This past week was an incredible week of training for so many reasons. Not only did I work out five out the past seven days, but I also reached my first mileage milestone of the year. In the middle of Saturday’s long run I surpassed the 100 mile mark! (My current 2017 mileage is actually 110.6 miles!)
Monday, February 6th
Since Monday was a teacher workday, I spent the morning grading at home, and took a mid-morning break to complete my run. I’m not used to running in the mornings during the week, and Monday morning’s run was a struggle. My body was also sore from my weight training session the day before, and the run was a difficult one. My splits were very inconsistent (9:58/9:46/10:17/9:59), and it was one of my slowest paced weekday runs in awhile. I was so glad when I was done with the run.
Absolutely exhausted after a difficult run
Tuesday, February 7th
The weather last week was quite the roller coaster, including several 60 and 70 degree afternoons. On Tuesday the temperature reached 73 degrees, so I opted to do a walking commute to daycare to pick little man up. It was so nice to be able to enjoy a sunset walk home from daycare with him, and the round trip wound up being just over two and a half miles.
Wednesday, February 8th
Another warm afternoon called for getting outside for another warmer run. The big problem that I faced during this run was the wind, which I ran into for the first half of my run. My splits were much more consistent than they had been during Monday’s run (10:05/9:49/9:51/9:52/5:31), though my run was still at a slower than recently usual pace. I have been focusing a lot on strength training lately, and am guessing that my sore body is a big contributor to the slower pace. After my run I did 15 minutes of strength training.
I’ll take 70 degrees in February any day!
Thursday, February 9th
After a couple of days in a row of warm afternoons, Thursday was the complete opposite, and it was snowing as I drove from work to the gym. At the gym I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical, followed by a 30 minute full body weight training session.
Friday, February 10th
Having had an intense weight training session on Thursday, and knowing that I had a planned long run for the next day, I took a complete rest day. Boy did my body need it!
Saturday, February 11th
I headed out the door shortly before 10:00 a.m. for my 12 miler. Since Rock ‘n’ Roll DC is a hilly course, I’ve been trying to utilize hilly routes near my house for many of my long training runs, and Saturday’s run was no exception. I felt great during the first half of my run, taking a Gu gel around mile 3 and two Clif Shot bloks around mile 6. I was quite pleased with my negative splits during the first half of my run: 10:38/10:28/10:22/10:23/10:19/10:14.
The second half of my run was more of a struggle than the first half had been. The hills really started to take their toll on me, which made it difficult for me to maintain a consistent pace. I took another Gu around mile 8 and two more Clif Shot bloks around mile 9.5, but regardless of my consistent fueling it was difficult for me to maintain a consistent pace: 10:37/10:35/10:28/10:49/10:42/10:18. My final pace for the 12 miler was 10:29. Overall, I felt good at the end of the run, which is making me think that RnRDC will be a great race next month.
Feeling great after Saturday’s 12 mile run
Sunday, February 12th
I didn’t sleep well Saturday night, and wound up only getting about four hours of sleep. That, in addition to needing to rest after Saturday’s 12 miler, and needing to take care of chores and errands, meant that I took my second rest day of the week.
Total Weekly Mileage – 26.90 miles (10.39 miles more than week 5)
Total RnRDC Mileage – 105.30 miles
QOTD: How do you handle running slower paces than you would like.
I’m linking up with Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap link up. I’m also linking up with Courtney for the Training Recap link up. Be sure to check out their posts as well.
You might be sore now, but that strength training will pay off!
That’s what I keep reminding myself of.
Great job with your training. It was in the 70s in Va beach last wk ad well and it was beautiful. Then the weekend it started to flurry..so weird. Hope we are done with that stuff. I always feel so much more motivated when it is warmer out.
I’m with you. I would much rather be hot than cold.
Great job on your training runs this week! I am a lot slower than I was this time last year. I’m back in the 11’s for half marathon pace when I PR’d my half a year ago with a 9:50 average pace. The weather is so unseasonably warm, I just can’t push the pace right now. Maybe I will get faster eventually. It’s hard going from slow to fast back to slower again but I’m just thankful to be able to run! Hope you have a great week!
Thanks for the reminder about being thankful for being able to run. I need to remember that when I get frustrated by a slower than usual pace.
