Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Half Marathon Training 2/8/16 - 2/21/16

Hello there! My ever exciting training recaps that I haven't posted in a couple weeks. 

The past week and a half or so have been just ugh. I have a cold that just won't quit (although it seems it finally might be tapering off!) and having some Crohn's symptoms which is starting to give me anxiety. I am going next Monday for a sigmoidoscopy (yay for not having to have a full colonoscopy yet) and hoping to get some answers. 

I am trying to be all zen about shit at the moment (since stress usually makes symptoms worse) but my half marathon is in a couple of weeks and the fact that I feel less than ideal is effing with my head (and no bathrooms on the course, yay!). My GI doc who moved to a different practice reduced my Remicade dosage without consulting my new doc at the practice and I am just thinking it was a dumb move and might be reaping the results of that now. 

Anyway, stay zen about it, right? And, trying to ignore the crappy string of runs I have had. 

Things I am enjoying? The FitBit Charge HR I got for Valentine's day! Love love love having the heart rate. The bf definitely was listening to me complaining about how my Garmin vivofit didn't have it! 

Week of 2/8/16

Monday - 4.36 miles 40:42 pace 9:22 Unintentional progression on this easy run. 

Splits: 10:01, 9:48, 9:06, 8:48, 8:33 (.36)

Tuesday - Too icy for outside - .5 mile run to gym wu then TM fartlek total 4.08 miles in 35 mins 8:34 pace - .5 mile cooldown  
Evening - strength class at P4S medium weights higher reps mixed with cardio

Wednesday - Cross train: 1 hour - 30 mins on the bike 30 mins total body weights

Thursday - Progression 10K 6.2 miles 54 mins 8:45 pace 

Friday - Rest

Saturday - TM long run 11 miles 1:45 9:33 pace HR 146

Sunday - 6.32 miles 60 mins 9:29 pace HR 129

Total miles: 32.96 (and don't think realizing later that .04 didn't make me a die a little inside)

Week of 2/15/16

Monday - 7.5 miles 70 mins 9:10 pace - longer easy effort with the day off HR 125

Tuesday - 5 miles 44 mins 8:41 pace HR 150

Wednesday - Easy run 3.2 miles 33 mins 10:21 pace HR 132

Thursday - Tempo - 4.6 miles 40 mins 8:41 pace HR 156

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 10 miles 1:44:18 10:25 pace awful long run, just brutal HR 146 

Sunday - 18 mins elliptical to loosen up my legs / 4 miles 41 mins 10:15 pace as recovery which felt awful HR 135

Total miles: 34.3

Two more weeks of long runs before the half. I would really love to have a good one after how meh running has been the past week. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Half Marathon Training 2/1/16 - 2/7/16

Another week down. 

I did most of my runs outside! Yay! This girl who hates winter is really loving winter running. Minus this week. The highs coming up this weekend will most likely put me on the treadmill. I just can't with highs hovering around 20. No. Plus ice. I had to do speedwork today and hit the treadmill since I would have wiped out.

I went to use my Garmin to run with that and mapmyrun simultaneously to find it dead. Then the next day it wouldn't pick up satellite and I was too anxious to run so just said f the comparison for now. But splits below are from mapmyrun data and still untrustworthy. I mean look at Sundays run? Yes I was running too fast for an easy run because I was breathing hard and just trying to get it over with but those paces are not paces I run! 

I don't mind much I just know that it is false data and feel like I shouldn't be promoting that I am actually running those paces if that makes sense. If people use it as a serious tool to gauge progress for a goal race I feel bad for how inaccurate it is! 

Week of 1/31/16

Monday - 4.58 miles - 42:12  9:12 avg

Tuesday - 1 mile to/from the gym - pace run 4.25 miles 36:00 8:28 pace 

Wednesday - morning - hit the spin bike for 45 mins with upper body weights. In the evening - Pace 4 Success "beach booty" class 30 mins of glute/leg work (incredibly sore the next day!) 

Thursday - 6.73 miles 54:23 8:04 pace Splits: 8:17, 9:01, 8:43, 6:53, 9:09, 9:03, 7:44 (.78) - that 6:53 is definitely wrong (mapmyrun) but a good tempo on sore legs! 

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Long run - "11.08 miles 1:42:39 pace 9:15 Felt pretty damn good. Weather is perfection for running. Fast finish at HM pace. 
Splits: 9:27, 9:34, 9:14, 9:37, 8:50, 10:01, 9:51, 9:42, 9:37, 8:34, 8:38

Sunday - 4.08 miles 31:22 pace 7:41 All lies. Mapmyrun I wish I was this speedy. 
Splits: 7:59, 7:26, 7:21, 8:03

Total miles: 31.72 

Happy that I cut back to 5 days of running and added back in that cross train day - and still came out around the same mileage as with 6 days of running. Also a couple solid strength workouts. I need to do a review on Pace for Success but adding a couple of their classes a week will force me to strenght train. Plus they have 30 minute ones which are SO doable. 

Thursday, February 4, 2016

TOL: Running and Hunger Lately

Happy Thursday!!! Linking up with Amanda per usual, thanks for hosting! I have been a day ahead all week in my thinking so glad that the end is almost near.

