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in Cross-Training, Running, Speedwork, Strength Training, Wine, Yoga · May 18, 2014

Weekly Recap and a Semi-Workout

This week’s workouts weren’t too different from the past few weeks.

Weekly Recap from 5/11-5/17:

Sunday: Rest

Monday: 3.9 miles (9:08 pace), CX Works, PM-Body Pump

  IMG_2632

Tuesday: 4.55 miles (9:10 pace), PM- Yoga

harborview

Wednesday: Elliptical, Body Pump, CX Works, PM-Yoga

Thursday: 5.77 (8:12 pace)—the “semi-workout”

Friday: 2.5 miles (9:36 pace), Body Pump, PM- Yoga

Saturday: 9.08 miles (8:37 pace)

longrun

Total: 25.8 miles

While I am not training for anything right now, I have been keeping most of my runs at an easy pace. Last week I decided to start adding a little faster work into one run per week. This is a workout I like to do when I don’t really have a training plan, and I can adjust it to the time/pace that works for me on that day. Last Thursday my run looked like this:

10 minute warm up, 4 minutes “hard” (I was aiming for about 7:45-7:50/mile), 2 minutes easy, repeat 5 times, 10 minute cool down

This Thursday I made it a little more difficult:

10 minute warm up, 5 minutes hard, 2 minuts easy- repeat 4 times, 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy, 1 minute hard

You can really do these for any amount of time, I just try to keep the recovery no more than  half as long as the workout part. During this weeks workout I felt good after the 4 repeats which is why I added the 1-2 minute intervals at the end.

I am hoping to do this workout again this week, maybe running “hard” for 6 minutes at a time. Hopefully these will help me to be ready if I end up doing the Baltimore 10 miler in a few weeks!

I am actually going to be at my in-laws house in Florida for most of this week, so I didn’t do much meal prep and I don’t have a workout plan for the week. I am trying to get some classes in before I leave on Wednesday, since I can run as much as I want in Florida but won’t have access to a gym.

poolview

There will likely be a lot of running, wine, and relaxing in the sun! I can’t wait!

How were your workouts this week?

What kind of workouts do you like to do on vacation?

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Previous Post: « Weekly Recap and the Return of Humidity
Next Post: Thinking Out Loud #3: Focus on the Positive »

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Comments

  1. Michele @paleorunningmomma.com says

    May 19, 2014 at 1:10 am

    I love running on vacation because it totally breaks up the rut I have between 2 or 3 typical routes at home. Great way to see a new city! And the climate change brings an extra challenge.

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:40 am

      Yes I love seeing new places by running on vacation! I get really bored running the same places at home all the time.

  2. Lara @ Uptite Mamas says

    May 19, 2014 at 9:58 am

    My training will be complete after I run my half marathon this week. I”m a little nervous about how i will approach my workouts, but I need to focus on my race first!! #bestfoot

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:41 am

      Good luck in your race!!

  3. AmyC says

    May 19, 2014 at 2:28 pm

    I got my runs in, but didn’t do much cross-training. Must do better!!

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:42 am

      It can be tough to do it all! Some weeks I do almost all running and no cross training. Lately I’ve been really trying to fit more of it in.

  4. Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says

    May 19, 2014 at 2:37 pm

    Sounds like a great plan to work on speed. I’d love to try to do more hard effort runs, but I have no clue what to do!

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:43 am

      Hopefully you can try something like this out!

  5. Salt says

    May 19, 2014 at 4:29 pm

    I am so jealous of your vacation! I hope you have a wonderful time!
    It sounds like you had a great week. Your Thursday run sounds like it was awesome! At some point we are going to have to meet up for a run or a race. 🙂 (I wish I was doing the Baltimore 10!)

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:44 am

      I’m thinking about doing this 6k the first weekend in June: https://nfb.org/dot-dash If you don’t have other plans you should think about it! I wish you were doing the Baltimore 10 too!

  6. Krysten (@darwinianfail) says

    May 19, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    I am super impressed with how many double workouts you fit in even when you are not training for anything. I HATE the double workout haha. And I have to do a whole lot more of them as I creep closer to my half ironman…

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:46 am

      I think the only reason I’ve been doing so many is because I love running in the morning but yoga is really only available in the evenings. There are some days when I’m like no way, one workout is plenty! But lately its been going ok, possibly because my mileage is lower.

  7. Lacey@fairytalesandfitness says

    May 19, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    I love bodypump. I used to teach that and RPM. So much fun! Have fun in Florida. I try to do a little something while in vacation. Usually it’ll just be a short run. So I can get back and enjoy my time being there. Have a great wkend!

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 12:48 am

      Its nice to get a run in while on vacation but still enjoy the time away:) That’s awesome that you used to teach body pump! I actually considered it at one point but the training was so expensive and I get nervous is front of crowds, so I didn’t do it. Now after I have been taking classes for 7 years I kind of wish I had just done it! Oh well:)

  8. Emmeline@RunForThePizza says

    May 20, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    That house looks awesome! I could totally waste some time by that pool 😉 I do pretty well with running on certain vacations (like Switzerland) and horrible on others (all-inclusive in Jamaica), I’ve learned that my running routine and the option of free bloody marys with my breakfast don’t mix well and I will inevitably choose beach+book+frozen drink over running in 90 degree heat. Oops.

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 11:36 pm

      Haha yes I have had vacations like that where running is the last thing I would want to do! But usually I enjoy a few drinks in the evening and can still run in the morning:)

  9. Michael Anderson says

    May 20, 2014 at 4:27 pm

    I had written about the realization that running is now how I tend to explore new places. So even my old college and college town I saw in a new way as a runner, shattering ideas of distance and direction, and seeing places I’d never seen before (and of course ones that didn’t exist).

