But I still have 94 monkeys to go

Philadelphia Half Marathon Week 8 update:

• Tuesday: 2 miles, treadmill
• Thursday: 2 miles, treadmill
• Sunday: 10.3 miles outside (WI)

Not that great, but I did hit my long run target. This week’s goal is consistency throughout.

Snowy background in honor of the Northeast’s surprise storm, although my run was in the snowless Midwest. My grandfather asked me what I was going to do if it snowed on race day. It hadn’t crossed my mind, although of course in November, it’s always a possibility. And here I can see the split between my old self and my new self most cleanly, because before I started running I would assume that marathoners (or halfies in this case) faced with really bad weather would just not do the race. Now I understand, unless it’s the zombie apocalypse you aren’t going to let your training go to waste.

(And even then… if they’re slow zombies you might be okay?)

Look at those adorable running Liberty Bells! But also, where did fall go?

Week 7:

• Monday: 5M run easy, treadmill
• Tuesday: 30 min ellipticizin’
• Thursday: 2.5M run easy
• Saturday: Sleepy Hollow 10K

I miss yoga. Gotta get back to that this week.

I’m hoping to squeeze in 3 more long runs before the race. For my first half, I had kind of a long taper and went crazy; for my second I did 2 weeks and felt great, so I think I’ll stick to that. I’m also aiming to be the last person to do the Soaring Wings Virtual Half because I hear there’s a special medal involved. (I made that up. But I will make myself a special medal.)

“Hey Monkeys, remember when you used to post training recaps every week? What happened to that?”

…I started slacking and I stopped posting them. I could say I was too busy but it wouldn’t be true. Things got hectic at work and despite my handy chart I let it eat at me, substituting sleep for work (not that the sleep was that good because I wasn’t working out enough!) and comfort food for, ah, things that are actually comforting.

I feel guilty about slacking. I feel bad that I probably won’t get the PR I dreamed of now, and it’s my own fault. I own up to my mistakes. On the other hand, I have five weeks left and I’m changing my focus a little to reflect the things I really think will improve my half-marathon time: 1. Eating better and 2. Learning to pace myself through the whole race (not a strength so far).

So let’s run down what we missed. Week 4:

• Tuesday: 25 min. ellipticizing
• Wednesday: 2M easy, treadmill
• Friday: 3.5M Central Park run w/ Mom
• Saturday: 4.66M Riverside Park run w/Mom

Week 5 (the week that work ate):

• Tuesday: 3M speed run, 1 hour yoga class at work
• Wednesday: 2M easy run

Week 6:

• Monday: 2.6M run in Lincoln Park, Chicago
• Tuesday: 30 minutes ellipticizing, hourlong yoga class
• Wednesday: 1M run (morning workout crap attempt #1)
• Thursday: 1.5M run (morning workout crap attempt #2)
• Saturday: 5.64M long run (was supposed to be 10 but fueling mishaps had me begging for a bathroom after about 3 miles, and facing a Bad Scene, I gave up and went home)

…yeah, my definition of slacking has changed a lot since back in the day.

This week is going to be a great, strong week. This morning I got up at 5AM (yes, the one you’re thinking of) and ran 5 miles on the treadmill. I felt strong! I also felt grossed out because I was listening to Simon Pegg’s memoir on audiobook and I really didn’t have to know about the first time he got a blowjob. (No offense, Mr. Pegg, we just aren’t that close yet.) But I’m still going to run Philly, and it’s going to be awesome.

Photo: Josh Self

runningchitony:

Chicago’s been raining non-stop for days. HOW PERFECT IS THIS?!

Reblogging for Philly Half.

Week 3 training:

• Monday: rest
• Tuesday: Yoga class at work
• Wednesday: 3M easy-ish
• Thursday: Exhale Rooftop Music Yoga
• Friday: 2.2M easy (twinges)
• Saturday: 3.5M
• Sunday: rest

Here’s what I learned about myself from this disappointing week of training:

1. Maybe it’s just psychological, but I tend to do better when my first workout of the week is Monday. It must be in my head… right? I always knew it was a scary place in there.
2. Long runs bring out my inner Type A. I need to have a plan, and if I deviate from that plan, I either won’t accomplish what I set out to do (in this case, a 9- or 10-miler) or I will drag myself through and hate it. The combination of forecasted rain and schedule conflicts did me in this week. Again, it must be in my head… but we go to war with the heads we have.
3. I still don’t know whether I’m being too easy or too hard on myself, but last week I was too easy.
4. This week will be better.

Photo: RayBanBro66 (heh)

Training Week 2:

• Monday: Yoga class at work
• Tuesday: 2.55M speed work
• Wednesday: Rest
• Thursday: 2.98M easy in the AM
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 8M long run of glory
• Sunday: 3.66M fast run “with” Lance

That long run was a huge confidence booster. Not that I didn’t think the half could happen before, I had to access that mindset I had trained in before. I felt joyful and strong.

Sometimes I forget that I started from nothing, that whenever I go out and run anywhere, it’s… dare I say? A miracle.

So cheesy. Oh well.

Photo: Ahd Photography

To keep myself accountable I’m going to start posting weekly recaps of my Philadelphia Half Marathon training. If it’s too granular just scroll right on past. This is Week 1: 

• Monday: Total Body Conditioning class
• Tuesday: Yoga class at work
• Wednesday: 1M in the AM (scratch); 3M easy in the PM 
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 3M easy in the AM
• Saturday: Equinox Vitality class (strength/conditioning; wrote about it here)
• Sunday: 4.68M long run

It’s weird that my running schedule started out with 2 days of no running, but that’s how it shook out because I had a 5K on Sunday. I am trying to make a better effort to keep up with strength training through this cycle, and I did a great job this week. I didn’t see that it helped my running at all, specifically, but I slept better this week than I have since back when I had walking pneumonia and was hitting the Nyquil bottle.

Less than awesome: I think I’ve forgotten how to do long runs as evidenced by what was supposed to be a 7-miler on Sunday. First, I dislike doing long runs on Sundays (which I can only describe as a superstition, because I have no other justification); second, I know if I deviate from my planned route I have a hard time getting back into the mindset, yet I did anyway. Especially irksome given that I dragged my carcass through a 7-mile treadmill run 2 weeks ago with no problems.

But I am tough and this week I’ll knock it out. 10 weeks to go!

Photo credit: Zanalee. And I stole the idea for these training recaps from michelleruns who will hopefully not mind terribly?

I signed up for the Philadelphia Half Marathon today ‘cause I’m never going to know if I can set a new half PR until I try. Expect to see 87,000 more pictures of this dude before I cross that starting line. 

(Any other Tumblrs doing it? Suzedoeslife? Livemylove? Or want to have Victory Brunch after?)

Photo: toprankblog