Zenaida Arroyo

11
Jun
2017

Road to BQ Week #11

categories: Boston Marathon, Brooks Running, Hansons Training, Race all 50 states, Running, Weekly Recap

As mentioned in this post, I’m attempting to get my own BQ. I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method. In a nutshell, this training is based on the concept of cumulative fatigue. You train your body to run often so that you are frequently running on tired legs. The idea is to run this way so that during the last miles of a race you are prepared to push through the final miles. I purchased a new Hansons Method Marathon Plan and now will be running 5 days (instead of 6) a week.

Week #11, June 5-11

M Ran 5.02 Miles
T Did not run
W Ran 5.12 Miles
TH Ran 5.02 Miles
F Did not run
S Ran 13.10 at the Utah Valley Half Marathon
S Did not run

I decided to do the Lake Michigan Marathon on September 3rd. I have not registered for it (cannot imagine it selling out) and am excited to train for it.

Monday’s run went great! Faster than I was supposed to but it must have been the weather or knowing that Tuesday was the last day of school.

Finally on Summer Break!!! My last day was Tuesday but I feel like I’ve been off for weeks (I am currently in Utah in vacation mode). I was done by 4pm and waited for two of my coworkers to finish up before heading out to eat and drink. A different room will be waiting for me in August.

I did not run on Tuesday but instead did my workout on Wednesday. I did not want to get up because I wanted to cuddle with Lola. My workout was 2M Warm Up, 10×1 min @95% effort w/90 sec jog rest, and 2M Cool Down (done at the gym). It went better than expected! I love that I am able to set up my workouts on Garmin Connect and then have it sync to my phone.

On Thursday I went back to the gym for a tempo run. In total I ran 5.02 miles (1M Warm Up, 3 Mile Tempo, and 1M Cool Down).

Friday was a travel day to Utah where I met a few bloggers and then Saturday I ran the Utah Valley Half Marathon. I am planning to have a recap soon. It was a fun but challenging race. The course was beautiful but it was mostly downhill and my legs were sore and tired by mile 9. I got a beautiful jacket instead of a shirt. I love the colors!

Total mileage for the week: 28.26 miles
Total mileage for this training cycle: 238.97 miles
Total mileage for the year: 287.16 miles

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap and Courtney for her Training Recap Link Up!

Hoping everyone had a good week!

04
Jun
2017

Road to BQ Week #10

categories: Boston Marathon, Brooks Running, Hansons Training, Running, Weekly Recap

As mentioned in this post, I’m attempting to get my own BQ. I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method. In a nutshell, this training is based on the concept of cumulative fatigue. You train your body to run often so that you are frequently running on tired legs. The idea is to run this way so that during the last miles of a race you are prepared to push through the final miles. These plans are 18 weeks and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. I am not sure when I will qualify but am determined to get there.

Week #10, May 29-June 4

M Ran 4.02 Miles
T Did not run
W OFF
TH Did not run
F Did not run
S Ran 2.02 Miles
S Did not run

This week did not go as expected. I missed way too many runs. I only ran on Monday and Saturday – and not even the mileage I was supposed to. I had zero motivation and was tired. Moving is taking longer and much more difficult than I thought. I am not done. My goal is to finish by Tuesday morning.

Wednesday was the end of May and I am happy to say that I ended the month having run 115.45 miles. That is my highest month so far! You can read my monthly review here.

On Friday I received a few items for my running cruise in July.

The cruise starts in Seward and ends in Vancouver.

I spent part of the weekend looking into a marathon to do in the fall. I am thinking of either the Lake Michigan Marathon on September 3rd or the Quad Cities Marathon on September 24th. Also, I am not sure what to do training wise – hire a coach, somewhat start over with the Hansons Plans (week 6) or purchase a 16 weeks training plan from Hansons Coaching Services. What I like about the latter one is that it is 16 weeks (I have 14 weeks till the Lake Michigan Marathon so I know I haven’t missed much) and it consists of running 5 days instead of 6 and it is also based on the number of miles a runner can and wants to do each week (I am thinking 30-40). I need to decide soon so I can start training tomorrow.