    Definitely think it is good to mix up the workouts, always serves to keep things interesting and challenging. I’ve started fiddling around with heart rate, need to get back to regular speed work …

    Hope you have a great vacation!

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 11:38 pm

      Thanks! I am also interested in learning more about heart rate and working on that. It can be really great to explore new places while running! I just worry about getting lost. Luckily now with smart phones I can find my way back:)

  10. Erica G says

    May 20, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    Enjoy your time in Florida! And nice to meet you through the #bestfoot link up…even if I am a day behind.

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 11:38 pm

      Thank you! I am really behind on catching up on blog posts…Hopefully I will catch up this week!

  11. Amy says

    May 20, 2014 at 8:52 pm

    I am always nervous about fitting workouts in when I travel, but it usually ends up being way easier than I expect. I love seeing the new scenery. It can just be tricky with packed vacation schedules.

    • [email protected] says

      May 20, 2014 at 11:39 pm

      Yes that’s true! I hate being the person that makes everyone adjust their plans because I need to run. Luckily this vacation is really laid back with no real plans, so plenty of time to run!

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Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Running Marathons

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Alright, my last post about the Richmond Marathon Alright, my last post about the Richmond Marathon (maybe). This one is about lessons learned/areas for improvement.

1) Starting in the right corral- I knew I wanted to start a little slow but I think I started too far back and I ended up boxed in later in the race. 

2) Increasing fueling- I think I did the best I could on this day but now that I know more about what works/doesn’t work for me I think I can try to get my carbs/hr a little higher for next time

3) Self-doubt- On paper I knew my training showed I could run a certain time. My coach knew I could run a certain time. But deep down did I believe I could run that time? I’m not really sure.

4) My right piriformis- This little muscle has been giving me trouble FOREVER and it likes to rear its ugly head the most during races. I’m working with a PT but it’s hard to address the issue when I can go months without any problems and then at mile 15 of a marathon it starts acting up. So while this is certainly an area for improvement I am not really sure what I’ll be able to do to keep it from happening next time.

5) Ignore the data leading up to the race- During race week my sleep scores were horrible, my HRV tanked, and my watch told me I was “strained”. I might just stop wearing it during the taper next time.

What lessons have you learned during a marathon or big race?

@richmondmarathon #racerecap
It’s been 5 days since the Richmond Marathon and i It’s been 5 days since the Richmond Marathon and it feels like a lifetime ago! I am working on my full race recap which I will post on my website but I wanted to share some reflections on here. Today I want to focus on what went well. Every finish line is an accomplishment, and while every race can teach us something I think it’s always important to focus on the positive.

First off, Richmond was a great race with amazing crowd support! There were some hills (a few steeper than I expected) but nothing crazy.

Fueling went well- after my train wreck of a run a few weeks ago I had to adjust my fueling plan and took out the Tailwind High Carb and went back to regular Skratch instead. I tried to make up for the difference with gels but my overall carbs per hour was a little less than it had been when using the Tailwind. I think I got about 65 g/hour so I’d like to get that up a bit next time but I didn’t get nauseous and took gels up until the end of the race.

Shoes felt good- during that same training run I had some top of foot soreness from my laces. I changed my lacing technique and had no issues on race day. 

Mindset- I did a lot of work preparing for the race mentally and was able to use those strategies during the race. I focused on one mile at a time and shifted my goals when I knew my original goal was not going to happen. 

Pacing- Even though I didn’t run my goal pace I was able to run fairly consistently without drastically slowing down at the end. 

Recovery- I felt pretty good following the race and wasn’t even sore anymore by Tuesday. This was probably the least sore I’ve been after a marathon.

Strong training cycle- this year I feel like I’ve been clawing my way back to where I was a year ago after several illnesses last winter and spring. I had a great training cycle with @lauranorrisrunning and I know I’ve made more progress than my race time shows.

Marathons are a huge investment so I really tried to make the most of the experience!

@richmondmarathon #racerecap
Happy Medal Monday! I can’t believe the Richmond M Happy Medal Monday! I can’t believe the Richmond Marathon was only 2 days ago. I’m barely sore (probably because I was trained for a faster time than I ran) and am feeling good.

I included a list of my marathon times on the last slide here, which I posted in my stories yesterday. I got some messages about how others can relate to feeling like their times “reset” at a certain point- whether it was after an injury, having kids, or just time off from running.

I think we can get so caught up in PRs that it may take away from the overall progress made in the process of training. Sure, there are runners who come back from having kids and immediately set a new lifetime PR. But many of us will need to chip away at our times to get to where we want to be.

Focusing on progress and the gains made in a training cycle vs a specific race time can help to keep things in perspective!

Now, I’m trying to figure out spring racing plans. What’s everyone running this spring?

#medalmonday
What a day! This race (and really, this week) was What a day! This race (and really, this week) was a rollercoaster. I knew pretty early on that my legs and my lungs were not feeling my goal pace. Each time I sped up it felt really hard- way too hard to not even be at 10 miles yet. So I just focused on running the effort that my body would allow. I used all the mental strategies I had to get through each mile. Ultimately, I wanted to run faster than my marathon last November, which I did by almost 2 minutes, making this a postpartum PR. More importantly, I smiled almost the whole time.

After finishing we had to rush to get out of our hotel room and spent the whole afternoon driving home. Over the past 2 days I’ve spent almost 10 hours in the car.

More to come soon…just hoping to get home and get some rest soon!

#richmondmarathon
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