Tag: Fitness

Boston marathon training: week 17

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running4 Comments

First taper week is done done done! This was a super duper busy week/weekend, so I was grateful to be able to carve out time to get all of my workouts in. Monday started with easy miles, and then Tuesday I ran a really strong workout. I’m taking advantage of the lighter evenings to do some of my harder runs later in the day–much as I love to get my runs out of the way in the morning, I definitely do better when I’m fueled and rested. I hit the first set of these half marathon paced miles at a 6:58 average and the second set at a 6:50 average. I felt so strong and steady during this workout–which was definitely the high point of the week.

Wednesday I was supposed to have an easy run but my stomach was really off, so I gave myself an early day off. Thursday I was still feeling a little funky by I got through my 6 easy miles. Friday I forced myself to get my run in early, and then I descended into holiday madness for the rest of the weekend. Friday night was the first Passover seder at our house, Saturday we went to the second seder at a friend’s house, and Sunday was Easter brunch in NH with Jeremy’s family. It was all so fun, but the heavy, salty food and copious amounts of sugar and wine made my Saturday and Sunday runs feel like garbage. I did my long run with my brother and the last 6 miles at MGP were a little bit slower than I was hoping for, but again, chalking that up to not setting my body up for success.

I’m SO ready to head into the taper and get this show on the road! I generally cut back on the booze and sugar in the two weeks before a marathon, so that should help get everything into ship shape for marathon Monday. Commence all of the weather stalking…

Week 17: 42.8 miles

  • Monday: 4 easy
  • Tuesday: 2×3 at HMGP for 8.2 total
  • Wednesday: Rest day
  • Thursday: 6 easy
  • Friday: 4 easy
  • Saturday: 10 easy, 6 MGP for 16.4 total
  • Sunday: 4 easy

Linking up with The Weekly Wrap (hosted by Hoho Runs and Taking the Long Way Home).

Race recap: Motatapu Miner’s Trail 15k

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running1 Comment

When J and I officially settled on our honeymoon dates in New Zealand, one of the first things I did was start searching for races happening while we were there. I knew that having a race on the books would be a good way to keep up my Boston training, and racing internationally seemed like a unique experience to add to our action-packed trip. I certainly wasn’t looking for a trail race (after spraining my ankle during my first trail race attempt), but the Macpac Motatapu fit into our schedule and looked like a ton of fun. The event has a pretty amazing number of options: an 8k, a 15k, a trail marathon, an ultra, a tri, and a bike race. We opted for the 15k–it looked tough enough given the elevation gain (see below!)

5 Unique events in beautiful Motatapu, Queenstown New Zealand.The morning of the race we plugged the race address into Google Maps and for the first and only time on our trip, got ourselves completely lost down a dirt road to nowhere. After a few minutes of frustration we turned around and took a much more legitimate road the the race start in Arrowtown, which is outside of Queenstown NZ. The signage around parking was a little bit unclear but there was space on the side streets, so we found a spot and rushed over to the bib pickup.

As with everything in NZ, it was super low-key and organized, so within a couple of minutes we were all set and ready to go. They were really nice about taking our jackets at the bag check–the morning was super chilly but it warmed up fast. The restroom lines were also a breeze–the event starts were staggered and ours was one of the smaller ones, so it felt a bit empty in the start area.

When the start time came around we seeded ourselves into informal corrals, which were then set off in staggered waves. This was really easy and helpful to keep the narrower parts of the course from getting too crowded. The most surprising thing at the start was that almost everyone had a hydration pack on–which seemed a little excessive for a 15k with two water stops–but it was a tough course so I could see why a slower runner would want their own fuel! J and I were more than fine sharing my handheld bottle, though.

The race started up a steep pitch on dirt roads. It was hard to not run the whole way up but I insisted on some fast hiking to conserve energy (which paid off for sure!) Everyone was chatting and encouraging each other, and by the first water stop I was down to a tank and shorts. We stopped to use the “loo” since we knew it was the only option and took off again, continuing the climb as we looped through open pastures and up along golden ridges. The vistas were gorgeous but I definitely had to keep my focus on my feet–trails are tough! We wended our way up to the highest point on mostly single track, which sometimes was so narrow that runners couldn’t pass one another. J and I took turns leading, but at this point were had a good crew around us to keep pace with.

