Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon Training Week 6

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WeeklyWrap

rnrdctrainingrecap

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon training is here!  I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method for this race.  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 (I am starting a bit late so I will start with Week 4) and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. 

Week #6, January 2-8

Monday:

  • PLAN – 5 miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – 5.02 @10:34 average pace

A great run outside enjoying the great weather!  Splits are: 10:08/10:47/10:09/11:05/10:40.  As you can see the pattern in this run, I run one mile at a faster pace and then one mile at a slower pace. I definitely need to work on pacing.  Regardless, pleased with this run.

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Tuesday:

  • PLAN –5 x 1000, 8:03-8:55 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 4.62 miles @10:53 average pace

This run did not go well at all.  I only managed to do 3 intervals and each one was slower than the previous one.  Goal for each interval was between 4:54-5:24.  Splits for each 1000 are: 5:15/5:40/5:53.  I would have  done the 2 other ones but I was running late for book club.  I still had to shower, get ready, and go to the store to get something to eat.  

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Wednesday:

  • PLAN – OFF
  • ACTUAL – OFF

I had my first monut!  A monut is a donut shaped marshmallow and it is delicious.  I donated money to a Kickstarter and got 6 monuts (2 peppermint, 2 vanilla, and 2 cocoa dusted).  

Thursday:

  • PLAN – 4 tempo miles, 8:46-9:18 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

Another monut with coffee.

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Friday: 

  • PLAN – 6  miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 6.02 miles @11:27 average pace

I helped my mother make enchiladas and then went to the gym for my run.  I loved this run because I was watching “Will and Grace”.  That show is pretty hilarious!!!  I laughed so much and before I knew it, my 6 miles were done.  Splits are: 11:34/11:16/11:15/11:43/11:27/11:26.  Right on pace except for mile 4.

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Saturday:

  • PLAN – 5 miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 5.02 miles @10:57 average pace

Back to the gym for this run.  More episodes of “Will and Grace”.  Splits are: 11:05/10:46/10:54/10:58/10:57.  I ran the same speeds (5.5 and 5.6) on the treadmill but yet this run was faster than yesterday.  

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Sunday:

  • PLAN – 10 miles long, 9:53-10:29 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 10.02 miles @10:39 average pace

Wow, what a workout today!  I was determined to do this run no matter what.  My plan was to run 2.5 miles, take a quick break, run another 2.5 miles and then take a longer break along with a gel.  Then hop again on the treadmill for another 2.5 miles, another quick break and then finish off with the last 2.5 miles.  I find that breaking up a run into smaller chunks is more manageable physically and mentally.

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I did want to stop at 5.64 miles.  I was tired and bored.  No “Will and Grace” on TV for me.  I had downloaded a few episodes of “Sex and the City” but even that was starting to bore me.  Luckily “CSI: Miami” was on the TV and that made the miles go by faster.  Splits are: 10:51/10:25/10:30/10:34/10:34/10:54/10:43/10:44/10:30/10:36.  Some of the miles were done slower than the range I had in mind but overall I am pleased and happy with how I did.

Week 6 went well this week.  I skipped one run and the other runs went better than expected.  In week 7, I have 4 x 12000 and 4 tempo miles. 

Total mileage for the week: 30.70 miles

Total mileage for this training cycle: 125.56 miles

Total mileage for the year:  30.70 miles

Here’s how training has gone so far:

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon Training Week 5

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WeeklyWrap

rnrdctrainingrecap

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon training is here!  I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method for this race.  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 (I am starting a bit late so I will start with Week 4) and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. 

Week #5, December 26-January 1

Monday:

  • PLAN – 6 miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – 4.02 @11:11 average pace

It felt so good to be outside on Monday.  The sun was out and the weather was perfect!  I took it easy since I had been sick/recovering for 3 days.  Can you tell I was very happy after my run? OK, I do need to smile more.  Splits are: 10:56/11:10/11:01/11:36.

