This was a low-mileage training week after running last week’s 23 miles, and I am appreciative of that! There wasn’t a lot to report about this week, but I do feel like I am getting better.
Monday
I hate how many weeks I don’t do yoga, but this was another one to add to the list. I know it would be helpful and valuable, and then I just can’t get myself to do it! It just seems so boring. I did sneak in a very short walk.
Tuesday
Today was tempo day, and I did a 3.5-mile run followed by lower body strength exercises. My tempo run was about 2 miles and at 11:22 pace with 60/30 intervals. Not too bad, and I felt really good after getting out for a run.
My exercises range from lunges, calf raises, single-leg deadlifts, and crunches.
Wednesday
Churchill couldn’t wake up on Thursday. He was still sleeping with his tongue out when I carried him downstairs!
In the morning I walked 1.64 miles, then I went to dinner for a neighborhood meeting and walked about 0.8 miles each way to dinner, which was nice.
Thursday
Today was drill day, and I was really really sluggish. I kept intervals at 30/30 and hovered around a 13:00 pace for the entirety. I was able to do my cadence drills, but really bad counts, and some acceleration gliders. Then I just continued on at 30/30. I did a few strength exercises, but I just felt sluggish.
Friday
I just couldn’t get myself going in the morning. I ended up doing some things to catch up at home and didn’t get out for a walk in the morning or the evening.
Saturday
Today was the Boulder Dash 5 Mile race! You can read a full recap here, but I had a lot of fun running through the quarry. My fueling was okay since I was able to have peanut butter toast beforehand and not get sick, but I should have brought my water bottle. Most importantly, I felt steady during the run, which is what I am aiming for!
Sunday
The weather is absolutely beautiful! I went for a long walk (about four miles) with my neighbor, and it was nice to have the company and get my legs moving. I can understand the importance of cross-training, but it is something I am not doing enough of or doing good quality.
Another week of training, which was a down week in terms of mileage, but racing is back again this week! This gave me some new motivation to keep me going.
Monday
Oh Mondays…yeah, I was lazy again. Sigh.
Tuesday
My normal tempo day. I tried to hit a mid-10-minute pace with a 45/15 ratio, but I only hit 11:27 for my tempo potion. I tried to do this as a variation of the 90/30 the website calls for, but I am still slower than its prediction.
On the call, I asked Coach Twiggs his opinion, and he told me to try a 2-minute / 30-second ratio.
Wednesday
I walked 1.6 miles for 25 minutes and did a 10-minute HITT workout on Apple Fitness. It was a fine workout, but nothing special.
Thursday
On top of my cadence drills and acceleration gliders, I tried coach’s suggestion of a 2 min/30 sec. pace and I was able to hit 10:37 pace, so I was thrilled! I got in 3.7 miles overall for the day, but this gave me some confidence for race day. I was a bit tired, but I was sure this would help. My 5K PR was around a 10:30 pace, so if I could do that and a little, a PR would be very achievable. I even got my lunges, step ups, and deadlifts in after the run.
Friday
Another very lazy day…
Saturday
Today was the big day – the Yiasou Greek Festival 5K! Read a full recap here, but I did a great job today. I set a new 5K PR, and I am very confident I can continue to get better in the future.
When I got home, I did a 20-minute HIIT workout since I was feeling so good.
Sunday
Today was my first time trying water running. I bought a flotation device a couple of weeks ago and finally got to try it out. This is something Coach recommends. I had 45-minutes of cross-training on the schedule and decided to do this. It was really hard to get the hang of and didn’t really feel like I was “running.” I didn’t feel tired, just kind of bored. When I got out of the pool though…yeah, my legs felt like jello. It was a good workout, and I was glad that I did it.
Training Takeaways
It’s hard to believe we are 9 weeks into Dopey training. Next week is a big week for me with Around the Crown 10K, but it also closes the first phase of my Dopey training. After that, things get more serious with longer distances and trying to get better endurance – kicked off by a 20-mile run! That’s the longest I trained when I did Chicago in 2021, so whew! Training is getting real!
