Tag: half marathon training

Columbus Half Marathon Training: Week One

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Base miles are finally over and I’m finally back on a training plan! I’m excited to have structure back in my running and my workouts will be focused on the goal of running Columbus half in October. I’ve made a few changes for this plan, mostly because I’m still a bit worried I could fall back into the injured category. Here’s what’s different this time around.

-Back to 16 weeks. I’m spreading out my mileage more than my sweet spot of 14 weeks. Hopefully I won’t get burnt out with the longer training schedule.

-Running 4 days a week. I’d prefer to run up to five days, but I’m keeping mileage a bit lower this time, and adding more days to recover in between workouts.

-Lower mileage. I’ve always done well on the lower end of mileage, but I’m keeping it a bit lower than normal. Lower mileage plus fewer days running will hopefully keep me injury free.

-Yoga, lifting, and ab work. The more cross training I do, the stronger I hope to be.

Here’s what I have planned for the next 16 weeks.

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And now to week one recap.

Monday: 4 Miles + Abs & Hips

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 3.25 Miles (1 mile w/u, 2×800 w/200 recovery, 1 miles c/d) + Abs & Hips

Thursday: 6 Miles

Friday: 0

Saturday: 3.5 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 16.75 Miles

Monday was the first day of the training cycle, and typically I use Monday as a rest day. Because of some travel later on in the week, I had to get my run in then. Lucky for me, it was incredibly hot and still 90 degrees when I got home from work. But even though it was toasty, I still managed to stay just above 9:00 and my legs still wanted to go faster. Thankfully I had sprinklers to keep me cool along the way.

Too hot.

Too hot.

Wednesday was the first track workout of the cycle. I ended up at a new track near my parent’s house and ended up having the whole thing to myself. It was nice to focus in and not have any distractions. Starting from scratch, I did just two 800’s, and ran 3:51 and 3:47. It’s been a long time since I did 800’s, but they felt a lot better than the 400’s from a few weeks ago.

All by myself...Until the fox showed up.

All by myself…Until the fox showed up.

I ended up running my long run on Thursday. Typically my long run would start at 8 miles, but I decided to start at 6. I met up with Mo and we ran a loop through her neighborhood. It was pretty hilly, and my legs were a bit tight. But I still managed to get it done in a decent pace. It wasn’t my best run, but they can’t always go as planned.

We traveled to Houston over the weekend so I moved things around to do my recovery run on Saturday. And I’m so glad I did. I went out with Cori and her pup and we headed to Hermann Park. I was definitely not prepared for the heat and humidity. As early as 7am it was already 85 and felt like 90+.  I felt like I was wearing heavy fleece and had a harder time than usual breathing. I had to take a few walk breaks, but we managed to get 3.5 miles in.

Smiling, but sweating to death.

Smiling, but sweating to death.

So beautiful, yet so humid.

So beautiful, yet so humid.

 

It was a good first week of training. I got all my workouts in and even though my mileage was lower than I typically run, I hit all my miles. I’m hoping to stick to the plan as much as I can, but also know that things may happen and if I feel any ounce of lingering injury then it’s time to back down.

I’m excited to get back into training and see what the next 16 weeks hold!

 

 

 

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.

 

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 Seven

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This week I was really focused on getting back on track. And I did! I got every single workout in and I feel like this was my strongest week yet. I just hope this isn’t a one time thing, and I can keep the momentum going.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 3.75 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 4×400 w/200 recovery (1:34, 1:28, 1:32, 1:31),1×400 jog turns-sprint straights 2×100 (.19, .18) .75 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 5 Miles

Thursday: 6.64 Miles

Friday: 0

Saturday: 12 Miles

Sunday: 4.28 Miles

Total Miles: 31.67 Miles

Tuesday I stopped at my parent’s house after work. After waiting for the heat to die down a bit I eventually made it to my old high school track with my sister. We started with a mile warm up and then went into our 400 repeats. Claire ran the first one with me, and watched the other three. I forgot how much I hate 400’s and felt like I was going to throw up after everyone. But considering this was the first time I’d done them on the track in over a year, I was ok with my times. Next up, Claire joined me for a lap of jogging the turns and sprinting the straights. She beat me both times, which shows she’s the sprinter, and I’m made for distance. We followed it up with 3 cool down laps.

