You must be swift as the coursing river (as long as it's the Lazy River) - comments welcome

Maybe I missed this...what is this?
It's a new-ish form of HR monitor. Consensus seems to be that it's almost as accurate as a chest strap and much better than a wrist-based monitor. And for me it seems significantly more accurate than a chest strap, because when I tried a chest strap, my data was a mess 🙃
 
January 6 - 12, 2025
Half marathon training week 6 | 42 days until Princess Half Marathon

In which fueling is hard

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Monday
Yoga

Today was meditation, which was good in that it was not at all strenuous but less good in that I struggle with meditation. I get fidgety 🤷‍♀️.

Tuesday
Easy/strides: 6.2 miles (9:41), avg. HR 152, max 176
Upper body strength/core

I really, really did not want to run. I was freezing walking my dog and I just wanted to stay under the covers with some hot chocolate. But I finally forced myself to go upstairs after lunch and do my strength training to warm up some, and then I felt a little better.

The run still wasn't great. My legs felt heavy and my HR was higher than I was expecting. That could just be from running in the afternoon, though - I don't do it often enough to have a good sense of the impact. Or from running right after strength.

Wednesday
Workout: 9 10 mile progression + 1 mile CD
11 miles, avg. HR 156, max 188

Lower body strength

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Surprisingly after Monday's doldrums, this run actually felt great. I wasn't even mad that I did bad running math and started my M pace mile a mile late, which meant I had to run an extra mile 🫠. My M and HM miles were pretty close. The 10K mile was about 15 seconds fast even with several sharp turns, but I didn't feel like I was going all-out or anything, which made me happy. Especially remembering 3 1/2 weeks ago when I was struggling massively to run 3 miles at M pace at the end of a run 🤫.

I decided I could use my race shoes (Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris), so I spent most of the first half of the run trying to slow down so I didn't get too fast too fast again. I also gave up and wore capris, which were actually quite comfortable. Normally I greatly prefer flowy shorts, but maybe I have been too firm on that. I also wore long sleeves and gloves and was pretty happy with my choices. (Have I mentioned that I really dislike the cold?)

In my journey towards higher-carb fueling, I had about 80g of carbs during this run (3 UCAN gels + 1 serving of Skratch). The mocha UCAN is still quite bitter but really does give me a boost, so I guess I will keep using it. Still not at legit high-carb fueling levels, but getting closer with no ill effects so far. The goal for workouts of <90 min (which is what this would have been if I hadn't accidentally added an extra mile) is 60g/hr, and this was more like 50.

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Thursday
Easy: 5 miles (10:06), avg. HR 144, max 163
Core

I think I overlearned the lessons from Tuesday's run, because I definitely overdressed 🤦‍♀️. I was still a bit achy, especially in the first mile. Otherwise it was pretty easy, except when I had to speed up to pass someone smoking along the trail 😑.

I think maybe my supershoes make my calves sore? They were quite sore after the marathon, but I attributed that to, you know, the marathon. But my calves were also sore after running 11 miles on Wednesday, so it might have been a shoe thing. Maybe I should practice with them more so that my legs get used to them? Or is that just going to get me injured? 🧐

Friday
Easy/strides: 6.2 miles (9:39), avg. HR 148, max 178

It was a bit breezy but relatively comfortable by the time I got out. I had taken a massage gun to my calves and they felt a lot better.

I did my core workout on Thursday so I could go to the meetup in the afternoon! Even though I was not running this weekend, it was great to see so many people there! I hope everyone got what they were looking for out of the weekend.

Saturday
Easy/pickup: 10 miles, avg. HR 150, max 170
Total body strength

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Finally, I could wear shorts and a t-shirt again. I am tired of 40s. (Unfortunately they were back Sunday. And next week. Yes I know I am a wimp.)

Since I did a progression run for my workout, it seemed silly to do another one for this run. I still picked it up a little in the second half but just stayed at kind of a steady pace instead of continuing to get faster.