How have we completed 7 weeks of training for 2023 Dopey?
Monday
Monday was a very lazy day. I didn’t do anything besides recover from my weekend travels for Pelotonia and get ready for the week. Not an excuse since I should have done yoga, but I just couldn’t focus…that’s always my excuse!
Tuesday
Today is tempo day. I did 3 miles in 39 minutes, and I am just frustrated with my tempo runs. I do the 90/30 combination, but I don’t hit my paces. My tempo portion was at 11:15 pace. My Magic Mile says that I should be able to run a 10K at a 10:19 pace, and I am nowhere near that! With the Around the Crown 10K coming up, I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. I really want to PR that pace, so I need to figure out what to do.
Wednesday
I’m really upset with myself for not losing weight. I keep trying and then not doing things right. Starting today, I am going to try to make sure I fast at least 12 hours a day every day. I shouldn’t eat after 7 pm most days. I’m also going to try to be more cautious of my food selection, but my first goal is to incorporate a fasting part of my day. Some days, I can do more when I don’t have a run in the morning.
For today’s cross-training, I walked around the neighborhood. I didn’t do a second workout in the evening.
Thursday
Thursday is drill day! On our running call this week or last week, someone says they do 80+ for their cadence! I struggled to get to 45 today, and I just can’t understand how they can do that. I’m going to keep trying, but I am definitely missing something.
It wasn’t as humid this morning, which made my run much better than it has been. Overall, I felt great and got in 3.7 miles and listened to the Rise and Run podcast, which I just love! I was going to do a strength exercise when I got home, but I had to get to work. I did get in a set of lunges and step-ups.
Friday
Watched RezRuns videos, which made me really happy. His videos are really entertaining and motivating – just what I need to nerd out on training with no one to talk to. My rule is that I need to do something productive like stretch or strength exercises while I watch them.
I wish I would have known about all of these people back in 2017 who were training and running these races I was attending. There are some really fun, passionate people out there, and they are part of the runDisney community.
Saturday
“I forgot the world could feel like this!” When I looked at the weather Saturday morning, I was in shock! 18 degrees C. It has been 23 degrees with humidity in the morning. Walking outside, what insane. I forgot how the world could feel. I almost debated wearing pants to go on my run. It was GLORIOUS!
After taking the dogs out and doing my Miracle Morning, I did some warm-up exercises and headed out. Today was an easy 5 miles with a Magic Mile. This would be my fourth MM. Each one has improved from the other, but after getting an 8:58 on my last one, I didn’t think I could improve anymore. My goal was to be around 9 minutes and not gain too much time. I’ve been gaining weight, so I was scared it would be a lot higher.
My first 1.4 miles was a slow 30/30 warm-up on my way to my “track.” Then it was time for my MM. I have to run just over 3 times around the “track,” and I add a walk break halfway around and then when I pass the start. I was tired, and it was hard, but I did it in 8:40! It must have been the weather because I have no idea how I did it. I was so happy!
I finished the remaining miles at a 30/30 pace. It was so nice to be outside, and I didn’t want it to end. Hopefully, more of this weather is coming to me in the future.
Sunday
I took a small walk today, but nothing big. I mean to do some strength and yoga, but I didn’t end up doing it.
This is a catch-up post because I didn’t write during these two weeks of training. Not sure why, but it just slipped my mind.
Training Week 5: July 25 – 31
This week was hot. It was just humid and hot. My Tuesday and Thursday runs were lackluster. I felt slow and sluggish, but I got both runs done. I didn’t do anything on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday – just pure laziness.
On Saturday, I did a 16-mile “run.” Since my weekday runs were not great, I knew I wouldn’t be able to run the full 16. Instead of doing a run/walk pattern, I opted to speed walk the full distance. This helped keep my confidence high and not get discouraged like on my 14-mile run. The other change I made was to do loops where my house was in the middle. I first did 6 miles, and then I stopped at home to get some Nuun and a wet rag. Then I went out for another 6 miles before stopping at home again. Then I went out for my final four miles. Those breaks helped a lot. I did the full distance in 4:06 which averaged a 15:23/pace. Well above any goal pace, but Coach said it’s training and walking is beneficial. I was below a 15-minute pace until mile 7 – then it keep increasing. At mile 11, I was over a 16-minute pace. I didn’t feel great, but I was happy to be done. It was just so hot.
