.

Wednesday-Friday were rest days. I’m more relaxed about training now, so it was nice to catch up with friends in the middle of the week, as well as give my body some time to hopefully get over the cold that latched on.

Saturday was my longest run since July and the confidence booster I needed. I’ve been doing some 6 and 8 mile runs, but if I could get to 10, I knew I could swing a few half marathons. The weather was a bit chilly at about 35 degrees, but I welcomed it with open arms. We had a small group and started at Buckeye Woods, running the marsh loop, trail and then coming out the back side. From there we made a large loop past the inlet and up to the rail trail, and back to the entrance of Buckeye Woods.

How can you not want to run this?

How can you not want to run this?

Our pace was pretty consistent and stayed around 9:15/9:20. It dipped into the 10’s during the trail section, which was expected. The average pace was 9:33 and my strongest run in quite a while. I took a Honey Stinger chew at mile 7, but probably could have used it at 6. I honestly felt great during this run, and managed to get down to 8:55 pace for almost the last mile and a half. I know long runs can’t all be great, but this was exactly what I needed to keep me on track.

Long runs are better with friends!

Long runs are better with friends!

Sunday morning I had meant to get up early and join a group run, but after tossing and turning all night with achy legs and hips, I decided to sleep in and run later on in the day. It ended up being the right choice because on my afternoon run through the neighborhood I felt like I was floating! I ran a nice little loop and turned down some streets I haven’t been on for over a year. Maybe it was the refreshing new route or the cooler weather, but I was able to dip down to sub 9 and bounced back and forth between 8:55 and 8:20 pace. I based my run off how I felt, instead of pace, and apparently my legs were feeling great!

This week was the best week training wise that I’ve had in quite some time. I got all my workouts in and I ran faster than I thought I would at this point. I’m certainly not close to any PR’s, but I’m enjoying running and gearing up for what will be a great and race filled 2016!

Race with Grace 5k Recap

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Sunday I ran the Medina Race with Grace 5k. It was my first race since the Twin Sizzler back on the 4th of July, and after just two weeks of running again, I had a much better day than expected. With just a few runs under my belt, I had no idea what to expect. I’m still a bit out of shape, Medina is forever hilly in all directions, and speed work is something I haven’t done in months. But after seeing so many group members sign up, and spending the previous day volunteering at NorthCoast 24, I figured I’d give it a shot, and run it for fun.

Woke up Sunday morning, got ready and arrived at the start line with a half hour to go. I wasn’t really nervous, but I was excited to get out there and run, especially with so many MCRR members on the course. Ideally, I wanted to finish under 27. I felt with little running and no speed work, I should be able to pull it off.

We started at the hospital, which was a nice change to all the other 5ks in town that start on the square. We went from the back parking lot, up around the hospital and right onto Route 18. We had a nice little downhill before going back uphill again. I worked on finding my pace and was concerned about going out too fast. Somewhere I settled around 8:50-8:45 and decided to hang onto the pace until the first mile.

From Rt.18 we turned right onto Foot and back into a development. The neighborhood was relatively flat and it was a good way to settle into a decent pace. Sarah came up behind me and I thought of sticking with her, but decided to run my own pace and focus on my own race.

Mile 1 – 8:53

We finished up in the neighborhood and turned right onto Smith. I still felt pretty good and so I sped up a bit. I bounced between 8:30-8:40, cautious not to let myself speed up too much.

Next we turned into another development, which again was pretty flat compared to most, but it did have some small rollers. I’ve run both developments many times so I was fairly familiar with the route. I zoned out some during this mile, but still aware of my pace and the runners around me. We had more turns in this mile, and it felt like it went on forever.

Mile 2 – 8:39

With a mile left, I was still feeling really good. I started to pick up the pace, but careful not to go too fast too early and have nothing left in the tank at the end.

We made our way out on Guilford, and then right on Washington. We had a nice little downhill, which definitely helped to get my legs excited for the finish. But every downhill, must be met with an uphill, and we had our biggest hill at about 2.6 miles. I powered up, knowing we were close, also knowing we’d have another downhill ahead of us.

Turning into the entrance of the hospital, I tried to pick it up a bit. I took advantage of the downhill and tried to pick off a few runners on my way in. I followed the course to the back of the parking lot, and saw one final turn.

Mile 3 – 8:20

I turned and there was the finish, a lot closer than I expected. So like any runner, I booked it. And watched the clock, pleasantly surprised with how much time I had until the clock would hit 27 minutes.

Last .1 – 7:20 pace

Coming into the finish!

Coming into the finish!

