Half Marathon Training Week Thirteen

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page. I break my half marathon training down by week to make it easier to follow.

Key Workouts:

Easy Run: 1/3

Speed Work: 1/1

Long Run: 1/1

Cross Training: 0

Strength Training: 0/2

Total Miles: 26.9

This week life got in the way of working out. It is amazing that when I am out of work, I can still be too busy to fit in a run. Spending more time focusing on political organizing and job finding is important right now, so I will have to make it work.

I finished two books this week.

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(Review found here.)

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(Review coming soon but this book was amazing and a must read.)

I ran my longest run so far on Saturday. 14.02 miles! I feel more confident for Sunday after this run. I ran the entire run Celebration which was just beautiful. The tree-lined streets, the wide sidewalks, and a great breeze came together for just a wonderful run. Typically, I run with my phone so I can listen to talk radio on Sirius. Of course on my longest run ever, my phone decides to cut my battery life in half, and leaves me with no entertainment for the vast majority of this run. I did learn that I much prefer to have the radio than not. (Also, that being alone with just my thoughts for hours is interesting.)

This graph excited me. February was my first month to go over 100 miles.

Seems like an accomplishment. I just wish there were more hours of cross training and strength training in there. When I think about my new goals after this race on Sunday, I will be reevaluating fitting more of those two key components in. It is important to do more than just run.

As my runs get longer, and I don’t know how often I would run farther than 14 training for half’s, but I may need to make an adjustment to my FuelBelt. I now run with this model.

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I have the FuelBelt Revenge R20 with a larger pouch to fit my pepper spray and Cliff Shot Bloks. As the weather gets warmer and my runs potentially get longer, I am running out of water with only the two water bottles. There are times when I can refill but it is not always practical.

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Going with a four bottle model may be more practical for the summer. I use plain water with GU or Shot Bloks, maybe using a sports drink like Nuun or Hammer Endurolytes Fizz might help. My plan is to start experimenting to see if a water bottle full of water plus sports drink is helpful.

Half Marathon Training Week Eleven

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page. I break my half marathon training down by week to make it easier to follow.

Key Workouts:

Easy Runs: 5/5

Strength Training: 1/2

Total Miles: 29.27

This week was a step-down week that only contained easy runs. It was a nice mental break from a long run that eats its way through a huge chunk of my Saturday. I felt strong and rested throughout the week and my body responded well to the lighter week. I did do Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones on Wednesday which did leave me sore on Thursday and Friday.

I have speed on my mind a lot lately. Obviously, the goal in racing is to improve your time which I do think I am right on target for a faster half this time around than my first. What I have been thinking about is how to proceed after this training cycle to improve my speed. I do want a sub-30 5K. Being at the end of a training cycle, it can be difficult to remember how you felt at the beginning. Are these miles getting easier? Is my body stronger from adding the additional day of running?

Going back through my Garmin data, it does look like I have gotten a bit faster. With my easy runs, I do not aim for any particular speed but run what feels like a comfortable pace. This can vary based on the temperature and how I feel but seems to vary by a minute per mile either way.

This is my average pace for my most recent easy runs.

This is my average pace for easy runs at the end of December.

Longer runs with slightly faster average speeds all run at a comfortable pace means I’m getting faster, right?

I guess time will tell on March 4th.

Half Marathon Training Week Ten

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page. I break my half marathon training down by week to make it easier to follow.

Key Workouts:

Easy Runs: 3/3

Tempo Run: 1/1 Five Miles at Tempo with one warm-up and one cool-down

Long Run: 1/1

Strength Training: 0/2

Cross Training: 0

Total Miles: 33.21

I did well with my runs minus cutting my long run short by four miles but I still did not do any strength training. This week I will do strength training on the same day as one of my easy runs.

I think one reason that I cut my long run down is because I am slow. Yes, you are supposed to run long runs quite slow to benefit from them but I am such a slow runner that my long run pace is like molasses. After this training cycle, the only thing I want to work on is getting faster. I find myself during tempo runs or speedwork, almost afraid of pushing myself. Afraid of being uncomfortable, of feeling out of breath. I need to get over it and trust that I am in good shape and feeling some discomfort is normal. Just need to get there mentally and trust in my training.

