Oh man…. The A1A Half is only FOUR DAYS AWAY!!! How did we get here?
It’s sold out!!! There are going to be so many people there!
I guess it’s time to talk about some goals.
I feel like I’ve been talking about this race forever. I had planned to run a half marathon back in October, but pushed things off due to injury. So… here we are. I am feeling ready, nervous, scared, excited and pretty much every other emotion about this race I could think of. I’ve put a lot of work into it and I’m flying across the country to run it (and to see my parents, of course). But I guess it’s time to think about some goals for the race.
a) Finish in less that 2:00
b) Finish in less than 2:15
c) Finish the race
Honestly, anything could happen out there. I ran my last 10 mile long run at 9:41 pace, which would have had me finishing around 2:07. I felt like I could have gone harder after that run and finished 13 miles around 2:05. In fact, I spent the whole time chatting away with my roommate. Had the race been sunday, I probably could have made an attempt to break 2:00. However, I don’t always feel that way. I’ve really had some mental battles in past races. I don’t fuel well the night before or in the morning. I usually get a little upset to my stomach and I’ve have terrible side stitches.
But, man, I have lucked out with the weather for this race.
It’s seriously winter in Florida. Can’t wait!!
I was worried because my training has been in South Bend, Indiana, where the temps run uncomfortably cold and you have to run more than 4 miles to break a serious sweat. But the A1A Half is going to be happening during a cold front in Fort Lauderdale! My parents will sure be miserably cold watching me, but I’m going to be one happy camper while I race.
I ran a nice comfortable 4 miles yesterday and today I’ll be going out with my running group at the local store. Tomorrow is my last run, just 2 miles, and then the next time I lace up is for the half!
Have you ever run a race and had no idea what pace you’d be at? Has weather ever completely changed your race day plans?
Hey everyone! A fellow blogger that I follow is doing something really cool. Kristina is a soon-to-be two time marathoner who is trying to raise money for Team Paws. She’ll be running the Chicago Marathon in October. This is the link to her donation page. She has put together a virtual 5k and 10k where runners will have until March 20 to run the race, email her the results and be entered to win some medals. All of the entrance money goes to helping out fuzzy animals (can you say no to that?). It’s for a really good cause and I am going to sign up, so sign up with me!
As much as I love running, I love my cat, Elly, even more. She is a shelter cat that without the help of awesome organizations like this, would have had no where to go and wouldn’t be chillin’ on my couch as we speak. Help out cats (and dogs, sorry, I’m biased), like Elly. Thanks everyone!
This is Elly. She is really beautiful, and also I’m pretty sure she’d con you for some cat food, given the opportunity. She has an addiction.
One week exactly from the A1A Half… and I’m a little nervous. I really don’t know what to expect and honestly, I have no idea what pace I’ll be running it at. I’ve been totally all over the place this week. There was a ton of snow on the ground at the beginning of the week, which made my legs felt like they were carrying lead. I finished my week off great, though! My second long run was definitely a high point.
Due to the crazy blizzard last week, I had two long runs this week. I had planned to run the first on monday, but I was so sore from galavanting through a blizzard on sunday that I decided to push it off. The run went well, but I was definitely tired by the end. I had a recovery run on Wednesday, where I spent 30 minutes complaining to my running buddies about how sore I was from the day before. Thursday I took a much needed rest, but spent most of my day bouncing around with energy. I guess the training is working. Friday’s tempo run went great and I finished feeling strong and ready for the half.
Saturday was spent cross country skiing ALL DAY LONG! I think I skied close to 14 miles total. It was a perfect day for it too.
The South Bend Adventure Club by our snowman after many hours of cross country skiing.
I gotta say though, my long run was definitely me at my best. I ended up going with my roommate who is training for the LA Marathon. She was running 20 miles and I was doing 10. Normally I take my long runs at about 10:00-10:30 pace. However, with her, we were going closer to 9:30 and I felt great. I had minimal suffering and I seemed to be just winning the mental game that I battle with so badly when my milage is above 8. For the first time, I was really feeling ready for this half.
