I hope everyone had a great weekend and that those stateside enjoyed their extra day (if you got one) 🙂
Even though I couldn’t get in high mid-week mileage, it was a confidence building week of training–one that I felt I needed at this moment as we’re inching closer and closer to the less than one month away mark!
Last Monday, I started off the week with a short 4 miler but I saw numbers I hadn’t seen in a while.
It was a negative split run and the first mile was actually already starting off at a good pace for me, so to get better from that 9:42 made me super excited. And that 8:36 last mile just had me smiling from ear to ear. Finally, that overall pace was a low I hadn’t seen in a while.
I rested Tuesday as my husband was out of town again and I had kid duty. I could have squeezed in a run but….I didn’t 🙂
Wednesday I met up with my run club and they had a mini hill workout on the schedule. I chose to bypass that and run another 4 miler instead.
A sub 100 degree run??? Wha???
It was close to another negative split and close to a similar overall pace as my Monday run. Again, this made me feel really, really good 🙂
Thursday I stuck to my 4 miler theme and ran around my neighborhood (It actually ended up being 4.2–you know you gotta count that point two). I took this run easier as I had had two good runs and didn’t want to push myself. It was still a great one with an overall pace of 9:48 and I finished with the last two miles faster than my first two.
It was an important rest day Friday as Saturday I had my first 20 miler of the training!
Yep, Saturday morning I woke up at zero dark thirty for this one (2:30 a.m. to be exact) and met up with another crazy friend also doing a 20 miler. We got going at 3:09 and planned to run 10 miles, five out and back, before meeting up with the rest of our run club at 5 a.m. We made one stop around the 7 and halfish mark for a potty break but that was the only stop of miles 1-10.
I was really happy with my consistency (see miles 4-7!!!) and I met up with my back 10 crew in high spirits.
Two running buddies were waiting for me at 5 to run my second set of 10 and we got going not too long after I got to the meeting spot. We were cruising at my pace (I wanted to be around the 10-10:30 mark) and they were uh-mazing at keeping me on track. I was feeling it around miles 12 and 13 and they quickly re-focused me.
I did stop at mile 15 (the turn around) but it was quick as I knew I didn’t want to lose momentum.
Then, at mile 17 I had to go potty 😦 and I was forced to stop again. This super bummed me out as like I had mentioned last week, I wanted to really try and avoid any stopping on my long runs.
I definitely felt that potty stop around mile 18 as my left calf started cramping a little. I didn’t want to stop though so I ran through it and sure enough, it dissipated after a few minutes. Whew!
Finally, I wanted to finish strong so my girls picked it up and I had them finish me at a 9:34 mile 20!!!
These 79 degrees felt great. The 65% humidity did not, lol!
I was so happy with this run and really pleased with the consistency in my splits. My slowest mile was 10:37 and my fastest (besides the last mile) was 10:06 so I was +/- 30 seconds the entire way!
It was also my husband’s first 20 miler this past weekend and he knocked his out of the ballpark too! Much faster than me, lol, but I still love him 😀
I ended the week with 32.2 miles and feeling pretty darn good about myself going into this week. My goal of sub 4:30 is looking realistic and I just hope all this hard summer training pays off. We’ll find out in about a month!
I hope everyone has a great week!! ❤ , helly
–How was your week of running?
–Do you try to keep consistent splits, negative splits, or do you just run and what happens, happens?
Awesome week of training! Hope you have a fabulous week 🙂
Thank you! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week as well!
What a great week! I’m glad you have such awesome runner friends to help you through a 20 miler.
Thank you!! I’m super lucky to have met people crazy enough to love running as much as I do–who will run 10 miles just for fun to keep me company lol!
What an amazing 20-miler! You are killing your training, Helly!! You are definitely on track for a sub-4:30. I love hitting negative splits but a lot of my long runs involve a lot more downhill in the first half/uphill in the second half which makes it hard. I also run with people who are faster than me so sometimes I just try to keep their pace for as long as I can and see what happens (spoiler: it usually ends badly! haha)
Lol, I can’t imagine that!! You are so speedy yourself! But it’s funny how relative fast is–there’s typically always someone faster or slower than you
Sounds like you are killin’ your training! Great job!!! I had to do my 20 miler solo for my last marathon training and it was tough. You are so lucky to have friends to help you through!! xoxo
I remember doing my first ever 20 miler by myself–Yeah, I’m so glad I’ve made crazy running friends to join me lol!
Stellar week lady! You’re killin this training. Chicago is going to be awesome!
I’m SO excited!!! Jesse Spano style
Awesome 20 miler!!! Great paces all week! These days I usually just run and see what happens. The heat has kicked my butt. You have been rocking it despite the high temps- way to go!
Thank you! I do get used to the heat but I’m interested to see how I run in cooler temps–to see if it really does help with training or improve your running…
nice job this week! That 20 miler is like a dream pace!
Thank you!!! Sometimes I get down on my paces but then I think that hey, it might be someone else’s fast (or goal pace).
xoxo
Great job with training, Helly. I couldn’t survive any form of training in the heat and humidity that you do. Gah! I just die looking at your numbers.
I hope this heat training works!! 😀
Because science – http://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/is-training-in-the-heat-good-for-you
YES!!!!!
Great job on your long run!
Thank you!! 🙂
I mostly just run and see what happens! Although negative splits are usually what happen for two reasons: 1. I always start slow because I need to get warmed up. 2. As I approach the end, I get antsy to be finished!
Right? The same here! I sometimes try to do a cool down mile but then it always ends being fast because I want to get it over with lol!
yay! you are looking good my friend! positive vibes coming your way for Chicago. Little running for me this past week but my half training has now picked up – just in time for the fall weather we’re getting this weekend!
This is about the time I start to become jealous of you. D.C. in the fall is just gorg.
TWO-THIRTY IN THE MORNING?!?!?! TO RUN TWENTY MILES?!?! Helly, I am literally freaking out right now and trying not to drop F bombs. I can’t even believe it. I want to crown you queen of the world. OMG you are such an inspiration to me! How many times have I said this? I will never, ever forget you doing these long runs, ever. I’ll always look back and remember how dedicated you are. I brag about you to everybody, and I’ve “known” you for like what, 3 weeks? Incredible.
Love you girl- you are so sweet!
I just figure, I gotta do what I gotta do and hope it pays off on the big day 🙂
whoa early 20 miler! i haven’t rocked a 20 in a couple of years but need one before October if i have any chance of trying to run a marathon on Columbus Day wknd (still TBD!). i’m going to think of you running at 2:30am when i complain about anything ever again. i’d have had to go to bed at 6pm to even attempt that. seriously.
Lol, I have no idea how I get out of bed for it! ja!!
Great job! Plus, think how great the Chicago weather is going to feel after all of those 99+ degree training runs!! 😀
I can’t wait!!! 🙂