Workouts - August 10, 2015
Hi! I don't really have too much to report from this past week. It was another disgustingly hot week, and I ran a lot despite it. I finally have my mileage back above 30 miles per week, for the first time since the marathon in February. It has been a long and torturous path coming back from injury, but I have been sneaking back into the higher mileage in a very deliberate way. The past eight weeks have also been very consistent, and I haven't missed any planned workouts.
I have just one running photo this week, from my Saturday long run with the Birmingham Track Club.
Monday: I got up early and ran 5.3 miles on my downtown loop, 9:28 pace. These early weekday runs always feel SO SLOW, so I try not to look at my watch very much.
Tuesday: I did 7 miles on the fancy gym treadmill. That was 6 miles aerobic (9:20 pace) and 1 mile at HM pace (8:00). Right now, it is ten weeks until the 4 Bridges Half Marathon, so I am starting some tempo runs to get my legs ready. I am working with a 1:45 goal in mind, and willing to reevaluate as the race gets closer. I have run a hilly ten-miler at an 8:05 pace, so I think that is a reasonable goal. My half marathon PR is 1:54:something, but as it turned out I was injured for that race. Blah blah blah...what I'm trying to say is my goal pace is 8:00.
Wednesday: I headed to the park for four laps, which works out to 3.6 miles. I tried to keep the tempo up and increase my speed through the run. I ended up with an 8:14 average pace, although I stopped my watch for water (something I normally only do on long runs).
Thursday: No surprise I woke up with really heavy legs, so I just did 40 minutes of weight training.
Friday: I normally take Fridays as a rest day, because it helps so much with the Saturday long run. I needed some mileage, though, so I ran a loop around the hospital campus without looking at my watch. It was 4.8 miles at a 9:31 pace.
Saturday: Long run day, and I managed 13.8 miles at a 9:20 pace (remember, I stop my watch for water stops, and this run probably had 6-7 of those). The weather was just horrendous...82 degrees F and 100% humidity. The last two miles were incredibly difficult. At mile seven, we looped back through downtown and several people running alongside me dropped out. Around mile ten, everyone else in my pace group decided to turn back. I knew there were three or four people still running ahead of me, and I had a friend running a solid 9:40 pace behind me. I figured that if anything weird happened, he would be along to reel me in. I made a mental note of a few shortcuts and extra water stops on the course that would allow me to bail if necessary. Then, I did what basically amounted to a solitary death march through the sunny hills of Mountain Brook. In situations like this, I just try to tell myself that the most miserable moments are the ones that make me stronger. When I hit twelve miles, I bumped into some other runners at one of our permanent water stops, and they were like "YOU ARE DOING GREAT!" Hugely motivating. Then, just moments later, I saw another runner outside Starbucks being helped for mild heat exhaustion. Not so motivating. At around thirteen miles, I looked at my watch and saw that I had been running exactly two hours. I felt satisfied with that and headed back to my car. Yuck.
Sunday: I had parent orientation at my son's new school, so I missed spin class. Bummer. Right as I got to the gym, my favorite personal trainer told me they were starting new Thai kickboxing classes, and I should try it out. Only one hour long...what could possibly go wrong??! I mean, when I lived in Colorado I took a kickboxing class twice a week. I'm a pro! Well, apparently I lost some kickboxing-specific fitness during the past...ohhhhh...seven years. Oops. My arms are KILLING me right now. It seems like a really good core workout, though, so I'll probably go back.
Totals: 34.8 miles of running, one weight training session, one hour of cross training.
And by the way, I am posting this while I'm home with a very sick child. My crazy husband is out running in afternoon heat, and I'm trying to get over the fact that my entire body is sore in unfamiliar and horrifying ways. I have some more posts on diet planned, but 1) this week is going to be busy, and 2) I am not feeling very much like an authority on that front lately. Exhibit 1: I woke up this morning saying "man, I am going to eat clean today!" But by the time I dealt with Monday morning emails and dragged W to the doctor's office, I felt completely defeated. We totally went to the Taco Bell next to the pharmacy, because it's his favorite. Hahaha. Maybe tomorrow I'll do better.
