I’m back after skipping last week’s Weekly Run Down due to my blog being down! But everything is back up now so it’s time to play catch up. Two weeks ago I started training for a fall race. I am hoping to do a marathon on October 2nd, but may consider doing a half if training for a full becomes too much. My motto as I’ve started training is “start where you are”. I will slowly build, add some speed, and see where it takes me.
Training for a Fall Race: Start Where You Are
- Monday 6/14: 6.5 Miles with 8 x 400m at 5k pace
- Tuesday 6/15: Strength Training + 4 Stroller Miles
- Wednesday 6/16: 5.4 Miles Easy with 6 x 20 second hills at the end
- Thursday 6/17: Rest
- Friday 6/18: Strength Training + 3.6 Easy Miles
- Saturday 6/19: 12 Miles
- Sunday 6/20: 3.6 Easy Stroller Miles
- Monday 6/21: Strength Training + 3. 6 Easy Miles
- Tuesday 6/22: 5.2 Miles with 6 x 30 second strides at the end
- Wednesday 6/23: Strength Training + 3.3 Easy Miles
- Thursday 6/24: Rest
- Friday 6/25: 6.1 Miles with 5k Time Trial in 21:52
- Saturday 6/26: 10 Miles
- Sunday 6/27: 3.7 Stroller Miles
Monday 6/14: 6.5 Miles with 8 x 400m at 5k pace
This workout feels so long ago that I don’t really remember how it went! I hit my goal paces, so that’s good. I’m sure it was hot and humid because that’s been the theme of the month.
Tuesday 6/15: Strength Training + 4 Stroller Miles
A day off from work meant I lifted early and then did a stroller run. I noticed that the cicadas are starting to go away! We did have a deer pee behind us while we took this picture, so that was fun!
Wednesday 6/16: 5.4 Miles Easy with 6 x 20 second hills at the end
I’ve been trying to do more hill repeats lately. They go by pretty quickly but I still find them tough!
Thursday 6/17: Rest
On Wednesday I started to come down with another cold. I moved my rest day to Thursday and felt much better by the end of the day. By Friday, I just had a stuffy nose.
Friday 6/18: Strength Training + 3.6 Easy Miles
It was cool enough for long sleeves! Good thing because I needed those sleeves to wipe my shirt on. You get it, right?
Saturday 6/19: 12 Miles
The heat and humidity were back! My weather app didn’t make it seem as bad as it felt out there. I struggled quite a bit but got it done, and ran LOTS of hills in the process.
Sunday 6/20: 3.6 Easy Stroller Miles
Our usual Sunday morning easy family run, followed by pancakes!
Monday 6/21: Strength Training + 3. 6 Easy Miles
Moved things around a bit this week because of my schedule and doing a time trial on Friday. Got in my strength work and an easy run. SO MUCH SWEAT!
Tuesday 6/22: 5.2 Miles with 6 x 30 second strides at the end
I didn’t do a “workout” this week because of the time trial, but just added some strides on at the end of this run.
Wednesday 6/23: Strength Training + 3.3 Easy Miles
Got in the last workout of this phase of my strength plan, and then ran a short, easy run. It was much cooler out!
Thursday 6/24: Rest
I was sort of wishing I ran because the weather was so nice! We did get out for an early morning walk.
Friday 6/25: 6.1 Miles with 5k Time Trial in 21:52
I wanted to do a time trial to see where I was with the 5k to help me determine my training paces. Based on this time, I’ve been using the right paces for my training. This was about 30 seconds slower than the virtual 5k I ran in February (that I trained for). I’d prefer to use a half-marathon to get an idea of my fitness, but I don’t have any desire to “race” on my own right now.
Saturday 6/26: 10 Miles
This was another humid run, but we did have a bit of rain which felt nice! But then when the rain stopped, it felt gross again. Ugh. I am used to humid summers but this feels like it’s been really bad for it only being the end of June.
Sunday 6/27: 3.7 Stroller Miles
Another Sunday, another family run day! This time in new shoes! Brooks sent me a pair of the new Auroras and I couldn’t wait to try them out! So far I really like them, and will share more after wearing them a few more times.
Despite a little (quick) cold and the relentless heat, its been a good start to training. It’s kind of hard to image 2-3 more months of running in this heat though. We can only hope it will pay off in the fall, right?!
You may also like:
Running Through the Cicada Invasion
The Heat Is On
How were your workouts these past 2 weeks?
Have you done a time trial?
Are you over the humidity already?
Are you training for a fall race?
I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down!
Wow. I got tired reading about all your runs.
I’ve been cutting back. Nothing intentional. Just life.
My friends are not running as long as I have no mojo to get it done.
I have a fall half. Not training yet.
Never done a time trail. It would depress me. I can onky put on some speed in a race.
Honestly this is a great time to cut back with all the heat we’ve had! It can be really tough to do a time trial. I do wonder if I would be faster in a live race but I sometimes psych myself out when there’s too much pressure.
Yes! All your heat training will pay off big time for a fall race. Crazy that you had a long-sleeve day in there, and hooray that the cicadas are leaving- it can only get better from here on out, right?
It’s been so strange that once or twice a week it will cool off a bit! Its definitely a nice break but also kind of a tease.