You never forget your first track.

You never forget your first track.

Wednesday I met up with Mallory and we headed over to Allerdale after our first choice park was closed. This was only the second time I’d been to Allerdale, the first being last fall. The whole park looked completely different and it was a nice change of scenery. Since the trails are short, we looped around a lot, almost too much. I also forgot how hilly it is, but my legs reminded me as they were screaming towards the end of the run. But the constant hills are almost worth the views.

Top of the Park

Top of the Park

On Thursday I met up with Mallory again and we started our run at Medina Lake. We made our way around the lake and headed into The Reserve development.  It was another hilly run with gradual and semi steep hills around the development, the views of the lake, and the far too expensive homes make it a nice place to run. We took a wrong turn and ended up taking the longer way back to our cars via Rt 18. We finished up with almost 7 miles, and very tired legs.

Saturday I was finally able to get the long run in that I’d been hoping for. I met up with Mo, Jennifer and Sarah and we made our way around Medina. We started on the half course, made our way past Lake Medina and looped around a few developments. The first half of the run we kept the pace between 9:05-9:15. I was feeling pretty good despite how many hills I’d already fun this week. By the time we got to mile 8 I could feel my legs starting to get tired. Our pace slowed down a bit due to the weather warming up, lack of water, and a more hillier route we were running. Once we got passed mile 10 I could feel my body starting to slow down more and really I was ready to be done. We finally got back to the square to finish up 12 miles for the day.

On Sunday I met up with Melissa for a nice easy recovery run. We met up half way at Bonnie Park and headed north before turning off on one of the paths. It was pretty warm by the time we started so our pace was a little slow, but perfect for a recovery run. Even though I was extremely hot, sweaty and thirsty, I still felt pretty good considering my high jump in mileage from last week to this week.

Week Seven Thoughts:

  • This week I got in all 5 workouts, which I haven’t been able to do since the beginning of the training cycle. I felt really strong throughout most of the week and thankfully a few rough weeks didn’t hurt me as much as I expected. This past week was what I’ve been aiming to do every week (minus some of the hills) but I just haven’t been able to get things to work out. I’m hoping I can keep up the 30+ miles per week and maybe they’ll pay off when it’s race time.
  • It is now clear to me that 400 repeats are my most hated speed workout. I feel like the entire time I have to be running at full speed or I’ll slip into a much more relaxed pace. And I always feel miserable once I finish.  In high school we ran 400 repeats under 1:30 all the time. Now I’ll be lucky when I accidentally run under 1:30.

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Six

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This week was a horrible week for training, my worst one of the cycle. Going into the week, I planned on at least four workouts. When it was said and done, only two runs and one cross training workout happened.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 4 Miles

Thursday: 5 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 6xHill Repeats (½ mile each), 1 Mile C/D

Friday: 0

Saturday: 0

Sunday: SUP Yoga

Total Miles: 9 Miles

My first run of the week wasn’t until Wednesday. Not ideal, but that’s ok. I was supposed to do a track workout, but I just wasn’t feeling it. It was one of those days where you just want to run without thinking or planning or focusing on hitting certain paces. So I went out and just ran. I did an out and back in a development I’ve never run before. My mind was focused on the run itself and nothing else, which was exactly what I needed.

Thursday I was finally able to make it to a Second Sole Group run, but it turns out that run group was canceled for the night. I thought of going home and running in my development, but since I was already in town I figured I’d drive out to my favorite hill and do some repeats. I started with a mile warm up and worked my way up the hill six times before calling it.

Up, and up and around the turn

Up, and up and around the turn

The first three felt pretty good, but like always, number 4 was the hardest. I managed to get to six, but my legs were burning. The mix between gradual and steep on the Reserve hill always gets me.

