Hanson’s/NYC Marathon Training: Week 9

And just like that, we’re halfway there….

Marathon Goal– 3:50
Marathon Pace/Tempo Runs– 8:45
Easy Runs–9:40-10:40
Long Runs–9:30

Last week was a good one and I felt like each run was a success.

Monday, August 29th–5 Miles Easy, 10:30 avg pace

I met up with my good buddy Jen who is training for Chicago marathon. We kept the pace nice and easy and had a great run catching up. I haven’t been able to run with her as much as I’d like because of our different training plans/schedules so it was a good way to start my running week.

Tuesday, August 30th– .5 mile WU, 6x800s (w/400 R), .5 mile CD

I shortened the warm up and cool down because of the route we take with our Tuesday night group run. It’s not ideal but….oh well. It was a great run nonetheless and I was super excited to see that I nailed the workout. The goal pace was 7:30 and here’s how I did:

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This was a Cloud 9 run 😀

Wednesday, August 31st––REST DAY

I ended the month with another monster total mileage (for me). I also only missed 2 days when I had some shinny shin shin pain. Luckily, some modifications have helped it and I’m a-okay!

Thursday, September 1st–1 mile WU, 8 miles Tempo, 1 mile CD

This run had me scared as it was my first 8 mile tempo run (of three). The tempo runs are set up in thirds so that from here on it’s 3 eight milers, 3 nine milers, and 3 ten milers. So I’ll be having a medium-esque long run (10+ miles) on Thursdays from here on out.

So the first one was tough…it was 84 degrees and 55% humidity at 4:45 in the morning and what has usually been a relatively comfortably hard pace was just brutal. Plus, I think I’m definitely feeling the accumulated fatigue now. The goal pace was 8:45 and this run was at about an 8:52 pace average for the 8 tempo miles. Ugh.

Friday, September 2nd–4 Easy Miles, 9:44 avg pace

This run was faster than it should’ve been (and shorter) because I skipped my early morning hill run workout to let my husband run. I keep saying I forget that he’s training for a marathon and I say that half jokingly, but I sometimes do forget. I’ve been pretty selfish about making sure *I* get my runs in and I haven’t been more accommodating to him.

Side note: I’ve found Hanson’s to be a pretty lonely training plan. It’s so much running and pace specific that it doesn’t work well with running with other people. I’ve missed out on running with friends quite a bit and while I’ve tried to make it work, it can get tough with different training plans, different life schedules, kids, and a spouse also training.

Saturday, September 3rd– 15 Long Run Miles @ 9:28 pace

I switched my long run days so that I can run with friends (see Side note above). I have two friends also training for NYC Marathon and it has been difficult getting our schedules to match. I hate that we haven’t run together more, especially since we’re training for the same race.

Anyway, it was a great run. I didn’t worry about my pace; the run was about hanging out with friends.

At the mile 12 mark, my friend said she needed musical assistance so she plugged herself in and got in her zone. I started to pull away from her then as I felt good and I finished the last three miles at goal marathon pace–8:46, 8:43, 8:32. This is where I really feel/see the benefits of Hanson’s. I can’t believe I felt that good at the end of a 15 mile run.

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start time–4:30 a.m.

Sunday, September 4th–5 Easy Miles, 10:14 avg pace

Easy recovery miles around my hood to finish off the week.

It was a 44.16 mile week of good running and I’m stoked to be at the halfway point feeling strong. I know things will start getting tough as the fatigue settles in and the mileage keeps climbing. Here we gooooo!!!

–How was your running week?

–How many of your runs are solo runs? The majority of mine are and I don’t mind running by myself, but there are times when I really do enjoy company.

Friday Five: Current First World Problems

Posted by hellyontherun in Basketball, Link Party, Not Running Related and tagged with First World Problems, Friday Five, Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Knicks September 2, 2016

New York City Marathon is a “wish-list” marathon for me and to have the opportunity to run it is just unbelievable. I still can’t believe I’ll be going soon!

When my husband and I started planning, we decided we’d make a trip out of it because we weren’t sure when we’d be able to visit again. Our number one priority while there (besides the marathon) was:

Seeing a Knicks game.

Well, in the days that we’re there, guess when they play. Just guess. Go on….

THE DAY OF THE MARATHON.

And that would’ve been okay. I would’ve gone to the game barely walking, limping, sore as hell.

BUT IT’S DURING THE MARATHON.

I mean, really??? Really, New York City??? Don’t you guys know there’s a freaking marathon taken place at the same time!!!??

Now before anyone starts blaming us for poor planning, the NBA schedule was released only a couple of weeks ago. We booked our hotel and flights the day we found out we’d be doing NYC. And yes, we’ve checked to see how much it would be to stay longer and extend our flight (because they play again the day we leave at the exact hour of our flight). The price to make the changes would be outrageous. Ridiculously outrageous.

So we’re bummed…..really bummed 😦

Why is this such a big deal, you ask? Well, because:

This was our Broadway play/show/etc.

For some, going to New York means having to see a show or play. For us, seeing a Knicks game is the equivalent. It was going to be our “main event” so to speak. What we were looking forward to the most.

We are HUGE basketball fans.

