Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Weekend & Running Thoughts

 I spent Sunday doing this.  That would be sun bathing.  
At Becky's aunts pool.  And it was awesome!  We also ate kale pesto rice pasta and fruit salad and drank beer while gossiping for hours : )

Awhile later, Dave and I felt motivated to run. {We also ran 3.1 miles on Saturday : ) } Well Sunday, we ran-walked-took-pictures around our towns State Park.  It was getting close to dusk so I took some pretty photos with my phone.  I love our park and I feel fortunate there is a beautiful place to run and explore a short couple miles from my house.
 Then I had some fun with shadows.  I wish my legs were this long!
 Dave and I ran-walked for about 40 minutes.  No idea how far we went but probably around 3 miles.
In connection with my previous post about Lake Waban and Lauren's post about the power of place, I want to take advantage of this beautiful park so close to my house more often.  It was gorgeous!!!

I got over to the gym today and yesterday during work.  It was glorious considering I probably haven't been to the gym in weeks. Which means, I have now 'run' 4 days in a row and I'm thinking that I DO want to run the half marathon I am supposed to run with college roomie Lindsay and Theodora.  The race is August 14th which means I have a little over 4 weeks to get half marathon ready.  Seems kinda crazy huh?  Even crazier... I'm leaning towards running a ten-mile race on Saturday even though I haven't run over 6.20 miles since April 18th. I was saying to Dave on our run that now I understand why some of you guys run back-to-back marathons.  It is not fun to be out of shape!  And I'm determined to get back into shape! (I think...)


4 Day in a Row 'Runs'
Sunday- 3.1 miles at 12:30 pm with my husband.  We ran hard and then walked hills.  It was hot!
Sunday- 3 miles around our towns State Park.  Definitely a walk-run.
Monday- 4 miles on the treadmill during lunch- I started slow then increased my pace each mile.  The last mile I sprinted 2x400 at 9.0mph with 400 rest.  
Tuesday (today!)- Speed Workout- 1 mile warmup then repeat the following 3-6X

400M at 5K pace (with 400 recovery)
300M at 1 mile pace (with 300 recovery)
200M at a little faster than 1 mile pace (with 200 recovery)
100M almost ‘all out’ (with 100 recovery)
Since I did this on the treadmill during lunch, I didn't have the time to run more than 3 sets.  But I think I did pretty well in those three sets!  I also did a lot of math and counting of peg marks on the oval lap on the treadmill to figure out what 300 and 100 meters is.  If you are interested, there are 32 marks in a lap on the treadmill.  16 marks is 200 meters. 24 marks is 300 meters. 8 marks is 100 meters.
make sense?!
Results:
SET 1: 400- 1:46, 300-1:01, 200- 44, 100- 24 
(100s I was running up to 10.2mph on treadmill)
SET 2:  400- 1:41, 300-1:05, 200- 46, 100- 28
SET 3: 400- 1:39, 300-1:03, 200- 44, 100- 28
5 miles, 48:20, Awesome workout! 

So that's where my crazy running brain is at.  
What do you think, is this insanity to try to train for a half-marathon in four weeks?
Posted by Lizzy at 3:29 PM

12 comments:

  1. KatieJuly 12, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    ehhh, not TOO insane. and gorgeous pictures!

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  2. Corey @ the runners cookieJuly 12, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    You have a solid base, and if you're smart in the next 4 weeks you can totally get trained up! It's all a matter of if you want to tackle it or not!
    Glad you and Becky had a relaxing pool day - sounds like the perfect summer day! And great pictures again from your run!!
    p.s. please don't back out of the 10 miler!! it will be a great confidence booster for you to prove to yourself you're ready for a half!

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  3. AnonymousJuly 12, 2011 at 6:14 PM

    nah, I don't think it's crazy. But just go into it with realistic expectations. I'm jealous of your pool time!

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  4. LaurenJuly 12, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    Doooo itttttttt!!!

    (and I meant that comment for both races). I think you will be fine during the 10-miler. You don't have to race it, you can take walk breaks if you need to, and we can go to Crane's beach afterword! So that reward will get you through! And if you do the 10-miler, you'll definitely know that you're ready for the half marathon in August. Are you signed up for the Rock 'n Roll in Prov?? Or are you doing a different one.

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  5. BeckyJuly 13, 2011 at 7:45 AM

    I have an upcoming half that I am completely untrained for. I don't think it's crazy to think you can get ready for it in a short time, but I think you just need to think about how enjoyable an experience it will be. I keep weighing my options because I know a fast build-up then a slow race isn't my favorite thing....but totally doable! And if you want to do it, I say, DO IT!

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  6. Lizzy @ runbakeraceJuly 13, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    You can totally do it in 4 weeks.

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  7. JenJuly 13, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    You should totally do it! You have a strong base and your body will bounce back quickly. I have no doubt that you'll finish. As long as you don't expect to PR, you should give it a shot!

    A few months ago, I almost ran a half marathon one morning even though I hadn't run more than 5 miles in 2 months. I was so mad there were no registration spots left. Sometimes it's just fun to see what our bodies can really do :)

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  8. MelissaNibblesJuly 13, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    The pool looks fantastic!

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  9. TheodoraJuly 13, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    You can totally do it! You've run so many halfs and you're such an experienced runner! You might not PR...but maybe you could pace me to PR? ;)

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  10. ashleyJuly 13, 2011 at 9:38 PM

    this is pretty much my perfect summer weekend! pool and lots of nature time!

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  11. Meg GJuly 14, 2011 at 12:58 PM

    Go for it! Like some other folks said you have the base and you have the experience. Don't doubt yourself and don't overthink it. Remember that your body can do more than your mind sometimes allows. I'm running a half this weekend with only crossfit and some track workouts under my belt within the last couple of weeks, I haven't run more than 3 and a half miles since my last half in May. I'll let you know how it goes!

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  12. Kelsey AnnJuly 15, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    such gorgeous trail photos!! <3

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