Once the downhill started we really had to keep our eyes down on our feet–the trails were a bit slick and super narrow, with some areas that had rope holds for balance. We locked into a few other runners and one of the Kiwis warned us that the much-anticipated river crossing was coming up. We were feeling good with 2k left and excited to laugh and splash our way across the shallows to the finish.

Well, we were dead wrong–the course looped us back and forth across the same river ELEVEN times! At some points the freezing cold glacial water was almost up to my waist. I do have to say I think this was a little unnecessary–no one loves soaking wet feet and we got the point after one or two times. But we took it in stride and ran it into the finish, ending well under our goal of 2 hours.

Post-race we hightailed it to a local brunch spot and grabbed some well-deserved mimosas–there were lots of vendors at the post race area but everything cost money (including the massage tent!), so we figured we’d rather sit and eat. It felt great to warm up and dry off in the sunshine.

Overall, this was a fantastic experience and I’m definitely looking forward to more trail races in my future–including my first ultra in just a couple of months. I’ll have at least another post or two about our New Zealand trip in the coming weeks–please let me know if there’s anything you’re curious to learn more about!

Do you prefer roads or trails? Have you ever raced internationally?

Boston marathon training: week 11

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running5 Comments

This was a huge and hugely successful week of training! First, this will be my last weekly update until mid-March–J and I are heading to New Zealand for our honeymoon on Wednesday and I’ll be mostly offline while I’m there. Follow me over on Instagram to see live updates from our adventures. I’ll definitely be running and hiking, but with no particular mileage goals. I want to fully embrace the experience 🙂

Back to week 11–I started the week off with 7 easy, creaky miles. Having switched my rest day from Sunday to Friday, I find Mondays are a little tough since I’m dealing with some residual soreness from my long runs. All the more reason to keep things nice and easy. Tuesday was my one big workout of the week and I was excited to be able to save it for the evening–I have trained myself to be a morning runner, but I definitely can dig deeper when I’m not running on empty. The first set of the 3×2 mile workout felt a little rough at a 7:09 pace, but the second one was steadier at 7:06 and the third I felt like I really locked onto the pace, and averaged a 6:54 🙂 The sunset didn’t hurt either!

Wednesday was recovery, and then Thursday I had a longer easy run (and another gorgeous view of the city). I did my core and strength work and really focused on form–man it was tough! It’s not fun but so good to get it done.

Friday was a much-needed rest day while Alexa and I hit the road to the Cape before Saturday’s Martha’s Vineyard 2o miler. I’ll have a recap up in the next couple of days, but we had a blast! It was an incredibly well-organized event on a gorgeous day (mid-30s and sunny). Despite a hilly second half, it was a perfect way to get my first 20 miler of this cycle done. Today I enjoyed the gorgeous snow from an overnight storm and J and I did a morning yoga class–a great start to working out the kinks. This afternoon once most of the snow had melted away I did my recovery run. Onto two more days of work before we jet off–can’t wait!!!

Week 11: 52.2 miles

  • Monday: 7 easy
  • Tuesday: 3×2 miles at HMGP for 9 total
  • Wednesday: 3.6 recovery miles
  • Thursday: 8.3 easy miles, mini band work + core
  • Friday: Rest day!
  • Saturday: 20 mile race
  • Sunday: 60 minute yoga, 4.1 recovery miles

Linking up with The Weekly Wrap (hosted by Hoho Runs and Taking the Long Way Home).

