Half Marathon Training – Between Week 1 and 2

If you’ve been following me here this shouldn’t be any surprise, but for the rest of you and for my posterity, here is how last week went:

Monday: 3 mile treadmill run + full body weights at the gym

Check, and check.  Did these both after work at the gym.  I actually busted my ass with my time on this and did the 3 miles in about 28 minutes.  Weights were good, but for some reason took longer than normal.  Maybe I was just working harder than normal and needed extra rest between sets.

Tuesday: yoga and 4×400 pace run at the track (1 lap warmup, 1 lap 5k pace, 1 lap jog, repeat pace and jog 3 times, 1 lap cooldown)

Check and check.  I did the yoga before work and headed to the track after work to do the run.  Instead of a lap to warm up and cool down I just ran there and back (which is about a mile round trip).  I figured out a good way to time myself – with my Zune! At the beginning of each timed lap, I started the next song on my playlist and then stopped it when I finished.  I wanted to stay within an 8-9 minute mile pace which I did each fast lap.  I felt like I could push myself a little harder each lap but didn’t want to sprint like I was actually racing a 400 meter (which I actually did in middle school track, running this way brought back memories).

Wednesday: 30 minutes DDR and yoga

Check and check.  Did the yoga again before work.  I have to say, I actually really quite like yoga much better in the mornings, it’s a great way to wake up.  At night, I just want to be over and done with my workouts as quickly as possible so I can never really relax during it.  By this day, I was glad it was DDR and not running, as my legs were ready for a break.

Thursday: 3 mile outside run + full body weights at home

Check and check.  I did the weights in the morning at home and tried 1 set to exhaustion (where I start doing pushups and don’t stop until I fall over, then move on to the next exercise instead of 3 sets).  I think I am in love.  It was quicker, it was harder, it definitely worked me in different ways, and I loved it.  This is definitely a keeper.  The run – eh, I was sore from the morning’s weights (did it after work), and was just not into it when I started, but by the first mile marker I was in my groove and at a good pace.

Friday: 5 mile run

Check!  Got up in the morning and knocked this out before work.  I felt a little stiff during this but figured by the end of the run I’d feel better but I didn’t.  The whole day, my tailbone/lower back was KILLING me.  I thought my tailbone injury was going to relapse – which I haven’t had since I started regularly working out again, and which also tends to put me out of commision for up to a week.  However, with some stretching, ice, a hot shower, and a liberal dose of whiskey (ya know, to keep me loose…), the next day I didn’t wake up injured, just stiff.  I think I slightly pulled a butt muscle.  Which I can totally deal with.

Saturday: 15 mile bike ride and 5 mile walk

Unplanned check!  Found out the local running store RunTex was doing a free unofficial 4k or 4 mile walk/run, ending at a restaurant with free food.  I was totally up for the 4 mile run except Friday’s butt fiasco made me question whether it was worth injuring myself for an unofficial race.  Plus, if I walked it Zliten and I could do it together AND we’d be cool to ride the bikes the 12 miles down to the store.  We had a beautiful ride down and JUST made the starting time, hiked our 4k to Curatos, enjoyed tons of water and good grub, and then hiked the 4k back.  We got on the bikes and rode a bit, and after seeing our bus home pass us a few times, we hopped on about 3 miles in and enjoyed the AC.  I was going to push myself and try to make it home, but I was also on less than 5 hours of sleep and doubt I would have made it out to our friend’s housewarming party that night after a 24 mile bike ride w/a 5 mile walk.  That’s just insane.

Sunday: Rest

Total check!  We drove everywhere we needed to go that day, which involved shopping and mass amounts of Chinese buffet.  My butt and the couch became reacquainted and were happy together.