I also worked on higher fueling again. I think I had about 80g of carbs on this run, so... *maths furiously*...50g per hour? So that was a gel every 20 minutes and is still well under the target 😯 (which is 75-90g/hour).

Sunday
Long: 20 min easy + 8 x 1 mile/90s RI + 18 min easy
13.1 miles, avg. HR 165, max 187


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What an adventure 😬

It was chilly when I went out - my sympathies to everyone who was running the marathon! (Unless you're the kind of weirdo who likes that, I guess 🤪.) I wore long sleeves (my 2023 marathon shirt, in solidarity!), capris, crew socks, and gloves and was freezing for the first mile. Then by mile 3 I was hot 🤷‍♀️. I pushed my sleeves up and rolled my socks down but kept the gloves on until about halfway through.

I did take one glove off briefly during the second recovery interval so I could add another podcast to my playlist. Of course, as soon as I took my eyes off the ground, I tripped over an uneven bit of sidewalk and went flying 🤦‍♀️. Luckily the only damage seemed to be a tiny scrape on my hand. I don't even think anyone even saw me, so it basically doesn't count 😶‍🌫️.

So my thinking for this workout was to start around M pace and work my way down. The first rep was a bit faster and a bit harder than I thought it should be, but the first rep is always kind of rough. It did still feel hard after that, but not significantly harder for the most part, even though I did get faster. (Except for reps 4 and 5 which were up and down my one hill. Those did feel significantly harder.)

After the hills, my legs were pretty tired (probably Saturday's 10-miler and strength also contributed). I wasn't sure I would be able to keep getting faster, but I did. I even finished faster than I thought I would. Then I was feeling quite done but recovered after a few minutes and ended the run with a speedy-ish cool down 💪.

I am still working on fueling more, so I had 6 gels and most of a serving of Skratch on this run (plus half a liter of plain water for the GUs), so 140g of carbs or about 75g per hour. It was...an experience. First, that's a LOT of gels. I was kind of sick of them by the end. They also made my stomach feel weirdly full. I say weirdly because it was a different feeling being full of liquid than being full of food, which I am more accustomed to. I actually kind of felt like they might come back up at a couple points, which was also weird because I didn't feel nauseous at all, just like I might throw up. I didn't though! 😅 So anyway, more practice needed, and possibly higher-carb gels so that I don't have to take quite so many of them. I have a few coming in from The Feed next week, and hopefully that will help.

Totals
Running: 7h 50m, 51.6 miles
Strength/mobility: 1h 33m
Total: 9h 23m

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A pretty good week overall, but more importantly, congrats to everyone who ran at MW this weekend! I hope you all had fantastic races despite the logistical snafus on rD's part 😬. Sorry I didn't make it to the marathon today, but I've been loving all the updates from the MW thread!

Coming up
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I'm gonna have to run up and down the hill like 10 times during that long run, aren't I...
 

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I was freezing walking my dog and I just wanted to stay under the covers with some hot chocolate.
Did you even LOOK at the weather in the DC area for Mon/Tue while you were "freezing"? LOL We got about 9 inches of snow in Silver Spring. My university had two days off because of the snow, and a lot of the public schools had 3 - 4 days off. It's almost a week later and the stupid stuff is still around because it's been so cold all week! Take the 40s F and enjoy them! :)
 
Did you even LOOK at the weather in the DC area for Mon/Tue while you were "freezing"? LOL We got about 9 inches of snow in Silver Spring. My university had two days off because of the snow, and a lot of the public schools had 3 - 4 days off. It's almost a week later and the stupid stuff is still around because it's been so cold all week! Take the 40s F and enjoy them! :)
Yes. It looked terrible. But 40 is still too cold 😅
 
This is my typical in-race nutrition scheme that gets me to 93-101g/hr. I like the variety of the plan because no one option has everything I need, and diversifying keeps my taste buds interested.

