Weekly Fitness Recap

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015Leave a comment

Another week of running, and another week closer to the holidays. How are we already this close to Thanksgiving and Christmas? Wasn’t it just Labor Day Weekend?

This week my motivation wasn’t where it should have been. Darren was traveling in Europe all week, so my sleep was much lighter and I held up a good streak of being wide awake from 2:45-4:00am every day. With him traveling international every couple of weeks, I notice my energy and running dips. I need to figure out how to sleep better, and probably eat better while he’s gone.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 3 Miles + Abs

Thursday: 1 Mile

Friday: 0

Saturday: 6.15 Miles + Abs

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 10.15 Miles

My first run of the week was on Wednesday. I stuck to the treadmill, mostly because I didn’t want to go out in the crazy wind just to head to the rec. To keep things entertaining, I upped the speed every half mile and time went by quickly. I stopped at three because I felt great, and didn’t want to end my run on a bad note. I’ll wait to endure those miserable treadmill runs at another time.

It’s treadmill season!

Thursday was pretty much a waste of a run. I had a tight time slot before Grey’s night with Mallory, but still got on the treadmill. The entire mile I was thinking of everything I needed to get done by 8pm, so I stopped at one mile. Luckily, Grey’s is over until February, so I can go back to normal Thursday workouts. Poor excuse? Does anyone else still watch Grey’s?

Friday, I didn’t run, but I did get my hands on a new pair of Asics Kayano 22! Second Sole had their Holiday Extravaganza Sale, so I couldn’t help but stop in and try a pair on. It was love at first sight! I’m excited for the first run in these, especially since they’re less bulky than previous models!

Heaven in a box!

Saturday, we had a group of 5 and met up on the square to do some miles around town. The weather was a bit chilly, but it didn’t stop us from a good run. We managed to keep a pretty steady pace of 9:05, a good amount of hills, and I felt great.

Post run delight!

I should have gone for a longer run Sunday, but didn’t get to bed until 2am on Saturday night, so I passed on the early morning group. Instead, I relaxed, enjoyed time with Darren-since he was finally home, and put up my Christmas decorations! Some days you just need to spend some time with loved ones.

HOF Half Marathon Training: Week Twelve & Thirteen

April 20, 2015Leave a comment

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.

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!

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.

September Rewind

October 6, 2014Leave a comment

One of my favorite months has come and gone, but before recapping the marathon, it’s time to look back at the past month.

Miles run: 89

Races run: 2 (River Run Half Marathon, SF Aloha Run 5k)

Miles biked: 0

Favorite Workout: 9/16 – 10×800 repeats

Books read: Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?

Place traveled: San Francisco & Napa, California

This month’s mileage was lower than the previous months, but mostly because of taper. I definitely missed the challenge of hitting another 100 mile month, but by the end of the month, my legs felt fantastic. Hitting almost 90 miles was a stretch in the past, so it feels good that I was able to get it even while cutting back on mileage.

I ended up racing twice this month, one a half marathon, and the other a 5k. The River Run Half has always been a favorite of mine and I was excited to have a chance at it again. I ended up with a 2:01, and it was hard to believe, but it was my 20th half marathon! My other race was a 5k in San Francisco, and even though it wasn’t my best, it was great to race along the Golden Gate Bridge and change up the scenery of my normal races.

Despite spending half of the month in taper, I had a fantastic track workout, which turned into one of my favorite workouts. My final hard workout was my last set of 800 repeats, all 10 of them. I hit the splits exactly where I wanted them, and even finished the last one in 3:34, something I definitely didn’t expect.

September also brought a vacation, where I knocked out Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? during the flights, which was absolutely hilarious. We spent time in San Francisco and Napa, enjoying the sites, nature, wineries and more importantly, getting engaged! It was a wonderful trip, and I definitely recommend visiting them both.

So September ended up being a pretty great month, and it will be pretty hard to top. October brings the marathon, cooler weather, and picking out what races I’ll be running next!