Running Goals for 2018 (and beyond)

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, RunningLeave a comment

Does anyone else LOVE setting goals? I am a list-maker and goal-lover for sure. But sometimes, it can be scary to put goals down on paper. I also find that with running, it’s hard to put my finger on goals that don’t involve picking a distance and running it faster than last time. However, I have some big exciting things coming up so without further ado, here are the running goals that are on the horizon for me:

  1. Run a strong, smart Boston: I worked my butt off to BQ and my #1 goal for Boston is to enjoy the experience. I am going to train hard for a 3:25 marathon, but if I don’t get good weather (and given the past couple of years in Boston, I don’t expect to) or my training gets thrown off when I’m on my honeymoon, then I’m going to run for fun and just enjoy the experience. More here!
  2. Complete my first 50k: I’ve been toying around with the idea of a 50k for the past couple of years, and am signed up for my first in May. Similar to my “plan B” for Boston, my goal for this is to complete the race feeling strong and happy. I’m so excited to have a crew of buddies to run with for this one!
  3. Break 20 minutes in the 5k: After coming SO close to hitting a sub-20 a few weeks back, I know for sure I’m ready for this one. Pacer friends, please text me to apply.
  4. Set a big marathon PR: While I’m incredibly proud of my BQ at Sugarloaf this year, I think I’m capable of running a fair amount faster than 3:28 at the full marathon distance. When I put my half marathon PR (1:34:19) into a pace calculator (I like this one), my predicted marathon time is in the 3:16 range–and this nets out anecdotally as well in terms of what I’ve seen others run. I am by no means an experienced marathoner and I have yet to run 26.2 in the cooler weather my body loves, but I think I owe it to myself to really work for a big PR. As I mentioned, Boston isn’t going to be the right race for this, but I’m considering running CIM this coming December! My marathon buddy Denise is off to Cali, so it seems like the perfect reason to head out there for a visit. Plus, I’ve heard a million and one amazing things about the race.
  5. Break 1:32 in the half: I’ve mentioned this a bunch, but I freaking love the half marathon!! It’s just the best race distance. I brought my PR down from 1:36:55 to 1:34:19 this fall and while it was a fantastic race, I do think I have more in me. If I can run a sub-1:32, I can time qualify into the NYC marathon. I don’t for sure know if this will happen in 2018, but I think this is a realistic goal for me. Plus, I loved the NYC marathon, although since it was my first, it would be nice to run it again now that I know what the heck I’m doing.
  6. Run as a pacer: I would love to be a pace group leader for a half marathon–I think it would be such a cool experience and way to give back to the running community. I applied to be a pacer for the Old Port Half Marathon in June, and I’m crossing my fingers and toes I am chosen!

Some of these will definitely happen in 2018 and some may not, but they’re all super exciting! What big running goals do you have for 2018 and beyond?

My year in running, 2017

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running4 Comments

Hey there friends! It’s mid-December and high time to do some reflecting on the past year. It’s been a wild freaking ride, and I accomplished things I didn’t think were ever possible for me. I could probably ramble on forever, but instead I’m linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC for her Year of Running 2017 linkup.

  • Best race experience: This is a hard one! I raced a ton this year, setting PRs in the 5k, 5 mile, 10k, half, and full distances (yowza). I think overall I’d have to go with the Sugarloaf Marathon–from start to finish, it was a dream race experience and I’m so proud of all of the hard work it took to nail my first BQ.
  • Best run: I’d have to say the 5k we did as part of our wedding weekend–it was incredible to have so many of my favorite people in my favorite place being good sports about participating in my favorite activity.
  • Best new piece of running gear: This is another tricky one! I didn’t invest in a ton of gear this year, but I did find a new pair of everyday running shoes I love–the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus. I was fitted for a stability shoe when I was training for my first marathon and I don’t think I actually needed that much cushion, so these are a perfect balance for me–not too heavy, and they wear like a dream. Plus they come in widths, for anyone else who has crazy teeny/narrow feet. 
  • Best running advice you’ve received this year: Take your easy runs EASY. I think this made the biggest difference in my marathon training this year.
  • Most inspirational runner: I’m going to cheat here and call out all of the amazing Oiselle ladies I’ve connected with this year–you guys inspire me every single day, and I’m so grateful to have you as my #sistersinsport.
  • Favorite picture from a run or race this year: I think I probably have to pick this one from Sugarloaf–I couldn’t wipe that shit-eating grin off my face for most of the day. It was just the best.
  • Race experience you would repeat in a heartbeat: I loved the Prospect Park Turkey Trot and am 110% sure I’ll be back next year, with lots of family members in tow! Plus, it was the first time I ever placed in a race, so that was a pretty surreal accomplishment.
  • If you could sum up your year in a couple of words what would they be? Strong. Fast. Confident.