Great job at surpassing 100 miles already! I wish I could strength train more – my training really lacks it! Looking forward to reading your rock n roll recap soon 🙂
Thanks, the training is flying by so I know that race day will be here very soon.
Running on hills will really help you next month (PS – can’t believe the race is already next month!). 🙂
I know, right?!? Time is just flying by!
Great job on passing that 100-mile mark!!!
Nice temps too, it’s spring here too we’ve been in the 60-70’s daily and I’m absolutely loving it, so perfect to run in and enjoy that smell of spring and greens sprouting up, love it!
Your training is going awesome, you’re going to kill it at the race next month!!!
I agree, 60-70 degree temps are absolutely perfect running weather.
WAY TO GO!!!! Over 100 miles and we’re only a few weeks in to 2017!
Thanks Nicole!
100 miles and a run in a t-shirt and shorts!! Way to go!
Thanks Anna!
Good job on the mileage (and all that strength-training!). I don’t like slower-than-ideal paced runs, but I know they just happen, sometimes for no apparent reason. Sometimes, the easy, fast-paced runs happen the same way….I guess it all balances out, right? 😉
Very true.
Great job with your training this week and an awesome milestone, go you!
I really need to work on my strength training, I don’t do it enough! Though I know what you mean with the soreness, DOMS is a horrible feeling but a sure sign of a great workout! 🙂
Exactly!
Congrats on reaching 100. Don’t stress about your pace on easy runs, just focus on getting in the miles and enjoying the casual pace.
Thanks, I’m trying to remind myself of that.
Great job on the long run. Fingers are crossed RnR DC is a good race. I love feeling sore after a strength day, but I also try to not have my long runs when I’m sore. I sometimes think I’m tight with the soreness.
I too try to make sure that I don’t do strength training the day before a long run. Long runs are hard enough as it is.
OMG I’m so exhausted today and then your first picture is of you sleeping… haha! It’s a sign I need to go to bed early tonight. 🙂
Great job last week!
Hahaha!
You are going to have a great race for sure!
I try to just let the slower days go. Sometimes, there’s just not that much you can do about it, and dwelling on it just brings me down. Onward and upward, right?
Yes, thanks for the reminder!
Nice job with your training, and congrats on hitting 100 miles!
Thanks!
Looks like a great training week for you! I always run slower paces than I expect lol so no advice there 🙂
That’s okay, its nice to know that I’m not the only slow one out there.
Look at those shorts! It was crazy warm for a few hours last week. 🙂 I think we have to remember that every run can’t be our fastest. I try to shake off slower runs and maybe consider if I need more fuel or rest.
Looking back, I definitely think my fueling was a bit off last week. I’m trying to correct that this week.
Great job on surpassing 100! I’m sure you’ll have an amazing race at RnR DC.
Thanks!
70 deg weather then flurries? Wow those are extreme temp changes! Way to go on hitting 100 miles for the year. When I run slower paces than usual, I think it’s my body’s way of telling me I need to rest and recover.
I definitely pushed myself last week, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a lack of rest contributed to the slower pace.
Sometimes you are just slower. I’ve learned to accept it. I had one run last week where I was barely under 11 minute miles and I was struggling the whole time. The very next day I ran a 10:15 pace and felt like I was taking it super easy. Running is just fickle. Keep working and you’ll see improvements again.
Thanks for the support, Erika.
It was warm here in NC, too — I loved it! Can’t wait til spring!!
Me neither!
Isn’t it crazy to go from short sleeved weather to freezing cold?! I always say, no wonder everyone gets sick in the winter! Great job with your workouts this week!!
Exactly!
Great job with the workouts and that mileage! Yay! I love the exhausted picture- I think I should take that one too sometimes! Enjoy the rest of the week and make the most of those rest days!
Thanks MB!
Congratulations on your milestone! Running so many extra miles in a week definitely takes it’s toll on your body. That extra day of rest is needed. Happy training!
Extra rest has definitely been needed around here lately.
Congratulations on the 100 miles milestone already! I’ve never been able to sleep good the night after running long. You think you’d just conk out. Not me! You had a very strong long run on Saturday. You are going to do awesome at RnRDC. Thanks for linking, Kathryn.
You’d think, right?
Ha I feel like you exhausted picture sometimes too! Great job with you mileage this week. Sometimes I can hit my paces just fine and other times I’m like “How’d I do that?”
Exactly!
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