Sioux Falls Half Marathon Training Week 4

Tuesday morning I went to a crazy early power vinyasa class and then assisted another one immediately after.

Wednesday night I went to a special essential oils restorative class. Magic. Pure magic.

Thursday I went to my last (or so I joke, kind of) 5:30am yoga class, as it was my last one for YTT requirements. It's a great class so let's be honest, I'll be back. But not for a couple of weeks.

At lunch I assisted my last class! And then at 5:30pm I went to a power class at another studio which filled my final requirement for classes to take!! And it also allowed me to go way over my goal of water consumed in a day. What a sweaty mess.

Sunday I bought Kyle his early birthday/wedding/Xmas present and we went for a short ride. So fun. But so damn windy.

And then I finished off the week with another restorative class. Ahh.

Sioux Falls Half Marathon Training Week 3

Monday morning I assisted a yoga class, so I didn't get a workout in.

Tuesday I was up super early to take a power vinyasa class and then assist an express class after. It was one of the funnest flows I've done in awhile!

Wednesday night was group run at 605 Running Co. I actually had company on the run which was awesome. And after we continued our sweat by doing a nice and tough flow!

Thursday morning was another early morning class with a new to me instructor. So hard. So much sweat.

Saturday I had planned to run a 5k but a 45 minute drive and a 10am start time in the heat weeee having had me thinking otherwise.

Sunday I met Emily at barre for a class. I rarely sweat in barre (which I love) but I worked up a bit sweat in Katie's class!

Since I was already sweaty I thought I might as well take my bike out for a spin! I biked a leisurely paced 14 miles with a friend and then tried to haul some booty for 11 of the remaining 13. I was averaging 16 mph which is flyyyyying for me. Barre and yoga must be helping strengthen my legs up because this is my first ride this year. Oops.

And I ended the weekend with the magical unicorn hour of restorative yoga. Ahhhh....

Train for ALL THE THINGS

Now that yoga teacher training has wrapped up, I'm excited to jump into a training program. Which is great, because the Sioux Falls Half Marathon is just around the corner (I start my 10 week training schedule on Monday!) and I've been running minimally. Eeps!

I have been carefully plotting out my runs for each week, and putting them on my calendar along with my yoga and barre classes (along with the classes I still need to assist to finish my yoga teacher training certification hours) and I swear I'm breaking into a sweat just by typing all of that into my iCal. So who knows how I'm going to actually complete the workouts.

As I was plotting my long runs on my weekends, I was excited to see that my cutback week fell on a weekend that I had intended on doing a 60 mile bike ride. I've done a half century before, but that was a few years ago, and I have yet to take my bike out this season for a ride. It took approximately 45 seconds of excitement to realize that if I'm going to do a 60 mile ride in one month, I will need to be doing some 30 mile rides weekly to get my booty used to sitting in the saddle. And then I looked at my already jam packed schedule and said good bye to the ride. There's always next year, right?

And the good news is that a running friend is planning a for fun 5k the morning of the 60 mile ride, so all is not lost. I can still do something fun with my cutback week. :)

Weekly Training Recap

After a weekend of excess, it didn't take much for Jenn to convince me to come with her to back to back classes. And then we got yelled at for Jenn signing me up for an intermediate class, when a certain amount of intro classes are required. That did not help me being concerned about dying. Luckily I did survive.

And then we went to a power vinyasa class. I was super ready for food when we were done.

  

 Tuesday she tried to kill me again, and took me to another double, this time a barre class, followed by another rev class. The cycling class was easier and only 45 minutes, but my legs were still super tired from the night before.

 Wednesday morning, Jenn and I practiced our handstands and headstands at her place.

I got home Thursday night, and was excited to head back to my yoga studio on Friday for a power vinyasa class. It felt super hard, and my body felt dead and weak. Blech.

Sunday I went to a power vinyasa class before work. I felt a little stronger than Friday, but my body still feels all out of whack.

 

Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon Training Recap Week 9

Week 9 was not my best week of training. It's Sunday night and I'm trying to not beat myself up about it as I write out this recap.

Monday I started off with a bang and knocked out 10 miles before work. On a roll!