Training Week 6: August 1 – 7
Monday I did get in a 10-minute yoga session – but that was all. Didn’t even close my green ring! My two maintenance runs this week were okay. Tuesday I did a 3.2-mile tempo run which averaged a 12:31 pace. My tempo portion was only at 11:51, which really made me mad. Thursday I got in 4 miles on my drill day. Wednesday, I did my final bike ride before Pelotonia and completed 4.5 miles. I felt ready to go since a bike ride doesn’t feel like a lot of work…
The big highlight of the week was going to Columbus for 2022 Pelotonia! On Friday, I drove to Columbus for the event. On my way, I finally stopped to tour the West Virginia State Capital in Charleston. It was nice to get some walking in during a road trip, especially by seeing something that I find really exciting. I love to tour state capitol buildings. I’ve been traveling on I-77 between North Carolina and Ohio my whole life. I’ve always seen the beautiful gold dome of the WV capitol building but have never stopped to actually see it. I’m so glad I finally toured it!
Pelotonia was quite something! I have a full recap here, but a high-level summary is that it’s an event to raise money for cancer research. It was my first time riding 20 miles. Read about my takeaways in the recap because I definitely learned a lot!
Takeaways
These past two weeks really got away from me. I’m not sure if it’s the summer heat, but I was really sluggish and unmotivated. Pelotonia was a great experience, and I am really glad I got to do this with my brother. Now, it’s on to training week 7!
The weeks are just flying by! We are four weeks into 2023 Dopey training, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m sticking to my schedule and doing what I’m supposed to do, but, like last week, I don’t feel confident at all.
Monday
Today was a pretty lazy day. I only did a 10-minute core workout, which is, unfortunately, an improvement on my Monday workout session. I’m struggling to feel confident, and I know the two things that would help would be strength training and losing weight. Strength training should help lose weight, so why don’t I prioritize it? Ugh!
On a fun note, I got my new Macbook Air M2 today! I had a Macbook Pro 2011, and I had been waiting the last few years to get a new Macbook. My old one is still a good computer (I love Mac quality), but I couldn’t really upgrade the OS anymore. Not a big deal because most of what I do is web-based, but I also wanted a new computer. The difference in 11 years of technology is just outstanding! Just look at the screen and the size. I’m quite excited!
Tuesday
Tuesday is tempo day, and I’m focusing on trying to PR the Around the Crown 10K in just over a month. Overall, my total pace was 11:58/mile, which includes a 30/30 warm-up and cool-down. I did 2.16 miles at 90/30, but it was only at a 10:53 pace. According to my MM pace, I should do a 10K at 10:19/mile, but I’m not sure how to do this. I felt like I was sprinting to do what I did. I got in a total of 3.5 miles, but I was really frustrated.
Wednesday
Just a small, slow walk. I was feeling sluggish, so it only ended up at 1.89 miles at a 16-minute pace. Boo.
Thursday
Thursday’s training was drill training. My cadence drills again ranged from 41-45 or so. I feel like I should be able to do more, so I must be missing something from this exercise. Overall, I did 3 miles in about 44 minutes. My overall pace was 14:37/mile because I was really slow on the warm-up. I hate that I keep saying that “I wasn’t feeling it” because I do want to get out there. I’m just so, so sluggish. Despite being slow going, I did do squats, lunges, and calf raises when I finished, so got in a little strength training.
Friday
I did a short 10-minute pilates workout to help my core. Friday night I was so tired and skipped an event at my church and went to bed before 8 pm.
Saturday
Despite an early bedtime and the dogs sleeping all night, I didn’t feel well when I work up Saturday morning. I was planning to do my speedwork on Saturday so I didn’t have to get it in before helping in the nursery tomorrow. Based on how I felt, I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t much in the mood for walking let alone speedwork. The pups and I had a slow morning, and I hoped I would feel better by the afternoon.
