This week wasn’t especially busy at work I mostly drove around for specially stuff but we did work every single day and my tutoring load was pretty typical but it was starched out over more evenings. I’m also writing and article for Sad Runner about hacking your sleep but I’m well ahead here so no craziness there either. This week is still similar to what I was covering in the weeks leading up to this plan but includes an extra run day compared to what I was doing before. That is to say it was a rather ho-hum week. Not especially tiered just average really. But I have had an ongoing minor sore throat, not a cold, just a sore throat and it never turned into anything.
Tuesday: 5 km shake out. I did this one a 6:40 am not a natural time for me to be vertical yet let alone out in freezing temperatures running and it was alright. I did run by a good acquaintance, minor friend (it’s hard to tell sometimes in a small town) waiting with her kids at the bus stop for the first time ever. She looked shocked so maybe more in the friend zone. We both fundraise for the same charity at Bluenose every year since her dad and my brother both had brain tumors. Also her older sister was my grade 6 buddy when I was in primary and there are a few other church, business and scholarship links but I digress. Ahhh small town life. Take away message, I’m not known as a morning runner. Also this was the first run I ever did with a cough drop in my mouth it lasted about 3.5 km and through a picture session.
Wednesday: 7 km Fartlek. Again 6:40 am! For this training cycle some runs are going to be at the crack of dawn which sucks because at least three days a week I work until about 9:30 pm, and that’s going to get worse as time goes on. Both in terms of the length of the runs and the volume of work I have to do. I okayed it with my boss and life partner to take an hour or so from work on Wednesdays for speed work when I have to tutor that evening especially as those runs get longer but I don’t totally hate fartleks. I do it by varying the music tempos. So I figured that I would just get ‘er done plus it was supposed to rain later in the day. I went faster because the cough drop lasted 5 km today, that and my Nike app told me I did. I have to keep reminding myself morning runs aren’t that bad, it’s like runs when it’s really, really cold, you forget that within three minutes of getting home that it didn’t suck
Saturday: 9 km long run. Today was supposed to be a 5 km shake out but the weather looked surprisingly decent today and well I needed more than 5k that day. Running is cheaper than therapy! The forecast for Saturday and Sunday was the same a touch over freezing, windy and a good chance of snow. I wasn’t in the greatest mood and well a break in the snow and the fact it was a degree or two warmer than forecasted meant Saturday was the day this week. A good run a bit faster than I plan to do long runs usually and the weather held until the last ten minutes or so when the confetti snow started again and was sorta painful but now it’s done. Plus when you’re almost home it’s not that bad.
Sunday: 5k recovery run. This was supposed to be a shake out run yesterday but… well it turned into a recovery run today. PS stay tuned for an upcoming post on how to customize your training plan to your life. And in case you were wondering yes those are the same pants I’ve been wearing all week, they’re in the wash now. Mostly in the winter if I’m running I’m wearing those pants. They were a present from honey two Christmases ago and like a true man he didn’t take the price tag off and they were $110! I remember thinking what can a pair of pants do that makes them worth that. Well… they are water and wind resistant. Here’s a link to them on amazon but they are the made by Nike, Dri-fit and either in the stay warm or elemental series. I figured I’d mention it now since they might be on sale soon and (hopefully) I won’t be wearing them much soon, sigh. But you should totally invest in a pair I’ve probably worn them 700 km and they’re like new, except the back zipper pocket separated recently but I try to shove too much stuff in there.
So that’s it. Next week is 5 runs, but it’s also march break which means I have my evenings mostly free. I feel like this time training is blowing by 2 weeks down and 10 to go, that’s 17% ya’ll. Since the time changed this week (yeah) morning runs will be dark any way, sun rise isn’t until 7:34 so I’m hoping in 10 days it’ll be light enough when I have to go back to mornings that I don’t have to wear a headlamp!
If you’re interested in the plan I’m using it’s the realistic 1/2 marathon training plan I wrote available here. While you’re there check out my other plans too including the new bare minimum 1/2 marathon training plan, more info here. What are you training for this season?
Sweat Sweetly 