Tuesday through Sunday I ran zero miles. Ugh. I was struggling with exhaustion and just could not sleep enough hours. It finally dawned on me during the weekend that it seemed similar to the Vitamin D deficiency I'd struggled with before. For some reason I just assumed I was getting enough Vitamin D from the SUN in the SUMMER to not need a vitamin supplement, but I guess I'd be wrong. I took my normal dosage Friday and Saturday and already felt dramatically better on Sunday.

But not good enough for a run, I guess. I had a REALLY RANDOM ache in my right ankle Friday night that reared its head again Sunday morning. Like I said, i haven't ran all week, and it didn't hurt at all on Monday, so it's probably nothing, but super cautious, always injured Jerbear was super cautious so as to not be injured and scrapped the run. UGH.

Sunday I was able to meet my running buddy Jenn for a long leisurely ride to get my heart pumpin' a bit.



Next up is B Goal Race Week, so I hope this week is a bit stronger, mentally and physically!

I had the following set as a separate post, but I think it makes the most sense to include it for this week's recap, as it's what I'm feeling this week and last. I often use this blog as a diary to go back and reflect on training, so it may be helpful to have this included. We'll see.
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After my 3k XC race, I was on runner's cloud 9. I performed better than I was expecting and the race and racing atmosphere left me wanting to go out and run all the miles. As races typically do. It also started to give me some of my racing confidence back. That I can fight in a race a bit. That not all my speed is dead. That my training is showing improvement.

And then a few missed runs crop up and I completely lost my mental game.

Whoa.

Ok then.

Jenn was giving me a text message pep talk about my upcoming marathon (I screenshot the whole convo to look back on during moments of need and pre-race when I'm freaking the eff out, as I do) and how she just knew that I was going to run sub 4. And I was like, cool, I don't know that. But I'm glad you do.

But it was just awesome to have that sort of assurance from someone who used to be the same exact g.d. speed as me and then went bonkers and shattered our PRs by like 30 minutes or something ridiculous like that. So yeah, I'll listen to her.

Because the marathon is such a weird beast. You can run, and analyze race predictors, and race and further analyze race predictors, but it's just SO HARD to know what your body is ready to tackle when you toe the line of 26.2. There have been times I was sure I'd finish the race with a 3 at the start of my time, but I never have. 

So right now I'm in the boat where I feel confident that I will run a PR this October. 4:12 will no longer be my best marathon time. Will that time start with a 3? I honestly don't know, and I still have some hard work to put in before I'll join forces with Jenn in believing her. But my god, is it nice to have someone believe in you and your dreams!

Feel free to give me some advice on how you silence your brain when the negative racing doubts creep in.

Weekly Training Recap: Heat Edition

Monday I spent at the lake cabin. I didn't even bring footwear other than flip flops with me, so running was out of the question. Kyle and I did take out the kayaks in the thick thick humidity and we bopped around the lake for awhile. I finally started to get the hang of it, so I challenged him to a race back to the cabin and almost won. I'm secretly training for the next go around.

Tuesday I had big plans to wake up before work to go run, because I knew the temps all week were going to be tippy toeing on 90+ degrees. Well I was exhausted, and slept in until 7 instead. Oops. After work it was so hot I thought I was going to die. So I grabbed my road bike and headed out for some miles instead of a run.

I haven't spent much time on the bike since spring/summer 2012 when I did a half century ride.

It was a great ride, and I managed to sustain 15 mph average. Which is really fast for me, sadly. I was hitting paces in the 16-17 mph range for the most part but there were 2 areas under heavy construction where I had to bike through loose gravel or broken asphalt where I slowed waaaaaay down.

I'm hoping I can throw in a weekly long ride on days that are crazy crazy warm instead of just being lazy and doing nothing.



After the ride I inhaled a good portion of this watermelon. Watermelon is the catalyst for getting me through long runs in the summer. Did you know that?  So good.



I love this shot.



Wednesday I was supposed to met Jenn J. at the track for a speed session but my stomach hurt. :(

Thursday I finally got up before work and got in some miles. Luckily I didn't work until 9am, so I didn't even have to be out the door until 7! I had enough time for 5.5 hilly general aerobic miles before it was time to come home, shower, grab a giant starbucks iced latte (my face stayed this red until 1 or 2 pm.) and head to work.

Friday I had the day off from work so I hit the track to take on my abandoned speed session from Wednesday. I had planned to be there from 7-8am so it wouldn't get so hot, but didn't end up getting there until 8am. Every time we've used this track, it's been after suppertime, so it's nice and shaded. Well, it's completely in sun's way in the morning!