I am at the tail end of this Half Marathon training cycle and it will be interesting to see how/if I benefited from the speedwork I have done and the mileage increase.

Half Marathon Training Week Nine

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page. I break my half marathon training down by week to make it easier to follow.

Key Workouts:

Easy Runs: 3/3

Speedwork: 1/1 4 x 1600 with 800 jobs in between

Long Run: 1/1

Strength Training: 0/2

Total Miles: 35.14

This is my highest mileage week yet. I am still adjusting to running five days a week but felt strong through the week. The long run was supposed to be 14 miles but I felt good with doing 12. I am still coming back from two weeks of nearly no running because of being sick and have over a month until my half to get in a few 14 miles runs.

I did not do any strength or cross training this week. It is a struggle to do two workouts in a day and after four days of running, I needed a break on Friday.

One of the best benefits from this training cycle is that I know I can run a half. The focus is on what is and isn’t working to meet my time goal. I am feeling faster this time around and know the Tempo and Speedwork is helping.

Half Marathon Training Week Six

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page. I break my half marathon training down by week to make it easier to follow.

Not my best week. Being sick really sidelined my workouts.

Key Workouts

Easy Runs: 1 of 3

Speed Training: 0 of 1

Long Run: 0 of 1

Strength Training: Upper Body 15 minutes

Total Miles: 5

Planed Miles: 27

Not much to say about this week but I felt it was better to rest through being sick, then to push myself and make it worse.

I planned on racing this weekend but am not sure if I should in light of being sick. It is a 10K, which is a distance I love, and for a good cause.

Polk Race For The Cure

Would you race this close to coming off of a cold?

How was your training last week? Did you reach your goals?

Half Marathon Training Week Four

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page. I break my half marathon training down by week to make it easier to follow.

Another week of eating and drinking plus lots of time off work. I think my training improved greatly with the amount of time off. Maybe I can have a two day work week with the same pay?

Key Workouts:

Easy Run: One out of two.

Tempo Run: Total of six miles with four at tempo.

Long Run: 12 Miles

Cross Training:

Dance Trace which I am still loving.

Yoga which I always love.

Total Miles: 21.06

Planned Miles: 24

I need to fit in more strength training and will need to give up having two rest days a week to do so. I run after work and before dinner during the week. Should I try strength training in the morning? I cannot push dinner back any later or we will be eating it the next day and J may file for divorce.

The reason I skipped the second easy run this week was because I was a little sore from Dance Trance and thought my long run would go better on fully rested legs. As my body gets used to Dance Trance, this may change but maybe a Yoga class the next day would work well.

How do you modify your plan to fit it all in?

Half Marathon Training Weeks Two And Three

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Dina

If you would like to follow my other weeks of training, they can be found on my Workouts page.

It has been a busy past few weeks with all the shopping and pie eating. The weather cooling off is making running easier but I could do without running in the dark. I do enjoy seeing all the Christmas lights and wish my neighbors would leave them up year round. It makes the one and a half mile neighborhood loop, much more interesting.

Doing all of my runs, especially the longer ones, solo is starting to get to me. Even though I love listening to talk radio or Howard Stern, it would be nice to run with other people sometimes. The closest running club to me is the Lakeland Runners Club. I am contemplating joining in the new year.

Week 2:

I got in my speed work but my long run was a total disaster. I was supposed to run 11 miles but instead ran 4.27. At least the police were involved so I have some excuse but would have rather gotten in the mileage. There was zero cross training this week.

Key Workouts:

Easy Run: One out of two.

Speedwork: Total of six miles with 3×1600 with 800 jogs.

Long Run: 4.27 out of 11 miles.

Week 3:

This week I did every run in the plan plus three cross training workouts. I am so glad I finally tried Dance Trance but probably should not have done the class and then run 11 miles on Saturday. Everything hurt on Sunday. Luckily, I was able to make it Yoga and that helped immensely.

Key Workouts:

Easy Run: Two out of two.

Tempo Run: Six miles total with four at tempo.

Long Run: 11 miles

Do you run with a group or solo?