Sure enough, I didn’t feel so bad later and did the long bike ride I planned for Sunday that afternoon. I took my bike to the greenway for some shade and to ride without stressing about cars. When it’s really humid out, a bike is nice because it creates an automatic breeze.
Because it was so hot and humid, I brought a water bottle with a Nuun sport tab. Part of the issues I have with hydration have to be related to electrolytes. Despite the Salt Tab label listing it includes all 5 electrolytes, my running group said you still have to drink electrolytes; Salt Sticks are not a substitution.
I was about 4 miles into my ride when I stopped to take a drink. I didn’t want to slow my ride, so I went to pause my watch and I stopped the workout instead! The agony! Has anyone done this? I just hate it because now the workout will look shorter, and you wonder if you should just redo it. Sigh. I told myself that is dumb and to get over it. Therefore, by the end, I did a 3.77 mile and 7.22 mile bike ride back to back. Not quite 11 miles, but I could have done 11 miles if it was showing on my watch. The dumb things technology makes you do…
Pelotonia is in two weekends! I’m really excited to do this event and am feeling comfortable that I will be able to complete the 20-mile ride. My fundraising goal is complete, but if you’re interested in helping support cancer research, please feel free to donate here. Any size donation is meaningful!
Sunday
Speed workout day was finally here. I tried going to bed earlier and planned on waking at 4 am, but I was still so tired. It was 4:45 am before I woke up and finally got out the door around 5:30 am. I forced myself to eat a Honey Stinger waffle and brought a Ucann gel with me. I wasn’t sure I was going to use it, but I probably should to practice and because it would total 8 miles when I finished.
The dew point was around 67 degrees. I don’t know a lot about the dew point, but it has been mentioned in several running blogs and podcasts since it relates temperature to humidity. All I knew was that I just needed to do the workout. I walked a lot of my warm-up and then busted the 800-meter speed portions. Unfortunately, while I thought I was sprinting (which you shouldn’t do), I didn’t meet my goal times. My 800-meter time should be 5:05, which I only surprassed on my fifth round. All my other times were higher, which is very upsetting.
But survive I did. That was my second time completing a speed workout, and I can see how this can help you improve. I would still like to find a track to use, but this setup is working okay.
Takeaways
This was not a great week, but I did the workouts I needed to. I hope to start feeling better so I can embrace these workouts more and add in more strength/flexibility exercises. Next week, I need to watch my diet and eat more energy-rich foods. It’s still going to be hot, and next weekend has a 16-mile run on the calendar. Whew!
Week 3 of Dopey training is in the books. It is definitely summer in North Carolina, so it is really hot and sticky. This week was okay, kind of like last week. I managed to get in all of my runs, a bike ride, and some yoga. While I didn’t do “formal” strength training, I am adding in some exercises after my runs.
Monday
No real workout today. Churchill had a vet appointment, and then I had to get to work. I did some stretching after work but basically took it easy.
Tuesday
Tuesday is tempo day. I did my 10-minute warm-up at 30/30 ratio then switched to 90/30 ratio, hoping to hit a 10K pace of 10:19. This is what my Magic Mile predicted pace would be according to Jeff Galloway. If I can hit this (and sustain it), I can PR Around the Crown 10K on Labor Day weekend. It’s my goal to PR, so I will keep working towards this.
My pace was 11:41, which is way off, but I was also feeling way off that morning. Just super sluggish. Total workout time was about 37 minutes.
Wednesday
Today I got in a 5-mile bike ride. It’s funny about bike rides because they are encouraged, but I don’t feel like it’s a workout like a run. I just rode around my neighborhood and luckily didn’t have any encounters with crazy people in their cars. Pelotonia is in just a few weeks.
Thursday
Thursday is drill day. I’ve been keeping my intervals at 30/30 for these days so I do a warm-up, then cadence drills for 5 minutes, then acceleration gliders before making my way home. My pace stays about the same (low 13:00), which I’m not sure if that’s good or not.