Training this week
Monday: Yoga + Rest
Tuesday: 10.56 mile long run
Wednesday: Ran 3.12 miles for recovery + yoga
Thursday: REST REST REST
Friday: 5 miles tempo (1 mile warm up, 3 tempo, 1 mile cool down) + yoga
Saturday: Cross Country Ski
Sunday: 10 mile long run + yoga
Total: 28.7 miles
This is my highest milage since my ankle injury over a year ago and I felt really really good. However, I am kinda glad to be heading into the taper week. My goals are just to keep being positive and trust the training I’ve done.
Taper Week
Monday: Yoga + Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 3.1 miles
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: A1A Half Marathon
How was your training? Any big running plans coming up?
It’s easy to work hard. You just grit your teeth and go. The real work is learning when to stop, to slam down on the breaks and just chill. This is especially true for runners. Somehow, it gets in our heads that rest means loosing fitness. Even though we might feel a little ache in our hips, we keep going to get that next PR or that further distance. This has been a really hard thing to learn for myself. I tend to ignore the little aches and pains in my body and just go further and faster. This practice costed me a half marathon back in the fall and I refuse to let that happen again.
In August, I spent most of the month in Alaska on a biological field station in the North Slope (check out the pic! It’s super pretty there!).
This is Toolik Field Station. There are some awesome mountains there, and it is a generally pretty place.
The field station is small and you can’t always get away to go for a run. There is also has unlimited candy and rather buttery food. I spent the month not running, but instead eating a lot. I gained 7 pounds and lost a whole lot of fitness. Now, I have never struggled with weight, so as soon as I came home and started eating normally again, those 7 pounds came right off. The problem was, I hadn’t kept up my base milage that I had been working a year to get. Before I left for Alaska I was running about 25 miles a week, so when I got back to Indiana, I just went back to 25 miles per week.
This is my husband and I on top of a mountain in Alaska. Toolik Biological Field Station is a few miles behind us.
I had my eyes on a half marathon in October, which would have worked out pretty well with my schedule. A few of my friends were running it, so I figured, I could work up to it without too much trouble. I had also signed up for a challenging trail race in southern Indiana to encourage me to run while I was in Alaska (clearly that didn’t work out too well). The race was only a 10k, but it was a pain. It was crazy hilly and just generally kicked my butt. I would have been ok had I stopped there… but the next day, I decided to go for a 9 mile run to make sure I could commit to the half distance. By the end of it, I had some pretty intense IT band pain and I knew that Half Marathon was not going to happen. I had needed a rest day more than I knew.
The opportunity to overdo things again came this week. Currently, I am training for a Half Marathon, and although I have been told I am ready for it, in my mind, I’m not. I had an 11 mile long run scheduled for Sunday, but Indiana was hit by a massive blizzard. I tried to do the run, but only made it 5.56 miles before I had to call it off (the snow was up to my knees in some places). I figured I would just go for a do-over the next day, but when I woke up I was achey and sore from running through the piles of snow. Instead of going on the run, I did some yoga and really targeted my sore areas. The next day, I woke up feeling great. I went for my long run that morning feeling awesome! That extra rest had made a huge difference for me, both by keeping me healthy, and also by making my run simply more enjoyable.
The important thing is to really listen to your body. I know I always want to go hard, but pulling back is just as important (if not more). It was a hard lesson to learn, but I think I’ve got it now.
How many days per week do you run? Do you sometimes take rest days even when they are not scheduled?
Plantar Faciitis is no joke! Do lots of stretching and yoga to prevent it.