On Wednesday I joined a new gym, Formula Fitness Club. I checked it out about a week ago and like it a lot. I like the variety of classes and looks and smells cleaner/nicer than my current gym. Plus they provide towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and blow dryers. The parking situation is OK (my current gym offers free parking all day). There are various locations in Chicago and they offer free parking for 2 hours which is enough time to take a class and shower, if needed. I checked out the two locations that I will most likely be going, South Loop and West Loop, and there is also free street parking available till 8am. That will come in handy if for some reason I need to stay longer than 2 hours at the gym (I’ve stayed longer than 2 hours running on the treadmill during marathon training) or if I am in a rush and it is so much faster to park on the street then drive to the lot, park, and walk to the gym.

Tuesday is my last day of school and Friday morning I head out to Utah to run the Utah Valley Half Marathon. I will admit that I did not pay too much attention to the logistics till last week and realized that the race starts at 6am. Sigh. That means a very early wake up call since we have to take a bus to take us to the start line. Oh well, it will still be a fun race and it will make me happy to run in another state.

Total mileage for the week: 6.04 miles
Total mileage for this training cycle: 210.71 miles
Total mileage for the year: 258.90 miles

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap and Courtney for her Training Recap Link Up!

Hoping everyone had a good week!

30
May
2017

May 2017 in Review

categories: Monthly Review, Running, Tuesdays on the Run

I cannot believe May is almost over. Even more I cannot believe we are almost halfway through the year. I have not done a monthly review in a long time so here is one for May.

Miles Ran/Last Month: 115.45/90.22. I did 19 runs this month for a total of 23 hours, 21 minutes, and 41 seconds.

Highest Mileage Week: 38.13. This was during the second week this month and it took me 7 hours, 45 minutes, and 41 seconds.

Races Planned/Completed: 2/2. The Cinco de Miler was for a friend to celebrate her getting a Master’s Degree in Counseling. She did not attend commencement but instead asked her family and friends to run with her. I also ran the Soldier Field 10 Mile which I signed up for back in November when it was $59. I’ve run it in the past and have always enjoyed it. This year was no exception. The weather was perfect, plenty of parking and I felt great for most of the race.

Current Ache/Pain: Sometimes my knees hurt. I need to do a better job of icing them. On the positive side, my IT band does not hurt as much when I foam roll.

Current Challenge: None.

Current Book: None, but I need to get a copy of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck for book club next month. Have you read that book?

Current Song: Won’t Go Home Without You by Maroon 5. I can listen to this all day.

Current Treat: Cold Brew Coffee from Starbucks. xSo good.

Next Race(s): Utah Valley Half Marathon on June 10.

Current Excitement: I am excited about my race in Utah. I will be running with Holly, Marcia, Mary Beth, and Teresa and am looking forward to meeting them (I met Marcia in March 2015 at a race but have not seen her since that race). My last half marathon was the Buffalo Half Marathon last year so it is time to do another one. Also, in July I will be in Seattle for one day and then head out to Alaska for a running cruise in which I will also run a half marathon and cross off AK off my list for state #38.

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

28
May
2017

Road to BQ Week #9

categories: Boston Marathon, Brooks Running, Hansons Training, Running, Weekly Recap

As mentioned in this post, I’m attempting to get my own BQ. I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method. In a nutshell, this training is based on the concept of cumulative fatigue. You train your body to run often so that you are frequently running on tired legs. The idea is to run this way so that during the last miles of a race you are prepared to push through the final miles. These plans are 18 weeks and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. I am not sure when I will qualify but am determined to get there.

