Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 8

It’s almost GO TIME, folks! Moving on Thursday! Racing on Sunday!

I’m super amped up and I’m not sure if it’s nerves or excitement. Either way, it’s a bit overwhelming. Also, I’m going to take this moment to let y’all know there is still time to sign up for the Rock Hall Half Marathon and Rock City 5K. Just. Do. It!

I know you’ve been dying to know how my week of training went… here it is! 🙂

Track Tuesday — 6 miles

My coach set up an awesome workout for me on Tuesday. Unfortunately I’m the most paranoid person in the world, so I did half of this at the track and half on the road. Goal was 1x1600m, 2x800m, then 4x400m.

I got to the track and saw the usual people there, plus a pickup truck. I thought to myself, “as long as there are other women here, I’m good. If anyone leaves, I’m leaving too.” So I did my 1600m and felt great. I did my 800m and felt great. And then my safety nets started leaving one by one. I was just about to start my second 800m when I decided I’d head out. I didn’t want to be alone at the track with weird guy in the pickup truck. Granted, I knew he was a worker. But it still made me uncomfortable. Particularly at this specific track that only has one entrance/exit.

I did 800m on the road, which was pretty tough. Instead of a nice flat, bouncy surface, I was on the firm asphalt and concrete, plus some small hills. But I managed to maintain pace. The 400s were a bit easier to manage, and also a lot of fun.

All in all, my “track” Tuesday was a success!

Wednesday — 6 miles

The goal of Wednesday’s workout was a steady state 5 miler. I ran with a friend, however, which made it difficult to maintain steady state pace. I managed to push our pace a little bit but not much. In the meantime, I also thought our route was a 5-mile route. And as I looked down at my watch as I was nearing home I thought to myself, “Oh good, I’ll be right at 6!” And then I looked at my watch again. It said 5.67. Gah! I was supposed to be at 5, not 6! Oops…

~~Time flies~~ Miles fly when you’re having fun?

Thursday — 3 miles+strength

Finally! I hit a goal for the week! 3 easy miles. No way to screw that up, right? Phew. I felt great, nailed a solid pace, and had an excellent strength session afterward.

Saturday — 7.75 miles

On Saturday, Julie and I headed to the metroparks for a nice 7-8 mile run. We kept a nice pace, chatted, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect had we tried.

I fueled with Tailwind and it was amazing. No belly aches, no bonk. On our way back from our out-and-back, a fellow runner stopped us and told me that she followed me on Facebook! It was such a fun surprise to meet a follower of my blog/social media in person. It definitely put a smile on my face, especially because she wished me luck on my race this weekend! So awesome.

Sunday — 3 miles

Sunday was super fun. I met up with my 5K training group and the ladies just crushed it. I was super impressed, and I even pushed them a little harder without forewarning them. They did a great job. I’m so proud of them. It’s really incredible to see the improvements they make each week. Fittingly, this week’s topic for Tuesdays on the Run is “Runners Who Inspire Me.” These girls. Hands down.

Runners who inspire me!

OK — So let’s talk Rock Hall Half Marathon! I’m super excited for this race. The hardware is superb (I got a sneak peek a couple weeks ago), the course is going to be grand, and the company that’s putting it on is fantastic.

If you don’t live in CLE, I truly can’t wait for my race report to entice you to come in for next year’s race. You’ll have to stay tuned for it. And if you are running this year, we’re planning a social media #takeover and we’d love for you to meet up with us! My gal pal and fellow fit ambassador, Heather, and I are planning a meetup of epic proportions. If you’re interested, meet us in front of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on race morning at 6:45 am. Follow me on Instagram to stay up to date on any news or new info.

In addition, there are still volunteer opportunities available for the race course. If you aren’t running but would like to participate, it would be awesome to see you out there! Email Brian if you’re interested in helping out.

Well, that’s it, folks. Last week of training before the big dance. Oh, and I’m moving on Thursday. Have I mentioned that? ;)~

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

#runhappy