If you, or anyone you know, has dealt with plantar faciitis, you know it is not to be taken lightly. The facia is a thin band of fibrous tissue between muscles. Plantar faciitis is an inflammation of the plantar facia of the foot. As runners, we spend a lot of time on our feet and are particularly susceptible to plantar faciitis. Most people with plantar faciitis have pain in the heel of foot and describe it as a stabbing feeling that is especially bad in the mornings and after prolonged standing (or running). Like many overuse injuries, plantar faciitis can sideline your running career for a long time. There is no quick fix for this, and it can take from months to years to rehabilitate. So, what are we going to do to prevent it? …YOGA! Plantar faciitis often comes on from tightness of the calf and achilles tendon, which are two areas that are notoriously tight on runners. These are also areas that are easily taken care of by a few yoga postures. I’m going to touch on a few postures you can do at home that are great prevention and relief for plantar faciitis.
Downward Facing Dog Pose
Start by coming to your hands and knees. Place your hands one hand length forward, spread out your fingers and lift the knees up. Press your chest toward your thighs and lift your seating bones up. The knees can be bent, especially if you are not warmed up. Try to drop your heels towards the ground (don’t worry if they don’t make it). Start by peddling the feet and trying to straighten one leg at a time, while bending the opposite a little deeper. After a few breaths, you may find that you can straighten the legs fully. If you get tired, go to hands and knees to rest, and once ready come back to downward dog pose.
Downward Facing Dog: Make sure that the seating bones are lifted and the hands are shoulder width apart. You knees can be bent. Try to draw down through the heels.
Once you are comfortable with the posture, try coming to your toes by lifting the heals off the ground as high as you can and then drop the heels back down to the mat. Try this a few times with the breath and notice if your heels are able to make it a little closer to the ground.
Runner’s Lunge & Crescent Lunge
You may need blocks or two stacks of books on each side of you for this posture. Come to runner’s lunge by starting on your hands and knees. Step your right foot forward in between the hands (make sure that it is all the way forward and that the knee is stacked above your ankle). Then, bring your left knee back a few inches and tuck your left toes under. If you need blocks, place each hand on a block. Lift up your chest and try to get your back straight. Take a moment here to feel the posture. Then, try to bring your right hip back and your left hip forward and straighten your back leg. Press into your left foot a little and notice the sensation in your foot and in the back of your leg.
Runner’s Lunge: Keep your knee above our behind the ankle. Make sure that it never comes forward of the ankle. Try to press into your heel and draw the back hamstring up. Lengthen the spine.
Take a few breaths in runner’s lunge and then begin to feel your inner thighs engage. Draw your belly button up towards your spine and then lift the hands up, lift your torso up and reach your arms into the air for a full crescent lunge. Continue to push weight into your back leg and straighten the back leg by lifting the hamstring as high as you can.
Crescent Lunge: This is the same as runner’s lunge, except your are lifted upright. Engage your inner thighs and core. Lift the arms up into the air. Press into the back foot and straighten your back leg.
Warrior III Pose
Warrior III is a difficult posture, but it allows you to get deep into the back of the leg while building strong hips, back, and core. Start by coming to standing with the feet together. Step forward about a foot and a half with your right leg. Engage your core and left leg and flex your left foot. While drawing forward with your chest, hinge forward at the hips, eventually making a “T” with your body. Keep the arms by your sides at a low “V” or reach them forward for more core work. Try to remain here for 5 breaths, but if you wobble and fall, just come right back in.
Warrior III: Step one foot forward and lift the back leg up by hinging forward at your hips. Keep your spine straight, push out through your back heel and reach your arms forward. Try to make yourself feel as long as you can from fingertip to heel.
Bonus round: Try coming into this from crescent lunge!
Seated Head to Knee Pose
If you have tight hamstrings or calves, grab a strap or towel. Come to a seated position and extend both legs out in front of you. Take a moment to remove the flesh from the seating bones (I know, beautiful cue, but it’s necessary). Draw your left leg in so your foot makes contact with your right leg and the left knee flops out to the side. If the left knee is uncomfortable, take a pillow or blanket and place it under the knee. Flex your right foot, reach your arms into the air and inhale. On your exhale, hinge forward at the hips reaching your arms to your toes. If your hands can’t make it to the toes, grab your strap or towel, wrap it around the ball of your right foot (keep it flexed) and hinge forward at the hips. Avoid any rounding of the back by trying to bring your chest up. Breath here, keep your right foot flexed and when you are ready, switch sides.
