Peak Week = Complete

Last week marked peak week before the Nike Women's Half Marathon. The week started off slow as my legs were quite fatigued from the Capital 10 Miler the previous Sunday. Last week was also the warmest week we've had all year, with temps in the upper 80's and even one day in the 90's. I wasn't expecting how much I loved the warmer temps. Now I'm counting down the days until the semester is over and summer can really start. I've also been craving going to a baseball game.

To be honest, it seems way too soon for peak week to have already come and gone. In a way I feel like I just started training. At the same time I feel like I've been training forever. I'm nervous, excited and anxious for race day to be just around the corner. Even though this wasn't my highest week in terms of time training it was equally as tough on my legs after coming off of a tough race.

Monday: 3 recovery miles with no watch as the sun was setting. Best. run. ever.

15 minutes of abs and some foam rolling

Tuesday: 2500 yard swim

5.8 miles in the evening consisting of a mixture of road & trail. Somehow I got lost, which coupled with a cranky stomach made this a less than pleasant run.

Wednesday: 7 miles of intervals in the morning. One of the toughest runs I've had in awhile on a day that hit 93 degrees. I surprised myself and LOVED running in the morning.

Thursday: rest

Friday: 3100 yard swim

3.3 easy miles cut short from 6.5 due to a cranky stomach.

Saturday: 3.9 sunset miles. I was supposed to do my long run on Saturday but ran into some scheduling conflicts that caused me to push it back to Sunday. I was going to finish Friday's run on Sunday after my long run but when that got moved I decided to get the miles in on Saturday. I kept the pace really relaxed and chased the ice cream truck all over Arbutus.

15 minutes abs

Sunday: 13.35 mile long run. This was my longest run and my last long run of this training cycle. Instead of being nervous about tackling the distance I was actually pretty excited. The run started about kind of average with my pace hovering around 9:00. I decided I wanted to throw in some faster miles to mix things up, so I ran until the turn around point at a hard but conservative pace. I remember thinking "I could probably hold this for an entire half marathon if I really tried." I wasn't expecting to see I was holding around 8:23. Same pace as last weekend's race but considerably easier. Once I reached half way I decided I would finish out the run by doing 1 mile easy, 2 @ 8:20, 1 mile easy, 1.5 @ 8:20, 1.5 miles warm down.

The next two miles I was supposed to hold 8:20 for felt really good. Like really good. I didn't look at my watch but instead ran at a comfortably hard pace. At the end of the second mile I picked it up a bit by letting some faster people in front of me pace me. They were running faster than me but didn't require a sprint to keep up with. Miles 9 and 10 clocked in at 8:09 and 7:53. During the easy mile I noticed that my hip was starting to get tight and achy. Nothing too concerning but when I started to run harder my hip started to protest. The harder I ran the more it hurt so I ran at more of a comfortably hard pace. I tried stretching it before starting my warm down but it still hurt when I started running again. With a little less than a mile to go I was practically limping. I wanted nothing more than to finish all 14 of those miles but I knew it would be dumb of me to push through the pain.

Once I got home I stretched, foam rolled and iced my hip. It doesn't seem to be injured by any means, just cranky. I probably could have pushed through and finished the run but I was so close to being done anyway and had put in a really solid effort that I didn't want to chance anything. Hip troubles aside, this run was incredible. I felt a million times better than I did last weekend and was able to hold some fast paces with a lot less effort than I expected. This run was challenging but I felt strong the whole time. I remember finishing runs of 8.8 miles at the same pace and being dead by the end. If it wasn't for my hip I could have kept running.

This was the first time that I have really loved doing a long run. Normally I dread long runs because they completely wipe me out. On Sunday I actually felt ready and capable to handle the distance. Before I started running I thought back to a 14 mile long run I did while training for the NYCM/Harrisburg Marathon. That run took me the entire day. Every single mile was a challenge. Yesterday's run was a complete 180 from that run. I finished the run beaming with confidence. I rarely have gone into races (both running and swimming) with confidence. I am no longer doubting my abilities to run the race I want to run.

