Half-marathon training - week 7

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

This was a big week for me - my first ever double-digit run! I know 10 miles is no huge deal for a lot of runners but it felt like a pretty nice accomplishment for me. It just sounds like such a long way. Bonus, it was outside, so no slogging away on the treadmill for an hour and a half next to the B.O. King this week.

Here's what I did this week:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 miles, 28 minutes (8:51 pace). I don't really remember much about this run except I took it pretty easy. I did about 20 minutes of upper-body strength training afterwards to try and tone up my chicken wings.
Wednesday: 5 miles, 45 minutes (8:59 pace). A pretty nondescript progression run.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 3 miles, 26 minutes (8:39 pace). I had plans to watch Jersey Shore and eat pizza afterward and I was so excited I sped things up a little. The whole time I was just chanting "PIZ-ZA! PIZ-ZA!" in my head. Stretched quickly and shitkicked 'er home so I could stuff my face and watch my show. 
Saturday: Yoga, 1 hour. Jillian's Yoga Meltdown video.
Sunday: 10 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes (9:00 pace).

I felt like this was a pretty comfortable pace to maintain for 10 miles. I don't know what my actual "pace" was, though. The run took me 90 minutes, but that also includes stopping for red lights, walking up one steep uphill on the trail, and frigging with my iPod without pausing my Nike+, so my pace was probably a wee bit quicker.

However, I like that it averaged out to 9:00 even with all of my stopping and arsing around along the way. It means that during the half, if I walk through the water stations or have to slow it down for whatever reason, I should still be able to finish with what I consider a decent time.

The weather Sunday was pretty brisk, but the sun was out, and it was so nice and rejuvenating to be able to actually run outdoors and not in the gym. I picked a new route which had some rolling hills and was half sidewalk, half trail so that helped to break things up, too. I so much prefer running on a trail than the street. No cars, no riff raff honking and yelling at you, way cuter dogs, so much easier to zone out.

Having a long run Sunday was also an excuse to carb it up Saturday night. I made this lemon garlic spaghetti for dinner and we added some chicken breasts for protein. One of my favourite meals, and it's so easy and quick to make. This girl loves her carbs.


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