I finished up with 26:25. Not a PR by any means, not even close, but I was happy with my finish. For the second 5k this year, I had negative split on the course and finished feeling great, rather than doubled over losing my breakfast. I enjoyed the race and honestly, that’s all I wanted.

Medina County Road Runners finished 2nd place as a team out of over 20+. And I ended up 3rd in my age group out of 22. We had a lot of runners place in their age groups, so it was a good day all around for MCRR.

Thoughts? This was a great race and we had perfect weather. Any race that begins with weather in the low/mid 50’s is alright with me. The course was great. I was extremely familiar with all the streets we ran on, mostly from living on that side of town a few years ago. It has some hills, but it’s the flattest course I’ve run in Medina. If I was in shape, there’s no doubt I would have gone under 26, maybe even under 25. And I definitely see myself running this again next year.

Results:

Age Group 25-29: 3/22

Female: 76/360

Overall: 196/632

 

Age group award: Medal, carnation, and Ralph.

Age group award: Medal, carnation, and Ralph.

A Training Update

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It’s been a while since I last posted, specifically my weekly training recaps. So it’s time to catch up and see where I am currently and what the fall has planned.

Training started to drop off a little in the beginning of August. I was starting to get busier and time wasn’t as flexible as it was before to go out for an hour plus workout after work. I was still running, but the workouts were short and frankly, motivation just wasn’t there. My last run was August 13th and I did a short 2.5 miles around the neighborhood.

I had good intentions to keep up a steady training cycle while wedding planning, with big hopes to PR at Akron. I thought about running during the honeymoon to see the island from another perspective. Does running 10 feet up a mountain count? But when it came down to it, life got in the way. Not in a bad way, but when getting home at 9pm or later after meetings those last few weeks before the wedding, eating dinner would always win out over running.

So the plan was to start running once we got back. A new month would bring new miles and new motivation. But then I really just wanted to catch up on everything else I had missed. So running was pushed off, and all thoughts of Akron had gone out the window. And then after almost 4 weeks off, I laced up my shoes and ran 5 slow, but wonderful miles with Mallory. And I felt amazing.

After running at Buckeye Woods, despite being slow, I felt good about myself. I was relaxed, I didn’t have any stress about hitting splits or any certain mileage. I ran, caught up with a friend, and enjoyed myself. And the next day, I did the same. I set out, ran the neighborhood, slightly sore this time, and didn’t have a plan. It was the best run I had in months.

So many times I’ve put myself into a training cycle, but this time, I got to the point where I wasn’t enjoying it. I wasn’t enjoying the run itself. What started as an accidental break, was actually a good thing. I took away all the pressure, all the stress, and cut back to the pure and simple run.

I finished up the week with 14 miles after a six miler on Sunday at Hinckley. The thought of attempting Akron has crossed my mind, and I know I could trudge along at an extra slow pace. But I’m still uncertain. Coming back, I want to train smart. I don’t want to do too much and injure myself, but I also don’t want to burn out again either. Running and racing haven’t been my top priority this year, and I miss that. I’ve gone in and out of waves of good training and bad training and I need to be consistent.

Going forward I don’t want to make any major training plans for the rest of the year. I’m going to go by how I feel, both pace and distance. I need to focus on other aspects of training as well, to make sure I’m both healthy and smart.

I’m also jumping back on the FitBit bandwagon after about 3 weeks off. Hopefully logging more water intake, more steps and more than 4.5 hours of solid sleep a night. If anything, my lack of sleep has been the most consistent thing this year. And naturally eating right will follow as well, including the start of me cooking. Eventually I know I need to add yoga, lifting and core back into a daily or weekly schedule. I let myself slack off this past month, and it’s time to get back into a routine.

So that’s where training is currently. Akron, just 12 days away, is completely up in the air, and I’m at peace with it. I may go back to the weekly fitness updates to keep me from falling off again. I hope to do some races this fall, and maybe work up to another marathon in 2016. But right now, I need to let my legs do the running and not stress about it.

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Nine

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After a busy week last week, I was ready for a bit of a break. Unfortunately, this week was also quite busy with final meetings before the wedding. So I did what I could, when I could. Most of my runs were actually more of a stress reliever than anything. It was nice to spend some time away where my mind could just stop thinking about everything.

Monday: 3 Miles + Core

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 3.3 Miles

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 5.13 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 11.43 Miles

I started my week with a run on Monday. I had a free evening, so I took advantage of it. I decided to take it easy on the treadmill and just zone out while catching a few episodes of 30 Rock. I had a bit of stomach cramping in the beginning, but it was most likely from dehydration, stress and poor eating habits over the weekend.

