Category: Running

What’s Next?

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Now that I’ve had about a week and a half after the HOF Half, it’s time to get back into a routine (or rather create a better one) and focus on what’s coming next. Because my next training cycle doesn’t begin until June 8th, I have about a month to maintain my fitness and plan out what I want to focus on throughout summer and into fall.

Clearly I haven’t done much racing this year, so I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself to run every single race that I have my eye on. There are a few though that I don’t plan to miss.

Here’s a look at the upcoming race schedule throughout the summer.

May 30, 2015 – Medina Half Marathon – Registered

June 12, 2015 – Down and Dirty 5 Miler – Possibly

June 21, 2015 – Towpath Ten-Ten -Possibly

June 14, 2015 – Park to Park Half Marathon – Need to register

July 4, 2015 – Twin Sizzler 5k – Need to register

July 5, 2015 – Muddy Paws 5 Mile/10 Mile – Possibly

July 18th 2015 – Wellington Cheese Fest 10k – Possibly

August 15, 2015 – Buehler’s Heart & Sole Half Marathon – Need to register

September 2015 – Run for the Trails 5k – Waiting on date

September 13, 2015 – River Run Half Marathon – Possibly, I can’t quit you!

September 19, 2015 – Dirty Rocks 10k – Possibly

September 26, 2015 – Akron Half Marathon – Registered

Only two registered races, but some very high possibilities. A big thing about summer racing was keeping weekends open for my bachelorette weekend and bridal shower. The bachelorette weekend is set (and doesn’t conflict with any races!) but the bridal shower is still to be determined. Which means, I can’t quite commit to some races yet. And I think now that the weather is finally nice, I’ll actually be excited to get out there and race.

I’ve set a few goals for myself to keep me on track over the next month before real training starts again. With Akron as my goal race in the fall, I want to make sure that I stay on track and hopefully set myself up to crush a huge PR.

-Start doing yoga once a week

-Start doing core 2-3 times a week

-Start lifting twice a week

-Run 3-4 times a week

-Run at least 15 miles a week

As long as I follow those simple guidelines, I should be ready to start a new training cycle without feeling burnt out and ready to go!

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Twelve & Thirteen

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Where have the past two weeks gone? I missed a recap of week 12 of training, so I’m combining it with week 13. My training has been going a little better, but nothing like I had originally planned. I realized that I’m pretty good about getting my long run in, but I fail to hit my weekday runs. I guess I failed to realize how many other things I’d have going on with planning a wedding. Not to mention my level of stress is off the charts.

Week 12

Monday- 0

Tuesday- 0

Wednesday- 4 Miles

Thursday- 0

Friday- 0

Saturday- 3 Miles

Sunday- 8 Miles

Total Miles- 15 Miles

Wednesday I opted to forgo my weekly speed training and decided to do a nice 4 miler around the neighborhood. The weather was perfect and I felt great. I didn’t spend time worrying I was going too fast, and I only checked my watch for my mile splits. It was the type of run where you just let everything happen on its own. I ended up with 4 miles in a little over 33 minutes. One of my strongest and fastest runs in a long time.

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Saturday I did an easy 3 miles just to keep my legs moving. I felt good and probably should have gone further than I did. Sunday I met up with Mo and we ran part of the back half of the Medina half course, followed by a few miles around downtown and Roscoe park. This was my first run in temperatures higher than 60 for the year, and I was definitely overdressed. We both slogged through these miles, regretting a 2:00pm start and our choice in clothing.

 

Week 13

Monday- 0

Tuesday-4.5 Miles, 1 Mile w/u, 3×1600-8:11, 8:10, 8:00, 1 Mile c/d

Wednesday- 0

Thursday- 0

Friday- 0

Saturday- 0

Sunday- 7 Miles

Total Miles-11.5 Miles

I was finally able to get back on the outdoor track this week! Mo and I decided to run mile repeats, a nice little break from 800’s. We planned on keeping it between 8:30-8:20 to keep things conservative, but we ended up quicker than we thought. It wasn’t until after the workout was finished that I realized we held a good conversation during repeats. I guess this means it’s time to push myself to go faster!

Back on the track!

Back on the track!