Both my husband and I are big basketball people. I grew up watching the NBA for as long as I can remember. Some of my favorite players played for the Knicks. I wasn’t alive to see Willis Reed or Walt Frazier but I loved reading about them and seeing classic clips. Growing up Patrick Ewing was a fave and I had a HUGE crush on Allan Houston (anyone remember him?).

Houston, we most certainly DO NOT have a problem. (Source)

I was bummed when Stoudemire left our Suns to play for the Knicks, but I wished him well (and now he’s retired so I wouldn’t see him anyway, lol). I’m not a huge Carmelo fan but with the addition of Derrick Rose, the Knicks would be actually kind of exciting to see.

Madison Square Garden is a historical landmark (to us)

There are arenas and stadiums whose name everyone can recognize, and this is one of them. Of course, New York City offers some impressive landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and the World Trade Center museums (all which we do want to see), but a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden would’ve been a huge check off our list. Huge.

We bond over basketball.

My husband likes to run but he doesn’t love to run like I do. He’ll go to museums with me but they wouldn’t be his first choice of places to visit. If we didn’t go up the Empire State Building or swing by to check out Carrie Bradshaw’s NYC home, he’d be totally okay with it.

But the one thing we both can agree on, we both would be ridiculously happy doing, is watching a Knicks game at the Garden. It would be a memory we’d treasure forever, as corny as that sounds. When we went to Chicago last year, we were giddy taking a picture in front of Jordan’s statue outside the United Center.

The GOAT.

Basketball is OUR thing.

We’re not sure when we’ll be back to New York.

After (hopefully) completing NYC Marathon, we’re not sure when we’ll come back to visit. We know if we do come back, it will be with our kids and when they’re older. I can count on the Knicks being around then, but I’m worried about Madison Square Garden. I’m worried that what happened to Yankee Stadium will happen to MSG. And it really won’t be the same visiting a renovated Madison Square Garden. It just wouldn’t.

So there you have it. My current first world problems. No Knicks game for Helly. Tear.

–What current problem/situation (that’s really not that big of a deal) has you bummed?

–Are you a basketball fan? What sports team would you like to see play in person?

Linking up with the DC Trifecta girls Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for their Friday Five. Check ’em out!

Hanson’s/NYC Marathon Training: Week 8

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon Training and tagged with Hanson's Marathon Method, Marathon Training, NYC Marathon, Runcation, Weekly Recap August 29, 2016

Still truckin’ …

Marathon Goal– 3:50
Marathon Pace/Tempo Runs– 8:45
Easy Runs–9:40-10:40
Long Runs–9:29

Monday, August 22nd–4.4 Easy miles @ 10:18 avg/pace

The plan said 6 but my route said 4.4 so that’s what happened. This became a theme this week in that my runs were shortened due to time, life, excuses.

Tuesday, August 23rd– .5 WU, 3×1600 @ 7:30 (w/400R), .5 CD

The warm-up was supposed to be longer and I really had all the intentions of doing it as I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get this workout done. But, it was raining cats and dog, thundering, and lightening. I still drove to my group run though, thinking maybe the storm would pass. We all waited in our cars but after 10 minutes, I chose my bed.

I ended up doing this workout in the evening (99 degrees–at least it wasn’t triple digits) and shortening the warm up and cool down.

So 1600s are not in the beginner plan but like I had mentioned last week, I really wanted to do this workout just to see. My goal someday is to better my 5k and if I was to do these miles consecutively at this pace, I would get a PR. So that was a big reason I wanted to do it.

And I nailed it.

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and negative splits, too!! 😀

Wednesday, August 24th –Rest Day

What wasn’t resting was my fundraising. This was a monumental day as donations came in like whoa and I’m now LESS THAN $100 AWAY from my goal!! (So if you want to donate and get me even closer, you can do that here 😉 )

Thursday, August 25th —1 mile WU, 6 Tempo miles, 1 mile CD

This was such an amazing run. The goal pace was 8:45 and I nailed it feeling good the entire way. It was another confidence builder for sure. BUT, I somehow still doubt I can do this for 26.2 miles, lol. Ugh, I hate you doubt.

Friday, August 26th–4.5 Easy Miles @ 10:50 avg/pace

The plan said 5 but my route said 4.5. Plus, my husband and I both squeezed in early morning runs because right after….we were beach bound!!! 😀

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Bathing suits ready but mom wants one more pic!

Saturday, August 27th–5 Easy Miles @ 9:40 avg/pace

The plan said 6 but our route said 5. We ran this outside the condo we were staying at where on one side was this

and on the other, a road on which we ran our workout. It was cool to see the elevation map say that for a little while, we were below sea level lol!!

The rest of the day was spend having fun with family ❤

Sunday, August 28th–12 Long Run miles @9:30 goal pace (actual–9:22)

There was no way I was missing morning beach time so I told myself I’d do my long run when we got home. A four plus hour car drive later, the realization hit me that I really did have to do it. I also was NOT going to shorten this one as last week I shortened the 10 miler to 8. I needed to do a double digit run so begrudgingly, I went out the door.

And surprisingly, it ended up being a great run!! I felt good the entire way and never felt like I was working for the pace–despite it being 100 degrees out.

So despite shortening a few runs, it was an amazing week of running. 38.68 total miles and thankfully, everything is feeling good 🙂

–How was your running week?

–Are you a beach bum? I’m definitely more of a mountainous gal, but I love the beach with my kids 🙂