Training in this weather is absolutely ideal, even if the race itself will be quite a bit cooler. It's easy to establish the habit of running 3-4 days a week when you actually want to be outside. And really, I couldn't ask for a better time or setting to launch into my half-marathon training schedule. I started a week late to do the full 12 weeks that my schedule calls for, but I feel comfortable enough with my running that I can immediately dial into a week that involves 2 miles, 3 miles, and 4 miles with a 2.5 mile recovery.
One thing that's changed is my acquisition of the MapMyRun app on my Droid which is probably just like a Garmin, except I get to see my route mapped out as I run. I had never really run with a pace-keeping device before (despite my very sweet boyfriend thoughtfully buying me a Garmin as I was training for the San Diego Rock 'n Roll half-marathon in 2011). At the time, I just did not have the patience or time to learn how to use it and instead just pre-mapped my runs and timed myself with a stop-watch. Such a luddite! Anyway, the ability to track my pace has been a great training tool for me. I'm learning to push myself better on hills or to back off a bit when my pace is too fast. It's been fun to see how my mood affects my starting pace or how my eating (or lack thereof) will dictate the last quarter of each run.
With this in mind, let's look at how Seattle Half-Marathon Training Week 1 went:
Wednesday, September 12: 2 miles
Let's first talk about Monday. I work with a personal trainer every Monday, which I kind of need because if I'm left to my own devices, I absolutely will not do weight training. My trainer is the same one who helped me peel off 25 pounds of fat when I was 24 years old and saw me through my first two half-marathons. Anyway, Monday consisted of 3 super-sets, two of which included squats. The first super-set had 3 sets of 20 normal squats and if my calculations are correct, I was lifting 75 pounds for all of them. The final set included 3 sets of 15 "hack-squats" (like a dead lift, but the bar is behind you and you stop lifting when the bar hits the back of your legs), weight unknown.
Long story short: my legs were absolute jello. And what's the best kind of run to do two days after you've destroyed your legs with squats? Hills, of course!
I waited to run until after I'd gone back home. My boyfriend's younger daughter is a very athletic 11-year-old who is developing interest in distance running. She spends Wednesdays with us and I like to give her the option of running with me. Unfortunately, she's been dealing with a nasty cold for the last couple of weeks, so it was a solo run for me. Good thing, too, because I was slooooow. After the initial climb, my back was really, REALLY bothering me. I felt like I couldn't move correctly, like my butt was sticking out too much and like I couldn't fix it. I'd initially planned to run a few more miles that night, but turned around when my phone said I'd done one mile. I went home, head hung in shame, and spent some quality time with my foam roller.
Friday September 14, 3 Miles
Work was long and boring. Really, who holds a 4 hour "how to write your scientific reports" meeting on a Friday afternoon?! With frustration and boredom driving me, I was hot out of the stable when I started my 3 mile run at 6:30pm. I ran my 3 miles in 23 minutes - a faster pace than I plan for my half-marathon. I certainly wasn't disappointed, especially considering that I was running on a near-empty fuel tank, a mistake that I most certainly felt by the end of the run. I also still felt the lower back pain that I'd encountered on Wednesday evening, which slowed me in the second half of my run. I may have been in some pain, but I was satisfied as I rode my bicycle home and into the weekend.
Sunday September 16, 4 Miles
AKA long run #2. Joby and I spent a lot of time cleaning, building furniture, and being overall domestic and boring this weekend (excepting brunch with AM and a visit to Heather). After hours of cleaning and frustration on Sunday, I calmed myself down, threw on my running shoes, and went out for my 4 mile run. Unlike previous runs on Queen Anne, I chose to walk up the really difficult initial climb, treating that bit as a warm up, and then stretched my lower back out pretty substantially before I jumped into my run. The afternoon was lovely and I felt pretty good starting out, as is reflected in my 7:58 min/mi pace, but things got kind of weird after that first mile. Some creepy-looking dude in a silver VW jetta started circling blocks and looking ominously at me as he passed by. I got a bit freaked out and started altering my route to try to avoid him, but he kept circling around. My initial instinct was to run faster, hoping he wouldn't catch me. The rational part of my brain (yes, it does exist) kicked in, telling me that outrunning a car is not realistic and that the best thing to do is find a very public space. I high-tailed it to Kerry Park (where you and the regular stream of tourists can get the post-card view of Seattle's skyline) and hang out there until I no longer felt like I was in danger. Considering the view and the weather, I correctly assumed that it would be packed. I forgot to pause MapMyRun when I stopped, so the pace is a little weird for those couple of miles.
Seattle skyline from Kerry Park
Once I felt safe, I continued on my run, but felt a bit exhausted after climbing back to 7th and walked a bit. I was dealing with some shakiness, too. Nobody likes to feel endangered, especially by another human being. It's amazing how that feeling can stick with you. In any case, the pace I achieved for the majority of my run is about what I want for my half-marathon, so apart from creepy VW dude, I'd consider this run a smashing success.
*************************
All in all, not a bad way to kick off training season. Music has been good, too. Perhaps I'll dedicate one of this week's posts to the songs that I most enjoy while running. Until then, here's to happy running!
No comments:
Post a Comment