I had full intentions to run on Wednesday, but was plagued with a migraine, so I spent the day on the couch. So fast forward to Sunday. A busy week had kept me from getting some mileage in, so I aimed to get at least 6 in for my last long run before race day. Mallory, Mo and I met at Lester for some easy miles on the trail. I met them there and accidentally pushed myself to an 8:40 pace on the first mile. Thankfully once we met up, we slowed to a 9:30 pace. Slow didn’t stay slow for long, and we bounced around from an 8:50 pace to 9:20 pace. After running back home, I ended up with 7 for the day, and my first shorts and tank top tan.

 

This week will be the final week of training, and honestly, I’m ready. I’m ready to wrap this up and start fresh. I’ve had my ups and lows with this cycle, but I’m in need of a new start and a better focus on running, lifting and core. But despite my doubts, I think I’m pretty well prepared. I’ve hit my long runs and I worked on my speed. The hardest part is my lack of confidence and increase of stress on race day.

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Eleven

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We’re now in the home stretch of the training cycle, and I finally got out of the rut I was in, well most of it anyway. This week was fairly uneventful, and luckily I was able to spend some much needed time away from our recovering cat and catching up with friends and family.

Monday- 0

Tuesday-6 Miles, 1 Mile w/u, 3×1600 w/400 recovery, 1.25 Mile c/d

Wednesday- 0

Thursday- 2 Miles

Friday- 0

Saturday- 11 Miles

Sunday- 0 Miles

Total Miles-19 Miles

Not quite the total mileage I wanted, but I felt great after every run. Tuesday I decided to switch things up a bit and ran mile repeats instead of 800’s. I forgot how much I love the mile, and plan on testing my limits with that distance this summer.

Thursday I got home late so I was limited on time before dinner, but I powered through 2 miles and negative split every 800. Even when runs are short, I try to make them hard.

Saturday I picked sleep over a 6:30am group run, and I didn’t regret it. Instead I ran at 11am and despite the brutal wind, I felt pretty good. Between the inlet, the marsh and the trails, I covered all of Buckeye Woods and by mile 9.5 I could tell I was ready to be done.

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Another week done, another week closer to race day. I have one more long run before I cut back on mileage. And honestly, I’m ready for this training cycle to be over. It’s been a weird one for sure. Spring training cycles usually suffer because of the the weather and lack of motivation due to the weather. But this cycle, I did great on all my long runs, it was really the weekday runs that suffered. Hopefully now that the weather is warming up, I can change that.

And if you’re keeping track of mileage, that’s 82 miles for March (my highest March mileage ever) and 222 so far for 2015. Idealy I’d like to hit at least 90 for April, if not more. Fingers crossed!

 

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Eight

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I have to say, I was looking forward to this week. It was a cut back week, and I knew I needed it. After two straight weeks of headaches and pure exhaustion last week, I needed a break.

Monday- 0

Tuesday-3 Miles, .5 w/u, 3×800 with 400 recovery, .5 c/d

Wednesday- 0

Thursday- 4.5 Miles
Friday- 0

Saturday- 0

Sunday- 10.5 Miles

Total Miles-18 Miles

Tuesday I was limited on time, so I ran my speed work at home. I did 3 hard 800’s, but wish I had time for more. Still, I was able to get some mileage in, and it wasn’t a wasted workout.

Thursday I ran with Second Sole and it was great to actually have daylight after work! We ran from the store, to Roscoe and back. We managed to keep around an 8:50 pace, which felt a little uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if it was because I hadn’t been running outside much, or the air was still cold on my lungs. But I was so glad when I finished, I felt fantastic!

Sunday I met up with Mallory and Mo and we tackled a road loop of hinkley. It’ was their second 9 mile loop in their 20 mile workout, so we took it easier than their first. I felt good despite the hills, and actually felt stronger than the previous weekend. While it’s hard to keep a steady pace on the hills, we were able to push 8:50 pace on the very few flat sections, and finished with an 8:20 pace.

Little slice of peace

Little slice of peace

Despite the lack of miles and days spent running, I felt great on every run. I finally felt like my body and legs were on the same page, and I could tell everything was clicking by how strong I felt.

I’m looking forward to another week of some higher mileage, another yoga class, and my first race of 2015!

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Seven

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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!

Morning miles on the back roads

Morning miles on the back roads

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.

Looking down on Effie, with no sight of the beginning

Looking down on Effie, with no sight of the beginning

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.

Hinckley Lake

Hinckley Lake

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.

Hills, hills, and more hills!

Hills, hills, and more hills!