Any experience with joining a running club? I must admit to being a little nervous about it. (What if I’m the slowest person there and onward though my normal list of neurosis.)

Weekly Workouts

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Dina

Monday: 3 Miles Easy

Tuesday: Full body Strength Training

Wednesday: 6 Miles Total (Including Warm-Up), 3X1600 With 800 Jogs, and a Cool down

Thursday: 2 Miles Easy

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 11 Mile Long Run

Sunday: Yoga

Last Week:

Total Mileage: 21.88 Miles

Strength Workout: 1

Thoughts:

I stuck to my new training plan but it was a lazy week for me cross training. I have had a lot of time off in the past few weeks (using up my remaining vacation time before it expires on January 1.) It is much more difficult for me to get motivated when I have time at home, as opposed to being on my normal routine with work. This weeks Yoga class was taught by a different teacher who was a lot more difficult. I think it will pay off to try different classes taught by different teachers to get more variety.

Have you been following the Hot Chocolate DC 15K/5K disaster? It is like a train wreck that I cannot look away from. The posts just keep coming and people are really angry. I am so thankful to have never experienced anything remotely that terrible while racing.

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Race Called “ Epic Fail”

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Facebook Page

Have you ever run a horrible race?

November: The Month I Ran My First Half

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Dina

Highlights:

Women’s Half Marathon St. Pete: November of 2011 will now be known as the month I ran my first half. Seeing all the planning and training pay off, all while having a great time running, was really the most wonderful part of the month.

Florida Hospital Celebration Health 10K: I learned what not to eat unless you want to run a 10K with a brick in your stomach.

Food Rut: Talking about my recent food rut was a catalyst in actually seeking out new recipes and planning out my meals. When you have a husband (looking at you J), who has a great need for variety, it’s important to keep dinners interesting and varied while at the same time trying to keep it healthy and cost-effective.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival:The Epcot Food and Wine Festival was filled with fun (and beer and food). Even though it was cold and crowded, J and I ate from one country to another. I love Epcot, it’s always interesting to be drunk at Disney and I can imagine it is much more fun to do that without kids.

Biggest Failure:

F Is For Failure: I took a day off of work to see the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn and fell asleep at 8PM.

Favorite Pictures:

The only picture of me at the Women’s Half Marathon. My number was scrunched up under my FuelBelt which I did not notice until I saw this picture.

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What are your highlights for November?

New Plan

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Dina

My exercise sabbatical is over. This past week, I took a lot of time off work, enjoyed the holiday, and relaxed. Running my first half feels great but now I am ready to jump back into a new training plan. This time I decided to try a plan from Runner’s World using their Smart Coach program.

The selections I made to come up with this plan are:

Initial Weekly Distance: 21-26 Miles

Training Intensity: Moderate

Long Run Day: Saturday

This plan is 14 weeks long.

I consider myself a beginner and have been running for less than two years. This plan is more intense than my previous one but graduated enough that it will not be a shock to my system.

Monday: Easy Run Three Miles & Strength Training

Tuesday: (Supposed to be a rest day but I have plans after work on Wednesday, so I am adjusting the plan.) Six Miles with Four at Tempo

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Easy Run Two Miles

Friday: Strength Training

Saturday: Long Run Ten Miles

Sunday: Yoga

I plan on adding daily stretching which will help with increased flexibility and muscle tightness. I have an AM Yoga DVD that I plan on using most mornings before work to make sure I get this in everyday. Having IT Band issues was not pleasant during my first half and I will do anything to avoid it. (Plus I can live without walking around with a slight limp and people asking me if I am OK.)

I only took a handful of pictures on Thanksgiving before the beer drinking and eating took over.

The table pre-food massacre.

My Brother and Mother.

How do you come-up with a training plan?

Dina Runs

Tag Archives: Running

Half Marathon Training Week Thirteen

Half Marathon Training Week Eleven

Half Marathon Training Week Ten

Half Marathon Training Week Nine

Half Marathon Training Week Six

Half Marathon Training Week Four

Half Marathon Training Weeks Two And Three

Weekly Workouts

November: The Month I Ran My First Half

New Plan