Wednesday was also a free night without meetings so I knew I needed to get a run in before starting on some wedding projects.  I made my way to a neighboring development and actually felt pretty great. I checked on my pace to see that I was doing 8:11. A little too quick, so I slowed down to 8:30 pace and kept it there for the next 2.5 miles. I had some gradual inclines in the development that made me work a little harder, but other than that I felt fantastic, this quicker pace felt pretty easy. I had off and on stomach issues from 2.5 to 3 miles so I cut it short at 3.3 miles. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but overall the pace felt fairly easy almost the entire run.

Saturday was a disappointment. I was supposed to have a group run on Saturday morning, but my stomach was not cooperating. So I thought I’d run in the basement on the treadmill to play it safe. But of course the moment I turned on the treadmill, the circuit tripped. By this point, I was feeling a little better, and decided to head out for a short run close to home. I ran a loop on the back roads and finished up in the development. I was more mentally frustrated by the end of my run than anything else. I know I needed to get my long run in, but it just wasn’t in the cards this week.

Week Nine Thoughts:

  • There seems to be a main theme with all of my runs this week, and that would be stomach issues. Last weekend and throughout this week I ate pretty poorly. And by poorly, I meant lots of pasta and cheese. Clearly, this is causing me to skip runs or cut them short. I need to take a better look at what I’m eating and make some changes.
  • Mileage was low again this week, and I don’t expect it to be high for the rest of August. Hopefully this won’t harm me too much come September. I didn’t realize how busy August would be, and now I know I can’t do it all. I’m at peace with shorter runs, and less time lacing up. I may need to rearrange some goals, but as long as I can ramp things back up next month, I should be ok.

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Eight

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We’re halfway through training for Akron Half, and although there have been a few tough weeks, I’ve still had some really good ones. This week was a little tough to plan around. I’m starting to run into the point where we have meetings at least three times a week for the wedding, so getting my workouts in is a little challenging. Plus I was gone for my bachelorette party weekend, so I knew I wouldn’t be doing my best running while gone all weekend.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 2.5 Miles

Thursday: 0

Friday: 10 Miles

Saturday: 3 Mile Hike

Sunday: 3 Miles

Total Miles: 15.5 Miles + 3 Mile Hike

Wednesday was the first time I was able to get a run in due to Monday and Tuesday’s meetings running long. I decided to stick with the treadmill since it was so hot and humid outside. I only managed to get 2.5 miles in because I had a few other things that needed to get done. It’s clearly not the mileage I should be doing, but it was better than nothing.

Going into the weekend, I knew that Friday would be the only time I’d be able to get my long run in. So a few of us met up early for our long run before heading to New York. As usual, we started our run with the Medina Half course-the Square to developments to Lake Medina to developments- then cut through Roscoe Ewing Park and back up to the Square. We started at 6:30 so the weather was still pretty cool, and pace was around 9-9:10. We started to slow a little after mile 6, but it was also starting to warm up a bit too. We finished up 10 miles in 1:34, which is just two minutes off my 10 mile PR. Considering the route we took was hilly and I wasn’t pushing it, I’m certainly seeing myself getting faster. Hopefully this will translate to some fall PR’s.

I didn’t run on Saturday, but I did hike for about three miles. We were up in Watkins Glen, New York for my bachelorette party, so we were lucky enough to spend some time at the Watkins Glen State Park. There were plenty of stairs and hills to challenge us and it was the perfect way to cross train.

This view is worth the hike.

This view is worth the hike.

Sunday’s run was a short run out on the back roads of Watkins Glen. I was out the door around 7:30 and headed south from our house. It was the flattest area around and it was relatively quiet still. I headed out for a mile before turning around. I was by myself in a new area, so I didn’t want to be too far from the house. Then I went another half mile in the other direction, which was all downhill. I made it far enough that I could see the lake from the road, along with plenty of trees and silence. Coming back to the house wasn’t so easy as it was all uphill and much hillier than Medina and Hinckley.

Seneca Lake...way down the hill

Seneca Lake…way down the hill

 

Week Eight Thoughts:

  • I’m starting to become a little concerned for my mileage. Looking out on my calendar, August is extremely busy. The closer we get to the wedding, the more we have going on after work with final meetings. Running at 8 or later is not ideal, but sometimes it’s the only option. Like I had mentioned in the past, I’ll most likely be running what I can, when I can until the wedding is over. I’m still getting my long runs in, and I’ll have a month to get back on track after the honeymoon.