Week total: 36.35 miles

Even though my legs felt heavy more days than not I couldn't help but love all of my runs this week. They were the kind of runs that remind me how much I love running. It's a good thing I was loving running so much this week because I ran my highest mileage week ever at 36.35 miles. I really never thought I would run so many miles while training for a half marathon. I didn't think I would love running higher (for me) mileage so much. In the matter of a few weeks I have gone from dreading training for a fall marathon to excited to do it right this time and run even more miles.

NYCM Training Week 4

Monday:
After the Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sunday I was in need of a rest day. I debated swimming or biking for a little but all I wanted to do was sleep so I opted for a total rest day instead.

Tuesday:
I set out early Tuesday morning for an easy recovery run from Sunday's race but my leg pain came back and was still there a mile into the run. I turned around and ran/walked back to my apartment. Once I got back I did 15 minute of ab work followed by 15 minutes of stretching and foam rolling. Not happy with the failed run in the morning, I hopped on my trainer for a 45 minute easy ride while watching Friends. By the end of the day my leg was feeling much better, giving me hope for the rest of the week.

Wednesday:
I took advantage of my big break again on Wednesday and got in a quick swim. I only got in 1,000 yards before the pool was evacuated for vacuuming. I had no leg discomfort or pain during the swim, which is improvement from the last time I went swimming.

Thursday:
I wanted to get in a track workout this week but also wanted to sleep in on Thursday. I thought it would be a good idea to go to the track after class, at 2:30. The only problem was that it was very sunny and there was a lacrosse game about to start. I did my mile warm up and then tried a mile for time. I finished in a slow for me 7:53 and felt crappy the entire time. As I was starting my second mile I was told to leave the track because of the game, so I ended up running back to my car for 4 miles total for the day.

Friday:
I went out for an easy run on the trail near my house but felt pretty bad the entire time. I was really struggling to breathe and just couldn't get into any kind of groove. This run was a real sign about the long run I had scheduled Saturday. I was able to get in 6 really slow miles though.

Saturday:
I had planned on doing 16 miles on Saturday but only made it to 14 miles. This was literally one of the worst runs of my life. I just couldn't get going. I felt tired the whole time and ended up taking walking breaks. I considered stopping at 8 miles but pushed on. Hopefully next week's run will go better than this one.

Sunday:
I closed out the week with a 2 mile recovery run on the treadmill followed up with 30 minutes of strength and core work.

Weekly totals

• Running: 28 miles
• Swimming: 1,000 yards
• Biking: 45 min
• Strength & core: 45 min
• Total hours: 7 hrs 22 min

NYCM Training Week 3

Monday:
I started the week off once again with a track workout. It was not my best track session but it was still a good run. I forgot water and was running directly in the sunlight so I'm sure that affected my slightly slower than normal splits. Regardless, I love starting each week with a killer workout. It makes me motivated to make the rest of the week just as strong. I had planned on doing 6 miles but cut my warm down short to make it 5 miles due to how hot and thirsty I was. In the evening after class I went to yoga. I am used to yoga being mostly stretching based but this class was definitely more strength based. It was still a really good class that I plan on attending weekly.

Tuesday:
I woke up Tuesday to sore arms and legs from yoga. I knew I needed an easy day to recover from two hard workouts yesterday so I hopped on my bike trainer for 35 minutes of easy riding. I followed up with a few minutes of ab work before getting back to work on homework and studying.

Wednesday:
One of my favorite things about my schedule this semester is that I have a huge break on Wednesday to swim and still have to time to eat lunch and study before my next class. I took advantage of the beautiful weather on Wednesday and got in a quick 1800 yards before heading off to a meeting.

Thursday:
Thursday was another gorgeous day so I persuaded my dad to go kayaking with me after work. We didn't go very fast but it was so peaceful out on the water. We even did some kayaking in the dark!

