I cannot believe I only have 4 more weeks until Erie Marathon. I really don’t feel ready. So, I’m putting all of my focus into my training for the next 2 weeks and getting back on track after our [awesome Hawaiian] vacation.
- Miles run this week: 50.5
- Miles biked this week: 13.1
Monday – 7 miles, easy. I’m not going to lie, it was a rough start to this run! I don’t think I’m over my jet lag from vacation, and I didn’t get enough sleep – not to mention just having done the triathlon the day before! But I figured I need to get back on schedule with my training for Erie marathon, so I got it done. I was sad to see how dark it was outside since the last time I ran outside around here.
It was our first meeting of the Ready for the Race group I am coaching. It’s an 8 week program which culminates in our local Race for the Cure, to fight breast cancer. This is my 2nd year coaching it. What a great group we have this year!
Tuesday – 6.6 miles, intervals. I had thoughts of just skipping this run, but decided I might as well give it a try. Which I did. I tried. Let’s leave it at that. Haha! No really, it was a warm up, 3 x 2000m with 3 mins rest, and cool down. The first 2000m I messed up and thought I was done running after 1 mile (should be 1.25 miles). The second 2000m was good. I couldn’t get the goal pace on the final 2000m, but hey, at least I tried!
Wednesday – 5 easy miles. Just kept it easy this morning, trying to save my legs for tomorrow’s tempo run! Didn’t even get a picture this morning. No worries, my clothes didn’t match. Still sorting through my laundry post-vacation! 😉 Here’s a flashback picture from me finishing the Tri last weekend. I’m pretty sure I’m saying “Thank God it’s done!!!!”
Evening, 1.8 miles. It was our 2nd meeting of the Ready for the Race group. We did fartleks. Everyone did great and I think they were happy with their efforts.
Thursday – 11 miles, with 9 at pace. Holy Moly, this was a tough workout! The temperature was actually decent, but I was in full sun the whole time. Why? I don’t know! I could have picked any route, and I chose this trail. Ugh. By the end, I laid on the ground, in the only shade I could find, panting heavily, until I recovered. A guy walked past me and said “Are you OK?”. I replied, “Yeah, I’m just a little tired.” LOL!!
Friday – URD… yep, an URD! (Unscheduled Rest Day) I wanted to save my legs for my long run, so no running today. But then I got antsy and went out for a bike ride (13 miles). It was a great day for a ride!
Saturday – 18 miles, long run. I had a great run!! Two reasons: 1) I met up with my friends and had their company for 2 hours of this workout, and 2) my pace was slower than normal. Yeah friends!!
Oh yeah, and reason 3) the temperature was 59 degrees at the start!! Amazing weather and incredible sunrise. I wasn’t even sore afterwards. Win!
We spent the rest of Saturday at Cedar Point (amusement park). I had to drag my kids out of there at 10:30pm so we didn’t get home until after midnight. Phew, it was a long day. But so much fun! I got to ride with my son a lot!
Sunday – 1 mile. I slept in until 10:30am this morning. It was awful! No really, when I sleep too much I feel like a zombie for the rest of the day. I saw I only had 49.5 miles, so I got out there and did a run so I could break 50 miles this week. I’m so predictable!!
Need some more inspiration? I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Check out all of the fun blogs there!
Q: Is it dark for your morning workouts where you live?
Q: Do you like doing fartleks (or pickups as they are also called)?
I don’t care much for the “random” speed factor involved. I’d rather have a set goal pace!
It’s starting to stay darker in the mornings for me too which is sad, but at least I get to see the sun rising when I am out running! I feel like I see some of the best sunrises in August/September.
Great job with your workouts this week!
Thanks! Soon school will be in session and I’ll miss the sunrises completely, because I’ll be on the treadmill. I’ll enjoy it while I can!
Yes, there’s no denying the dark mornings any more. I think about the later sunrise in stages, right now we’re in “reflective vest” stage, next is “no headphones” stage, then “knuckle lights” stage, and finally “treadmill” stage until next spring when it will all reverse. On the plus side, the cooler weather rocks. Happy training this week!
