Tag: flying pig training

Flying Pig Training: Week Eleven & Wrap Up

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Here we are, just a few days out from race day. And well, it’s been an interesting training cycle. Let’s start off and address the elephant in the room. High mileage wasn’t really seen in this training cycle. I had a few days of long runs, but other that that I stuck with base mileage. Am I going to regret this? Maybe, but I just ran a half marathon two weeks ago, so I know I can go the distance. The issue isn’t will I finish, it’s how I run the race. I signed up for this half at the Columbus Marathon expo, I was in great shape and could totally battle the hills. Also, I really wanted the medal and Asics bag a friend had received the year before. I finally checked the elevation chart for the first time in six months and realized this could be a little harder.

In the beginning I mentioned how this would be a different training cycle, focusing on creating solid runs and cross training. And I’ve done that. I’ve had great runs, I’ve learned to  pace myself better and most of the time I never regretted getting out there to run. I also threw in cycling and yoga. I was skeptical, but I think it helped. I’m a lot more flexible that I was three months ago, and my legs feel stronger by using more than just my running muscles. Sometimes it’s quality over quantity. And can we point out the most important thing. I’m not injured! At all. This is pretty much a miracle, considering I’m pretty injury prone. Maybe there really is a connection between cross training and being injury free.

This week I took it easy. The back to back races over the weekend left my legs tired and tight. Tuesday I tried to go for an easy run and it felt like my legs were cement, however, my pace at 8:39 was awesome. I took the rest of the week off from running to let my legs recover and hopefully prepare for this weekend. I tried a new spin class last night, which either destroyed my legs for the race or prepared me for the massive hills. I’ll let you know which one on Sunday. I followed it up with one hour of pure yoga, so relaxing and so needed. I plan to do a short run Saturday morning to shake out the legs and then I’ll see what I have in me come Sunday morning.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 2 Miles

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 1 Hour Spin, 1 Hour Yoga

Friday: Off

As of right now, the weather seems to be around 50′ and mostly sunny at the start. Rain is in the forecast, but hopefully it holds off until I’m back home. If you’re at the race, you can look for me and cheer me on. I’ll be wearing this colorful outfit I’ve tried out a few times, Lululemon top, Asics ARD shorts, and Pro Compression purple socks. I love this combination, and wish I found it sooner before it got hot.

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If you’re at home, you’re free to track me using this link: http://tracking.endresultcompany.com/2013/pig/index.php

I’m bib 15285, we’ll see if it’s a lucky number. As much as I’m excited for this race, I’m excited for many more races over the next few months. I’ll be sharing my summer/fall plans next week. Have a good weekend, good luck racing and I’ll see you on the other side of half marathon number 12!

 

Flying Pig Half Training: Week Eight & Nine

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Last week it didn’t feel right to post my training, so I’ve combined weeks eight and nine into one post. Week eight was a bit of a jumble. I was rushing around to get things done before we left on vacation. We flew to Colorado on Friday and once we got there we made sure to stay active the entire weekend. We walked, hiked and ran in high altitudes. Coming from Ohio, all of these were a challenge at times, but it was good for the body and soul. I was still tight from Yoga though, this week’s class was about 95% Pilates with a focus on legs and about 5% yoga. The best part of training this week was running with Courtney! We got a 5 mile run in around Washington Park, making sure to catch up on running, racing, and life.

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Surprisingly I enjoy running at altitude. It can be hard, but I feel that a few miles up there can really help clean up training. Best part is that it actually seems easier.

Week Eight

Monday: 3 Miles

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Off

Thursday:  1.5 Mile Run, Yoga-lates

Friday: Off

Saturday: Hiked 1-2 Miles

Sunday: 5 Miles (in 5,280 altitude)

Total Miles: 9.5 Miles

Week nine started with Boston. I was in between plane changes and found out the news through Twitter. It was and still is heartbreaking, but it shows just how strong the running community is. I hadn’t planned on running that night, but it was the first thing I did once I got home. I ran those two miles in silence, thinking of everything that had happened that day. The rest of the week was pretty low key, still playing catch up at work and home from vacation. I had thought of running a half marathon over the weekend, as part of a birthday race. I was up in the air about which race, but finally decided the day of. My legs weren’t tight and I was finally able to get a long run in. More on the race later this week.

Week Nine

Monday: 2 Miles

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: 1.5 Miles

Thursday:  Yoga-lates

Friday: Off

Saturday: Tree Trotter Half Marathon, 13.1 Miles

Sunday: Off

Total Miles: 16.5 Miles

I noticed that I’m really struggling with going from indoor running to outdoor running. I know it’s been windy, which hasn’t helped, but my pace seems to be so much slower than I thought it would be. I’m hoping in these next few weeks I can pick it up and get used to running outdoors again. I’m also hoping that we’re over winter, waking up to snow on Saturday wasn’t cool.