Week #9, May 22-27

M Did not run
T Ran 5.95 Miles (5×1000)
W OFF
TH Did not run
F Did not run
S Ran 10.12 Miles
S Did not run

I took it easy this week. I am moving classrooms (same grade but now will be on the 1st floor instead of 2nd floor) so I need to pack up all of my stuff. I’ve been in the same room for 3 years and have so much stuff. I did have a few moms help me pack but still have so much more to pack.

Tuesday’s run went very well. I went to the gym for this run. Goal for each interval was between 6:15-6:31 and I managed to do them in those times. However, during my last interval I accidentally hit the lap button (did not realize till I was done) and only ran .22 miles. I remember that when my watch vibrated to signal the end of the interval, I thought it was weird because I felt like it has just vibrated.

On Thursday I stayed at school till 6pm packing and moving boxes and had zero energy to run.

Friday was a trip to the zoo. The weather was perfect. The kids had fun but I was TIRED. We were supposed to leave the zoo at 1pm but by 12:30 the kids were also tired and we headed back to the front to meet the rest of the groups and wait for the bus. I walked over 12,000 steps while at the zoo.

Saturday was the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race. It is one of my favorite races in Chicago. I felt great for 6 miles and then my legs were very tired. I was happy that breathing-wise and energy-wise I was feeling really good but the legs were not happy.

In the morning I had coffee with a Clif Bar. About 45 minutes before the race I had one serving of UCAN with water. I have not used this in a long time and am excited to used it for my training. I did struggle towards the end of the race but don’t know if it was because of the heat, that I was tired, or because I needed more fuel. << I only drank water on the course but with less than 2 miles to go I did have Nuun (because #nuunlife) that was offered on the course. Overall, I am pleased with my results because my goal was to finish under 2 hours.

Total mileage for the week: 16.07 miles
Total mileage for this training cycle: 204.67 miles
Total mileage for the year: 256.88 miles

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap and Courtney for her Training Recap Link Up!

Hoping everyone had a good week!

21
May
2017

Road to BQ Week #8

categories: Boston Marathon, Brooks Running, Hansons Training, Running, Weekly Recap

As mentioned in this post, I’m attempting to get my own BQ. I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method. In a nutshell, this training is based on the concept of cumulative fatigue. You train your body to run often so that you are frequently running on tired legs. The idea is to run this way so that during the last miles of a race you are prepared to push through the final miles. These plans are 18 weeks and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. I am not sure when I will qualify but am determined to get there.

Week #8, May 15-21

M Ran 6.02 Miles
T Ran 1.63 Miles
W OFF
TH Ran 7.02 Miles
F Did not run
S Ran 6.02 Miles
S Ran 10.02 Miles

Monday’s run was awful. I was supposed to run my 6 miles between 12:57-13:57 and even that felt tough. On my way back I saw a new teacher’s store and went in to browse. I am excited about school being over in a few weeks but I LOVE seeing stuff that I could use in my classroom. I did see the best poster on the wall that made me smile and continue with my run.

Tuesday’s run did not go well either. I was hot and just wasn’t feeling it. Earlier that day we received our assignment letters for next year. I was assigned to teach the same grade next school year. That made me happy. However, my best teacher friend was moved to another school and that made me angry. I could not understand why. She is a great teacher and gets her job done. I was hoping that this anger would push me to get the workout (6×800) done but it didn’t.

Thursday’s tempo was another hot one and I did not hit my tempo pace (11:27). But you know what? I did not care. I was just happy to be running.

Saturday’s run went better than I expected. I went later in the day when it was about 60 degrees and felt so good that I ran faster than I was supposed to. I just had this energy and just kept going.

I still felt good on Sunday and 5 of my miles were under 12:00 minutes. According to my plan, each mile is supposed to be between 11:57-13:27. I did pretty good!

It was hot! You can see the sweat on my face.

I know my two runs in the beginning of the week did not go well but I am happy that my last two did.

Total mileage for the week: 30.71 miles
Total mileage for this training cycle: 188.60 miles
Total mileage for the year: 236.79 miles

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap and Courtney for her Training Recap Link Up!

Hoping everyone had a good week!