March Miles to Date: 35.0
March Average Pace: 14:05 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 92.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 3
Streak Day: 1 (Maximum: 9)
The American 200: 18.4 mi/200
My streak ended at 9 so we are going to try again. I had to trade a run day Thursday for strength training because I desperately needed to go grocery shopping. I intended to run Friday, but then I woke up not feeling well. Saturday morning, I had to force myself out of bed and this morning I didn't feel well. I feel guilty for not having worked out in 3 days, which is a good sign (I think) but I hope to get back on it this week.
Other than that, it was an uneventful week. I need to find a new yoga sequence, or I may drop it all together for the moment. That's really all I know.
Happy Easter!
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Sunday, March 20, 2016
The Road to Dopey: Week 11 - A dozen halfs, a PR, and a racing hiatus
March Miles to Date: 33.0
March Average Pace: 14:06 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 90.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 2
Streak Day: 6
The American 200: 16.4 mi/200
Wow, where do I even start with this week? So much happened! Let's start with the stats above this text, since you may notice they've changed from how I've been reporting them for the past weeks. I've changed my workout schedule. My strength training wasn't happening on my run days so I moved it to my yoga days since the yoga routine I do is only 20 minutes and strength training is 10-15. Now both my workout days will be about the same length. "Streak Day" is also something I'm starting. I want to go on a 30 day workout streak, where I follow my workout calendar for 30 straight days. I fell like this will help me stay accountable. I can't excuse my way to Dopey. I have to actually train, because actually training pays off...which I'll get to in a minute.
Now, The American 200 is a virtual challenge I'm doing. Last week I completed The Texas 200, which was a virtual challenge to run 200 miles anywhere in the state of Texas. I barely completed it, thanks to all my training derailments last fall, but I did it. And in an effort to keep the accountability going, I signed up this week for The American 200, which is the same concept as the Texas 200, but I can run the miles anywhere in America, not just Texas. Which is good since there's a good chance I'm moving out of Texas before my 6 months on this challenge are up.
So, training this week. I started my streak on Tuesday, which means I ran all my training runs this week. I did my normal maintenance loop on Tuesday, still focusing on pacing myself, and on Thursday I did my hill routine. My hill routine may not be "hilly" enough, but it's the best I can do where I live right now, since the real hills don't have sidewalks.
Yesterday, I ran my 12th half marathon. It's also the last race I have officially scheduled for the foreseeable future. A bittersweet decision, but I know I have a lot of big things coming up, and focusing on training for Dopey is important. I know that I'll race again before Dopey (I'll need a POT after all), but who knows where or when that will be.
Originally, I had wanted to go sub-3 on my half yesterday, but I was concerned that wasn't going to happen since my training in February hadn't been as on point as January had been and March is shaping up to be. But like I told Catie, if I could have a well-paced race, I would be happy. So when I went to the starting line yesterday morning, that was all I hoped for: a well-paced race.
Well I got it, with the exception of the middle of the race, where I slowed significantly taking the hills, I ran a pretty consistent mile (~14 min). As my running app told me the time on mile 12, I started to cry a little and I texted Catie: I think I'm going to PR. When I made it to the bridge (on the other side of which was my finish line) I dug in deep and headed up and over. As I reached the crest of the bridge, I could see the clock and I could see that my PR was mine! I ran to the finish and crossed in 3:11:27, shaving 6 minutes off my PR for a half! Again, not sub-3 and still a long way to go to where I want to be...but it's a big deal for several reasons:
March Average Pace: 14:06 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 90.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 2
Streak Day: 6
The American 200: 16.4 mi/200
Wow, where do I even start with this week? So much happened! Let's start with the stats above this text, since you may notice they've changed from how I've been reporting them for the past weeks. I've changed my workout schedule. My strength training wasn't happening on my run days so I moved it to my yoga days since the yoga routine I do is only 20 minutes and strength training is 10-15. Now both my workout days will be about the same length. "Streak Day" is also something I'm starting. I want to go on a 30 day workout streak, where I follow my workout calendar for 30 straight days. I fell like this will help me stay accountable. I can't excuse my way to Dopey. I have to actually train, because actually training pays off...which I'll get to in a minute.
Now, The American 200 is a virtual challenge I'm doing. Last week I completed The Texas 200, which was a virtual challenge to run 200 miles anywhere in the state of Texas. I barely completed it, thanks to all my training derailments last fall, but I did it. And in an effort to keep the accountability going, I signed up this week for The American 200, which is the same concept as the Texas 200, but I can run the miles anywhere in America, not just Texas. Which is good since there's a good chance I'm moving out of Texas before my 6 months on this challenge are up.
So, training this week. I started my streak on Tuesday, which means I ran all my training runs this week. I did my normal maintenance loop on Tuesday, still focusing on pacing myself, and on Thursday I did my hill routine. My hill routine may not be "hilly" enough, but it's the best I can do where I live right now, since the real hills don't have sidewalks.
Yesterday, I ran my 12th half marathon. It's also the last race I have officially scheduled for the foreseeable future. A bittersweet decision, but I know I have a lot of big things coming up, and focusing on training for Dopey is important. I know that I'll race again before Dopey (I'll need a POT after all), but who knows where or when that will be.