Friday:
I spent literally the entire day Friday doing homework. I was planning on doing 6 miles and resting on Saturday but I was mentally too tired to do 6. Instead I did an easy 3 miles throughout my neighborhood.

Saturday:
I had to wake up pretty early Saturday in order to get my run in before catching the train to Philly for the weekend. I felt a little weird during the run but overall felt pretty good. I ended up doing the other 3 miles from Friday's planned six.

Sunday:
Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon! Race report to come! I did an easy mile before the run to loosen things up and make my long run a tad longer. Longest run ever- 14 miles!

Weekly Totals

• Running: 25.3 miles
• Yoga: 55 min
• Biking: 35 min
• Swimming: 1800 yards
• Kayaking: 50 min
• Total hours: 7 hours 5 min

NYCM Training Week 2

Monday:
I started the week off the best way I know how with a 5 mile track run. It was a glorious run in a torrential downpour where I set some personal records. It was nice to do a shorter track run and be able to push harder on each interval. I normally plan on lifting after my track runs but took the week off from lifting because of some weird pain I was having in my left hip/hamstring/back.

Tuesday:
Tuesday was when things started going downhill though. I was tired and opted to sleep in instead of go for my run. I figured I would just do it in the afternoon but before I knew it I was busy and didn't run at all. Unfortunately Tuesday was a rest day.

Wednesday:
I finally got my bike set up on the trainer so I was able to squeeze in a short ride after class. It was such a difference to be stuck inside on a trainer then being outside riding out on the road in nature. I was hoping to ride for an hour but I got bored and called it a day after riding for 40 minutes.

Thursday:
I was lazy again Thursday morning and chose sleeping in over running. I ended up going for a run in the middle of the day when it was 90 degrees out. I didn't realize it was so hot out and didn't bring water with me. Needless to say it was a pretty miserable 4.5 mile run.

Friday:
I went home Friday morning so I was able to run on my favorite trail near my house. I went out for a 4 mile run but only made it three miles before I had some major GI issues. I resorted to walking very slowly for the last mile but regardless it was a pretty good run.

Saturday:
Saturday was supposed to be long run day but I had this weird pain on my inner thigh when I started running so I bagged the run. I went home and did the recumbent bike for an hour. I decided once my leg started hurting to just go ahead and make this week a rest week. Most of my runs this week were cut short or eliminated in general so I figured to refigure my training plan.

Sunday:
I thought about doing a trainer ride on Sunday but ended up making it another rest day. I think rest weeks are really important mentally but I didn't get the mental rest this week so I took advantage of that on Sunday.

Weekly Totals

• Running: 12.2 miles
• Biking: 1 hr 40 min
• Yoga: 55 min
• Total hours: 4 hours 36 mn

NYCM Training Week 1

Monday:
I wasn't too sore when I woke up but I was still generally tired from such a long weekend. I decided to go to the gym for one last strength session before leaving for school though. Unfortunately my left shoulder was feeling a little funny so I cut out almost all of my upper body exercises. It wasn't a long workout but I still felt strong.

Tuesday:
I made sure to head to my Tuesday morning yoga class before heading down to school to move back in to my apartment. My legs were still pretty tight from Sunday's triathlon so the stretching felt fantastic. I'm pretty sad about not being able to go to yoga class anymore but I think I learned enough to get in some solid stretching on my own.

Wednesday:
Wednesday was my first day of classes so I knew things would be chaotic. I didn't have class until 2:30 but really didn't want to wake up at 7:00 to beat the Baltimore heat. Instead I ran in the evening after class. I didn't have much motivation but I knew I needed to run. I accidentally left my Garmin at home so I just ran for 55 minutes and then mapped out how far I went. I was so surprised during the run with how great I felt. That same run would have kicked my butt last year but felt like a piece of cake on Wednesday.