Seated Head to Knee Pose: The key to making this posture good for plantar faciitis prevention is to really flex your extended foot. Keep your back long and try to draw the chest forward.
When treating and dealing with plantar faciitis, be careful of the foot tissue and don’t do any yanking or extreme stretches of the foot so you don’t tear the fragile tissue. There are more extreme stretches that target the feet, but these five postures are a good starting place. Have fun and keep running! Namaste! 🙂
Here we are, two weeks out from the A1A Half Marathon. And, I gotta say, this week was great! It was exactly what I needed to get myself back on track after being so sick. I am certainly not quite 100%, though. My husband says that I have been snoring sometimes at night, which is very unusual for me, and likely it’s due to still being a bit congested. I’m also definitely not as quick as I was before I had the flu, but that’s ok. I’m sure it’ll come back. In good news, I have also had absolutely no IT band pain, so I have concluded the pain last Wednesday was a fluke.
Beautiful view for my tuesday night run! It was a little chilly out, but worth it.
Tuesday’s run was especially awesome. I went along the river after work while my husband biked along side. It was really beautiful watching the sun set along the river. I went caving Saturday in Southern Indiana with the South Bend Adventure Club. We went into a wild cave (meaning no guided tours, you just get a key to the cave and go in) and spent about 4 hours underground. Caving has a way of showing you muscles you never knew you had, but it’s pretty freaking fun.
The caving group from the South Bend Adventure Club. Pretty awesome time!
That brings us to Sunday… Sunday’s long run (attempt) was a bit of a fiasco. I woke up in the morning and decided that no blizzard was going to stop my long run (haha, I’m a native Floridian, what was I thinking?). Well, I only made it 5.5 miles AND I was miserable the whole time. I was nearly plowed over and ran through some white out conditions. I cut things short, so I am going to go out for my long run tomorrow after the snow settles (and if it doesn’t, I’ll be running at the gym).
See South Bend there tucked in the middle of that wonderful splash of blue? Yeah, I tried to do a long run through that. Didn’t happen.
Training Summary for this week:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: Ran 5 miles at 9:30 pace along river + teaching hot yoga
Wednesday: Ran 3 miles at 10:00 pace with run group + yoga
Thursday: Yoga + rest
Friday: Tempo run: 1 mile warm up, 3 miles at 8:45 with 1 min break between each mile, 1 mile warm down + yoga
Saturday: Caving!
Sunday: Ran/walked/stomped through snow for 5.5 miles through a blizzard + yoga
Monday: Run ~11 miles for long run (either in the gym or outside if the weather is better)
Total: ~27 miles
Overall, despite the blizzard, I had a wonderful training week. My goals for next week are really to keep up the intensity from this past week. I can’t wait to finish up my training and get to the race!
Training for next week:
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3-4 miles with running group + yoga
Thursday: Yoga + Bike (or rest)
Friday: Tempo run + yoga
Saturday: Cross Country Ski
Sunday: Run 9-10 miles for long run
Hope you had a great week too! And all you midwesterners, stay warm! 🙂
As you all have heard, I am running my first half marathon on Feb. 15 (wow…that is so soon). When I first started my training, I was really unsure about using gels and if they’d work for me in the race. So, I started trying a bunch of stuff out. I typically have a very weak stomach. I get sick from really sugary things like soda and candy, which was one reason I was so hesitant about the gels. During my long runs, I would try something new and see how I liked it. I probably shouldn’t have tried so much stuff, but you know, new things are fun. But, I have settled on a winner, and I’ll let you know how it does in the race in my recap. For now, I’m going to go ahead and tell you what I’ve learned, what I liked and what I didn’t about each product.