From the top, the sunset view is the perfect reward

From the top, the sunset view is the perfect reward

I had planned on doing my long run on Saturday, but instead, woke up feeling sick to my stomach at 4am. I’m now going to add sushi to the list of things not to eat before a long run. After going back to bed and taking it easy all morning, I was finally feeling better by noon, but at this point, it was way too hot to attempt my long run.

Sunday morning was out for a long run because I had plans to try SUP Yoga for the first time. We signed up for this class a while ago, but by the time it got here, I was incredibly nervous. My balance is not great, and I really can’t swim, so I was definitely out of my comfort zone. The class started at 8 with some basic how to info on Stand Up Paddle boarding, followed by about an hour of yoga out on the lake. Hinckley Lake was beautiful and it really was the perfect weather for yoga. I was a little timid with my paddle boarding, but I eventually got the hang of it. My yoga form on the other hand was less than stellar. I was so afraid of falling in the water that I was incredibly stiff and modified a few poses. But once we sat down and had most of our body close to the board, I was ok. I even worked up enough confidence to do wheel pose. Don’t ask me how though. Overall, it was a fun experience. I’d love to try it again, and especially do some more SUP.

Week Six Thoughts:

  • My mileage was way off this week. Part of it was due to schedule, part of it was unseen issues that popped up. But even though I didn’t get my long run in, I was still able to get a hill workout in, which is something I know I need to work on. This past week is done, and now it’s a fresh start to begin a new training mileage and focus on those miles.
  • I’m really glad I tried SUP. It was certainly a new experience, but I really enjoyed it once I started to relax. There’s such a difference between yoga on a mat on solid ground compared to a small board on open water. I think this is a great way to cross train during summer and makes me miss practicing real yoga.

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Five

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I had a fresh start this week with rested legs and a more motivated mind. Unfortunately, things got busy and I couldn’t get all of my workouts in. Even though I was far from mileage, I did have some good workouts.

Monday: 4 Miles

Tuesday: 4.75 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 4×800 w/400 recovery, 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 11 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 19.75 Miles

Monday I met up with Mallory for some easy miles along Lester trail. It was super hot, humid and buggy so we kept a very easy pace, between 9:45-10:00. It was nice to get a run done on a Monday for once, I felt like I had more energy than normal, and I can start the week not staring down a 0.

I originally planned on doing Jasyoga on Tuesday because I had a dress fitting. But when my appointment was pushed back a week, I knew I’d have time to squeeze in a workout. With the threat of a storm I decided to run on the treadmill in case my workout was cut short. I did four 800 repeats and increased the speed on the last two. I felt ok, but I’m looking forward to getting back out on the track again.

Saturday was my first double digit run of the training cycle. I was a little nervous due to the lack of mileage I’ve been able to get in, but decided to just let my legs do the talking. We had a small group that started at Buckeye Woods to run the HD loop. From BW, we went down the inlet and off on some back roads. The early morning fog was still rising and made for some beautiful views.

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From there we made our way towards Chippewa Lake on the back roads. We stopped for a pit stop around mile 4 or so.

Chippewa Lake in the distance

Chippewa Lake in the distance

We followed along the outside of the lake and passed the old amusement park grounds. We had some hills, but nothing too major. I took a Honey Stinger Chew at mile 7 and had a small increase in energy for the next few miles.

We finished up around the lake, and headed back towards the inlet. Once we finally got back to our cars, I had 10.77 on my Garmin, so naturally I made a few laps around the parking lot to make it an even 11. I felt fairly strong throughout the run, our pace stayed  between 9:20-10:00.