Thursday:
Since I don't have classes on Friday this semester and have off on Monday for Labor Day I decided to go home Thursday afternoon after class. I was planning on running 4 miles but decided to call it quits after 2 miles because of how terrible my legs felt. I could have pushed through but I wanted Friday's long run to go well and thought it wasn't worth using so much mental and physical energy.

Friday:
Long run day! I was all set to do my long run in the morning but my stomach wasn't cooperating and by the time it was it was already 90 degrees outside. I figured I could just run in the evening or move the run to Saturday. I wanted to do this long run with some half marathon goal pace miles to see where I am at before my half in a couple weeks. I did 3 miles warm up, 6 miles @ HMGP, 3 miles warm down. The first 9 miles of the run went really well but then my stomach started to hurt. At the same time I ran out of water. I decided to go back home and finish the last three miles after I could get more to drink. Those miles were brutal. I felt dizzy and exhausted but I needed to finish. After the run I ate all the salty things I could find and almost instantly felt better. I think I may need to start taking salt tabs with me on long runs because I am a really salty sweater.

Saturday:
I normally don't wait so long between my twice-weekly strength sessions but I wanted to wait until after my long run. I have been having some weird shoulder pain/ache for the past few days so I only did a few upper body exercises. I stopped as soon as I felt any pain or discomfort. Later in the day I met my boyfriend at a local lake. He was going mountain biking so I decided to bring my dog for a trail run, which turned into a trail run/hike. It was a really beautiful day but unfortunately my hip area started really hurting as the day progressed. By the time I went to bed I could barely walk up the stairs because of the pain. I am not sure what caused it or what it is but my guess is that it is from lifting.

Sunday:
I was supposed to do a recovery run on Sunday but decided to do a bike ride instead because of my hip/leg. It felt much better after when I woke up in the morning but I still wanted to be careful. I went for a 20 mile bike ride with my dad that really loosened up the area. The pain is definitely getting better but I'm going to be extra cautious next week not to do any more damage.

Weekly Totals

• Running: 21.83 miles
• Biking: 20 miles
• Yoga: 60 min
• Strength: 1 hour 17 min
• Total Hours: 7 hours 54 min

Keystone State Tri Training Week 6

Monday:
Sometimes I feel like I need a rest after the weekend. I had little motivation to do much of anything on Monday. I did drag myself out of the couch to go to the gym for some strength training. I had a bit of a breakthrough at the gym was able to increase my weight in most exercises. Lifting makes me feel so strong in a way that running doesn't. They really compliment each other well.

Tuesday:
I opted to sleep in instead of going to my usual yoga class. I then went for an easy bike ride to loosen up my legs from Monday night's lifting. The ride was slow but just what my legs needed. Then in the evening I went to the track for some 400 repeats. I had a hard time settling into a groove but I still was happy with my workout.

Wednesday:
The day I questioned everything. I was insanely tired and needed the extra rest. It was hard choosing to take the day off but it was greatly needed.

Thursday:
My car needed an inspection so I ran to the gym for yoga class. It was a short, mostly downhill run that really didn't take much out of me. After an hour of yoga stretches, I did a strength session. I debated whether I should have even lifted so I went easy on my lower body and really pushed my upper body.

Friday & Saturday:
My boyfriend and his younger brother threw a back to school party that ended up a little out of control, leaving my boyfriend and I running around playing chaperon all night. I think between 7:30 at night and 4 in the morning I sat down for maybe 30 minutes. After the party Friday night, Saturday was spent cleaning and catching up on sleep.

Sunday:
Triathlon!

Weekly Totals

• Swimming: 825 yards
• Biking: 30.2 miles
• Running: 13.01 miles
• Yoga: 60 min
• Strength: 1 hr 35 min
• Total hours: 7 hrs 6 min

Keystone State Tri Training Week 5

Monday:
I started the week off with an easy bike ride on the trail. My legs were tired only climbing during rides so the flat trail was greatly welcomed. My pace was slow but the whole ride was very enjoyable. In total I rode 17.2 miles.