Originally, I had wanted to go sub-3 on my half yesterday, but I was concerned that wasn't going to happen since my training in February hadn't been as on point as January had been and March is shaping up to be. But like I told Catie, if I could have a well-paced race, I would be happy. So when I went to the starting line yesterday morning, that was all I hoped for: a well-paced race.
Well I got it, with the exception of the middle of the race, where I slowed significantly taking the hills, I ran a pretty consistent mile (~14 min). As my running app told me the time on mile 12, I started to cry a little and I texted Catie: I think I'm going to PR. When I made it to the bridge (on the other side of which was my finish line) I dug in deep and headed up and over. As I reached the crest of the bridge, I could see the clock and I could see that my PR was mine! I ran to the finish and crossed in 3:11:27, shaving 6 minutes off my PR for a half! Again, not sub-3 and still a long way to go to where I want to be...but it's a big deal for several reasons:
- It's a PR...by quite a bit! YAY!
- I ran my intervals for all 13 miles. This is the first time this has happened EVER. Normally by mile 11 at least I have to start walking, but I kept pushing forward and was running even at the end.
- I only skipped a few on my running intervals, most of which were on the steeper parts of hills.
- I managed to pace myself so that I could make it to the finish, a first.
It may have taken 12 half marathons, but I finally figured out how to race.
And now we train.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
The Road to Dopey: Week 10 - Training time, Travel time, Time changes
March Miles to Date: 14.0
March Average Pace: 13:45 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 71.3
Yoga Sessions this week: 0
I intended to run 4 miles this morning. But the time changes have thrown off my schedule. Not just daylight savings, but the time zones I've been traveling between. And since I still have one trip left to take, I thought it wise to get my sleep and rehydrate rather than run.
I did get my 9 miler in from last weekend on Wednesday. It took a lot of determination to get it done, but I knew it was important to to my half next weekend. I get back from my last trip Monday night, so Tuesday and Thursday morning, I'll do my maintenance runs and hopefully that will be enough.
The best part of my 9 miler on Wednesday was how consistent I kept my pace. I started at 13:30 and wound up at 14:00 min/mi, which is a lot closer together than my pacing normally is. And I ran every interval the whole time. It gives me hope for a well paced half on Saturday.
runDisney announced a new challenge as part of Wine and Dine weekend and I WANT TO DO IT SO BADLY, but unfortunately it looks like it will be in 2018 after Dopey before I'm able. Sad face.
My travels will be over (for now) after Monday and hopefully that means I can focus on my training again. While it hasn't suffered as much as last semester, it has suffered a little bit and I don't want it to anymore.
Until then, keep running.
March Average Pace: 13:45 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 71.3
Yoga Sessions this week: 0
I intended to run 4 miles this morning. But the time changes have thrown off my schedule. Not just daylight savings, but the time zones I've been traveling between. And since I still have one trip left to take, I thought it wise to get my sleep and rehydrate rather than run.
I did get my 9 miler in from last weekend on Wednesday. It took a lot of determination to get it done, but I knew it was important to to my half next weekend. I get back from my last trip Monday night, so Tuesday and Thursday morning, I'll do my maintenance runs and hopefully that will be enough.
The best part of my 9 miler on Wednesday was how consistent I kept my pace. I started at 13:30 and wound up at 14:00 min/mi, which is a lot closer together than my pacing normally is. And I ran every interval the whole time. It gives me hope for a well paced half on Saturday.
runDisney announced a new challenge as part of Wine and Dine weekend and I WANT TO DO IT SO BADLY, but unfortunately it looks like it will be in 2018 after Dopey before I'm able. Sad face.
My travels will be over (for now) after Monday and hopefully that means I can focus on my training again. While it hasn't suffered as much as last semester, it has suffered a little bit and I don't want it to anymore.
Until then, keep running.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
The Road to Dopey: Week 9(?) - finding the time for training
March Miles to Date: 5
March Average Pace: 13:06 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 62.3
Yoga Sessions this week: 0
What up? (Good grief Addie, you can't start a blog that way). Today's post is going to be short because, well, in a shocking turn of events I find myself in an airport. I board in like 20 minutes but I want to give you a Sunday blog.
March Average Pace: 13:06 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 62.3
Yoga Sessions this week: 0
What up? (Good grief Addie, you can't start a blog that way). Today's post is going to be short because, well, in a shocking turn of events I find myself in an airport. I board in like 20 minutes but I want to give you a Sunday blog.
This week I did my weekly training, bringing my March to date miles to 5 and my year to date to 50-something (blogging on mobile has several limitations, but I'm doing my best). I ran them back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday because I am doing a whole lot of traveling in the next little bit, but I am determined that, unlike last semester when this happened, my training won't suffer the consequences.
Because of my schedule, my Saturday long run didn't happen. There was no time for 9 miles, but I plan to make it up on Wednesday, which is my next no travel day. That will be my last long run before I run the Bearathon on March 19. Im looking forward to it because on both my runs this week I worked really hard on focusing on pacing (which is something I am terrible at) and I was Doug a pretty good job. Im anxious and excited to try this over a longer distance in hopes of doing a good job on it at the race.
That's really it. Good thoughts while traveling are appreciated. Hopefully I won't have to do this again for a long time (if all goes well). Keep on running.
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