I won't give in till I reach the end... and then I'll start again (comments welcome)

[DopeyBadger]

It was a pleasure to meet you as well. Nice short and sweet recaps!

 

[HangWithMerida]

Nice to meet you too! It was nice to put faces with names.

 

[azrivest]

Haven't updated since the races. Am having trouble revving my motivation up. Work has been cra-ah-zy since I came back from vacation. I've been exhausted and stressed non stop for 2 weeks. Surprisingly, my vo2max is on the rise, even tho I'm super stressed and my mind is not in my runs at all.

I've started a training plan using Garmin Coach with a 2:12 objective for my HM in beginning of June. I'll try to use that as a POT for MW and Princess. So far, all the runs have been easy and I'm able to keep pace. I have an R-Pace run this week (I think, McMillan doesn't seem to call it that) which I really liked when DopeyBadger put that in my plan last fall. I'll trudge along. Hardest part is getting out that door eh?

Oh at least the weather has finally moved up over freezing. I've been able to run in capris with only one top layer. It's been glorious.



Week 2 of meh

Summary:

• Running Distance = 28.03 km
• Running Time = 3h24
• S&C time = 0h47

Monday

• Too exhausted after work to go outside

Tuesday

• Did yesterday's easy run instead of the planned HM tempo run
• 5.49k in 39:59

Wednesday

• 6.25k in 42:44 with my running group

Thursday

• 48 minutes of yoga

Friday

• 4.10k in 30:01
• It was a 10x stride workout mostly

Saturday

• Pushed my long run to Sunday to run with my group
• It was raining cats and dogs outside so convenient

Sunday

• 12.19k in 1:31:00 with my running group

I'll try to get back to my 5 runs a week schedule like before. At least my fitness level seems good

 

[azrivest]

Oh and I still haven't told my husband I'm planning on both MW and PW, eep! Hihihi

I already booked POFQ for Goofy. I'm waiting for the kids' 22-23 school schedule to come out before booking anything for PW. I might have to negotiate a bit to convince him to go to WDW over two consecutive March Breaks...

 

[azrivest]

Week 3 of 13 of my HM training plan, with a goal of 2:12

Coach Greg is super confident I'll reach my goal, FWIW. That Garmin Coach confidence level has been wrong for me in the past!

Summary:

• Running Distance = 31.28 km
• Running Time = 3h45
• S&C time = Nada. None whatsoever.

Monday

• 5.5k in 41:48 on the treadmill, since DH was not at home
• Started watching Book of Boba Fett

Tuesday

• 7.75k in 53:00
• Kind of CV pace run I think? 3x5 min @ CV + 6x30 secs @ R

Wednesday

• 6.41k in 45:00 with my running group
• vo2Max hit 44, which is a year best for me. I don't get it, seeing as how I'm mentally exhausted by work and the stress is spilling over into physical exhaustion. Wednesday was one of the worst work days of the last year. I'm a manager with ~30 employees under my responsibility, and employees are cracking from pressure left and right. I just can't take the negative energy anymore.

Thursday

• Bottle of wine with my husband at the restaurant (see bullet above about work stress) And no weighing the next morning!

Friday

• 5.54k in 43:00 on the treadmill
• Started watching Bridgerton season 2, my guilty pleasure

Saturday

• Progression run
• 5.75k in 40:00

Sunday

• Supposed to be a rest day, but I might move my Monday run up, because...

Temps are supposed to hit -10C on Monday/Tuesday. Noooooooo! Winter is supposed to be finished I don't have it in me for more sub-zero runs this winter. I'll prolly just do everything on the treadmill as long as it's below freezing.

 

[GollyGadget]

I'm also very disappointed that it's cold again this week. Currently delaying my run until afternoon so maybe it will be warmer. It's not so cold that I wouldn't run outside, I'm just tired of layering up for my runs. I might also just use the treadmill. Where is spring??

I was following a Garmin coach plan last summer for a hm and quickly learned to totally disregard their confidence. My understanding is that it's based on your rating of the run, at least somewhat. The hm plan had me running mostly easy miles so I was rating everything as easy. It would still show high confidence when I changed my goal to something waaaay beyond my current fitness. I think I got it all the way to 1:30 before I just abandoned ship. My PR is 1:50 and I'm not sure if I could currently perform at that level and couldn't last year.

I have found the confidence to be a bit better on the 5k and 10k plans because there are a lot more challenging workouts in those plans. However, I never actually raced the distance after the plans. I was just following them to get back to regular running.

 

[azrivest]

I was following a Garmin coach plan last summer for a hm and quickly learned to totally disregard their confidence. My understanding is that it's based on your rating of the run, at least somewhat. The hm plan had me running mostly easy miles so I was rating everything as easy. It would still show high confidence when I changed my goal to something waaaay beyond my current fitness. I think I got it all the way to 1:30 before I just abandoned ship. My PR is 1:50 and I'm not sure if I could currently perform at that level and couldn't last year.