Beautiful morning on Chippewa Lake

Beautiful morning on Chippewa Lake

 

Week Five’s Thoughts:

  • This week was the third long run I’ve done using Honey Stinger Chews. So far I haven’t had any stomach issues during the run or after, so I think I may be on to something. They’re much easier to take while running, and I feel full enough after one piece, that I don’t need to eat them as often. Fingers crossed that I can keep up this new fueling plan.
  • I had a plan to get all five workouts in this week, but clearly that didn’t happen. I’m looking ahead at my calendar, and appointments are popping up left and right to finalize things for the wedding. It’s clear that with just under 6 weeks to go, running may not be the top priority all the time. I need to accept that some runs will need to be rescheduled, and some may have to be skipped. As much as I don’t want to change my training cycle too much, I may need to adapt the mind frame of run what I can, when I can. Worse case scenario, I’ll have a minimum of three runs per week- one speed, one long, and one recovery.

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Four

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I changed a few things around this week after I noticed my first cut back week wasn’t until week six. With tired legs from last week, and a tired body from lack of sleep, I knew I needed to make this change for a recovery week. So I skipped a few runs, made some changes to week six, and here we are with lighter mileage and happier legs.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 3.5 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 6×400 w/400 recovery, .5 Mile C/D + Core

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 4 Miles

Saturday: Twin Sizzler 5k + 2 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 12.5 Miles

I got home late on Tuesday due to traffic, and stuck to my treadmill for my workout. I was exhausted before I even started, and lack of motivation was creeping in quickly. But I powered through some 400’s and felt a little better when I was finished.

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Coach checking out my stride

Wednesday evening I had plans, and Thursday I had intentions of running with Second Sole. But because I didn’t get out of work until late afternoon, I decided to skip my run and spend time with Darren, who had been in London all week for work. After a pretty crappy week, it was exactly what I needed.

Friday I was out of the door at a decent time and ran to my trail. It was the first time running there for a while, despite being so close to home. I felt pretty good and kept a decent pace for most of the run. A little solo trail running was exactly what my mind and body needed.

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Clear trails, clear mind.

Saturday I ran the annual Twin Sizzler 5k, race recap to come soon. I opted for just the 5k this year after running both the 5k and 10k last year. The weather was perfect, the race turned out great and I was almost tempted to sign up for the 10k. Between my warm up and cool down, I added two more miles, making it 5 for the day.

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A little red, white, blue, and neon for the Twin Sizzler

Week Four Thoughts:

This week was nothing what I had originally planned for. But even by the end of the week my legs felt better than they had in the past two. There comes a point where everything starts to build up and break you apart. I needed this week to catch up on recovery, sleep, and a little bit of my sanity. I can now start this next week of training with fresh legs and some extra motivation.

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Three

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The third week of training is done, and I think the intensity and quick jump back into running is catching up with me. I gave it all I had for each workout this week and while I didn’t quite hit my total mileage, I feel strong with where I’m at.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 5.5 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 3×1600 w/400 recovery (7:59, 7:39, 7:34), 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 5 Miles

Thursday: 4.5 Miles

Friday: 0

Saturday: 9 Miles + Core

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 24 Miles

Tuesday I was finally back on the track and it felt so good to be there. I had mile repeats, which I haven’t done in a long time, so I wasn’t sure what times I’d be able to run. I was hoping for around 8:00 minutes but would adjust if I felt that was too fast. I was somehow able to negative split my three mile repeats, and didn’t feel horrible once I was done. Hopefully I can bring my time down closer to 7:30 for all repeats and see my 5k times drop over the next couple of months.

I stopped by Bonnie Park on my way home on Wednesday. I haven’t been there in almost two years, so it was nice to have a change of scenery. I decided to stick along the parkway and headed North. I was only planning on 4 miles, but I felt great and ran 2.5 miles before turning around. Even though I was supposed to be running a recovery run, my legs didn’t want to go above a 9 minute pace. I was able to keep four of the five miles at sub 9 and my final mile was sub 8:30. It must have been the flat ground that made me so speedy!

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Feels like home

Thursday was Second Sole group run and I almost missed it due to traffic. Luckily I got there in time to join the group for a 4.5 mile run from the store to Roscoe Ewing Park and back. We took it at an easy pace and for once the hills in the park didn’t seem so bad. My legs were tired and a little tight towards the end, so more stretching, compressing and foam rolling is needed in between runs.