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.

HOF Half Training: Week Six

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This week didn’t go as originally planned. I wanted to work towards my goal of hitting 100 miles for February, but that idea quickly diminished after multiple things kept popping up that kept me from running. Wedding planning took over big time this week and it felt like almost every day I was meeting with someone or doing something from the wedding. Unfortunately, this meant training took a back seat.

Monday- 0
Tuesday- 0
Wednesday- 1 Mile
Thursday- 5.5 Miles, 1 Mile w/u, 5×800 with 400m recovery, 1 Mile c/d
Friday- 0
Saturday- 0
Sunday- 10 Miles
Total Miles-16.5 Miles

Such low mileage, it’s embarrassing. Since I couldn’t make Tuesday’s speed work, I pushed it to Wednesday, but for some reason my knee had a twinge that made me nervous to continue past my warm up mile. So I decided to play it safe and call it.

Thursday I knew I had to run something, so I did my speedwork. I felt ok, but probably didn’t push myself as much as I could. But I was glad I didn’t push it off.

Saturday was supposed to be my long run, and after waking up to a temperature of -15, I knew I’d be on the treadmill, then we had some unexpected visitors, and so I pushed my long run to Sunday. I spent my long run on the treadmill while another storm was dumping snow outside. I’m almost to the point that if I’m going to be on the treadmill, I’d rather run long than short, but I still don’t love it.

I made my way through more episodes of Friends, currently at season 2, and started to feel tightness in my left hip by mile 9. After another mile, the soreness wasn’t going away and I knew it was caused by the way I was landing on the treadmill. So instead of 11 miles, I stopped at 10 and stretched out as much as I could.

Not my best week, but I’m still hitting my speed workouts and my long runs, everything else is just recovery. I ended up with 77 miles for February, which honestly is my highest mileage yet for that month, and still higher than the 63 I ran in January. I’m thinking of going on a break with my treadmill, now that we’re supposed to have a heat wave of 30-40 degrees. I hope that with the end of February, we’re done with the cold, miserable, snowy weather and I can finally enjoy some outdoor running.

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Five

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What a week. I was stressed from almost every single angle, and running was the only way to keep me semi sane. I think I have reached my breaking point with winter. These brutal temps and deep snow have me longing for warmer weather, and right about now, I’m considering anything above 25 degrees tropical!

Monday- 0

Tuesday- 7.5 Miles, 2 Mile W/U, 5×800 w/400 repeats, 2 Mile C/D

Wednesday- 2 Miles

Thursday- 0

Friday- 0

Saturday- 10 Miles

Sunday- 7 Miles

Total Miles-26.5 Miles

Tuesday was a much needed speed workout. We started with two miles on the track and 5×800 repeats on the treadmill. It was pretty busy and abnormally hot at the rec, so these weren’t pleasant, but it was nice to run somewhere other than my basement.

Wednesday was a rough day. It was uncomfortably warm in the basement and my iPad’s battery died after 2 miles. I definitely wasn’t feeling the run, so I just called it. I also noticed a bit of a pull in my arch, hoping it was just the angle I was running, and that it doesn’t lead to anything serious.

The normal view these days

The normal view these days

Saturday I was determined to hit my long run, one way or another. I had thought of joining the group run, but when I noticed how quickly the snow was coming down, I decided to attempt the treadmill. I broke it up into episodes of Friends, and upped my pace at every new episode. I’m not sure how, but I made it. 10 miles on the treadmill is rough!

Sunday I met up with Mallory and Mo to run outside for the first time in two weeks! It was chilly, but absolutely wonderful, and just what I needed to get rid of some cabin fever. We ended up with 7 miles around town, about 9 minute average pace. While it felt amazing to get outside, my legs were a little tight later on in the day from all the hills and inclines.

It hit me that we’re already getting into week 6, and I feel that I’m at a much better point this year, than I ever have been for a spring half. Looking forward, all of my long runs will be between 10-14 miles with the exception of two cut back weeks. And even though I had a tough start, I feel more confident than I ever have at the end of February. What’s most surprising is I’ll be ending the shortest month of the year with almost 100 miles…which has never happened. I’m still debating if I want to push for 29 miles in six days, but I’m already close so I might as well!

 

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Two & Three

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After a week of traveling, and another week of playing catch up, I was finally able to get caught up on my training recaps. Because weeks two and three were less than normal, I’ll be combining them together.