Citrus Flavored Cliff Shot Blocks: I really like gummy bears, so I figured that I’d really like gummy blocks. I picked them up at my local running store, and they were a little on the pricey side. I assumed I could use the pack for two uses, so that didn’t bother me too much. I took them on a 7 mile trail run, and honestly, I wasn’t too into them. I took them at around mile 3 to try them out, but I didn’t feel any more energized. They were really just OK. The chewy-ness was a little difficult while I was on the run, and I noticed that they really stuck to my teeth. Needless to say, they were not my favs. The citrus taste was pretty good though, even if I wasn’t a fan of the consistency. I think they are good for backpackers or long hikes, but I didn’t like them for my runs.
Rating (1-5): 3
Citrus Flavored Clif Shot Gel: As I was saying before, I liked the citrus taste of the Clif Blocks, so I figured I’d like the taste of the citrus Clif Gels. I was also looking for something with caffeine, since I do get a really big boost from coffee before my runs. I took this gel on an 8 mile trail run and I definitely felt the boost after eating it. However, I was not really a big fan of the taste. It was really overly sweet and tasted almost like icing, which made me gag a little while I ran. I drank a ton of water with it (after a running partner warned me that I could get stomach cramps with the gels if I don’t drink enough water), but really, I needed the water to wash out the taste. I thought the gel worked great and did exactly what it was supposed to do. I just needed something a little less sweet.
Rating (1-5): 4
Albanese Gummi Bears: I really do like gummy bears a lot. So much so that my husband brought me to a gummy bear factory for my birthday. My roommate took these with her when running the Dawn of the Dunes Marathon (this is her race recap for that) and they seemed to work. I decided to try them out. I took them on a 7 mile run. I figured they would be fine since I sometimes eat a hand full of them before I leave for a run. The results were not too good. These really upset my stomach a lot and kinda derailed my run a little. They are also rather big and bulky. They taste really really good though!!
Rating (1-5): 2
Gu Salted Watermelon Gel: You know, I never would have thought to pair salt and watermelon, but the good people at GU seriously know where it’s at. This flavor rocked. When I’m on a long run, I generally feel like I need some salt and I crave it. Because of this, the sugary flavors tend to taste a little over-the-top to me. However, I doubt I would actually want a gu that tasted super salty. This one had the perfect amount of both. I took it on a 9 mile run and had it at the half way point with some water. I certainly felt the effects of the carbs on my way back home and I was less hungry than usual when I got there (I don’t know about you, but I get crazy hungry on long runs). I was pretty happy with this flavor and have decided to stick with this for my race.
Rating (1-5): 5
So I have settled on a winner. I’ll be bringing a pack of salted watermelon for my race on Feb. 15. Before the race I’ll also be eating a luna bar, which are my go to energy bar.
What are your go to race foods? Have you tried this awesome salted watermelon?
Yin yoga is a slow moving and deep practice where postures are held for up to three minutes (sometimes more!) in order to get deeper into hard-to-get muscles and connective tissues. It is my go to yoga practice when I am sore from long or hard runs (like I am today). The benefits of this yoga are endless. Aside from just the stretchy goodies, you are also able to connect a little deeper to the breath, to your body, and to your mind. This all sounds nice and all, but yin yoga is often overlooked by runners because it is a little uncomfortable, especially for those who struggle with flexibility. It is important to remember that the more uncomfortable a posture is, the more we should be doing it. That does not mean that your practice should be painful. Pain is a different sensation and we want to avoid that in our yoga practice. However, a little (or a lot) of discomfort can be good for us.
I have outlined a beginner friendly yin practice that can be done by any inflexible, running yogi. This sequence concentrates a lot on the outer hips, IT band and hamstrings, which are all areas that need some extra love when you run. You’ll need a space without distraction, a relaxing music playlist, a strap, towel or belt, and a timer. Pillows, blankets and blocks can also be helpful, especially if your knees tend to give you trouble. Each posture will be held for three minutes, which you can time either through songs on your playlist or on a phone timer. Carve out about 45 minutes for this practice (this is very short for a yin practice, so feel free to hold the postures longer and take more time, too). This is a perfect practice after hard or long run day for recovery.