Hope you guys had a great week!
I have just one running photo this week, from my Saturday long run with the Birmingham Track Club.
 |
| A portrait of all the fools willing to run long in unspeakable weather. I'm turned away and wearing my ubiquitous black cap. I believe I was staring longingly at the 8:00 min/mile pace group. |
Monday: I got up early and ran 5.3 miles on my downtown loop, 9:28 pace. These early weekday runs always feel SO SLOW, so I try not to look at my watch very much.
Tuesday: I did 7 miles on the fancy gym treadmill. That was 6 miles aerobic (9:20 pace) and 1 mile at HM pace (8:00). Right now, it is ten weeks until the 4 Bridges Half Marathon, so I am starting some tempo runs to get my legs ready. I am working with a 1:45 goal in mind, and willing to reevaluate as the race gets closer. I have run a hilly ten-miler at an 8:05 pace, so I think that is a reasonable goal. My half marathon PR is 1:54:something, but as it turned out I was injured for that race. Blah blah blah...what I'm trying to say is my goal pace is 8:00.
Wednesday: I headed to the park for four laps, which works out to 3.6 miles. I tried to keep the tempo up and increase my speed through the run. I ended up with an 8:14 average pace, although I stopped my watch for water (something I normally only do on long runs).
Thursday: No surprise I woke up with really heavy legs, so I just did 40 minutes of weight training.
Friday: I normally take Fridays as a rest day, because it helps so much with the Saturday long run. I needed some mileage, though, so I ran a loop around the hospital campus without looking at my watch. It was 4.8 miles at a 9:31 pace.
Saturday: Long run day, and I managed 13.8 miles at a 9:20 pace (remember, I stop my watch for water stops, and this run probably had 6-7 of those). The weather was just horrendous...82 degrees F and 100% humidity. The last two miles were incredibly difficult. At mile seven, we looped back through downtown and several people running alongside me dropped out. Around mile ten, everyone else in my pace group decided to turn back. I knew there were three or four people still running ahead of me, and I had a friend running a solid 9:40 pace behind me. I figured that if anything weird happened, he would be along to reel me in. I made a mental note of a few shortcuts and extra water stops on the course that would allow me to bail if necessary. Then, I did what basically amounted to a solitary death march through the sunny hills of Mountain Brook. In situations like this, I just try to tell myself that the most miserable moments are the ones that make me stronger. When I hit twelve miles, I bumped into some other runners at one of our permanent water stops, and they were like "YOU ARE DOING GREAT!" Hugely motivating. Then, just moments later, I saw another runner outside Starbucks being helped for mild heat exhaustion. Not so motivating. At around thirteen miles, I looked at my watch and saw that I had been running exactly two hours. I felt satisfied with that and headed back to my car. Yuck.
Sunday: I had parent orientation at my son's new school, so I missed spin class. Bummer. Right as I got to the gym, my favorite personal trainer told me they were starting new Thai kickboxing classes, and I should try it out. Only one hour long...what could possibly go wrong??! I mean, when I lived in Colorado I took a kickboxing class twice a week. I'm a pro! Well, apparently I lost some kickboxing-specific fitness during the past...ohhhhh...seven years. Oops. My arms are KILLING me right now. It seems like a really good core workout, though, so I'll probably go back.
Totals: 34.8 miles of running, one weight training session, one hour of cross training.
And by the way, I am posting this while I'm home with a very sick child. My crazy husband is out running in afternoon heat, and I'm trying to get over the fact that my entire body is sore in unfamiliar and horrifying ways. I have some more posts on diet planned, but 1) this week is going to be busy, and 2) I am not feeling very much like an authority on that front lately. Exhibit 1: I woke up this morning saying "man, I am going to eat clean today!" But by the time I dealt with Monday morning emails and dragged W to the doctor's office, I felt completely defeated. We totally went to the Taco Bell next to the pharmacy, because it's his favorite. Hahaha. Maybe tomorrow I'll do better.
Hope you guys had a great week!
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