I originally thought of racing the 10 for Them 10 Miler on Saturday, but opted out since I wasn’t registered, and didn’t love the idea of racing 10 miles yet. So instead, Mo, Mallory and I met up in the afternoon to do our run. We had a nice window of no rain, but some pretty decent humidity. We ran a few of the developments, including some steep hills and ended up with 8 miles. My legs were exhausted, and I was ready to call it for the day. But, I couldn’t help but think of that last mile that I know I needed, so I slogged through one final mile on my own. It wasn’t pretty, but I got it done. Even with the humidity and hills, I still felt pretty good. I tested out Honey Stinger Chews again, and had no issues during or after my run. Looks like I’ll be sticking with them for the next few long runs.

Week Three Thoughts:

I’m starting to feel the effects of higher than normal mileage. Going from a running rut to my training plan, my mileage has jumped from 10 miles to almost 30 miles a week. I’m also running 4-5 days a week, where I was doing 3-4 days before. I know I’m still not getting enough sleep, which is definitely bringing me down on some of my back to back days. I need to work on getting more sleep, and taking my recovery runs at a recovery pace.

 

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Two

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Week two is done and I am pain free! Sometimes the best thing is to listen to your body rather than your training plan. This week was a little off, I had to move a few things around, but I was still able to get most of my mileage in despite having to do some tweaking.

Monday: 5.5 Miles + Core

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 4 Miles + Core

Thursday: 3 Miles + Core + Lifting

Friday: 0

Saturday: 8 Miles

Sunday: 3.1 Miles

Total Miles: 23.6 Miles

Monday I headed to Blue Heron with Mallory. It’s been months since we’ve ran there and even though it’s all hills, I still love it. We started on the golf course, made our way to the development, and then back through the course. It was pretty buggy and humid, but my legs felt pretty good and I had no pain! It was also the first run in my new Asics GT-2000’s. They felt magical, maybe that’s why I felt so good. We finished up our run and with less than a quarter mile to go, it started to pour. It felt refreshing, and I definitely had an “I love running!” moment. Finally!

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Hello 2000’s, let’s run!

I planned on doing my track workout on Wednesday since I had a dress fitting on Tuesday. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. First my iPad was almost dead, so any chance of watching Netflix wouldn’t last long. Then the circuit popped on one side of the basement, so the treadmill lost power. It was getting too late to get to a track to run by myself, so I set out around the neighborhood. I traveled through a few developments and felt less frustrated as my run went on. I was a bit tight from the hills on Monday, but I didn’t have pain, which was a good sign. I still managed 4 easy miles and some core for the night.

Thursday was Second Sole night, but the weather had different plans. Just as I made it to town, the sky let loose. About 10 minutes later, it stopped, so I thought we could get some miles done outside. Naturally the next round of storms showed up just as we were about to start. So we opted for the indoor track at the rec. We did three easy miles, some core and some lifting. I’m glad we had the option to run inside, but I don’t miss the indoor track one bit!

Saturday morning I met up with a small group to do my long run. We started at the square, and decided to run part of the Medina Half course to get our miles. It was also my first run in my new Asics Kayano 21’s and I was excited to break them in. Our first mile was the slowest, but we kept the pace between 9:04-9:15, also known as my race pace. We kept this up until about mile 6, where Mallory and I veered off so we could finish 8, while the rest of the group did 10. I took a Honey Stinger Chew for fuel and within the next mile brought my pace down to 8:05. Maybe it was the rain, or maybe the new fuel, but I felt great and didn’t feel burnt out by the end. Even though I pushed myself quicker than I should have for my long run, I also know I won’t get faster, unless I push myself.

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Kayano 21….In love!

Sunday’s recovery run hurt the most out of any run all week. I waited until 7pm to run where motivation was at its lowest. I tried to focus on one mile at a time, but couldn’t help to feel sluggish. I ran around the development, got chased by a dog and couldn’t keep my pace straight. Around 2.5 miles in, I started to get a side stitch that got worse with every step. It wasn’t until then that I realized I hadn’t had any water all day. I settled for three miles and a popsicle, and decided a new hydration plan was needed.