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Flying Pig Half Training: Week Seven

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I have to be honest. This training cycle, is completely different than my others, yet, somewhat the same. It came to me Friday, right before lunch, when I do all my worst best thinking. I haven’t been taking my training seriously enough. Not a surprise? I didn’t think so. If you take a look back at the past weeks, I’ve done a ton of base running, but my long runs aren’t exactly there. It doesn’t mean I’m not ready or dreading them, I’ve just taken a new approach.  I’ve limited myself to three days of running, and I’ve added cross training. I’ve never mentioned a goal for this race, but I’ve also never mentioned that I’m injured. Injury free, party of one!

From the get go, I knew that Flying Pig would not be my sub 2:00 half marathon. I’ve been training on an indoor track for 95% of my runs, I am in no shape or place to run a PR on a hilly course. Am I ok with this? Yes. I’ve got other plans for this race year. That doesn’t mean I’m throwing sub 2:00 out the window, it’s still my goal, but it’s not my spring goal. My goal for Flying Pig was to have a healthy training cycle, to run uninjured for the first time in about a year. It’s working, and I’m enjoying what my legs are fully capable of doing.

I’ve used this training cycle to fall back in love with running and sweating. I’ve discovered that I look forward to my weekly hour of yoga. And that I’m not always bored when I’m on the stationary bike. I’ve also shifted my focus to speed and have already ran my best 5k since college. I’m training for a solid run at Flying Pig, and a solid running year. I’m not disappointed at all with how training is going. I’m listening to my body and doing what is right for me.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 3 Miles Run, 7 Miles Biked

Wednesday: 2 Miles

Thursday: Yoga-Lates

Friday: Off

Saturday: Miles for Madison 5k + 1

Sunday: 5 Miles Run, 7 Miles Biked

Total Miles: 14 Miles Run, 14 Miles Biked

Looking back at this week, I over did it a bit in the beginning. I ran my fastest 3 miles yet and followed it up with some heavy biking. Lesson learned, my legs felt tight all week. I even had to cut my run short on Wednesday, I actually felt worse the more I ran. Stretching didn’t help too much, so I was more than excited for Yoga on Thursday. By the weekend, my legs felt back to normal and I was ready to get some miles in. Saturday morning I ran Miles for Madison, recap to follow, and decided to move my long run to Sunday. I haven’t had a solid long run outside yet, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t chop it up into segments.

Sunday, I took advantage of as much sun as I could get. I also had my first road bike experience of the year. I was a little nervous because I hadn’t been on my bike for months. I also didn’t know how the motorists of Medina would handle someone riding in the street. Surprisingly, the ride went smooth, and the rolling hills were nothing. Good to know that resistance cycling is paying off. I definitely see a lot more bike trips downtown in my future.

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After re-hydrating, I headed out for my long run. I pushed it to the evening to hopefully avoid the wind. It didn’t work, but it added a nice challenge to the run. I combined a few short routes and wanted to get a decent amount of miles in. I went out to the lake to enjoy the soft path, but unfortunately I couldn’t avoid the wind. It was hitting me hard, and slowed down my pace by a lot. The other downfall of running at the lake was running stairs to get to the pathway, and the only way  back home meant I had to tackle a huge hill. Legs were toast.

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I’ve come to realize that my legs have been spoiled. I’ve been running on the indoor track for so long, they forgot how to run outside in real conditions. Mainly hills. I definitely didn’t hit the mileage I wanted, and I plan to fix that this week. Now that the weather is nice, all runs should be outside. I’ve even got a hill workout lined up. Even better bonus of this week’s training? I’ll be hitting high altitude running with Courtney. Expect an interesting training recap next week.

How was your weekend? Did you get out there and enjoy the fabulous weather?

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Flying Pig Half Training: Week Four

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For an easy week, I took things real easy. I knew that I had minimal miles on the schedule this week, but I still wanted them to count. I also knew that I’d have a race at the end of the week, so I wanted to make sure I was prepared for what I’d be putting my legs through on Sunday. Monday and Wednesday I put in some pretty decent miles with a great pace. Knowing that I’ve been able to bring my pace down so much lately has really boosted my confidence in running 5k’s. I was even able to get some decent miles on the resistance bike.

My yoga class has a completely different feel this week, which was appreciated. It was split about 50/50 on yoga and Pilates, and I actually enjoyed it. I’m excited for the next two classes I have left and I’m even thinking of expanding it through April. The thought even crossed my mind to sign up for a spin class, but let’s take one thing at a time, shall we?

I still had the decision on which race to do on Sunday lingering over my head. I ultimately decided on the Lakewood Irish Jig and Jog 5k, something flat, close and early in the morning so I could enjoy the rest of my day. Between the race and my pre race plans, nothing was normal, but I’ll get more into that later this week.