Glad that you’re blog is back up and running! Whenever I have tech issues with my blog I always consider shutting it down since it’s too annoying to deal with the tech people for my website host – ugh!
Great 2 weeks of workouts! Your heat training will really pay off for a Fall race.
My hosting company is great (I recently switched to a small one that has great customer service) but it was just a random thing where they had a hardware failure and ALL the sites they hosted were down, including their own site. So there was nothing I could do except wait.
I love the “start where you are” sentiment. Honestly I think you’re in a really good place with your training. The weather has been all over the place here too and I’m quickly reminded just how challenging the humidity can be.
I always seems to forget just how much of a struggle the humidity is. I learn to adjust and run through it, but it really does slow me down.
I am always over humidity! Never my thing. But you can’t change it — so I try to plan around it, LOL!
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a time trial. I have usually trained through summers (not always though). Right now happy to not be training for anything!
Good idea to plan around the humidity! Its definitely a good time to not be training. Its been a rough few weeks!
I always think starting where you are is the most important step in training. So many runners make the mistake of starting too aggressively and get hurt. I am really trying to keep my base this summer so that my fall races go better. Definitely not enjoying our humidity either but at least those annoying cicadas are gone!
You’ve been doing great with keeping a strong base! It will definitely pay off when it cools off in the fall.
I love the ‘start where you are’ mindset because that’s how I always start training for things. Seriously, if it’s not broke, why fix it? Although the heat is definitely going to be a challenge. I have 2 halfs in the fall. I’m not going to do much more to train for them than to just add miles to my weekend long run! Good luck with your training. I know you’ll do great!
Thanks and I totally agree! I’ve been following a similar training schedule for so long now, so I want to stick with it and make small adjustments. If I end up a doing a half I will do the same as you- just make the long run a little longer.
Great couple of weeks of running! I really like the approach of “starting where you are”. I think when people are unrealistic about their current fitness level it can lead to injury. I’m betting you’ve got a great base – best of luck with your training!
Thanks so much! I definitely don’t want to push too hard these early weeks in training. There are many more weeks to go!
The humidity is tough, no argument there. While I can tolerate it…it’s been in the upper 90% almost everyday LOL Those Brooks Auroras look interesting…quite a sole on the backend. Are they a support/stability shoe?
Nope, they’re a neutral shoe, and they’re actually really light! They have a “decoupled heel” (I think that’s what its called) so the heel and bottom of the shoe are actually separate pieces. They’re pretty well cushioned too.
I’ve loved the lower temps and humidity during the last two weeks, but hated that the heat and humidity returned each weekend. Based on the forecast, this coming week is going to be a doozy!
I’m so sorry to hear that you and Grayson are both getting sick so often. I remember those days well…
The weather really was all over the place these last few weeks! Thank you- we are both finally better for right now at least!
Love your Sunday stroller runs!! Seems like such a fun tradition. I’ll be training for a Cleveland race/event after this baby is born hopefully!
Oh that is exciting! Something fun to look forward to!
Good work, well done!
I have done a sort of time trial, in that I ran as far as I could in 12 minutes, did 10 or so weeks of regular workouts set by our club coach, ran as far as I could in 12 minutes again … and it was the same distance as the first time. Oh no!
I am training for an October half – I am trying to get a PB so attempting to do some speedwork etc and then trying for tempo runs at race pace, gradually getting longer, which I am managing. I might go on training for a late summer marathon in 2022 but not sure whether I can take all the training time at the moment!
Best of luck with your ongoing training, looks like you’re doing well.
That’s frustrating about the time trial! At least you were consistent though!
An October half sounds great. Good luck with your training!
The humidity can be so tough! Great job toughing it out. Sorry to hear about a cold 🙁 I didn’t miss not getting those during the pandemic.
Great job on your time trial! That’s amazing!
It was so nice to not be sick at all for a year, and then I got sick 3 times in 2 months!
Thank you!
Our weather has been either glorious or stifling — there’s no acclimating! With my Achilles still cranky I am trying to convince myself that I should cut way back now so I can be ready ti train for my November races starting in August.
That makes sense! It is a good time to cut back with all this heat and humidity.
Welcome back! I’m so glad you are back! I have to do something with my blog so I guess that means a call to my host today! Wheee!
I have a fall half (+5K and 10K, whoops), so I’m starting where I am and it’s going to be great! Let’s do this!
Sounds like a great plan for the fall! I can’t wait to see how all your races go!
Great two weeks for you! Cool enough for sleeves one day and then hot and humid the next day? I know what you mean about the head and humidity. Ugh! it sucks everything out of you. I don’t like it one bit and I’ve had enough of it.
It really was weird how the weather fluctuated! But most days it was really hot, other than a quick 1-2 day break.
That’s exciting about the Aurora’s! I was just reading about their technology in our testers FB group. That would have been very exciting to be part of that product launch and see the phases that shoe went through as it got ready for production. You liked them? Very interesting sole on them.
We got to join a webinar a few months ago to learn more about them before they were released. It was so interesting! I do like them! They remind me a little of the early versions of the pure flows but but with a little more cushion. They are so light and I love how my feet move in them.