Week Two Thoughts:

It was clear that taking an extra rest day last week and getting new shoes made all the difference this week. I know not to let my shoes go over 350/375, but because I was rotating them, I completely lost track of miles. Going forward the 2000’s will be for shorter runs and track workouts and the Kayanos will be for longer runs. This worked out fairly well last time, so why change it.

Another thing I noticed is that I’m really dehydrated. I’ve been trying to drink water and Nuun throughout the day and after workouts, but I feel like it’s never enough. Part of this is because my body is getting used to summer heat, and part is from a new medication that causes dry mouth. I’m hoping to find a balance and work on hydrating myself before it gets super hot!

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week One

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The first week of Akron training is in the books! I love the feeling of a new training cycle, it’s a fresh start and motivation is high! Here’s a look at how the week went.

Monday: Jasyoga + Core

Tuesday: 5 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 6×400 w/400 recovery, 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 4 Miles + Core

Thursday: 4 Miles

Friday: 0

Saturday: 3.5 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 16.5 Miles

Monday I did 30 minutes of Jasyoga on the deck followed by 10 minutes of core. I focused on hamstring stretches, which helped to loosen me up after some trail running I did on Sunday. It’s amazing how much better I feel outside than doing yoga in the basement. (It also helps to keep the cats from getting in my way)

Fresh air...hello relaxation!

Fresh air…hello relaxation!

Tuesday was my first serious track workout in a while. I opted not to go to the 5:00am workout, and instead ran on my own in the evening. I had 400 repeats, which always hurt, but they were quick and over with before I had a chance to really think about it. I felt pretty good despite have a little bit of shin pain.

I stopped by my parent’s house on Wednesday after work and decided to do my workout there. It’s always nice to revisit the roads where I first started to run and remember how far I’ve come. It was hot and humid and pretty downright miserable. I wanted to take it easy and figured that would be no problem with the heat. But my legs had another idea and I was between 8:38-9:13 for all four miles. I actually felt pretty great and relaxed despite the heat. I also decided it would be my last run in my Kayano’s. With 428 miles, they’ve done more than they should and need to be retired. The upside is it’s time to go shoe shopping!

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Good run old friends, thanks for the memories!

My goal for Thursday was to make it to Second Sole, which lately has been a struggle due to traffic. Luckily, I just made it and was able to join Mo for some miles. We started off with a 9:04 mile, but quickly slowed down. It was hot, we weren’t feeling great and after Wednesday’s accidental tempo run, I figured it’d be smart to take it easy. I was glad to run with Second Sole again, and I look forward to more Thursday runs, as long as traffic is forgiving.

I was looking forward to Saturday’s run all week. Melissa just moved back to Ohio from Virginia, more importantly, to the Cleveland area! What better way to catch up than to go out for a run. We met at my house and we decided to run Buckeye Woods. We ran around the marsh and woods, caught up and had a nice easy run. After that we hit up the Farmer’s Market, checked out a few shops on the square and picked up my new shoes! I’m excited Melissa is back and town and see many runs and races together in our future!

Sunday’s plan was left up to the last minute. I originally planned on running the Park 2 Park Half Marathon, but after having weird shin/leg pain all week, I decided it would be best that I take an extra day off and rest. Instead, I had the best sleep in months, and volunteered at an afternoon trail 5k in Medina.

Week One Thoughts:

Monday through Saturday were strong. Even though I had some leg pain, I felt strong, I never felt out of shape during my runs, and I never wanted to slack off and cut the workout short. Considering how the past month and a half has been, this is a major step in getting out of my running rut.

Sunday was were I dropped the ball for hitting my mileage. But, I don’t regret not running or racing. The pain I felt all week was uncomfortable, and I probably should have sat out a workout, or two. But now that I pinpointed a knot in my calf, I can take care of it and hopefully prevent another week or more of pain. Taking a few days off now is better than having to sit an entire training cycle off due to injury.

Week one is done, 15 more to go!