In-Race Nutrition and Hydration

As for fueling during the race, I'm planning the following:

minus 15 min - Maurten 320
45 min - Tailwind Concentrate
60 min - Maurten Caff gel
75 min - Egel
105 min - Tailwind Concentrate
120 min - Maurten Caff gel
135 min - Egel
165 min - Tailwind Concentrate

That puts me at 93g carb per hour. Depending on how I feel, I may sneak another Maurten non-Caff gel in there late. That would put me at 101g/hr.
 
This is my typical in-race nutrition scheme that gets me to 93-101g/hr. I like the variety of the plan because no one option has everything I need, and diversifying keeps my taste buds interested.

In-Race Nutrition and Hydration

As for fueling during the race, I'm planning the following:

minus 15 min - Maurten 320
45 min - Tailwind Concentrate
60 min - Maurten Caff gel
75 min - Egel
105 min - Tailwind Concentrate
120 min - Maurten Caff gel
135 min - Egel
165 min - Tailwind Concentrate

That puts me at 93g carb per hour. Depending on how I feel, I may sneak another Maurten non-Caff gel in there late. That would put me at 101g/hr.
Thanks! Yeah, I think diversifying is going to be key. I'm trying out Precision (30g of carbs) and SiS Beta Fuel (40g) gels so I don't need as many of them, and I think Skratch makes a high-carb drink mix that I might try as well. GU and UCAN are great when you're only taking one or two of them every hour, but get up to 3-4 and they are definitely not as appealing 😅
 
2025 plans
In which I vacillate, and then just go, "F--- it," as is my way

Having followed all the MW journeys, I feel like I'm just sitting here twiddling my thumbs. So here I am, thinking about the things ahead to remind myself that there are Things To Look Forward To.

First, the shape of the year. I'm currently just over halfway through Princess training. I'm just running the half this time and do plan to race it. After that, I'll probably do a couple of 5Ks after heading back home to DC - there's one in mid-May that I'm eyeing in particular and might have convinced a friend to do with me, and there's always parkrun.

Last year I decided that planning to race in the summer results in sadness, so I'm mostly just going to be maintaining from then until July when I'll start training for the Marine Corps Marathon again. However, if the Tracksmith Twilight 5000 comes back to DC this summer, I might try that because I've never run a track race before. So it would be interesting even if it is disgustingly hot.

I'm actually really happy I decided to do MCM again this year, because I feel like I'll be much better prepared having just done the race. I've got a couple of things in my training that I want to adjust, but mostly I just feel way more comfortable with the logistics after doing it last year.

I also have a couple of prep races leading up to MCM: I'm doing the DC Half again in September and the Army Ten-Miler in October. Definitely not racing the ATM because it's only two weeks before the marathon, but I haven't quite decided about the half yet.

My schedule so far:
  • Feb.: Princess Half
  • May (tentative): Hero Dogs 5K9
  • Summer?: Twilight 5000?
  • Sept.: DC Half
  • Oct.: Army Ten-Miler
  • Oct.: Marine Corps Marathon
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My dog senses food. He would like you to know that he has never eaten in his life ever. He is a poor, starving dog who deserves all the food please.

Okay, with the calendar laid out, let's move from goal races to race goals.

I generally try not to have specific time goals for races because it's all kind of dependent on what race day brings. But that doesn't mean that I don't have ranges in mind, and it certainly doesn't mean that I don't think about times 😅. And on that note, what I have been thinking about, time-wise, is arbitrary numerical benchmarks 🥳.

I hesitated to even write about this - what if it's bad luck, like talking about pitching a perfect game while it's happening? But then I was like, "No, I must speak my arbitrary numerical benchmark goals into the universe so that they may come into being." So here we are!