The only thing that forced me out of bed this morning to run is knowing tomorrow is a rest day. It is strategically placed on Fridays to get me up and out throughout the week. Just x more workouts until rest day is a lovely mentality.

Can we talk about the weather? That is a fun place to start. 

I have had some really lovely runs lately. Shorts weather makes me so so happy! I wore a long sleeve shirt on my run the other morning with shorts and it was too much. Spring hurry your ass up, I am ready! 


I am typically not a bad weather runner.  In fact, I am typically the first person on a treadmill when the weather isn't perfect. This morning though running through the misty rain was really invigorating! Had some muddy legs to show for my tempo effort as well.


I have also by and large stopped using my Garmin on runs to try and run by feel. Some times I go totally watchless and let my Garmin vivofit pick up the activity (which is always way off but it is something) and other times I use MapMyRun. Let me just say, I call BS on MapMyRun. The first run was an easy run (I usually TRY to stay above 10 min miles on easy days) and the second was a tempo but look at that suspect 6:53 mile in there. Just, no. Maybe high 7's but not that fast. 





It is what it is though. I will one of these days wear my Garmin and use the app just to see variance for real. If only my Garmin didn't take a million minutes to get satellite. Ain't no one got time for that in the morning darkness. 

My hunger has been all over the place. I am playing around with calories and macro's in an attempt to lean out a bit. I feel like it is a process to try and figure out what works best for your body. I just know that how I eat now is maintaining. I have been around the same weight for a while now. I didn't realize how much I was undereating carbs (according to "experts"). I also think I am undereating calories. Time will tell. 

I have also ditched the daily scale habit! I physically removed it so now I have to take it out to weigh myself and am only permitting myself a Friday weight check. My weight fluctuates by up to 5 pounds or so day to day. I am a rational human being and understand it happens but it does play on the way I see myself on a day it was above what it should be. I will never ditch the scale but I think this is a healthier balance. 

On the food topic these made me laugh: 

I say this all the time - I fight my former overweight self on the daily!


LOL to the last one but luckily my BF knows me well. I am talking about the next meal before I have had the current one. It's a problem. He is always bringing me food. I am a-okay with that. It is fun to laugh about how I eat more than him. Luckily he finds it all endearing (but not when I am hangry, there is nothing cute about that). 

And now, I need a snack. All this food talk has made me hungry again! Happy almost weekend!

Anyone else us MapMyRun? Thoughts on the accuracy?

Monday, February 1, 2016

Half Marathon Training 1/18/16 - 1/31/16

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! (I am a broken record I think I say this constantly).

The work world is a bit just...blah at the moment. I love my job but knowing you won't be there for much longer REALLY makes some of the motivation waiver. But, I am determined to not slack. 

Minus - I have stopped being "early" to the office...I have an option of taking a train and getting into the office around 8:40 or another that gets me in at 9:05 and let's just say I have been taking the latter more often than not. That extra little time at home after my workouts has been glorious.

Snowmaggedeon hit us along with icy temperatures and black ice on the roads so most of my miles the past couple weeks were on the treadmill. 

Last week was also my birthday and while it didn't change up my workouts or anything I was a little lax with the food choices and ate a bit too much sugar - by Saturday my stomach had enough and I had to reschedule brunch. I was able to rally for a long run later on but stomach felt horrible. 

I am also so touch and go with my thoughts on running. Having a goal to work towards is both motivating and disheartening. Trying to PR is HARD. Some days I just want to phone in the workout. I feel like I am never going to be able to run a half at 8:30 mm. I am just anxious to race and see where I am at. Hoping the work pays off (at least for sub 2 if I am not back sub 2 I will get angry!). Anyways without further ado the past couple weeks:

Week of 1/18/16

Monday - 5 miles easy - 47:36 9:31 pace

Tuesday - 4.5 miles 39:00 8:39 pace Easy mile warmup 3 x 1 mile - 8:00, 8:00, 7:58 .25 jog between. Paces were sustainable. No cool down

Wednesday - 3.11 miles easy - 30 mins 9:38 pace

Thursday - 4 miles 34:30 8:37 pace - short warm up then eased pace to 8:30 where I stayed most of the time before going down to 8:00

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 9.5 miles - 1:40 - 10:30 pace

Sunday - 3.47 miles easy (untimed)

Total miles: 29.58 

Week of 1/25/16

Monday - 6 miles - 57 mins - 9:30 pace

Tuesday - 4.5 miles 40 mins 8:53 pace - a few mins warm up then dropped to HM pace

Wednesday - 3.1 miles - 33 mins 10:38 pace + strength 

Thursday - 5.15 miles tempo - 45 mins 8:44 pace

Friday - Rest / little strength

Saturday - 10.02 - 1:42:42 10:08 pace

Sunday - 3.5 miles - 36:52 10:32 pace


Total miles: 32.27 miles 

There was also more strength in there the past couple weeks. Trying to get back on track. My pullup goal is slow going. My grip is getting better and I am getting better with the band assist. Still a long way to go and honestly feel like it will take all 2016 to do one! 

I also got a Groupon for 2 months unlimited at a bootcamp place I like. Was a great deal and they have 30 min classes which are perfect. 

And the training continues!