Then met a friend for dinner and drinks.  Martinis are my favorite!

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Tuesday:

  • PLAN –6 x 800 , 8:03-8:55 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 6.52 miles @10:28 average pace

This workout was tough but I nailed it!  Goal for each interval was between 4:00-4:25 and I hit those paces.  I was very tired after my workout but pleased with it.  Splits for each 800 are: 4:21/4:18/4:14/4:14/4:15/4:12.

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Tacos!!  Why not?

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Wednesday:

  • PLAN – OFF
  • ACTUAL – OFF

Thursday:

  • PLAN – 4 tempo miles, 8:46-9:18 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

Tired?  Lazy?  Who knows?  But I stayed in bed and only got up to eat.  I finally got up again at 4:30 to go to the post office and to take my mother to the store.

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Friday: 

  • PLAN – 5  miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 5.02 miles @10:36 average pace

I woke up and did not want to skip this run nor run at the gym.  It was high 30s outside.  Cold but not too cold but a little windy. Still did great on my run.  Mile splits are: 9:56/10:49/10:28/11:22/10:25.

Saturday:

  • PLAN – 6 miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 6.02 miles @10:41 average pace

My last run of the year.  It was high 30s (almost 40) and it is ideal running weather for December.  The wind wore me out a bit but still felt great throughout my run.  Splits are: 10:48/10:46/10:36/10:33/10:40/10:44.

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Sunday:

  • PLAN – 10 miles long, 9:53-10:29 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

Happy New Year!!  I slept in.  Did a bunch of stuff at home and then did errands with my mother and then was too late to head out or go to the gym. Oh well.  Not the way I wanted to start off the year (running related) but I don’t regret not doing my run.

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Week 5 went well.  I skipped two runs but I am not going to stress about it.  Life happens.  In week 6, I have 5 x 1000K and 4 tempo miles. 

Total mileage for the week: 21.58 miles

Total mileage for this training cycle: 94.86 miles

Total mileage for the year: 1,283.07 miles

Here’s how training has gone so far:

Last week I sent to see “Sing” and I loved it!  Saw this cute video and want to share it with you.  She is adorable.

Friday Friday 2.0 – Items I’ll Buy Again

I am linking up with with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy

for today’s Friday Five 2.0.

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Happy Holidays!  I cannot believe 2016 is almost over.  I am currently on Winter Break and while I was sick for a few days, I’ve still been enjoying my vacation.  I’ve been running here and there, watching TV, and basically relaxing with my cat and watching lots of TV (finished Fuller House and Narcos).  Next week I am meeting a few girls from my book club so I better start reading the book.  

Today’s topic is “Free” and I will write about some things that I am loving.  While I do have more than that, I will limit it to just five. 🙂

  • Go Contigo Water Bottle – This is seriously the best water bottle!  I have one that holds 32 ounces of water (Cortland) and it is the perfect size for me.  I love that I can add two Nuun tablets and I am set.  I am a teacher so I cannot drink as much water as I want during the day but once I am out of school then I drink like my life depends on it.  I also love that it does not leak.  That was something that I hated with the other water bottles.  You can get online at www.gocontigo.com, Target, Costco, and Kohls.

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  • Balega Enduro No Show Socks – I usually run in Pro Compression or Smartwool socks.  I bought these from Running Warehouse because they were cute and on sale.  Wow! They’re simply amazing!!  I love the no show style and they’re very soft.  My feet were dry and no blisters which is always a winner in my book.  

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  • Saucony Kinvara 7 – They’re lightweight, comfortable, and I swear they’re the reason my paces have been faster.  Heck, I ran my fastest mile at 8:24.  Plus, I love the colors.  I keep checking Running Warehouse to see if they’re on sale (I paid $120 from the Saucony website).  I don’t have to buy them in the same color but as long as they’re less than $80 then I will buy them.  I am sure eventually they’ll be on sale as in the past I’ve bought Brooks PureFlow 4 for $50.