Arbitrary numerical benchmark #1: Double-digit half (i.e. <1:40 or 100 minutes). 2025 achievability: medium-high.
Technically my marathon translates to a 1:40:56 half, but that calculation doesn't include the additional training and probably underrepresents the difficulty of the marathon anyway. So somehow running a HM at 7:37/mile pace or faster seems...feasible? (But also still kind of ridiculous 😂) And if I don't manage it at Princess, I might have to give it another try in September... (Also, if I'm reading the website correctly, I might be able to use a sub-1:40 half as proof of time for a seeded bib for MCM? And that would be pretty cool.)

Arbitrary numerical benchmark #2: 5K pace that starts with a 6. 2025 achievability: medium-high.
My PR 5K pace from last spring was like a 7:03 mile, which is only 4 seconds per mile slower than this. From 2023 to 2024 I took 30+ seconds per mile off of my 5K pace, so 4 seconds seems reasonable by that standard. (Of course the faster you get, the harder it gets to get faster, but still. I'm confident that I'm faster than I was this time last year.)

Arbitrary numerical benchmark #3: sub-75 minute 10 miler. 2025 achievability: low (officially) to medium (unofficially).
If I had a 10 miler that I planned on racing, I would say I had a good chance of getting this one. However, the only 10 miler on my schedule is two weeks before a marathon. I looked into other possibilities, but none of them really worked for me. So annoyingly, it looks like my most eminently crushable PR will likely remain, at least officially, for another year 😫. (Officially my 10 mile PR is like a 1:22, and unofficially it's a 1:16. Someday I'm going to have to fix this.)

Arbitrary numerical benchmark #4: sub-45 10K. 2025 achievability: low (officially) to medium-low (unofficially).
Similarly, I don't have any 10Ks on the calendar, but there's a chance I could hit this one unofficially in a longer race. I think it's a little less likely than the unofficial 10M goal, though.

Arbitrary numerical benchmark #5: sub-6 mile. 2025 achievability: low.
I'm putting this on here because it is a big arbitrary numerical benchmark, but I think it's unlikely this year. Right now my mile pace for training purposes is 6:17, which doesn't sound all that far from 5:59, but it really, really is. It remains in my head, though!

(Not-so-)arbitrary numerical benchmark #6: BQ (sub-3:30 marathon as of now). 2025 achievability: medium.
I kind of already talked about this one after MCM last year. I think that I will probably be fast enough to do it, but there's always uncertainty with a marathon, so we'll see. Plus, you never know if the BAA will change the times again...
 
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Last year I decided that planning to race in the summer results in sadness, so I'm mostly just going to be maintaining from then until July
This is what I decided for last year and will do again (especially after the blazing summer we had last year), but I really haven't decided how to approach this to at least be a little productive.
Also, if I'm reading the website correctly, I might be able to use a sub-1:40 half as proof of time for a seeded bib for MCM? And that would be pretty cool.)
Ooo, I didn't know they did this. Would that make you "elite"? Cool!


Sounds like you have some goals that would require hard work but are definitely feasible! I'm sure you will prepare thoroughly for them. :D
 
This is what I decided for last year and will do again (especially after the blazing summer we had last year), but I really haven't decided how to approach this to at least be a little productive.
Me neither - I think maybe I'll do a little less running and more strength training? Something to worry about later 😂

Ooo, I didn't know they did this. Would that make you "elite"? Cool!
Absolutely not 😂😂😂

I'm guessing the standards are lower for this than in most big races since MCM doesn't really have an elite field (no prize money/appearance fees, for those who aren't familiar with the race).

I only know about it because I tried to put 3:25 as my expected finish time - it seemed ambitious but not completely unreasonable - and it told me I needed a POT.
 
January 13 - 19, 2025
Half marathon training week 7 | 35 days until Princess Half Marathon

In which everybody at the bar gettin' tipsy

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Monday
off

I did nothing more strenuous than walking my dog.

Tuesday
Easy/strides: 6.3 miles (9:39), avg. HR 147, max 182
Upper body strength

The temperature/cloud cover were actually quite nice. I could have done without the wind, though. It made my hands numb. But otherwise it was a perfectly decent run.