Friday
Churchill had to go back to the vet today because, on Monday, they spilled his blood sample. The poor little guy had to redo this. I decided to do a full 30 minutes of yoga before bed, which was very nice. I was able to clear my head and actually focus on the exercise.
Saturday
Today went wrong in every way. The dogs were up at least once every hour starting at 11 pm. My goal was to wake at 4:15 am, but I was so exhausted that I hit my snooze until 5 am. Finally, I pulled myself out of bed because I knew how brutal the heat/humidity would be if I waited any longer.
I finally got my tail out of the door around 6:20 am for a 14-mile long run. The set pace for my long runs is 13:40. On our Tuesday call, Coach Twiggs referenced this as a stop sign. You can go slower, but you aren’t supposed to speed. I changed my ratio to 20/30 to try to slow down to this on my last run, which worked okay.
For the first 6 miles, I was definitely speeding. I kept trying to slow down, but I was having a hard time without constantly walking. My other goal was to worry about fueling. My fingers swell in the heat/humidity and Salt Sticks tabs are supposed to help with this, so I started taking them from the beginning. I had a Ucann gel around mile 4. I wasn’t hungry, but you’re supposed to stay ahead of things.
Speeding!Swollen fingers and hand. It hurts 🙁
Well, I could feel the heat around the halfway point. Pretzels were my next snack, so I ate about 5 during the next mile, which was a win because I didn’t feel nauseous. I was still trying to keep up my ratio. By mile 9, I knew I couldn’t do it and gave up to straight walking. I took a really hilly route, so I could get some more exercise, knowing that I would be walking. Around mile 9, I decided to have my Honey Stinger gummies. They are yummy, but I was feeling nauseous around mile 11, so I have to think that is a cause. I just can’t handle sugar.
The END!
By mile 11, I couldn’t even give it a go at running. I really slowed my walk down. Coach says to just cover the miles. Well, I listened, and I got them in. It was ugly, but I did what was on the training plan. I was so wet from sweat. My legs were tired, my left calf was sore from mile 2 or 3, and my hands were swollen and hurting. But I was done and that was the biggest goal.
Sunday
It was another hot Carolina day, so it was nice to visit my parents and go to the pool. I was able to get in 45 minutes of light swimming. I know it’s doing something, but I never feel tired until I get out of the water. Maybe it’s because you don’t sweat in the pool. Not sure, but it was a nice activity to add to the training cycle.
Take Away
I have a lot to figure out with fueling and hydration during this Dopey training session. I love my hydration pack, but I was so tired by 14, I don’t know how I could do 26 (let alone 3 times in a matter of 2.5 months). Trust the training. Trust the plan. This is what I need to do, but I can’t help but think I need to run more during the week. I really want to be a better runner, but I’m not sure what to do.
I love my Apple Watch and wear it every day. They are expensive, so I cannot imagine having this and a Garmin, and since I like the integration with my phone and computer, I can’t imagine getting a Garmin. While the workout features are good, it is confusing to use your Apple Watch for speed workouts.
One of the components of the Jeff Galloway training program is speed workouts. These are a supplement your weekend long runs to help you go faster. Prior to joining Customized Training, I had heard runners talk about speed workouts and track workouts, but I couldn’t wrap my head around them. What were you supposed to do? How did you do it? What determines how fast you should do it? How do you know how many times? Since I found it overwhelming, I have never done any type of speed work in my training besides surges or running fast for a certain period of time.
This weekend, was my second speed weekend. You are supposed to go to a track, but I still cannot find one. The people on my group call said to use chalk to mark out 800 meters on the road and use those as markers, but I can’t find a half-mile stretch without hills. I can see how a track would be really helpful, but that is not what I will talk about here. I want to document how I used my Apple Watch for speed workouts to help me try to meet these time goals, in case anyone else is struggling to figure out the logistics to this. My first weekend was a disaster, but this weekend went much better.
Apple Watch Views
(Please note, I am using WatchOS 8) You can change the metrics displayed on your Apple Watch by using the Watch app on your iPhone and then scrolling to the “Workout” app. From there, you select the first option called “Workout View.”