How was your September? What big plans do you have for October?

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Seventeen

September 29, 2014September 28, 20141 Comment

This week I fully took advantage of taper. We were on vacation still Monday and Tuesday, so with limited time and daylight, workouts didn’t happen. Wednesday’s workout didn’t happen either, so by Thursday I was craving a hard run.

Thursday I got the chance to run with Second Sole, and it felt great to push myself just a little past the comfort zone. We ran Roscoe which always becomes harder than you expect with the rolling hills. I felt great, pain free, and my legs finally started to not feel so tired.

Friday was a rest day, but Saturday was my last “long” run before the marathon. I met up with Mallory and we ran 8 miles on Lester. Weather was perfect and the trail felt pretty good on my legs for most of the run. I wasn’t feeling too motivated, but we pushed each other, and kept up a pretty decent pace.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 4.4 Miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: 8 Miles

Sunday: Off

Total Miles: 12.4 Miles

I dropped the ball this week with my workouts, and I know I should have spent more time on my feet. It was a hectic week, and life happens. Hopefully the extra rest will help my legs feel fresh on race day.

So with this, the second week of taper is over, and just one week stands between myself and the marathon! I’m excited and nervous, and still can’t believe it’s almost here. It’s be a long training cycle, but I can’t wait to see what my legs do on race day.

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Sixteen

September 24, 2014September 23, 2014Leave a comment

The first week of taper is complete and half of it was spent on vacation. This wasn’t originally planned, but when everything aligned about a month ago, it seemed that taking a vacation would be the best way to kick off taper and reward myself for all the hard work I’ve done.

I’m done lifting for the training cycle, so my first workout started Tuesday. I had my final set of 800 repeats. I got a little carried away on my first one, but I was able to settle into a comfortable pace and was feeling pretty strong. By the time we got to the second half of the workout, the sun was setting pretty quickly, and we ended up running the last 3 in the pitch black. I’ve definitely learned to love the 800 repeats and this workout was no exception!

Track essentials

Wednesday I took off to do last minute things, but Thursday I did a morning run before we left on vacation. I headed to the trail and zoned out. It felt great to fully relax and enjoy the start of the day.

Friday I had hoped to run in the morning after we landed in California, but unfortunately, we were tight on time, and I didn’t feel comfortable going out by myself in the dark. Saturday however, I was finally able to get some miles in. I found a 5k a few weeks ago, and registered for it before we left. So Saturday morning, we headed to the Golden Gate Bridge and I ran a 5k. I’ll have my recap up later this week.

Not my typical morning run view

After the run we had a chance to head up to Muir Woods and hiked 7.5 miles. The weather was absolutely perfect and the views were breathtaking. It was definitely a hard workout at times, and there was a ton of vertical, but it felt great and I was able to spend a decent amount of time on the trails.

And I finished out the week with a run outside of our hotel on Sunday morning. I surprisingly felt pretty after the previous day’s hike. The hotel we stayed at had a 6 mile loop around the harbor, which was perfect for a safe trail and some beautiful views.

Harbor views

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 7 Miles, 1 mile w/u, 10×800(3:59, 4:07, 4:04, 4:00, 4:05, 4:06, 4:02, 3:57, 3:55, 3:34), 1 mile c/d

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 2.4 Miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: Aloha Run 5k + 7.5 Miles of hiking

Sunday: 3 Miles

Total Miles: 15.4 Miles Running, 7.5 Miles Hiking

So there we have it, week 1 of taper is complete. I definitely had a chance to relax and let my legs recover from the hard training cycle. I didn’t get in as many miles as I had hoped, but traveling makes it hard to get everything done. The views were amazing, and I’m glad I got to spend time in new locations. My only complaint was the sun didn’t come up until late, so with a busy schedule, I was limited on outdoor running when it was light. But still, running and hiking around San Francisco was definitely a great way to begin taper!