Start on the spine in supine bound angle pose. To get into this posture, get nice and comfortable on your back, then bend your knees and bring your feet together with the knees out. Bring your right hand to rest on your stomach and your left hand to rest on your heart. Remain here with the eyes closed and just breath. Try to lengthen your breath and use your hands to feel the breath entering and exiting the body.
Start with the feet together, knees apart and take a moment to close the eyes and relax here.
After a few minutes in this pose, stretch the body out, point and flex your toes and take a few deep breaths. Release the arms to the sides of the body with the legs extended on your mat. Bend your right knee, place the foot on the inside of the left leg and allow the right knee to fall out to the side. Then, reach your right arm up over your head as far as you can, trying to lengthen the right side of your body. Reach your right arm over towards the left side of your mat until you feel sensation in the right side of your body. If your right knee is uncomfortable, place a block or pillow under it. After a few minutes here, switch sides.
Bend your right leg so your foot touches the inside of your left thigh and your right knee splays out. Reach your right arm up and over towards the left side of your mat.
Again, take a moment to stretch the body out before jumping into the next posture. Then, you are going to come into a simple cross-legged position, but while still on your back. Start with your right shin in front of the left. If this hurts your knees, takes blocks or blankets under them to elevate a little. If you have tight hips, this will be a little uncomfortable for you. Release your ams to your sides and just breath. Be sure to do this on both sides.
This is a simple cross legged position, but on the back. You may not feel much when you first come into this pose, but after a few breaths you should feel your outer hips and inner thighs.
Hug your knees into your chest, maybe draw opposing circles with the knees. Then, place your feet on to your mat at mat width with your knees up. Just allow both legs to fall over to the right side. Reach your left arm overhead, turn your head to the right and just relax into the posture. As always, blocks or pillows can be used under the knees if there is any pain there. When your are done, switch sides.
Bring your feet to mat width and have your knees up. Then allow your knees to fall all the way over to the right and reach your left arm up.
Place both feet on the mat with the knees up and grab your strap, belt or towel. Sling your strap around the ball of your right foot while holding each side of the strap in one hand. Extend your leg into the air, flex the foot and pull gently on the strap. You should feel a pretty deep stretch in your hamstring and in your calf. If you start to feel this in your lower back, or if the stretch is too intense, bend your extended knee a little. Repeat on the left side.
This is a pretty traditional hamstring stretch. Put your strap around the ball of your foot and extend the leg up. Lengthen the opposite leg on the mat and close your eyes. Be sure to keep tension out of your shoulders.
So, throughout this practice we’ve been working on external hip rotation and on IT band and hamstring stretches. This posture is what we have built up to. Start with both feet on the mat and the knees up. Take your left ankle on to your right knee so that the left knee opens out. Then, left your right knee, drawing it in towards your chest and take your left arm through the hole you made with your left leg and your right arm around your right leg. Lengthen your right leg into the air and clasp your hands on your thigh. If this stretch is a little too much, loop a strap, belt or towel around your right thigh and pull it in. Flex the right foot and try to relax through your face, neck and shoulders. Try to hold this one for the whole three minutes and then switch sides.
Place both feet on the mat with your knees up and then take your left ankle on to your right knee with your left knee out. Reach your left arm inside the triangle you made with your left leg and your right arm around your right leg. Extend your right leg up and clasp your hands on your thigh.
When you are done, hug your knees into your chest and open your arms out to a “T” position. Allow both legs to fall all the way over to the right side while keeping the left shoulder on the ground. Turn your head to look over your left shoulder. Switch sides. When you are done, take a moment to just lay comfortably on your spine and breath. Notice how your body feels after taking some time to slow down and relax.
Draw both knees into your chest and bring your arms out to a “T” position. Allow the legs to drop to one side and turn your head the other way.