Wednesday
Workout: 2 mile WU + 3 x 15 min @ LTP (7:25)/2 min RI + 6 x 30s @ 1MP (6:17)/1 min RI + 1.3 mile CD
11 miles, avg. HR 163, max 185

Lower body strength

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Another okay weather morning. I got into the first rep and it felt pretty hard, which was not promising. The second rep felt about the same hard. And so did the third rep. So 🤷‍♀️. I guess it's fine.

Also LOVED running the 30s reps into the wind. So fun! I didn't look at my watch during those, so they bounced around a lot. A bit less if you look at the GAP, though it always surprises me how much the difference for a 30s rep can be on a basically flat route. So I'm taking it with a large handful of salt.

I had ~100g of carbs (so about 64g/hour) on this run - maybe a little less - in the form of 4 UCAN gels and a serving of Skratch. Technically because it was more than 90 minutes, I think I was supposed to be going for 75-90g/hour, but based on Sunday, I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet.

In other news, the outside of my right foot was quite sore by the end of the run. It didn't hurt at all afterwards, so maybe a shoe thing? These have almost 300 miles on them, so possible, if a bit early. We'll have to see.

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Normally I do calf raises every Wednesday, but my calves had been feeling pretty sore, so I skipped them.

Thursday
Recovery: 5.3 miles (10:40), avg. HR 132, max 153

I meant to run for 45 minutes, but then I had to run farther so I could pee. 😬 My foot felt fine, though.

Friday
Easy/strides: 6.3 miles (9:31), avg. HR 149, max 179
Core

Two notes on easy runs: 1, I put my average pace, but that's not reflective of the whole run. Usually the first mile or two are significantly slower because I'm still warming up, and the last mile is significantly faster because that's when I do my strides. 2, I have no pace goals! That's how I get Thursday's run being > 1 min/mile slower than Friday's, and that's fine. Just as an example of how much variation there can be in easy runs from day to day and even within a day.

Anyway, I also tried out a new pair of shoes: I had $20 off from Asics so I finally got myself some Superblast 2s. To start, they were lighter than I expected for such a massive stack height (45mm). I could definitely feel the huge stack of foam under my foot, though! This is not a shoe for people who want to "feel the ground".

It felt slightly bouncier than my Novablasts, and the midsole was a bit firmer as well. Overall quite comfortable and had no issues with easy pace or strides. I'm hoping to use them for my long runs (but wanted to try them on a shorter run first just in case!).

Saturday
Easy/pickup: 11 miles, avg. HR 154, max 186
Total body strength

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This run actually felt...really good. I don't think there's any particular reason for it - just like sometimes you have crappy runs for no particular reason - but I enjoyed it. I even told myself that I wasn't going to pick up the pace too much because it was warmer and humid-er than it has been in a while, and yet there I was at mile 8.5-9ish running 7 min pace. 😅 (I did slow down after a few minutes of that because I was not supposed to be doing a workout.)

As I was running, I was half listening to a podcast and half just letting my mind wander, and I realized that my favorite pace to run at is like slightly slower than marathon pace. Then I thought, "Should I do a 50K?" because, hey, slightly slower than M pace. But I would have lots of requirements - not too technical, no steep climbs, etc. So it might be more trouble than it's worth. But maybe someday.

On this run I had ~100g of carbs or just under 60g/hr. So still a bit short of the eventual goal. I did have another GU with only Skratch to wash it down, though, and it was still fine (even though I was running at like 7:30 pace at the time, so definitely not easy), which makes me feel like I can try to do that more often going forward.

Sunday
Long: 15.4 miles (9:44), avg. HR 151, max 167

Unsurprisingly, I did not have as much fun on this run as I did on Saturday. Probably because I had a little too much fun on Saturday. Also because I spent literally 40 minutes running up and down my one hill (TEN TIMES. I counted. Afterwards; I can't keep track of numbers for that long during.) After the hill, I made a quick pit stop at the 7-11, and when I started running again my legs had a minor meltdown. But they survived.