There is then a list of all of the available workouts, and you can select different metrics for each workout. I usually only care about the “Outdoor Run” workout, but you could change for anything. I should actually think about doing something for cycling.
The ones I currently find helpful are: distance, average pace, duration, current pace, and heart rate.
Average Pace is what I use during a long run to see if I am going at my total 13:40 goal pace. It will combine the entire workout’s average, so that is helpful with run/walk
Current Pace is what you are currently doing, which I found really helpful in doing this speed workout.
Another option is rolling pace. This option is what you are doing for the last mile. I am sure there are times when this is a helpful metric, but I can’t apply it to my needs right now.
Recording Segments
Something I found through research is how to create “segments” on the Apple Watch. Many times people talk about clocking laps on their Garmin. This is the same thing on an Apple Watch and so, so easy. When you want to “lap” or create a segment, you just double-tap the screen, and it will briefly show you the segment metrics. This is how I clock my Magic Mile in the middle of my runs. This is a game-changer, and I don’t think many people know about this on Apple Watch.
How to Use Apple Watch for Speed Work
By using a combination of the above, I was able to better monitor my speed workout. My steps were:
Record a 15-minute timed run workout for my warm-up.
Once this was completed, and I was ready to do my speedwork, I added a new workout for an open outdoor run. This cleared all of the metrics and let me work from scratch.
I knew I had to run 0.5 miles for the first speed section. Coach said to do this in 5:05, so that should be a 10:10 pace, and recommended a 90/30 run/walk ratio. I had my interval timer set for 90/30, but only followed it during a speed section when it told me to walk.
While I was in this 0.5-mile section, I watched my “current pace” and wanted to make sure it was below 10:10. In reality, it needed to be somewhere in the 9:00 range because I would need to add a walk break in at times. My run time was anywhere in the high 8 minutes to 9 minutes, but once I looked down and saw 7:57. It made me so happy, but I knew that wasn’t sustainable and backed off a little bit.
At the end of the 0.5 miles, I double-tapped by screen to end the segment and start my 0.25-mile walk segment. Here, I was told to do this in 5:05, which would be 10:10 x 2 or 20:20. I can’t walk that slow, so I decided not to think about pace, but just walk during these 400-meter times.
When I saw on my watch that I was at the next 0.25 milestone, I would double tap and get ready for my next 800 meters.
I would repeat this and count on my hand how many sets I had finished.
After I completed all of the sets, I added a new open run workout for my cool down.
The Results
You can see what it looks like on your phone in the Fitness App after you finish.
Yellow is how much actual time it took you to do the segment
Blue is the distance (in miles for my settings)
Teal is the average/mile pace of that segment
Challenges
This isn’t a perfect method, and I can see how a track would be helpful. A few of the gripes I have are:
It’s annoying to look at your watch a lot, but maybe that is just what you do in speedwork. I’ve never used a Garmin, so I don’t have a comparison.
I hate that it breaks up my run. I did about 7 miles today, but I recorded it in 3 workouts (1.something miles, 4.5 miles, and 1 mile). That just annoys me. I like to see a high distance number. I’m not sure if it would make sense to do them all in one for speedwork, but I think this is probably a better way to do tempo runs without knowing your current segment pace during the workout.
Not sure I needed to start a new workout if I knew the mileage after my warm up. If I ended the warm-up at 1.25 miles, I could just do the 0.5 segment to 1.75 or something.
I have no idea how I would do this if I had to really hit the 5:05 mark. “Current Mile Pace” shows your run pace then slows down a lot when you walk, but it doesn’t average them. At this point, the Average Pace metric doesn’t make sense because of the slow 400-meter recovery.
Apple WatchOS 9
This fall, Apple will release the new operating system – WatchOS 9. At WWDC they announced several really cool new features for running. One of them looks like you will be able to change your screen metrics to show “current segment pace” which would solve many of the problems I have here and when doing weekday runs. The public beta is supposed to be released in July, and I think I am going to sign up for it so I can use this feature. I don’t use my watch for much more than this, so I don’t think it would interrupt too many other activities if the features are buggy.