Total week 1 mileage (running): 13.5
Total week 1 mileage (on foot): 18.5 (biking): 15

Now we are careening headfirst into Week 2!  Here is the plan…

Monday: 3 mile run (outside if the weather cooperates) + full body weights at home

Tuesday: yoga and 30 minute tempo run (5 mins jog, 20 mins fast run, 5 mins jog)

Wednesday: 30 minutes DDR and yoga

Thursday: 3 mile outside run + full body weights at the gym (half the reps, twice as slow)

Friday: 6 mile run

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest

Total week 2 mileage: 15.  Rest may or may not involve a bike ride one of those days.

Look pretty similar?  It is – the only difference is a tempo run instead of track intervals and 1 more mile on the longer run (since I’ve done the distance before I’m not worried about it).

In the first week I’ve learned these things:

1.  Stretching is VITAL now that I’m running 4 days a week and active for 6.  I haven’t had body pains in a long time, but Friday’s butt muscle freak out and today, my shoulder blade being a little out shows me I’m pushing myself in ways I haven’t in a while.  2 days a week of yoga is good, but I need to make sure I’m stretching every day.  If I don’t have time to do it before work, do it after and don’t forget!

2.  I am definitely going to take the focus off calorie counts and limiting portions these 3 months.  In fact, this week I am going off of calorie counts entirely to give myself a break.  I don’t plan on going crazy, but gonna try to eat when I’m hungry, don’t eat when I’m not, and try to eat as many Good Things as I can and as few Bad Things as possible.  Ya know, be sane and all.  This 151-153 range I’m at right now isn’t where I want to stay, but it looks pretty good on me.  I reserve the right to change my mind on this, but right now, I’d rather run a half marathon at the end of June than lose weight.  If it happens – hey, that’s awesome.  I’d love to accidentally drop at least 2 lbs below my current low so I can be within the normal BMI for my height, but I guess that’s more semantics than anything else.  I think no matter what weight I run a half marathon at, I’m doing pretty much alright.

3.  I have to start differentiating my training between short run and long run pace.  I can right now run 3 miles in just under 30 minutes, and 5 miles in about 50 minutes.  I should not be running both at approximately the same pace.  Either I’m pushing myself too hard on the long runs or not pushing myself hard enough on the short runs.  According to this calculator – based on my 5k in February, it wants me to slow the steady state runs WAY down.  I’m running all my runs at almost tempo pace – which is the only pace I really have.  What I think that means is I’m ready for a faster 5k race pace if I’m running it regularly in practice.  It’s two weeks until the 5k I have planned, so we shall see.  I’ll definitely have to play with my pacing this week.

4.  I like having the weekends off.  Since Friday night generally is a partying night, Saturday long runs just don’t work for me.  There is nothing like some awesome moderate exercise to kill a hangover, but a long run?  No thank you.  Also, we’ve taken to doing long bike rides on the weekends, and I’d rather not have to run and bike on the same day.  So my training is probably going to stay Monday – Friday for now.  Hopefully 5 days in a row doesn’t kill me.  The other option is counting my bike rides as the day of cross training and cut out the DDR, but…I don’t wanna!  I think I might cry if I have to give up DDR for 3 months.

5.  I also like doing some/all working out in the mornings.  Anyone who knew me before I started this blog is say “who is this girl and what have you done with the night owl?”  I don’t know what happened, but if the 30s have embodied anything yet, it’s been morning workouts.  On my birthday, I got up and did weights and a run before work, and ever since then, I’ve really enjoyed getting up and getting at least half my workout done.  This morning, I got up and did weights so all I have is my 3 mile run after work.  I’ll probably get up and yoga the next 2 days and perhaps even get the whole workouts done.  Anything involving the gym is out though – with the travel time I just have to be up too early and pack too much crap.  However, I am, as a rule, going to do all my long runs in the mornings.  First of all, by the time late June rolls around, it’s going to be hotter than hell after work.  Second – most races are in the morning so I need to get used to it.  Third – I love being done for the week when I roll into work and know that when I’m out for the evening, fiesta can begin.

So, internets, what’s your plan for the week?  Anyone else training for something?  Anyone want to swing by my work and give me a nice backrub and make the shoulderblade knot go poof? 😉  Cute doggie pictures today from ihasahotdog.com.