Training is officially in full swing. After a much-needed (and appreciated) week of rest in Cabo and some simple base training to get back into the swing of things and the A.M. running schedule, I started my training cycle last week. On Sunday, July 10th I put in a strong 10 mile run along the lakefront. I was excited to get up early and head out there, considering it was the longest run I would have in over a month and a half. Since 13.1 Chicago, my goal was to re-focus, allow my body to rest, and to prepare a strong 12-week training cycle led by my coach (and brother) @PedalingPoores. And if my training over the past week and a half isn’t a testament to the power of REST, I’m not sure what is!

Tuesday: Progressive Tempo–7.5 Miles

I didn’t have a plan for this run the night before but woke up thinking “yes, I will do a tempo today!”. Each mile I gently pushed my legs along to a speedier pace and it seemed light and effortless. I didn’t get much sleep the night before but I was feeling energetic and ready to tackle these miles. (I consistently “zap the zero” on Tuesdays–I think that motivates me to kick butt!)

Splits:
09:13
09:12
08:35
08:14
08:18
08:04
08:34
08:56

Thursday: Speed Ladder– 5.92 Miles

I spoke with my coach on Tuesday over lunch and got all jazzed for the official training to begin. We decided I should do my first two-a-day. (eek!) I ran a strong speed ladder in the morning:

I was quite happy with myself! I had no idea what kind of pace I was running for each interval because I programmed the workout into my Garmin myself. It shows distance and time remaining when you are in an Advanced Workout, but not current or lap pace. I began to feel the burn during the 800 interval and tried to keep my form together through the end of the workout. The rest intervals always seem shorter and shorter towards the end, but I always tell myself that means I have less distance to run anyway. Coach told me I should have been on Cloud 9 with these splits and, indeed, I was!

That night I ran the Bastille Day 5k with Manny, my newbie runner boyfriend. (Click link for recap!)

The easy 5k at night flushed out my legs and I didn’t feel heavy at all. I went to bed feeling refreshed and relaxed, which was great considering the total mileage I put in!

Saturday: 12 Mile LSD

Woke up nice and early in order to get this run in before the heat really set in. I was nervous about the heat but was happy to see an overcast sky the minute I woke up. Running along the lakeshore in full sunlight is never fun, especially on a long run (over an hour and a half). I felt strong throughout and my breathing wasn’t as labored as I thought it would be. I decided to do a 3 mile surge towards the end of the run and, again, blew myself out of the water! Even though my average pace should have been around 9:30, it turned out to be 8:59, with a strong final three miles at the following splits: 8:39, 8:17, 7:49. I ran right up the steps to the Starbucks and grabbed myself an iced coffee before getting on the bus to head home. 🙂

Sunday–BF Birthday Recovery Day

Tuesday–1 km Repeats–6.03 miles

Schedule called for 1 km repeats at a pace of 5 min/km or faster. I programmed this workout into my Garmin as well, by using the Repeat function for the first time. I hoped to do 5 repeats, but instead accidentally programmed it for 4. Woops! It was probably a good thing considering I woke up late and was rushing to get ready for work by the time I got back from my run.

1 km splits: (with 400 m recovery) 4:14, 4:27, 4:21, 4:25

I didn’t expect to see these times flashin’ on my Dailymile or Garmin Connect Dashboard anytime soon. In fact, I think it’s because I had no expectations going into these runs. Sure, Coach had some times in mind for me; there are thresholds that I should reach at different times. But I felt like I just went out there and RAN. This weekend I will put in a strong 13 miles and continue to look forward to surprising myself.

Have a happy week! (AND STAY HYDRATED IN THIS HEAT!)

-J