For my first ever HM, I used Garmin Coach since I liked not having to plan my runs. They were there on my watch for me to do. I finished 8 minutes slower than my objective. And the arrow was in the deep purple zone. So yeah, not really reliable

 

[GollyGadget]

They are really great for having a plan right on your watch ready to go. I do think my fitness improved with them as well so they aren't all bad... Just don't trust their goal time

 

[azrivest]

Week 4 of 13 of my HM training plan, with a goal of 2:12

I've been playing with my Garmin Coach plan as much as I can. It never seems to plan the runs when I want it to. I asked that my long run be on Sunday, but for this week it's planned it for Tuesday. I don't get it. I'm just gonna stop that and reuse DopeyBadger's plan for the Princess HM.

Summary:

• Running Distance = 43.8 km
• Running Time = 5h24
• S&C time = Nada. None whatsoever. Not even yoga.

Sunday

• 7.71k with my running group

Monday

• Rest day, because of the dang cold front

Tuesday

• Coach Greg had prescribed a progression run
• Finished with 5.17k in 39:08 on the treadmill while watching BoBF
• Again, the mental challenge of the treadmill just gets me every time

Wednesday

• 6.33k in 45:00 with my running group

Thursday

• Speed repeats, 6x 1:1 + 6x 30'':1
• 6k in 42:00

Friday

• Rest day

Saturday

• Was supposed to be an easy day, but I was super charged emotionally and just went all out.
• 5.9k in 35:45, including 5k in 28:44 which is 24 seconds away from my PR

Sunday

• Long run with my running group
• 12.69k in 1:31:59
• I have fallen in love... with new running shoes

After having such a sh*tty month of March coming back from WDW, I decided to buy my birthday present two months early. I bought a pair of FuelCell RC Elite 2 at full price, which over here is 300$ CAD + tx. I tried them out during this morning's long run and I knew I made an excellent decision. I ran over 12k without any effort at a slightly faster pace than usual. And I felt I could have run at least twice that with not much more effort. These are going to be amazing for my marathon on October 2nd.

 

[azrivest]

Week 5 of 13 of my HM training plan, with a goal of 2:12

This week was another hard work week, with clients at the office. I was too tired to do 5 runs this week

Oh and I forgot to mention last week: I took one of the last challenge spots for W&D, and decided to wait a year before trying the marathon distance at WDW. The race courses are too similar between MW and PW to justify me doing both. I was also aiming to do this trip solo, but my kids are on holiday until Jan 9th. I'd feel too guilty going to Disney World by myself knowing that the kids are at home. And as a bonus, I'm not a fan of the 90s theme at all. I want to forget all about that time when I was an awkward kid with too big glasses and fluorescent jackets.

Summary:

• Running Distance = 30.75 km
• Running Time = 3h46
• S&C time = I'm starting up McMillan Core again tomorrow, unless someone has other suggestions?

Monday

• Rest day

Tuesday

• Speed repeats with Coach Greg same as last week: 6x 1:1 + 6x 30'':1
• 6.83k in 49:34
• Temp was great with sunshine

Wednesday

• Had to go out for dinner with my clients, so no run today

Thursday

• Was supposed to be a progression run, but there was a downpour outside so I ran on the treadmill. Because of my very high level of fatigue, I kept this run to a zone 2 effort or lower, so my avg pace was really slow.
• 4.32k in 35:05

Friday

• Rest day

Saturday

• EB5k
• 5k in 34:45

Sunday

• Long run with my running group
• 9 miles in 1:46:32
• This run went great, which is surprising, given my fatigue this week.

I realize that my fitness level is really good, probably rolled over from my Princess training. Despite having a less than stellar week, I was able to run a strong 9 miles and finish feeling fresh.

I'm going to try running on a track for the first time ever this week. I can see how that compares to my regular intervals on asphalt

So overall my mood and my energy is getting better. Now I need to get to work on a costume for W&D yay!!

Happy running!

 

[azrivest]

Week 6 of 13 of my HM training plan, with a goal of 2:12

This week was, well, let's just say I didn't get 5 runs in this week either.

Last weekend, hubby and kids were all sick with some kind of flu. We'll never know what it was, since any tests we did came back negative. I was sure that with my super running-fueled metabolism, I'd avoid it, but no such luck. While running on Wednesday morning, I started feeling really lousy. So I've been sick for the past 4 days. The main thing bothering me has been really bad sinus congestion. Today was the first day I've started feeling okay enough to go out.

Summary:

• Running Distance = 21.2 km
• Running Time = 2h37
• S&C time = I'll just stop posting about this

Monday

• Rest day

Tuesday

• Speed repeats: 6x 2:1 @ 5k pace
• 6.17k in 42:59

Wednesday

• 7k @ EB pace
• Ended up doing 6.5. Last 2.5k were in the 8k/min range, which is WU/CD pace for me at worst. I could definitely tell things weren't okay.

Thursday

• Barely got through my workday. I had to stick the planned track workout with my running group. Boo!