Week 2

Monday- 0

Tuesday- 3 Miles Biked + Core

Wednesday-0

Thursday- 0
Friday- 0

Saturday- 0

Sunday- 6 Miles

Total Miles-6 Miles Run, 3 Miles Biked

Talk about a horrible week! I was traveling in Toronto from Tuesday through Thursday, so I was stuck with a tight schedule, and limited gym equipment. The only time I got to the hotel gym, I was forced to the bike because all of the treadmills were taken. The rest of the trip was spent schmoozing with customers, fancy dinners and tracking down my luggage that was left in Canada. The only positive of the trip was the beautiful views outside my hotel room.

Beautiful downtown Toronto

Beautiful downtown Toronto

Saturday was intended to be my long run, but instead we were on the road from 9:30am to 6pm picking up our new treadmill! Our new (to us) treadmill was a Christmas gift we bought from my aunt. It’s in perfect condition, and I spent Sunday morning trying it out. I’m looking forward to many miles in the basement after spending so much time at the rec center doing laps!

Week 3

Monday- 0

Tuesday- 6 Miles + Core

Wednesday-0

Thursday- 0
Friday- 0

Saturday- 9 Miles

Sunday- 6.5 Miles

Total Miles-21.5 Miles

It felt so good to be back to a somewhat normal schedule this week. I started Tuesday with speedwork. Bob taught us about his half and half progression workout for the treadmill. For every half mile run, bump up the speed by half. So we started at 5 and got up to 7.5 for a total of 3 miles. Pair it with a two mile warm up and one mile cool down, it was a great workout. I don’t do many progression runs (on purpose) so it was a nice way to break up the normal 800 repeats.

Mid week was spent catching up on things after work and surviving the snowstorm, but the weekend was all about the miles.

Saturday was my long run and I spent all 9 miles on the treadmill. This was the longest amount of time or miles that I’ve spent on a treadmill, but I managed. I decided the best way to help pass the time was to start watching Friends from the very beginning. I was able to get 4 episodes in and it really didn’t feel like I spent an hour and a half on the treadmill. Mission accomplished!

Perfect post treadmill ice bath!

Perfect post treadmill ice bath!

I expected to feel rough when I woke up Sunday morning, knowing that the previous day’s mileage was the furthest I’ve gone since the marathon. Surprisingly I felt great, and met Mallory for a recovery run. We ventured down Roscoe, but were greeted with ice and slush so we went to the surrounding neighborhoods. I felt great despite the fact our entire route was rolling hills. Quickly a four mile recovery run ended up at six and a half and I think I could have gone even further.

A beautiful mess

A beautiful mess

So a few weeks of up and downs, but it’s still early on, so I’m not too worried. Winter is always a challenge with training, once March rolls around, things should be pretty much back to normal.

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week One

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Week 1 of the spring training cycle is complete, and unfortunately it was off to a rocky start. Like every January, traveling for work and training go hand in hand. Luckily this year, I only have a few days of travel, but they can still divert training. Sunday through Tuesday I drove over 350 miles and worked two trade shows, limiting my time to work out and tiring my feet and legs. Thankfully, I had the rest of the week to make up for it.

Monday- 1 Mile

Tuesday- 2.5 Miles

Wednesday-1 Mile

Thursday- 4 Miles

Friday- 0

Saturday- 7 Miles

Sunday- 4.2 Miles

Total Miles-19.7 Miles

Monday was a travel day, and I got back from Michigan just late enough to miss PiYo, but I did get my mile in for the streak. It took everything in me to run, especially with incredibly sore feet and legs. Tuesday was a planned track day, but no one could make it for our regular time, so I ran in my neighborhood instead. My feet felt shattered and my legs felt like bricks, and with every step I took, my legs hurt more and more. I forgot just how much working a show can wear down my legs.

Wednesday, we had a wedding appointment after work, so I knew I wouldn’t get much in, so just a mile for the streak. Thursday I had a tempo run on the schedule. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go on the indoor track, but somehow I found my groove. My first mile was 8:40 and by the last mile I was down to 8:01. I felt fast and confident, but I was still working hard.

Friday I broke the streak and I’m 100% ok with it. I lasted 22 days in a row, and I don’t regret skipping a day for a much needed night off. To be honest, I had been thinking of quitting all week. The days of just one mile runs to keep the streak alive starting to become junk miles, dreadful miles. Not only do my legs need a break once in a while, so does my mind.