Here’s week 5…

Monday: 3 Miles

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday:2 Miles Run, 4.5 Miles Biked

Thursday: Yoga-lates

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: Lakewood Irish Jig and Jog 5k

Total Miles: 5 Miles Run, 4.5 Miles Biked

As you can see, really easy. This next week brings easy weekday runs followed up by my longest run yet in this cycle over the weekend. I’ve got another 5k coming up on Saturday, and this time I’m hoping to really break through and give it a great shot.

Did you race for St. Patrick’s Day?

 

Flying Pig Half Training: Week Three

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This week was exactly what I needed. I started out with an amazing run and was able to keep that momentum throughout the entire week. My total miles still may be low, but I felt great on every run. I wanted to make sure I got out of my rut and enjoyed running. Luckily I did, and not only did that help me with my pace, but it helped me with  my distance. My best run this week was Wednesday, I originally had 4 on the schedule and was ready to take on 40 laps on the track. I quickly noticed that my pace was sub 9:00 and told myself not to go out too fast. I fell into a comfortable pace and noticed that mile 2 and 3 were still 8:58. I only had one more mile to do, so I kept with it. Finishing up mile 4 at 8:49, I figured why not see how much more I can run, I would probably end up tired within the next mile. Mile 5 went on by and soon I was on to mile 6. By this point I was just above 9:07 per mile and knew I wouldn’t be going that much further. Once I hit 70 laps, I finished, but I was more than excited about my run. I had just done my long run on a Wednesday night, and ran mostly at a sub 9:00 pace, putting me at a 1:02 finish. It truly made me believe that sub 2:00 is possible this year. I don’t know where it came from, or how I was able to run for that long on the track, but I was so glad I did. I felt like it was exactly the run I needed. Plus, the stress of my long run for the week was over.

My other runs were shorter, but my pace was under 9:30, and I kept them pretty easy. I had hoped to enjoy a longer run outside on Sunday with the beautiful weather, but after I forgot to eat lunch, and running at 7pm left me with little energy to get out the door.

I also had my first Yoga-lates class this week. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I figured  my abs would be screaming at me. To be honest, I felt like 90% of the time was just stretching. I wasn’t sweating like a good run, and I was ready to go home before class was over. I felt relaxed, but I didn’t feel like I was working hard. And then for the next two days, I felt like I couldn’t lift my arms. I was sore in places I didn’t know I had muscles, and could completely feel the benefit of yoga. I’ve realized I’m more of a Pilates person, but I’m hoping to enjoy the rest of my classes (only three left) and become relaxed, something I haven’t been in a while.

Monday: 3 Miles

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 7 Miles

Thursday: Yoga-lates

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: 1.5 Miles

Total Miles: 11.5 Miles

Low total mileage, but great workouts, very pleased with this week. This next week is supposed to be a low mileage week, but I may push it to see what I can do. I’ll be running in my hometown over the weekend, so that can only mean great runs! I also have the decision to make about which race to do Sunday morning. Early flat 5k or late hilly 5k…

How was your week? Are you running a St. Patrick’s Day race?

Flying Pig Half Training: Week One

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First week complete. This week I felt that I was really starting fresh. I took the previous week off as an unplanned rest as I battled a bad  head cold. Two weeks later, and I still can’t get rid of the cough or the feeling of always being congested. Luckily, it didn’t hold me back too much, but I was definitely feeling out of shape. I didn’t follow this week’s plan exactly, but I did what was best for me in getting back into a solid running plan.

Monday:Rest Day

Tuesday: 1 Mile Run, 3.35 Miles Cycling

Wednesday: Rest Day

Thursday: 1.37 Miles Run

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 4 Miles Run

Sunday: Rest Day

Total Miles: 6.37 Miles Run, 3.35 Miles Cycling

Definitely pulled the low mileage on this week, but I felt good. Most importantly, I was excited about training. There are so many new things I’ve started doing, I don’t want to leave the gym most of the time. Besides for running on the indoor track (finally a break from the treadmill!) I’ve been working on abs, lifting and cycling. My newest obsession is the resistance bike. It pushes me a lot more than I would on the basic stationary bike, and I don’t get bored sitting there. Like I’ve said before, I really want to focus on cross training this time around. I also want to make my body stronger as a whole, which is why I’m working on my abs and muscles.

The biggest perk from this week? I was able to run outside twice, and one of these runs was after work. Most of the time, it takes me about an hour to get home, so by 6:30 in the evenings, the roads are pretty dark and it’s safer to run inside. Luckily, Thursday I was able to get out of the office right at 5:30, have an easy drive home, and get in 6:15. Those extra minutes meant everything, and I ran a short, quick run in 20 degree weather. And even though it was short and cold, it was the perfect run. A nice reminder that my pace outside is still much quicker than my indoor pace, and that sometimes  all you need is a little fresh air to get your blood pumping.

I wrapped up the week with a “long run” Saturday through a new neighborhood and found my new favorite spot to do hill repeats. I’m actually looking forward to my hill workouts, something I never thought I’d say. And just like that, my new training plan has given me a new mindset on running.