Friday

• Rest day, definitely needed

Saturday

• EB5k (planned)
• Started feeling slightly better, but this cold seems to have knocked my body temperature out of whack. I had hot/cold flashes all day and didn't want to risk too much exertion.
• Instead, went out for a 3,5k walk

Sunday

• I was itching to go out running again
• Started with a 5 minute run with my daughter, and when that felt fine, went out for a 8k/1h run
• Used run/walk with 3:30/0:30 intervals and I felt great the whole way.

I'm staying positive. It's only one week in my training plan and missing a few runs shouldn't affect my performance too much. And even if it does, well doesn't matter does it? Sometimes we forget that running isn't all about performance but also enjoyment. At least not for a middle-of-the-pack runner like me.

Happy running!

 

[Naomeri]

Glad to hear you’re feeling better now. I came home from Disney in December with a nasty sinus something or other and the only thing that helped was running, strangely. I’d spend all day unable to breathe through my nose until I’d go out for a run.

 

[azrivest]

Glad to hear you’re feeling better now. I came home from Disney in December with a nasty sinus something or other and the only thing that helped was running, strangely. I’d spend all day unable to breathe through my nose until I’d go out for a run.

Thanks

Definitely felt like that yesterday. I felt much better after my run.

 

[azrivest]

Week 7 of 13 of my HM training plan, with a goal of 2:12

This week went much better!

I flew into Amsterdam on Tuesday morning for a 2-week business trip. The weather has been great since I arrived, with sunny springtime. And I missed a 5-incher snowstorm in Montreal on Tuesday. No snow in the Netherlands for sure!!

Summary:

• Running Distance = 41.54 km
• Running Time = 4h58

Monday

• Travel day

Tuesday

• Speed repeats: 6x 2:1 @ 5k pace
• 6.5k in 45:36
• I felt sluggish the whole time. Dunno if it was the jetlag or a leftover from my bad cold the week before.

Wednesday

• 7k @ EB pace
• Ended up doing only 6. Again, the sluggishness.

Thursday

• Short intervals were planned for the day, but my workday ended being much too long. Took the train to and back from The Hague and got back to my hotel it was past 8pm.

Friday

• Rest day but caught up with the previous day's intervals
• 16x 30' : 30' repeats
• 6.01k in 42:08

Saturday

• 5.25k @ EB pace
• 6.02k in 40:39
• Did more than planned cause I felt really good.
• How was I able to run faster on average than the previous day, which was intervals?
• Went running in my favorite park in Amsterdam, Vondelpark. The park was sooo busy. I joked with my husband I felt like I was in a Zwift run with bikes and runners passing me left and right.

Sunday

• 16k @ LR pace
• 17.01k in 2:07:23
• As I wrote in the running thread, I looked for a running guide to do a guided tour during my long run. Didn't work out for this morning (too short notice), but I might meet up with the guide on Tuesday evening instead.
• Did a long tour of Amsterdam, by running the Amstel beltway, based on the map in greatruns : https://greatruns.com/amsterdam-amstel-river/
• It was not fun. The historic center of Amsterdam is not meant for runners. It's loaded with too many tourists on sidewalks and too many bikes on the bike path, which means there is no space left for runners. I had one too many angry cyclists yell at me to move That Amstel loop doesn't really pass by any of the nice historic monuments or buildings. Oh and most of the time I was running on cobblestone, which does wonders for my calves. So yeah, really curious to see where the running guide takes me on Tuesday evening...

I'm in Amsterdam for a few more days, then I move on to Hannover. It's still very cool to be able to run in a different city. And it's awesome to see my fitness level was sufficient to let me run over 10 miles and "visit" the city. I really missed travelling in the past 2 years, even if business travel means I'm mostly alone for 2 weeks.

Happy running!

 

[azrivest]

Some nice pics from this morning's run

The Rijksmuseum


The infamous dutch narrow houses and canals

 

[HangWithMerida]

Yeah, cobblestones are the worst! When we went to Prague my husband and I found this little waterway path that was great for running. But to get there we had close to a mile on the cobblestone streets/sidewalks. On the way back we just gave up and walked it in. Felt like I was going to wreck an ankle with every step!

 

[DopeyBadger]

• How was I able to run faster on average than the previous day, which was intervals?

This is so so important. It's giving us an insight into how your body is responding to that particular workout that proceeded it. Keep that prior workout in mind because it has shown that it should proceed a race day for you.

 

[azrivest]

This is so so important. It's giving us an insight into how your body is responding to that particular workout that proceeded it. Keep that prior workout in mind because it has shown that it should proceed a race day for you.

Interesting, I thought it meant I did the interval run wrong. Nice to know thanks!

 

[GollyGadget]

I love running while traveling; it's such a great way to explore a place. I'm glad you were able to find a safe route, even if it isn't one you'd recommend

I've never done it with a guide so I'm curious how that goes.

 

[azrivest]

I love running while traveling; it's such a great way to explore a place. I'm glad you were able to find a safe route, even if it isn't one you'd recommend

I've never done it with a guide so I'm curious how that goes.

I'm meeting him tonight at 7pm, I'll let you know!