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  • Coffeemate Creamer – I love coffee.  Lately I have been drinking it with cream only to cut down on sugar.  However, there are some days in which I want my coffee a little sweet and some flavor.  These creamers are delicious.  

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  • Cuddl Duds Top – I like wearing them under my short sleeve school shirt on casual Friday.  These tops keep me warm without adding any bulkiness.  They’re listed as active wear but I have not worn them for a run.

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What are some of the things you love (running and non-running related)? Anything exciting for New Year’s Eve?

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon Training Week 4

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WeeklyWrap

rnrdctrainingrecap

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon training is here!  I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method for this race.  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 (I am starting a bit late so I will start with Week 4) and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. 

Week #4, December 19-25

Monday:

  • PLAN – 4 miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – 4.01 @11:00 average pace

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Another cold day today!  I woke up early to run at the gym since I knew I would not want to go after school.  Of course I was tired by the time I got to school so I had to load up on coffee. Splits are: 11:06/10:58/22:04/10:54.  Pleased with my splits but have no idea how I ended up with a mile at 22:04 minutes.

Tuesday:

  • PLAN –8 x 600 , 8:03-8:55 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 7.02 miles @10:47 average pace

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Today’s workout felt tough.  I did want to quit and go home but felt proud of myself when I was done  Splits for each 600 are: 3:00/3:04/3:04/3:19/3:19/3:23/3:21/3:29.  As you can see I started off too fast and slowed down A LOT towards the end.

Wednesday:

  • PLAN – OFF
  • ACTUAL – OFF

Thursday:

  • PLAN – 3 tempo miles, 8:46-9:18 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 5.02 miles @10:44 average pace

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First day of winter break!  I went to the gym for this run.  It was tough but I am pleased with my splits.  Splits are: 9:52/9:46/9:52.  I did not hit my paces.  I’ll see how I do next week and see if I need to adjust again my paces.

Friday: 

  • PLAN – 4  miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL –Did not run.

I woke up with a cold.  My nose was stuffy and I did not feel well.  I took my mother to the doctor and then came home to rest.  I stayed on the couch and watched “Fuller House: Season 2”.  I remember when it first came out that I thought I was not going to like it but decided to give it a try.  Boy, was I wrong.  I did like it.  Season 1 was pretty funny and I found myself laughing at pretty much every episode of Season 2.

Even Lola knew I did not feel well and kept me company most of the day.

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Saturday:

  • PLAN – 6 miles easy, 10:15-11:38 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

Still sick.  Stayed again on the couch and finished watching Season 2 of “Narcos”.  Wow!!  I enjoyed it a lot and cannot wait till next year for Seasons 3 and 4.

Sunday:

  • PLAN – 10 miles long, 9:53-10:29 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

I’ve been sick the past two days but I definitely feel better today.  I woke up at 4am, took more cold medicine, went back to sleep and woke up again at 8:30.  My cousin invited us over to her house but I just did not feel like leaving my house but at the same time was itching to get out since I’ve been home for the past 2 days.  I ended up not going and did a few loads of laundry and cleaned up my room a bit.  I hope tomorrow I will feel even much better to go out for a run.

Week 4 did not go well because I was sick.  I skipped three runs and even if it was just a cold I had no desire to run.  In week 5, I have 6 x 800 and 4 tempo miles. 

Total mileage for the week: 16.05 miles

Total mileage for this training cycle: 73.28 miles

Total mileage for the year: 1,261.46 miles

Here’s how training has gone so far:

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon Training Week 3

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WeeklyWrap

rnrdctrainingrecap

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon training is here!  I am excited to be training using again the Hansons Method for this race.  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 (I am starting a bit late so I will start with Week 4) and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. 

Week #3, December 12-18

Monday:

  • PLAN – 4 miles easy, 10:30-11:00 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

I had no desire to run in the snow.  Plus it was slippery and I just did not want to run.  All I want for Christmas is a treadmill.