I ran out of podcasts with about 30 minutes to go and switched to music, and I finished the run singing along (not quietly) to Shaboozey, so on the whole it couldn't have been all that bad.

At the end of last year, The Daily did an episode about the music of 2024. When they were talking about A Bar Song (Tipsy), one of the critics said something about how it was a catchy song but they didn't understand why it was such a big hit, and I was like, "Um, because halfway through your first time hearing the song, you already know the chorus, and it's fun to sing along with. What's not to understand??" GOOD LORD. 😂

On the run I had 7 gels and most of 2 servings of Skratch (let's call it 1.5), so about 68g/hour. Progress! One of the gels was a Precision gel, and I didn't hate it and it went down easily. Definitely a possibility for a higher-carb gel (30g vs. 20g).

Totals
Running: 8h 44m, 55.5 miles
Strength/mobility: 1h 34m
Total: 10h 18m

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In other news, a long-suffering toenail fell off this week, and the new nail below it already had a blister underneath. WOE IS ME. 😭 This is why nobody wants to see my toenails.

I also did four days in a row (Tuesday-Friday) of passive heat training (which is basically just sitting in a hot bath until I can't stand it anymore. This usually takes about 15 minutes. How is it that people take baths??). Now that I have done this, I will go back to two days a week (Monday and Thursday). All the blood volume!

Coming up
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Back to lower mileage for a week. I think I will not attempt to speed up during my Saturday run, because I'm a little concerned that I'm upsetting the 80/20 balance by doing that. Getting injured would be bad. Even if it is fun in the meantime.
 
If you use the Precision chews at all, let me know and I can bring some to a meetup at Princess weekend or whenever. They worked for me until they didn't, so now I have a few extras.

Also I'm totally referring to my baths as passive heat training from now on.
 
If you use the Precision chews at all, let me know and I can bring some to a meetup at Princess weekend or whenever. They worked for me until they didn't, so now I have a few extras.
Unfortunately I have trouble chewing and running at the same time. 😅 I appreciate the offer though!
 
Unsurprisingly, I did not have as much fun on this run as I did on Saturday. Probably because I had a little too much fun on Saturday. Also because I spent literally 40 minutes running up and down my one hill (TEN TIMES. I counted. Afterwards; I can't keep track of numbers for that long during.)
That's dedication! But that's what you get for Florida having no hills. :)

Possible counting hack: make a pile/line of sticks or rocks or big leaves or something at the base of the hill. Then leave it at the end for someone to wonder what it means. :)
 
January 20 - 26, 2025
Half marathon training week 8 | 28 days until Princess Half Marathon

In which I'd really rather stay inside, thanks

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Monday
off

A lazy day.

Tuesday
Easy/strides: 5.3 miles (9:36), avg. HR 155, max 175
Upper body strength

It was cold and rainy in the morning, so I delayed my run until the afternoon when the rain was supposed to take a break. This was a lie; it rained the whole time. But at least it was 60º instead of 40º. I did a few halfhearted strides, but slower and shorter than usual because I didn't want to slip and die. 🍌

Wednesday
Workout: 2 mile WU + 4 x 3 min @ 3KP (6:39)/3 min RI + 6 x 30s @ 1MP (6:16)/1 min RI + 1 mile @ MP LTP + 0.6 mile CD
7.8 miles, avg. HR 164, max 191

Lower body strength

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It was cold AND wet AND windy, and I did not want to go out. Finally after lunch I convinced myself that I had to (wearing, hmm, leggings, a quarter-zip, a Buff, ear warmers, gloves, and an insulated jacket). Instead of doing an out-and-back like I normally would, I just ran loops around my parents' neighborhood, gradually dropping items of clothing on the porch as I went. 😅 Once I warmed up, it wasn't all that bad, though still unpleasant.

