I updated my About Me page this week. It was completely out dated so I figured it was time for a little revamping!
I honestly miss doing my weekly marathon training posts. Not only were they fun to write, but I still like to look back on them for reference. It’s also a great way to look back and see your progress.
I thought even though I’m not actively training for a specific race right now, I’d still share my running for the week. I haven’t really talked about it much that week. That’s surprising right?!
Last week was my first week bringing back in some small speed workouts on Tuesday and Thursday. I decided since I was still feeling pretty good I’d try it again this week.
It will also give me a base for when I start back training here in several weeks. I’d love to be someone who can go out there every day and just run what they feel like, but I’ve noticed when I don’t have at least some type of plan it is much easier for me to just talk myself out of it.
Here is a break down of my running this week:
Monday
8 easy miles
Tuesday
7 miles (workout) – More to come on that in a minute
Wednesday
8 easy miles
Thursday
7 miles (workout) – More to come on that in a minute
Friday
Off
Saturday
11 miles
After this I ran a 2.5 mile cool down for a total of 11 miles for the day.
Sunday
8 miles
I went on search for some new workouts for this week. I was tired of the typical track workouts (400s, 800s..etc) and the tempo runs. I wanted something different but still quick and fast.
Here is a look at Tuesday’s workout:
15 x 1 Minute Speed Workout
Fast of course is a very relative term but I set out with a goal of keeping it in the 6:55 – 6:40 range. My first 5 were done at 6:49, second set of 5 at 6:44, 4 at 6:40 and the final at 6:30.
My legs were tired at first but they actually felt pretty good once I got started. It seems for me that when it comes to speed workouts the first set is always the hardest, then I get better. It’s a great workout to help breakup the time on the treadmill as well.
Here is a look at Thursday’s workout:
5 x 5 minute Speed Workout
I got this one from the great Bart Yasso.
After the warm up I ran the first 3 sets of 5 minute intervals at 7:24. The 4th interval I ran slightly faster at a 7:19 and then last I started at a 7:19 and ended at a 7:03.
This workout really felt like it flew by and was over before I knew it!
My goal going into this week was to shorten my workouts a little bit and then SLOW DOWN my easy days. Sometimes running in the early morning gets a little bit frustrating when it comes to pacing, but I really focused on slowing down and truly taking it wasy on Monday and Wednesday’s runs.
I really looked forward to my easy days this week and took full advantage of allowing my body to relax on the runs. Sometimes I run “easy” and don’t even realize I’m not relaxing.
This week I didn’t look at my watch while running, but each time it vibrated to let me know I had hit a mile, I looked at the pace just to make sure I was staying in range of “easy” for me.
Another focus this week was core work. I was going to begin going to the gym after work 2-3 times this week for strength trianing, but since it was my husband’s last week of nights and that would mean I wouldn’t see him at all on those days I opted to push that to start next week.
During my marathon training, I did core work maybe 2-3 times a week. It was an improvement over the none I used to do but I knew I needed to make a bigger effort to do some sort of core work every day.
As a runner, a strong core goes a long way not only in improving your running but in keeping you injury free.
Every day this week at a minimum I did 3 x 1 minute planks. I’m hoping to work up my time as I get stronger. I also tried to fit in bicycle crunches, leg lifts and some mountain climbers if I had time.
Week days are tricky so I go by the motto something is better than nothing.
There you have it. Another week in the books and I felt so much better this week!
How did your running go this week?
How often do you do core work?
You had a great week of workouts, I think your training will go really well when you start back/find a goal race/etc. I am also tired of intervals and tempos and may try some different forms of speedwork soon, thanks for that suggestion.
Yes I had to do something different. Sometimes you have to play mental games to keep your motivation up 🙂
You are very inspiring. I m trying Hanson’s after watching your training this past fall. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! Good luck with Hansons! Let me know how it goes!
I’m still injured this week, but I should be able to run this coming week, so I’m very much looking forward to that! I do a quick circuit at the gym twice a week (plus yoga once a week), and I’m surprised how much I’ve improved just from that little. I think for me it’s a lesson that perfect can be the enemy of the good, since sometimes I feel like if I’m not there for an hour, there’s no point!
So true! Love that! A little bit does goes a long way. That’s what I always tell myself. Consistency is key it doesn’t matter if you can only do it for 10 minutes its better than nothing! Hope you get back to running healthy soon 🙂
I do 15-20 minutes of core work 4ish days a week!
What race is up next?
Aiming for a half marathon in the spring, but haven’t decided which one yet 🙂
i’ve never done a one minute fast/one minute recovery workout like that before. seems like a great way to switch things up.
It really is! It was a nice change from the normal workouts.
I don’t do nearly enough core or even glute work. Weekdays are tricky for me too and I honestly just feel too lazy sometimes (bad, I know). I’m working on building a regular routine where I can fit in all my various runs/workouts/strength exercises. It gets a little overwhelming managing everything!
How did you determine which paces to run your speed workouts in? I noticed the paces you run are different for Tuesday and Thursday.
Core and strength work are hard! They are the easiest thing to skip but the most important things NOT to! I have always struggled with it but am trying to make a much more conscious focus now.
That’s a tricky one. I knew what my paces were during marathon training an since soon I will switch to half marathon training, I am just playing with them a bit. My Tuesday workout called for “10k pace” so I estimated where I was at and then while I am doing it I can adjust if need be. I always start out slower and work my way up. Thursday’s workout called for half marathon pace so I slowed that one down a bit compared to Tuesday. It just depends on the day, but I usually pick a “range” and then see from there.