Winter Classic 5k Recap–new PR (so close!)

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running3 Comments

I’m back again with one last race recap of 2017 (I promise!) and I have to admit, I did not want to run this one. I definitely overbooked myself this fall on the racing front and was just feeling very blah overall this week–a little bit frustrated professionally, and annoyed I had missed a few runs/workouts due to poor planning. I was excited for a morning with the Oiselle gals but just not geared up for the 5k.

Putting my best foot forward, I started race morning with a light breakfast and then an easy warmup jog, during which I learned my speedy friend Cait and I were feeling equally ambivalent about the race. However, it was a clear and cold morning–similar to last year, which was a great race for me. As Cait and I shed our layers she asked me what I was thinking for pace, and I mentioned maybe trying to run a tempo a bit faster than my half marathon pace (7 min/mile-ish). She asked what I thought about 6:40s, and of course (as I am very susceptible to running peer pressure) I told her I’d give it a whirl.

We started up near-ish to the front of the corrals and took the announcer’s advice to “go go go!” The first mile started a little bit slow as we worked our way around some slower runners to settle into the pack. We hit the first full mile split at 6:34–right on track. I barely looked at my watch during this race, keeping the effort hard but steady and pacing along with Cait. The second mile started to feel pretty tough–there’s a slight but steady uphill at this point, and my nose was pretty stuffed up from the cold. I got a little lift from seeing a friend in the pack and getting some cheers from the girls spectating. Cait and I checked in with each other to make sure the pace was ok, and then pushed through the second mile at a 6:29. I knew at this point I was going to hang on as best I could, gutting it out to the finish. We could tell there weren’t many women ahead of us so we picked off a few in the last quarter mile or so, hitting mile 3 at a 6:22 pace and then sprinting it in at  5:20 pace for the .1.

I wasn’t quite sure where we had ended up, but was THRILLED when both of our watches both said 19:59!! It turns out my official time was 20:01, which is a little bit frustrating, but either way it’s a huge 33 second PR for me–and close enough to a sub-20. Running a 19:XX 5k has been a dream goal of mine for a long time, and considering I wasn’t even going to run hard I’m super proud of my time. I came in as 13th female (out of 934), 75th overall (out of 1766), and 3rd in my age group. Big, huge THANK YOU to Cait for pacing me to a time I didn’t think was possible!! Chase your fast friends, guys–it’s the best way to get faster yourself.

We ended the morning with a quick stop by the post-race party (it was COLD) and then a fun coffee meetup with the team. Big props to the Cambridge Classic folks for a well-organized race, as always! I like that this one brings out both the folks who want to run/race hard and the folks who want to wear funny costumes and party afterwards. And everyone in between 🙂

Back soon with a recap of the first official week of Boston training! I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things.

Seacoast Half Marathon Race Recap (new PR!)

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running7 Comments

 

Happy Monday, friends! Greetings from the happy end of another training cycle. This past weekend J and I ran the Seacoast Half Marathon in Portsmouth, NH–my 13th and his 1st. This race ticked all the boxes of a goal race for me. It’s on the smaller side, it’s reasonably priced, the scenery is gorgeous, and it’s somewhere new but still within a couple hours of home. We decided to “splurge” and spend credit card points on a hotel the night before–Portsmouth is just over an hour from home, but staying up there made for a much more relaxed race morning. An added bonus was that we got to have dinner with some good friends who live in the area on Saturday night. We ended up at Street, which was awesome. I had my traditional pre-race burger and a side of yucca fries, which were AMAZING. I definitely want to go back to Street some time to try out their cocktails and some of the more interesting dishes 😉

