Things are continuing to look up and amp up!
Overall, this was a really good week of training–not perfect, but I feel like I’m gaining fitness. My hard, interval workout wasn’t great, but I got to wear shorts on an afternoon run, which makes me very excited about summer racing! I live for summer races. I love being able to compete and (hopefully) see that my hard work paid off. At the end of this blog post, I highlighted the races I plan on running this summer and my goal for each one of them.
Here’s a recap of my workouts this past week (April 10 – 16, 2018) and how I felt during each one.
Monday
Off – My day off for the week. I still appreciate taking one day a week off right now.
Tuesday
6 miles easy | easy run | 7:46
I ran with my friend Mandy, and she is speedy! I think I need to run with her more often.
Wednesday
10 miles | interval workout of 4 x 1 mile
3 mile warm-up
4 x 1 mile in 6:16, 6:24, 6:28, 6:31 (2 minutes easy recovery jog)
cool-down to 10 miles
40 minutes of weights
I was not particularly stoked about the results from these mile repeat times. I really thought (and was hoping) I could go faster, but that was not the case this day. However, when I look back in my training journal from last year, I think I am in better shape now than I was a year ago coming off my 10 month stint with my hip labral tear. So that was encouraging when I was about ready to throw in the towel after this workout.
Thursday
5 miles | easy run | 9:09 average pace
I ran from my house to The Dome (our indoor track), ran a couple miles with the training group, and then ran back home. I was tired from yesterday’s workout, so I took it nice and easy!
Friday
AM – 7 miles | easy run | 8:02 average pace + striders
20 minutes of weights
Early morning, easy miles with my friend Brittany. I could tell my right glute was more tired than usual because it feels twingy every once in a while. I know I need to be good to it and strengthen it, so I made sure to go to the gym after this run and do some good glute work.
PM – 4 miles | easy stroller run | 8:36 average pace
I pushed Cullen in the stroller to the store to pick up a few things, and then we ran back home. The best part of this run was being able to wear shorts!
Saturday
8 miles | easy run | 8:34 average pace
Uff! I am getting pretty beat up from not sleeping enough and increasing the mileage again this week. Nothing hurt, but I was fairly tired on this run.
Sunday
15 miles | long run | 8:05 average pace
My friend Brittany joined me for the first 8 miles, so then I only had 7 left to do on my own, which helped break it up. I did my best to push the pace a little during those last 7 miles. Most of the miles were about 7:45 average pace.
Total: 55 miles
Summer Racing Schedule
I have been thinking about what I want to run this year, and I find myself running many of the same races year after year. These are some of my favorite, and I really do enjoy racing everything from the 5K to the marathon, so we’ve got a whole variety of distances.
April 21 – Alaska Heart Run 5K
Goal: I would love to beat my time from last year, which was a 19:51. This would give me a boost of confidence and let me know I am in better shape now than I was at this time last year.
May 26 – Pulsator 10K
Goal: Set a new PR in the 10K. Currently it is 39:55.
June 1 – Twilight 12K
Goal: I would love to set a PR in the 12K as well. My current PR is 48:26.
June 8 – Alaska Run for Women – 5 Miles
Goal: I will probably end up doing this as a workout, otherwise it gets to be too much to race 3 weekends in a row.
June 22 – Anchorage Mayor’s Half Marathon
Goal: Run a strong half marathon and practice holding back during the first couple of miles.
July 17 – Hightail Half Marathon (formerly known as the Her Tern Half)
Goal: I’m honestly not sure as this point what my goal is for this race since it is a ways away right now. This is my favorite race all summer, so I’m going to really target this race as a potential A-race.
August 4 – Distance Classic 5K and 10K
Goal: Improve my time in the 5K especially.
August 19th – Skinny Raven Half Marathon
Goal: This is a little ways out, so I am not sure what to make my goal for this race. If I have an absolutely flawless build-up, I would consider running the marathon at this series of events, but I am not getting my hopes up over that.
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Please leave a comment below with how your spring training is going, and what races you have picked out for the next few months.
We’re just starting to get some nice days here in Michigan. Excited to be running with no snow. I really need to sign up for some races- would love to PR in 5k!