Half Marathon Training – Zenaida Arroyo

Category: Half Marathon Training

24
Dec
2019

Tuesday Topics: My goals for 2020

categories: DWTraining, Half Marathon Training, Race all 50 states, Running, Tuesday Topics

How is it that it is almost the end of December and the end of this decade?! Honestly, how did 10 years go by so fast? Or did it go that fast? I have no idea what I was doing December 31, 2009 but I do know I wrote my first blog post a year later on January 2, 2011. 🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your goals for 2020? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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I have a new coach and am excited to be working with him. I love the personalized plan and the constant communication with Dan. We have a weekly call on Monday at 5pm in which we discuss my upcoming runs, concerns, and anything else I want to talk about.

When I signed up with Dan I told him my goals. I think there were too many. One can dream, right? 🙂 Well, I didn’t say I wanted to achieve them in 2020 but sometime in the future. Now that I’ve had a chance to think about it some more, I want to focus on a few of them. I am also including some personal ones. Ready to find out?

⇒ Be injury free. Please go away plantar fasciitis.

⇒ PR in the following distances: 5k, 4 miles, 8k, 10k, 10 miles, and 13.1.

⇒ Get a sub 2 half marathon.

⇒ Run a marathon. I am hoping either the MCM in October or the NYC in November.

⇒ Buy a house.

⇒ Travel to Mexico. It’s been years since I’ve been there and really hope I can make it next year.

⇒ Run a couple more half marathons in new states. I am registered for GA and KS but still need HI, NM, ID, ND, SD, SC, and WY.

⇒ Be more patience at work and at home.

⇒ Do more fun things with friends. I realized that I always use the same excuse “I am too tired” with them and don’t do enough fun things with them.

⇒ Find joy in everything that is possible. Life is short to not find joy in it.

My mother will be making mole today. My sister and nephew are coming over and it should be fun. One of my cousins invited us over to her house on Christmas Day so that will be fun too. Happy Holidays to everyone! Enjoy this special time with loved ones!!

15
Oct
2019

Tuesday Topics: My favorite running books

categories: Boston Marathon, Half Marathon Training, Hansons Training, Marathon Training, Tuesday Topics

I love to read! It makes me sad to see my students struggle with reading. Many read very slow and then many times have no idea what they just read. We have independent reading time every single day and I hope this does not make them dislike reading.

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your favorite running books? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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Here are a few great books I’ve read:

Born to Run: I loved reading about the Tarahumara Indians and their barefoot running. They’re amazing natural ultramarathoners! I remember learning about chia seeds. 🙂

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Run Less, Run Faster: If you “only” have time to run 3 days a week, then this book/plan is for you. I am pretty positive I used their plan for one of my races. There is also an app where you add the race distance, date, and calculated 5k and you will get your 3 runs and paces for each week leading up to the race.

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Hansons Marathon Method: I have the books for the marathon and half marathon. The plans are intense but doable. For the 2016 Chicago Marathon I trained using this method. I was aiming to finish under 5 hours, but I didn’t. I did get a PR so that counts, right? You can read what I wrote about it HERE.

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Boston Bound: It is an easy to read book that details Elizabeth Clor’s struggles as she attempts to get a BQ. She tried for 7 years and finally qualified in October of 2014. She ran the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016.

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Chicken Soup for the Soul – Running for Good: I read about this book in Wendy’s blog. Immediately I ordered it from Amazon. I could not put it down. The book is full of wonderful stories of runners talking about their struggles, goals, and accomplishments. I loved that each story began with a motivational quote.

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Living with a Seal: Another book from Wendy’s blog. This book is HILARIOUS! Jesse invites a Navy Seal to come live with him and to train him to get in shape. His only condition is that Jessie does everything he tells him to do. I don’t think I would last a day with him.

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I am currently reading “Meb for Mortals. I bought this book last year before the Chicago Marathon. I know, I know, that was a year ago. I should have finished it by now.

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Any other good running books I should read?

02
Oct
2018

Goodbye September and Hello October!

categories: Half Marathon Training, Running, Tuesdays on the Run

• September flew by! Cannot believe I’ve been in school for a little over a month. I had a rough couple of weeks but now it is so much better. Every single day I go to school thinking of how I can make it a good day for my students. I am constantly dealing with students that talk too much :-), those that don’t talk at all, low reading comprehension levels, and those that struggle with simple addition problems. I am being observed this year so I also need to get some information (data binders, assessment binders, etc) ready.

• Brooks Launch and Levitate. Still have in my rotation two pairs of the Launch and one pair of the Levitate. I do my easy runs in the Levitate and my speed workouts in the Launch. I remember how before I used to do all of my runs in the same pair of shoes. That changed once I realized how much I loved the Launch and purchased a few pairs. I wanted to wear all of them and that’s what I did. 🙂

• Ran 96.08 miles. Dang, didn’t make it to 100 miles this month! Despite doing all of my workouts this month, I was still short 3.92 miles. I am now 70% done of my yearly goal. There are 90 days left in 2018 and I still need to run 355.24 miles to achieve my goal. Looking at the numbers now, I don’t think I will make that goal but I know I will be very close to it.

• Total time running was 19:14:51.

• I enjoyed each workout this month. There were easy runs but also faster workouts. I did intervals ranging from 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes. Definitely hard but also fun!

• 22 days of running. I am loving running 5 days a week. I don’t know how I used to run 6 days with the Hansons Method. I love the easy runs (although a few I did too fast) but am also enjoying my speed workouts.

• No races but excited about my half marathon in October. I am looking forward to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon. It will be my 39th state in my goal to run a half marathon in each state. You can use code RNRBRP2018 to save $15 off the half marathon.

• Final Thoughts: I did every single run and on almost all of them did better than expected. It is such a GREAT feeling . About 99% of my runs were done early in the morning and it wasn’t easy to wake up to run at 5am. However, I am glad I did because it was the last thing I wanted to do after work. Plus, there were a few HOT days in September and I was happy to run early when it wasn’t as hot.

So how did September go for you?

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

11
Sep
2018

2018 Fall Running Plans

categories: Half Marathon Training, Rock 'n' Roll Race, Running, Tuesdays on the Run

The official season is not here yet but fall weather is here! It feels wonderful running in 60-70 degree weather. Friday evening I went out for a run. I was supposed to run 4 but thought that it said 5 on my training calendar. I felt so good and ended up not only doing negative splits, but running faster than I was supposed to.

Fall is my favorite running weather. I love seeing the different color leaves on the ground. I love the cool weather and being able to run in a short sleeve shirt or a thin long sleeve shirt and still not feeling too hot. I love that I can still run in shorts and not feel cold.

However, I do not like that it gets darker earlier in the day and it gets lighter later in the day. 😉 But still these temperatures are wonderful.

I have a few races coming up soon and I am excited about them!

• ZOOMA Great Lakes 5k. Originally I signed up for the half marathon and last week decided to do instead the 5k. I did the half marathon back in August 2014 when it was held in Chicago.

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver. I am excited to run in a new state. My last one was in July 2017 when I ran in Alaska. I remember signing up for this last year but then couldn’t make it but for sure I will be there this year.

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah. Another new state for me. Honestly, I am glad to finally cross GA off my list. I had wanted to run in Atlanta but somehow couldn’t make it work. Then when Rock ‘n’ Roll had a special back in June, I took advantage of it and registered for this race. The logistics suck (for me). Savannah doesn’t seem like a long way from Chicago but it will take me almost 6 hours to get there (beginning with a 6am flight). Luckily the race is on Saturday so I will be home that same day and have Sunday to recuperate. 🙂 I’ve heard Savannah is pretty and do have a couple of hours to explore before my flight home.

For now that is all I have for the fall. I am kind of excited to train during the winter for Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans. I’ve run both the marathon and the half marathon. Last year I trained for the IL Marathon and had many, many great runs even with the cold weather. Of all of my years of running, I don’t remember running so many days outside during the winter (always used the treadmill when there was snow or “too cold”). Plus, I learned how to dress properly for winter running. Haha. Sounds silly saying it but so true.

What is YOUR favorite season for running? What are your fall race plans?

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

04
Sep
2018

Goodbye August and Hello September!

categories: Half Marathon Training, Running, Tuesdays on the Run

Hello September

• August flew by! My mom and I went on a short trip to San Antonio followed by a few days off and then back to work. I have 21 students with a few well behaved students and a few not so well behaved. They talk too much. 🙂 Honestly, I like kids that talk because they know how to communicate and I can have an actual conversation with them. However, there are times in which they need to be quiet but a few keep going on and on. A mom already complained that I am mean and that I yell too much. 🙁

• I have a new running coach. I am currently working with Mary and have had some great workouts. I love it! My favorite have been 6×1 minute and 8×1 minute intervals.

• Bought new shoes. I am a HUGE Brooks fan. I took advantage of the sale on the Brooks site and purchased a few pairs of the Launch 5. However, some styles didn’t work out for me (too stiff) and I sent them back (they have a GREAT return policy!). I also ended up buying the Levitate. These two and another pair of the Launch are in my shoe rotation.

I am eyeing their new shoes that came out early this month – the Bedlam. Love the color but do I need another pair?

• Ran 82.10 miles. I did not meet my goal this month. I am now 63% done of my yearly goal. There are 119 days left in 2018 and I still need to run 442 miles to achieve my goal.

Total August 2018

2018 Goal

• Total time running was 17:06:52.

• 19 days of running. With Mary I have been running 5 days a week. Sometimes I have 1 or 2 quality sessions (hard and fast workouts) and the rest are easy runs (3-6 miles).

• I didn’t have any races in August. I am excited about 2 races in September – Run Mag Mile and ZOOMA Great Lakes.

• Final Thoughts: Even though August was “low” in mileage, I am happy with how it went. I am enjoying my runs and am happy to be working again with Mary.

August 2018 Report Card

So how did August go for you?

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

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