Saturday night I had a fair amount of trouble falling asleep, which is typical for me before races. Luckily I had gotten a great night of sleep on Friday night, so I knew I’d be fine for the race. Saturday morning we had breakfast and coffee in our hotel room before heading just a few miles down the road to Portsmouth High School, where the race starts. We easily parked right by the school and grabbed our race bibs and shirts fairly quickly. There wasn’t a secure bag check for this race, but we were able to leave our coats in the school’s cafeteria and just left our valuables in the car. It was chilly, with temps around 30 degrees at the start of the race, so I opted for tights, a warm base layer, gloves, and a buff. I probably slightly overdressed but I hate being cold at the beginning of races! I ended up taking off my gloves and buff by mile 3 😉

After a couple of rounds waiting in the porto potty lines and a very quick warmup jog, we headed up towards the race start. I wished J good luck and scooted up to the 7:30 pacer. Thanks to my race plan from Coach Laura, I knew race starts downhill and I wanted to make a very concerted effort to hold the pace back. The first two miles were light and easy.

  • Mile 1: 7:20
  • Mile 2: 7:24

By mile 3, I felt good and wanted to pick it up to closer to my goal pace (around 7:10-7:15). My goal was to feel comfortable and steady for the middle miles of the race, while actively conserving energy to be able to pick up the pace near the end.

  • Mile 3: 7:06
  • Mile 4: 7:08
  • Mile 5: 7:18
  • Mile 6: 7:08
  • Mile 7: 7:04
  • Mile 8: 6:56
  • Mile 9: 7:11
  • Mile 10: 7:10

I had accidentally set my watch with the automatic mile split setting off, so I could only see my overall average pace for the race. This turned out to be super helpful–my focus was just on pushing hard enough to inch my average pace slowly down instead of re-calibrating my effort every mile. I had tucked into a fairly steady group and I decided to stick with them through mile 10. The scenery during this section was gorgeous–lots of quaint old houses and sweeping views of the coastline. I made sure to grab a cup at each water stop and slowly sipped a Gu starting around mile 7.5. At mile 10, I could tell I still had some juice left in my legs, so I started picking folks off as I nudged the pace up.

  • Mile 11: 7:00
  • Mile 12: 6:51
  • Mile 13: 6:55
  • .2: 6:15

At mile 13 I was feeling strong, having picked off a couple of other female runners–at that point I knew there weren’t many more ahead of me. I hit the steepest hill of the race at this point, but I gritted my teeth and pushed my way up, knowing the finish line was around the corner. I totally channeled my inner Shalene Flanagan and let loose a “F*$& yeah!” as I crossed the finish line with the pace clock still at 1:34:XX. My official finish time was 1:34:19, which was good for 11th female finisher, 4th in my age group, and 52nd overall. My goals for the race were:

  • A Goal: Sub-1:35
  • B Goal: PR (Sub-1:36:55)
  • C Goal: Sub 1:40

So, I was pretty happy with where I ended up. Jeremy ran an incredible first sub 2 hour half, and is already talking about signing up for his next one. I’ve created a monster!! It was really fun to get to watch him finish for once.

After taking the requisite photos we grabbed some post-race snacks (there was everything from pizza to a Mexican rice dish to squash soup and apple cider!) and then went back to our hotel for a hot tub dip and shower before tucking in at one of our favorite brunch spots, The Friendly Toast. Pro tip–they have an app you can use to skip the wait–our table was ready less than 10 minutes after we arrived! SO necessary.

Overall, this was a fantastic race for me–I felt well-trained, I raced hard and smart, and the course and weather were perfect. I also LOVE the half distance–it’s absolutely where I excel and I think where I still have the most room to grow (looking you, NYC marathon qualifying times!) I have a lot more to say about this training cycle but I’m incredibly happy to have PRed the 5k, 10k, and half this fall! I owe a big debt of gratitude to Coach Laura, who wrote the custom training plan that got me to my goals. More to come on what went well and what’s next–for now, I’m ready for a few sweet weeks of easy running and lots of yoga before Boston training kicks into gear.