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So true!! I wore my Noxgear vest today, but should have worn a headlamp. It got a little dark in a few spots!
I LOVE Fartleks!!! I have never been much of a speedwork fan, but I like Fartleks (I also like hill sprints…am I weird?). I got out for three miles this morning, left the house just before 5:30…lt was foggy (so no impending sunrise) and it was dark until the final couple of blocks on my cool-down walk home. Not happy with that…I want summer to last forever. Glad your 18-miler went well!
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…There’s the SUN, let’s get it DONE
You are weird. haha!! 🙂 It was cloudy for me this morning. Bummer, I wanted to see the sun!
I love that you are coaching this group! That is always a good time and very motivating. Wow no rest after your tri race? I would be tired too!
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In retrospect, it didn’t really dawn on me that I had worked out for over 3 hours at the Tri, so it was just like starting a new week when Monday rolled around! But yeah, after that hard of a race, I really should have had a rest day!!
Wow! 50+ miles is an awesome week. Your pace run sounds brutal, but you did great! Loved the photo of you and your son. You both have great smiles!
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It was so fun to spend time with my son. I know these days won’t last forever, so I’m soaking it all in now!
Congrats on your 18 miler! I’m loving those cooler morning temperatures as well right now!!
We were back to 70 degrees this morning, but it’s a great hint of what’s to come. Hopefully it comes on race day!!
That photo of the sunrise is gorgeous! That is weird that you feel that way when you sleep too much. I am the opposite! 🙂 It has been darker in the morning (don’t like that at all) but I’ve been getting out once there is light outside. Once I start school, I will go back to my early and dark mornings.
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I’ve had an overwhelming urge to nap (all the time!) this week, but I’m afraid it will just zonk me out instead of give me energy! I think 7-8 hours is a good amount of sleep for me. More and I just feel sluggish. That is odd, isn’t it?!
A very solid week of training. Congrats on your 18 miler.
Beautiful photos.
Here, in middle Italy, it’s never dark for our early morning workouts (I mean at 06:30 a.m.) but now, after my retirement, I run in early morning only in summer because of the heat.
I like fartlek but only if I am not alone.
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Retirement in Italy sounds pretty great! Right now 6:30am is light, and even a little after 6am. Luckily my neighborhood street has lights, but if I go out to a trail it’s still dark enough that I might trip over something. That’s my biggest fear really!
I always think of pickups and strides as the same thing & a farlek as running by feel (which I love, btw). I also love going face for a very short amount of time. 🙂
Sounds like you hit the ground running after your vacation!
I ran fartleks by feel today… and felt like dying at the end. haha! It was good to be so busy after vacation and even competing in the triathlon. Kept my mind off the sad reality that I’m home from vacation and have to pay the credit card bills!
What a gorgeous sunrise.
While it will be light yet for a while for my long run, I’m not looking forward to setting out in the dark for it
Congrats on solid week, glad the guy stopped for you
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The sunrises have been pretty good. It’s a bit of a disappointment when I wake up early, and then it’s too cloudy to see any sunrise! Luckily that hasn’t happened too much lately.
I still think you are going to be ok for the marathon! maybe you don’t feel ready but that’s just your brain trying to trick you into self-doubt!
As I still don’t manage morning workouts I can confirm the sunlight is still pretty much the same when I leave for work around 8:15am, ha!
i much prefer intervals to fartleks (we don’t call them pickups here… that’s another term I was trying to figure out for a long time). I like having the set distance and quantity. I have had fails though in the beginning of this cycle with the distance or my watch wasn’t set up right, but lately i’m able to nail distance, qty and speed. It’s a process, right?
Oh how I wish I had friends to run the long run with me!! You did well this week and surely also thanks to friends!
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I had to break out of my anti-social rut to join the group to run! I’ll be doing my 20 miler solo tomorrow. Most of the time I have to run the miles alone because I don’t want to rely on having someone with me to complete my run. It sure was nice to have the company though and it made the miles fly by!!