As usual, I ran the first rep too fast. And then I also ran all the other 3K reps too fast. I thought about it, and I've decided that my problem with 3K pace is that I've never raced a 3K, so I don't know what it feels like. I always just default to somewhere around mile pace, and then I go, "Oh crap, too fast," and then I try to slow down a little and am only moderately successful. And again, for 30s reps I don't look at my watch, so those are what they are.

The last mile was supposed to be at M pace, but everything felt so much easier after the speed reps that I ended up at LT. 🙈 Then I did an abbreviated cool-down, because 1, I was getting cool very quickly already, and 2, I had to jump straight into my strength workout, so there wasn't much point in a full-on cool-down.

I had a couple of gels with me, but I had finished my lunch only about an hour before I started running, and putting more in my stomach did not seem appealing at all. I did have a few gulps of Skratch at the end of every loop, though. And the whole workout ended up being less than 70 minutes, so I think it's okay.

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Thursday
Recovery: 4.1 miles (10:36), avg. HR 141?, max 149?

It was cold and wet and windy AGAIN, and I was sitting there coming up with all kinds of excuses for why I didn't REALLY need to run. But eventually I decided not doing it would make me feel worse than just doing it, and I got myself out the door for at least 5K. I ended up doing essentially the whole run I had scheduled aside from stopping a minute early because after various loops around the neighborhood I was back, and I wasn't about to run past my parents' house for that last minute. 🫠

The battery on my Coros armband was dying, so there's a big gap in the middle where it didn't record anything. I think the HR info is still reasonably accurate though, other than the actual average being maybe a smidge higher.

Friday
Easy/strides: 6 miles (9:39), avg. HR 149, max 174
Core/Pilates

It was quite cold again, so I waited until the afternoon to run, again, and the sun finally came out! So I actually wasn't miserable (except when I had to try to run around the parents waiting to pick up their kids from the elementary school along my route...Parents at school pickup are kind of awful).

It was still pretty windy, and I was glad I wore long sleeves, but at least I didn't need gloves this time.

Saturday
Easy/strides: 7.5 miles (9:46), avg. HR 151, max 176
Total body strength

We had our coldest morning of the winter, so I did my strength in the morning and ran in the afternoon when it was much nicer. The only downside of this choice was that my legs were pretty tired for the run.

The other downside unrelated to the order of operations was the two [poopheads] (I used a different word in real life) I encountered who thought it was a good idea to ride back and forth on the sidewalk on their motorbikes. Sometimes I really hate people. 😡

Sunday
Long: 26 min easy + 2 x 3 miles @ HMP (7:42)/2 min easy + 26 min easy

Four weeks until race day means we gotta do some race pace. 🙃 I started out, as usual, with tired legs. I was slightly concerned about trying to run faster, but at the same time, last week I essentially did 3x2 miles at threshold, which is faster than HM pace, so not that concerned. The first interval did actually feel pretty comfortable. By the second interval I started to get tired, and the very top of my left calf ached on and off. I was okay finishing the interval, but my calf bothered me for the whole cool-down, and stopping to stretch it out did not help. (Sitting here now with a heating pad on it and hoping that improves things. 😬)

I had, let's see, about 120g of carbs on this run? So like 72g/hour, which is pretty close to 75-90. I think the higher-carb gels help a lot - I had a Precision caffeinated gel (30g) and an SiS Beta Fuel gel (40g), so I only had to have 3 gels instead of like 6, which is much better. I didn't really like the flavor of the SiS gel (strawberry lime), but I guess it's tolerable.

Totals
Running: 6h 33m, 42 miles
Strength/mobility: 2h 4m
Total: 8h 37m

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Well, I guess 13 miles less than last week makes a big difference on time, even if I did do more strength training. I should get back to doing a bit of yoga though.

Coming up
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Theoretically my peak week in terms of volume, though it's actually about the same as last week. Also my most intriguing workout, if I can say that myself - I'm quite interested to see what a mile time trial looks like after 6 1K reps at threshold...

In conclusion, GO BILLS! 😄
 













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