I’ve really slacked at writing training weekly updates lately, but I think they were helpful for me when I was training for the 2021 Chicago Marathon. I started training with the Galloway Customized Training Program in April, so I am not following the Hal Higdon Dopey Training Plan or the RunDisney Galloway Training Program since Coach Twiggs created a training plan for me. When I signed up for the program, I told him I wanted to finish the 2023 Disney Marathon strong and in 5 or 5:15 time (I forgot what I told him). That is how he created my current training plan.
Instagram is abuzz with 2023 Disney Marathon training kicking off this past week (June 27 – July 3). The RunDisney training plan has a 3-mile long run this weekend, which is the plan a lot of people are following. I did a 12-mile run on Saturday, so my plan is a bit different. I decided to keep up with everyone, this week was my first “official” training week for Dopey 2023. The excitement and camaraderie makes the difficult training cycle more fun, so I am going to do updates based on this broader plan. The first of 28 weeks…
Monday
This is my rest day. I was supposed to do yoga, but I didn’t…I did fit in the speed workout I was supposed to do on Sunday. My business was robbed early on Sunday morning, so I didn’t get to do my first track workout then because it was too hot. (Don’t get my started on the idiot who tried to rob me and likely won’t have any repercussions to his STUPID actions.)
Coach prescribes a track workout to help with speed. Today I was supposed to do 4 x 800 in 5:15 (90/30 pace) and a 400 meter cool down in between in that same amount of time. I tried to go to a local middle school and use their track; I left because it said “no trespassing” and got nervous. Instead, I tried to use a neighborhood circle, but I couldn’t keep track of the time/pace/distance and basically botched the whole thing.
What I learned for this is WOW, this is going to be tough. This was only 4 sets, but my later training exceeds 10. I’ve never done a speed training before, and this is going to be INTENSE! That’s what I’m here for, and why I decided to work with a coach.
Tuesday
My typical Tuesday training is a 10 minute warm up (30/30 ratio) then 10-15 minutes at race pace (60/30), follow up by a 10 minute cool down (30/30 ratio). I did this with my neighbor, which it is nice to have someone to run with, and it was actually a nice morning. This generally works out to a 3-mile run. Overall, I did a 12:15 pace for the workout. It was a good run, and I finished in time to get ready for work.
Wednesday
Coach has me scheduled for cross training. I try to bike this day, but I decided to go for a walk instead, even though I should have biked for my Pelotonia training. Cycling is so overwhelming because I am terrified of the cars. When I walk, I don’t feel bad about using the sidewalk…
Thursday
Today is Coach’s drill day. I still go about 3 miles, but my schedule is:
10-minute warm up (30/30)
Cadence Drills (keep on 30/30 timer)
Today I did a MM instead of race pace
Acceleration gliders
10-minute cool down (30/30)
I kept my timer on 30/30 the whole time today but ignored it during the MM, but it was easy to do everything else with this timer. The thing I should note here is my MM. On Tuesday’s group call, Coach suggested I do a MM because I was really struggling to slow down enough to hit my recommended paces. This would be my 3rd MM a month or two, and since I know I haven’t been able to execute it well, I thought that was a good decision. I added in more walk breaks since that is the recommendation he makes to other group members. My “track” is a neighborhood circle 3+ times. I put my walk breaks at half way, at the start, and then repeated that 3 times, so it was 6 times instead of 3 times as I did on my second try. On my first try, I ran with 0 walk breaks.
I really don’t understand it, but I ran faster with 6 10-second walk breaks than I did with 0 walk breaks. It was a hot day, and I did a mile in 8:58; that is crazy! I don’t know if I ever did a mile that fast before! Super happy about this!
Friday
Today was a low-key cross train day, so I just walked for 2 miles.
Saturday
Today was my weekly long-run. I did 12-miles, which I did at a 30/30 ratio. It was really tough, but I was steady. Not sure I could have gone too much further, as I was excited to be done! Best of all, I basically hit my 13:40 pace!