What recovery looks like and final race thoughts

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running5 Comments
There were also cookies. Lots of cookies.

Well hello there, running friends! I am back at it after a full week off of running and was literally giddy to be running again. Here’s a quick peek at what my last 10 days have looked like:

  • Sunday: 26.2!
  • Monday: Rest
  • Tuesday: Rest
  • Wednesday: Rest
  • Thursday: Rest. And a massage!
  • Friday: Slow yoga with deep relaxation
  • Saturday: Long walk in the park with J
  • Sunday: Rest
  • Monday: 30 minute easy run
  • Tuesday: 40 minute easy run
  • Wednesday: 60 minute vinyasa yoga
  • Thursday: 30 minute run
We went for a WALK, not a run. It was weird.

I’m sure you’re sensing a theme here–lots and lots of rest! This is probably the longest I’ve gone without working out in a couple of years and I know I needed it. Even though I felt fairly good after the race, my knees are still not back to 100%, likely due to the accumulated stress from all the downhill pounding. I’m a little bit mad at myself for not taking the active parts of recovery more seriously, but when my first jog back didn’t feel great I jumped back into icing and foam rolling twice a day, which has helped a ton. J and I went out for 40 minutes on Tuesday and once we got warmed up, I felt great and couldn’t stop smiling because I was so dang happy to be back at it.

I’M BACK.

I haven’t fully formulated my comeback strategy, but we’re toying around with the idea of running the Shipyard Old Port Half in July in Portland, ME. I had a great race there last year and I think it would be such a fun course for J’s first half. Now that he has been fully indoctrinated, we’re looking at potentially doing a race in New Zealand when we go there for our honeymoon next February/March–how cool would that be?? Any tips, anyone?

Anywho, after Chicago I graded myself on how I did in terms of my race goals and I thought it would be fun to revisit my “what I would do differently” post and do the same for this race. Here are the goals I set for myself:

  • Run a small race: A! Sugarloaf had 1600 total runners. Can’t get much smaller than that.
  • Focus on race strategy and nutrition: A! I didn’t want to share it beforehand for purely superstitious reasons, but I did have a very specific race plan that I worked on with Coach Laura. And I wrote it out in color because I am a nerd.
  • Consider investing in coaching: A! ICYMI, more on my coaching thoughts here.
  • Raise the mileage, not just the number of running days: A! My mileage this training cycle peaked at 56 miles/week, whereas my Chicago training peeked around 44 miles/week. Adding those additional miles (all EASY and slow) I think really helped me to learn to run on tired legs.

    More rose and champagne, please!

So what else? Well, life is pretty darn exciting these days. This weekend I’m heading to NYC for my bachelorette party with all of my favorite people. Next weekend I’m going to a Oiselle women’s running camp in New Hampshire. I’m less than two months away from finishing up my MBA and in 101 days I get to marry my best friend in my favorite place in the world. So–running is going to be around, with lots of other stuff, and I just can’t wait.

 

Sugarloaf marathon week 14: the taper begins

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running7 Comments

Greetings from the first week of taper mania! I have to say that despite the mileage going down, this week didn’t feel particularly easy. I think that has something to do with the fact that it was a really busy week outside of running. I always make a concerted effort to see friends once classes wrap up for the semester, but I’m very guilty of making plans every night and burning myself out. I’m also feeling a few of the mental demons sneaking their way in, so I want to really cement my mantras and mental strategies during these final two weeks before race day. Here are my goals for the taper:

  • Run my marathon pace runs at MGP, not faster.
  • Carb load in a smart, gradual way and take it easy with the sugar and vino.
  • Really give myself a mental break and take time to chill the eff out.