Saturday was my first long run of the cycle and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I started out on 7 solo miles on the back roads. My pace was a bit all over the place, jumping to 8:3x going down hill, then jumping to 9:1x going uphill. I actually felt pretty good and tried not to focus on my watch as much as I used to. Somehow I kept a 9:00 average pace, and surprisingly felt amazing the whole time.

Home sweet home on the back roads

Home sweet home on the back roads

Sunday, after a fun MCRR banquet, I met up with Mallory and Mo for some snowy trails of Buckeye Woods. This was definitely treated as a recover run, and even though the ground was a bit tough to run on, it was still great to get out there.

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A rough start, a broken streak, but three amazing runs to make up for the bumps along the way. I’m certainly feeling good about this training cycle!

HOF Half Marathon Training Begins

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My next training cycle is finally here! On April 26th, I’ll be running the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon. Many of the Medina Road Runners ran it last year, and after hearing great things, I put it on my schedule for 2015. I’m mostly looking forward to the race for the challenge. This won’t be an easy course, it has plenty of hills. But I want to challenge myself more this year, I want to push myself past my comfort zone.

I’ve learned a lot about my running over the past year. Last year I was in the best shape of my life, hitting the distance and times I didn’t think were possible. But something I noticed through my training plans was that I peaked at 14 weeks. During the Medina Half training, I ran sub 2:00 in Cleveland, at 14 weeks. Then during marathon training, I ran a 2:01, my second fastest half at River Run, again at 14 weeks. Coincidence? I don’t think so, which is why this time, my training cycle will be 14 weeks with one week of taper. And although I’ve used the regular 16 week training cycle since my first half, I think I know my body well enough that this is the right decision.

As always, I have things I want to focus on while training, whether it be running based or health based.

  • Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night on weekdays, preferably 8
  • Eat some sort of fruit and vegetable every day
  • No alcohol on weekdays except for special occasions
  • Core, core, core!

Here’s my training plan for the next 14 weeks. I’ve accounted for races that I plan to run, as well as the run streak. There are a few things to note.

  • What is considered a rest day will be one mile to keep up the run streak.
  • Thursday’s distance may increase due to whatever is scheduled for Second Sole run group.
  • PiYo is listed, but I’m not 100% committed to the class. I may substitute for yoga or pilates videos.
  • The second week of training I’ll be in Toronto, this could change the schedule based on time and facilities available to me.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 1 1 Mile Speed-4.5, W/U, 6×400, C/D 1 Mile Tempo 4 1 Mile Long Run 7 Easy 3
Week 2 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5, W/U, 4×800, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 4.5 1 Mile Long Run 8 Easy 3
Week 3 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5, W/U, 3×1600, C/D Easy 4 Tempo 4 1 Mile Long Run 9 Easy 3
Week 4 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-6, W/U, Ladder, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 4.5 1 Mile Easy 6 Easy 3
Week 5 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed- 5, W/U, 8×400, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 5 1 Mile Long Run 10 Easy 3
Week 6 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5.5, W/U, 5×800, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 5.5 1 Mile Flirt with Dirk 10k+5 Easy 3
Week 7 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5 W/U, 6×400, C/D Easy 4 Tempo 4 1 Mile Long Run 11 Easy 3
Week 8 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-4.5, W/U, 6×400, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 5 1 Mile Long Run 12 Easy 4
Week 9 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5, W/U, 4×800, C/D Easy 4 Tempo 4.5 1 Mile St. Malachi 5 Miler Shamrock 5k
Week 10 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5, W/U, 3×1600, C/D Easy 4 Tempo 4.5 1 Mile Super Saturday 5k Spring TRAINing 10 Miler
Week 11 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-6, W/U, Ladder, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 4 1 Mile Long Run 12 Easy 3
Week 12 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed- 5, W/U, 8×400, C/D Easy 4 Tempo 5 1 Mile Easy 3 Towpath 13.1
Week 13 PiYo + 1 Mile Speed-5.5, W/U, 5×800, C/D Easy 3 Tempo 5 1 Mile Earthday 5k Easy 6
Week 14 PiYo + 1 Mile Easy 3 Easy 2 Easy 3 1 Mile 1 Mile Canton 13.1

 

Just under 14 weeks to go!