Let me tell you, I’m so happy with my hydration pack. That makes a huge difference. I’ve been trying out Salt Stick tablets and using my vest, so I feel like I can sustain myself for longer. My fingers are swelling, but they don’t hurt like they usually do.
Sunday
For today’s cross-training, I finally got in my swim. It has been a long time since I got into a pool. but I know how beneficial it is. I walked to the pool before its opening. Having signed the waiver saying that I was adult and could manage the pool without a lifeguard, I was disappointed to find all of the gates locked. In a mature fashion, showing my real age, I jumped the fence. Yep. I’m 37 but definitely felt 15 again. The lifeguard came in about 30 minutes later, and asked how I got in. I couldn’t lie…
Even though it was hot, I did get in 18 holes of golf that afternoon and had one of the best games that I have done (I’m still a beginner). It’s just so pretty!
Even though no one reads this, I find updating my blog helpful for accountability. There are a lot of things I need to write for my training updates, but I haven’t prioritized a weekly update. Therefore, I have a lot of updates in my running routines, and I will do a high-level update here.
Customized Training Program with Chris Twiggs
On May 17 or 18, I started the Customized Training Program with Coach Twiggs, as part of the Galloway Training Program. I learned about this program on a podcast I’ve been listening to when Coach Twiggs was interviewed. When I first received the schedule, I panicked. It was so different than what I was planning using Hal Higdon Dopey plan. I was also overwhelmed because he had me running 26 miles in November with the race in January. The shock was a lot for me to take in.
Take it in I did, and I emailed him questions and comments. I also signed up for an extra 6 months (taking this program to 1 year) so I could see the full plan for Dopey. He has been really wonderful to work with and help with making changes. I think this Galloway program will be good for me to improve as a runner.
I’ve learned a lot about running from each of them, and highly recommend them. l enjoy listening to them on runs.
Finding Community
I’ve been really nerding out to running but don’t have anyone to talk to about it. One of the things I hear in the RunDisney community is meeting virtual friends. Even though I have to have a limited relationship with Facebook, I decided to join some Facebook groups for Dopey people. It is neat to see the updates others have and feed off their excitement.
The last training week before marathon day! I look back on where I started on Week 1and can’t believe I’m actually here.
Monday
Something I really need to focus on is finding a strength routine that I will actually do. Why do I hate doing it so much?! Sigh…no workout again.
Tuesday
I finished my 4 scheduled miles at 11:07/mile pace, and I felt really good.
Wednesday
Today was rough. I was supposed to do 6 miles, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I went out and got in 3 at a 12:15/mile pace. While I’m happy I did something, I was really frustrated with myself for not being able to commit to doing all 6. What if I “wasn’t feeling it” on race day? That night I read about running mindset because I have been feeling really nervous. This was helpful and tried to get me to think more positively.
Thursday
Since I had 3 on the schedule today, I did the 6 that I should have completed yesterday. This went well and I averaged an 11:07/mile pace. I was pleased with this and happy to see trying to change my mindset was helping.
Friday
Today I did get in some bodyweight exercises and stretching, but nothing serious.
Saturday
This was my last long run before race day. It’s hard to believe 8 miles seemed daunting at the beginning of my training, and now it was a lower mileage day. I averaged 8 miles at a 12:00/mile pace. Not sure why this was the first time, but I tried a 60/30 run/walk style which worked out well. I felt strong and somewhat consistent, so I think this is what I am going to do for marathon day. I felt like I could probably sustain that for a good period of time.
Sunday
I rode my bike but otherwise took the day easy. Trying to make sure I don’t get hurt before the big day which is in ONE WEEK!
Summary
I can’t believe next week is race week. I’ve been stressing a lot about the race and worrying, but bottom line is, I have worked hard for this. Even though I am nervous, I am excited and that is what I need to focus on. This is such an opportunity. An opportunity that was taken away last year, and I don’t want to waste the opportunity again. It’s such a unique experience to run a World Major Marathon and the Chicago Marathon.