On the logistical front, I started rotating in a lighter pair of sneakers that I plan to use on race day–and they feel great! I usually run in Asics GT 2000 4 and my newer shoes are the Mizuno Wave Rider 20. I have done speedwork and racing in the Wave Rider 18 and these are a great new version. I have super narrow feet, especially in the midfoot/heel, so my sneaker options are limited to those that come in a 2A width. If there are any other tiny footed people out there looking for shoe options, these two work well in rotation for me. I plan to get about 50 miles in on the Wave Riders before race day. I did spend a silly amount of timing deciding whether or not to return a pair of Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33s–does anyone have thoughts on these?? I’m all ears!

Also, Denise and I are planning to run Sugarloaf together! We run really similar paces and are totally in sync with our race strategies, so I think it will be great to aim to stick together–of course with the caveat that we’ll both need to run our own races and do what we need to do to take care of ourselves day-of. We ran a really strong long run together on Sunday so I’m very confident about our plan. I am starting to think throgh nutrition planning and race strategy also–more to come on those 🙂

Week 14: 45.3 miles total

  • Monday: 6 easy + strides
  • Tuesday: 4 “watchless” easy miles, banded strength circuit
  • Wednesday: 8 MGP miles, fast finish
  • Thursday: 6 easy
  • Friday: 4 easy
  • Saturday: Rest day
  • Sunday: 10 easy, 6 MGP for 16 total at 8:20 average

Linking up with The Weekly Wrap (hosted by Hoho Runs and Miss Sippipiddlin), with Eat Pray Run DC for her training linkup, and with the Jess’s (Jess Runs ATL and The Right Fits).

Sugarloaf training: week 13 (peak week!)

On By shorterandfasterIn Fitness, Running14 Comments

Y’all–peak week is over and the mini-taper officially begins!! I’m so, so proud to have gotten though four 50+ mile weeks in a row, topping out at 214 miles for the month of April. I’m also grateful for the lovely comments last week about not getting too caught up in the numbers. While this wasn’t quite my highest mileage week of training, I know I nailed both of my key workouts and kept the easy miles nice and easy. In fact, I didn’t even bat an eyelash when my “20 miler” was actually 19.58 miles. Who cares?? GPS watches are never 100% accurate and that extra .42 miles running up and down my block wouldn’t have added anything to my training.

The week started out pretty misty and rainy, which I actually kind of love. I turned off my podcast during an easy, foggy run just to spend some time in the mist and the quiet. I nailed a hard workout on Tuesday with two sets of 3 miles at HMGP–it felt really hard, but good, to see 7:28 for the first set and 7:23 for the second set! This week also had a bunch of easy/recovery miles, which I happily took extra easy given the tough workouts that were sprinkled in there. I especially loved that J and I managed to fit in a recovery run together on Wednesday–he’s killing his 15k training and mentioned that he might even consider a half soon!! Proud fiance alert!

Once the week cleared up it got really warm, so I pushed my long run from Saturday to Sunday and opted for a yoga class instead. I really miss my practice when I’m marathon training and can’t fit it in–I was soaked and sore from this one but it felt soooo good to get back to it. Sunday my girl Alexa was BACK and like a true badass, she joined me for 14 of my 20 mile workout–which included 2×3 sets of MGP miles. I’m so proud of her for running a strong Boston despite the weather, and love having her back on runs.

If you missed it, I wrote a post this week about working on my mental game with “I am, I can, I will statements”–it’s an amazing technique and really helped me get through the last set of MGP miles on my long run today. T-minus 3 weeks from today I’ll be done with Sugarloaf–I’m so excited to put all this hard work to the test!!

Week 13: 55.1 miles total

  • Monday: 8 easy
  • Tuesday: 2×3 miles at HMGP, 8.5 total
  • Wednesday: 4.8 recovery miles with J
  • Thursday: 8.1 easy
  • Friday: 6 easy
  • Saturday: 90 minute sweaty yoga
  • Sunday: 20 (well, 19.58) mile long run! 8 up, 3×3 miles at MGP, 1.5 down

Linking up with The Weekly Wrap (hosted by Hoho Runs and Miss Sippipiddlin), with Eat Pray Run DC for her training linkup, and with the Jess’s (Jess Runs ATL and The Right Fits).