I hope you enjoy this yin practice. If you are unable to carve out a full 45 minutes for this, try holding each posture for just 60 seconds. It is incredibly important to take some time to rest, slow down and connect. If you have any questions let me know! Namaste. 🙂
I am officially less than three weeks out from the A1A Half Marathon, and I have no idea what to expect. This week was full of ups and downs. On the up, I seemed to have beaten the flu. On the down, well, I had a flare up of my IT band syndrome on Wednesday’s run. However, I rested it, and my long run on sunday went great. So, go figure. I did change a few things, and I hope maybe I can get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Over Christmas, I went to the Delray Running Company to check out their shoes and see how they fitted me. I had come in with my Brooks Ravenas, and the owner of the store swore that I was in a shoe that had too much of a drop. She convinced me to come back in and get fitted by showing me her awesome setup where they record your running gate on video and slow it down to see your weird running tendencies. When we looked at mine, I was horrified. I am a super duper crazy pronator and I do this really strange kick out thing with my right foot. To improve my form, they fitted me into a pair of Newton Pop 1‘s. These shoes were really weird (they have these strange things on the bottom called lugs that force you to mid-foot strike) and ridiculously expensive. So, long story short, I took the info from my gate analysis, and didn’t buy the shoes. However, after my flare up on Wednesday, I decided to try and attack my form a little and go back to some of what I learned from my analysis. I also bought a compression sleeve for my knee and that seemed to help a ton. On my long run sunday, I concentrated on not kicking my foot out and trying to not over-stride, which seemed to be causing at least some of the over pronation. Hopefully, these adjustments help and I can forge ahead in my training without too much trouble.
Aren’t these the weirdest shoes? I just can’t commit to something so different for $175.
My training last week:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 5 mile run outside at ~9:30 pace
Wednesday: Tried for 3 miles, but only did 2.5 because of the IT band + yoga
Thursday: yoga + rested my leg
Friday: More Yoga
Saturday: Hiked 6 miles + Biked 50 min + Yoga
Sunday: Ran 9 miles at ~9:30-10:00 pace for my long run + Yoga
Total: Ran 16.5, Hiked 6, Biked 50 min and a ton of yoga
My one picture on my long run before my phone died. It was snowing the whole time and my face felt like it was being pelted by tiny razor blades, but besides that, it went great!
As you see…this is a pretty all over the place week. My long run went great and gave me a ton of confidence for my training ahead and the A1A Half coming up. However, Wednesday had me pretty worried since I had so much pain. Hopefully this week goes a little smoother. I have my longest run of my training cycle and this week will likely be my hardest week.
My training this week:
Monday: Yin Yoga + Rest
Tuesday: 6 miles chill pace
Wednesday: 3 miles with Fleet Feet run group + yoga
Thursday: Yoga + Bike
Friday: 5 miles with 3 miles at 8:45 pace + yoga
Saturday: Hiking
Sunday: Hiking + 11 mile long run
Apparently the A1A Marathon and Half Marathon has a race poster. This runner is a real heal striker.
Here we are, less than one month from my first Half Marathon. I am starting to get a little nervous about the whole thing, especially since my training got pretty messed up after having the flu. But with two weeks of illness behind me, I am back in the game and ready to take the A1A Half Marathon on. Having the layoff gave my legs some nice time off, but also forced me to reevaluate my goals a little. I went into this thinking that I’d kick some butt and break two hours, and that’s still what I want to do, however, I am realizing that I will have to be happy with simply finishing. Northern Indiana is still deep in winter’s grips, so my runs will be a mix of indoors and outdoors to accommodate for weather. Here is my training for the rest of the week:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 5 miles indoors slow + yoga
Wednesday: 3-4 miles with run group + yoga
Thursday: Biking + yoga
Friday: 5 Miles + yoga
Saturday: Biking + yoga
Sunday: 8 miles
Total: ~22 miles
It’s also important to remember that I am 10 weeks out from the Holy Half. With the kinks worked out at the A1A Half, I should be ready to go come March. To increase speed a bit, next week I am going to start incorporating some speed work into my training schedule.
She Runs the Wasatch 