It was hot (80 degrees) and humid (80%). I was drenched after my warm up mile. I did the unthinkable: I ditched my tank top. AND IT FELT MAGICAL. The little breeze I was creating by cruising around the track felt so good on my mostly bare skin. It was a helpful reminder that I need to ramp up the core work and reign in the Qdoba eating, but overall it was great.

I knew it was going to be a struggle to hit my mile repeat paces in the heat and humidity. I gave myself a pass of sorts and would accept anything under 8:30. And if I couldn't hit that pace, I'd just run as hard as I could to get in a quality speed workout with some heat acclimation thrown in for funsies. 

When my first repeat clocked at 8:17, I was certain I was doomed for the remaining repeats, as I've only ran one repeat that fast this spring, and it was on a super cool day.  Uff. I walked a lap, jogged a lap in between to try to cool off a bit, and then took off for my next one. I was hitting ~8:20+ for most of it, but kicked it in the third and fourth lap--8:15. Uff again. I wanted my final lap to be my fastest and probably ran that repeat the most consistent, in that I started at an 8:16 pace and pretty consistently held that to finish. My breathing was really labored that last half mile, so I cranked up my music so I didn't have to hear it.

Feels great to have knocked out my fastest set of mile repeats this year (and really for the last 2.5-3 years, probably) in some of the most difficult weather I've ran in for awhile! Give me a nice day, and I'll be dipping sub 8 for these guys (eeps! I remember that being REALLY HARD.)

Saturday I worked and it stormed all day.

Sunday I intended on doing my long run but it stormed all day with major flooding. My left hamstring was aching a little bit, but it may have been nature's way of forcing me to take a rest day.

Oh Hey, Remember Me?

I’m a big planner. Sometimes figuring out my race “plan” is more fun than actually executing it. This spring, I had already decided that I would cut back the running mileage for this summer. Based on the hades like temps for the spring, I was a little concerned as to what the summer was going to bring. Plus, summer classes are from 6-10:15pm two nights a week for June and then July, in which we’re smooshing one whole semester’s worth of information into four weeks (and then again for July). Uff. 

And then I got a pug. 

 ZOMG I LOVE HER SHE’S AMAZING SHE’S THE GLITTER FARTS TO MY SPARKLE BUTT.

All of these components further solidified my plan to cut back the running miles. 20-30/week? Sure. Sounds good to me. Have I hit that the last couple of weeks? Uh… not even close. To fill the gap (don’t ask where I’m finding a gap in my time) I decided to add in some biking! YAY! I can bike in the sweltering heat! It actually feels kinda good (compared to running that is). 

I found a 50 mile ride the end of June, and a lovely friend who’s willing to accompany me on said ride. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a great biker, and he’ll calm my little newbie brain. And another lovely friend will be accompanying me on a 60 mile ride/race in July! YAYZIES! But again… haven’t been riding much some early May when I had that weird calf cramping. SOOO YEAH! Time to get going.  (Update since drafting this:  PDR with Aaron last Friday night with 30.3 miles with a MONSTER upset stomach.  If I can be in that much pain for 30 miles, I can surely do 50!)

And there may be a TBD century ride in August.

After I leave this summer refreshed and jealous of everyone’s shiny new summer time PRs, I will be off and running towards marathon training. I plan to start Pfitz 18/55 (possibly hitting 60…juuuust to see how that works out) on August 3^rd, putting me 18 weeks out from my goal fall race DALLAS MARATHON (previously Dallas White Rock Marathon). I’ll get to see my lovely nephew and meet my gorgggg niece, and run in delightful Dallas “winter” temps. And since I learned this spring that 18 weeks is faaaaaaaaaaaar too long to hold my attention for training, I’ll be doing a 26.2 mile training run in the form of Nike Women’s Marathon with Megan! In case you were curious, my summer, PLUS those first 2 months of marathon training will be seeing some hill work! Which is great because I think running uphill is great for my (shoddy) form!

So that’s my plan. I have some local races written down in my planner, so if I wake up to unusually cool temps, I can head out and jump in, but I’m clearly not in PR shape. Like… not even close. As is evidenced by zero PRs since last August. Womp womp!

But luckily for me I’ve mega PR’d in PUGGY LOVE!