Tuesday:

  • PLAN –12 x 400, 10:30-11:00 pace
  • ACTUAL – Total 2.01 miles @11:44 average pace

The first and last time I did this workout was on June 14th.  I did this run on the treadmill and this is what I wrote about it “W/up and c/d @12:00.  400m done at various paces (8:34-9:05). Recovery @12:30.  I remember when 8:34 did not feel hard but today it did.  I did 45 minutes of TRX prior to running so maybe I was just too tired?  Still I am proud of completing this because I wanted to stop after the 4th one.  I don’t think I’ve ever done 12.  Total 8 miles at 89 minutes. Average pace is 11:07.”

My plan was to go to the track but it was too cold.  So I  joined a gym.  I know it will be a very cold winter and I do not want to miss my runs.  I had an offer from LA Fitness for $29.99 each month (multi-club user) and no initiation fee (it is $99).  

I could not finish my workout.  Something felt off so I went home.  I did manage to run 2×400 (2:02 and 2:04) and I am pleased with how I did.

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Wednesday:

  • PLAN – OFF
  • ACTUAL – OFF

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A day full of ReadyGEN training (reading curriculum) followed by a building meeting.  Fun times!

Thursday:

  • PLAN – 3 tempo miles, 9:09 pace
  • ACTUAL – Did not run.

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Another cold day.  I thought for sure classes would be cancelled.  Nope.  Seven of my kids were absent so I couldn’t really do much during school.  They helped me move some things around and I was exhausted at the end of the day.  No running.  

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I signed up for RnR Denver next year.  Another state to cross off my list next year.

Friday: 

  • PLAN – 4  miles easy, 10:30-11:00 pace
  • ACTUAL –Total 4.02 miles @11:03 average pace

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I did not want to miss another workout.  I woke up at 4:30 to make it to the gym by 5:00.  I wore my Garmin Foot Pod to compare paces/time between that and the treadmill.  A little off.

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My watch has an average pace of 11:03 but when I entered the numbers from the treadmill on my Nike+ app, it comes out to a 10:42 average pace.  That is a big difference.  I remember changing up the speed higher but the pace on my watch would not change from 11:xx to 10:xx.  I have run with my foot pod outside twice so maybe I need to do a few more runs so that it calibrates properly?  Who knows but for now I will just go with what it says on my watch.  Splits are: 10:59/10:51/11:13/11:09.

Saturday:

  • PLAN – 5 miles easy, 10:30-11:00 pace
  • ACTUAL – 5.02 miles @10:56 average pace

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My plan was to do my run at the gym but changed my mind once I went to Target and saw that it wasn’t too cold.  So off to the lakefront I went.  I wore 3 layers and was somewhat comfortable. I actually enjoyed this run.  I enjoyed the decent weather because it is rare that we get a day like this in December.  Splits are: 10:17/11:23/10:42/11:25/10:57.

Later that evening I wrapped up presents for my kids.  I have been doing this since I began teaching.

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Sunday:

  • PLAN – 9 miles easy, 10:30-11:00 pace
  • ACTUAL – 9.02 @11:03 average pace

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This time I went to the gym.  It was empty when I got there but it quickly filled up.  This run was just blah.  I could not wait to finish it.  During the summer I did many runs on the treadmill but this one was tough.  After mile 5 I stopped after each mile to convince myself to not quit and to keep going.  Yeah, that’s how bad it was.  Splits are: 11:17/10:57/11:02/11:05/11:02/21:56/10:52/11:04/11:11.  Not sure what happened in Mile 6..21 minutes?

Week 3 went OK.  I skipped two runs and did not complete my speed workout.  I joined a gym so I am hoping to not use the weather as an excuse and do my runs on the treadmill.  In week 4, I have 6 x 600 and 3 tempo miles.  Oh, and I will be on winter break beginning on Wednesday at 3pm!!!

Total mileage for the week: 20.07 miles

Total mileage for this training cycle: 57.23 miles

Total mileage for the year: 1,245.41 miles

Here’s how training has gone so far: