Highlight of the Week: Running my first race of the year with Rachel!
Monday | January 19, 2015: 14 m run (first 5 w/Kelly) + teaching strength class
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 23°/26°, Time: 2:23:36, Pace: 10:15 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, underdressed
Strength: ankle/hand resistance bands, Difficulty: medium, Felt: great/excited about the new workout
Tuesday | January 20, 2015: 6.5 m run (w/Kelly)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 31°/32°, Time: 1:04:33, Pace: 9:56 avg, Difficulty: hard, Felt: sleepy tired, overdressed
Wednesday | January 21, 2015: rest
Thursday | January 22, 2015: 7.2 m run (incl. up/down ladder)
Loc: hood, Temp: 33°/32°, Time: 1:00:46, Pace: 8:27 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: really good
Friday | January 23, 2015: teaching strength class + 6 m run (w/Dawn)
Strength: ankle/hand resistance bands, Difficulty: easy (mostly observing), Felt: good
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 28°/28°, Time: 1:01:44, Pace: 10:17, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, finally dressed right
Saturday | January 24, 2015: 16 m run
Loc: Around Round Lake, Temp: 30°/39°, Time: 2:50:59, Pace: 10:41 avg, Difficulty: easy (except for ice), Felt: good
Sunday | January 25, 2015: Frozen Zucchini 5K Snowshoe Adventure (w/Rachel) + 15 m bike
Loc: Citizen’s Park, Barrington, Temp: 29°/29°, Time: 33:27, Pace: 11:00 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Bike Time: 1:05:55, Pace: 13.7 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: laaaazy
Notes:
- I didn’t run indoors at all this week, and I didn’t feel sore at all this week, either. And that was with a mileage increase (since I did last week’s long run on Monday)! So maybe my body doesn’t dig the indoor track… or maybe it was just getting used to starting speed work again. I will pay attention to how my body feels if I hit up the indoor track again.
- Speedwork this week was one of my most dreaded workouts – the up/down ladder – 400 m, 800 m, 1200 m, 1600 m up… then back down, 1200 m, 800 m and 400 m. Starting out fast, getting slower for the mile, then speeding back up. It went surprisingly well. Yay!
- When Rachel was visiting she reminded me that the RAGBRAI route announcement was yesterday. AHHH!!!! GUYS! They are stopping in Cedar Falls this year! That is super close to my hometown, which means I bet I can get Dad to do a leg again, and hopefully Will (my brother-in-law) can join this year, since he had to back out last year (to go to a wedding). YAY!!!!!
- Rachel and I really enjoyed the race! Of course, it was a bit of a letdown not to use our snowshoes, but I know we will have more opportunities this year, and, dang, it was still challenging on the snow dusted grass and ice!!!
- While Rachel was here we signed up for our Michigan ultra and booked our hotel. Woo hoo! I am signed up for races in two new to me states this year (MN and MI) and have two girls’ weekends planned out of it!
- Next weekend I am teaching at Efit both days – cycling on Saturday and fitness boxing on Sunday. I am looking forward to my first cycling class of the year! The workout is really heavily music based (I use it as a tempo guide) and I am excited to work on my playlist!
i think all the turning on tracks put a bit of extra stress on the joints, that or it’s the surface. But yay for not hurting!!
AAAAHHHHH!!!! I missed your post last year about the new state every year thing! I didn’t know you were doing that! We need to put our schedules together for something!
Yeah! It’s a dream of mine! What state could we do? 🙂
So I have a (dumb) question/request – can you explain how you do your speed workouts? Specifically, I’m wondering how you track the distances. Do you use a Garmin and set the distance somehow from miles to meters? Is there some program that can be automatically set? Or do you do it on a marked track? I figured I need to ask the running guru 🙂 Thanks!!
Not dumb 😉 I use my Garmin when I have satellites. I know 400 m more or less = .25 m, and 800 m more or less = .5 m (and so on) so I use the distance function on my watch, and the lap button to track it. I also try to run somewhere that has loops, so I can watch is visually (like this Thursday was at the .5 mile path around the park by my house).
You can set your garmin to have speed workouts in it, and it will indicate for you when to start and stop. I have never bothered to figure it out, and just do it manually 🙂
Thanks that helps!! I more-or-less understand the meter to mile conversion but was hoping you knew some magical easier way to track. I think I’ve been avoiding speedwork because it felt complex but I really like your method of tracking and self-lapping. I’ll have to give it a go! The Central Park reservoir sounds like it would be a good fit since it’s circular.
I think the magical easier way is setting up your Garmin! But believe me, the self lapping is not hard at all. You will definitely keep an eye on your watch and be happy to hit “lap” when the interval is over. You won’t forget. Ha ha! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Woo hoo, that is some serious mileage! And seriously impressive, especially considering that you’re doing so much outdoor mileage in Illinois in January. Exciting news about RAGBRAI! It’s so fun being in town when everyone comes through. I was at the big party when I was younger in Shenandoah, where my dad grew up and a couple years later in Marion, my home town, and both were really fun experiences. Heck, I’m even tempted to head home to see the fun in Hiawatha!
Thanks! 🙂 Trying to ramp back up for the ultra in April!
You should go! It’s such a party! I am wondering if I should do two days this time, since I can stay overnight with family in CF! 🙂
33.5 miles. NBD.
We don’t even need to train, right? 😉
I am actually doing a ladder speed workout myself this week.
Congrats on your fun race this weekend and signing up for an ultra! Signing up for big races is the best feeling.
Also – are you really from Iowa??? ME TOO!!! I’m from Cedar Rapids! RAGBRAI has long been on my bucket list. If I do it though, I want to do the full week. All or nothing! Maybe in 2016 or 2017 when I am not running as many races and have more vacation time 🙂
Enjoy your ladder! 🙂
Yeah! I am from the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. I hope you get to do the entire RAGBRAI. I did a day last year (it was so fun!), and could see the full week wouldn’t be for me. Not because I wouldn’t be up for it physically, I just don’t think I could camp the whole week. LOL!
Wow, you did some serious miles!!It’s great you felt better. It sounds like you have some fun stuff lined up 🙂 Maybe one day I will get to come to one of your classes 🙂
Thanks! I am getting really excited about the ultra in April! 😀
That would be awesome!!!!!!!!!1