Tuesday:
After going to my Tuesday morning yoga class I went to the gym for some strength training. In the evening I went to the track for my weekly track session but was stormed out. I contemplated pushing through the storm but I called it quits after a tornado was spotted in my county. Safety first.

Wednesday:
Wednesday was a lazy day. I really don't remember what I did all day but I did manage to get for a 2 mile recovery run.

Thursday:
Thursday morning I did my weekly long run where I hit double digits for the first time. Of the 10 miles I did 2 at marathon goal pace and another 2 at half marathon goal pace. Very successful run. After my run I stretched out with a lunchtime yoga class.

Friday:
I was planning on going up to Pinchot for some hill work on Friday but heavy rain scared me away from trying to ride. Instead I went for a recovery run that was the opposite of Thursday's run. Then in the evening I went to the gym to strength train.

Saturday:
Rest day! Gosh I love my rest days.

Sunday:
I finished off the week with 4.69 miles of easy running to make my weekly total 22 miles, a new weekly high for me.

Weekly Totals

• Biking: 17.2 miles
• Running: 22 miles
• Yoga: 90 min
• Strength: 1 hr 25 min
• Total hours: 8 hrs 4 min

Keystone State Tri Training Week 4

Monday:
Even though the week before was vacation I was still really tired on Monday morning and opted to sleep in instead. I then hit the track for my longest track workout yet! I did 3x 800 hard, 400 recovery, followed by 3x 400 sprint, 800 recovery.

Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I went to my usual yoga class, which felt amazing after Monday's track workout. It really is amazing how much a little stretching can do for the body. Later in the day I went up to Pinchot to ride a loop of the tri course, followed by a 2 mile brick on the trails. Despite my legs being tired I saw a lot of improvement on this ride.

Wednesday:
The plan was to do 2 loops at Pinchot this time but heat exhaustion got the better of me. I called it quits for the day only 10 minutes into my ride due to dizziness and nausea. At night I went to the gym and lifted after hydrating like crazy.

Thursday:
I went down to my boyfriend's house on Wednesday night and we didn't wake up until around noon. Then we hung out for awhile and I lost all motivation to workout. Not thrilled about it, but it was a rest day.

Friday:
By Friday morning I knew I was doing the race on Saturday but wanted to get in a quick shakeout run to loosen up my legs. I did 2 miles of easy hills near my house and felt great. Then I went to the gym for some strength training.

Saturday:
Race day! I ran my first 15K through the tortuous rolling hills of Druid Park.

Sunday:
My IT band felt tight after the race so I rested so as not to aggravate it any more.

Weekly Totals

• Biking: 9.6 miles
• Running: 18.8 miles
• Strength: 1 hr 25 min
• Yoga: 60 min
• Total hours: 6 hours 16 min

General Smallwood Training Week 8

Monday:
I woke up Monday morning and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep but I somehow convinced myself to do a 30 minute recovery ride on the trainer. My legs were moving pretty slowly but I felt much better after the ride. I spent most of the afternoon studying and was in need of a break. In the evening I did Insanity Pure Cardio and even though I had to modify a few moves I finished strong and dripping with sweat.


Tuesday:
I woke up early for another morning trainer ride. I wasn't sure how long I was going to ride for but ended up getting in a 35 minute ride. I had wanted to ride a little longer but my legs were still really tired. I finished out the day with Insanity Plyo Circuit. I'm not sure if the Insanity workouts are getting any easier but I am definitely becoming more mentally prepared for them. I'm starting to know what to expect and figure out when to push myself the most during the workout.


Wednesday:
Wednesday was my day to sleep in and boy did I enjoy it I woke up feeling rested and eager for that night's workout. Feeling refreshed after sleeping in, I went for a 3.5 mile run just as the sun was setting. It was gorgeous out and for some reason this run was just amazing. I started the run off at a super slow pace so I wouldn't burn out again. Then I picked up the pace for the third mile and finished it in 8:39. It was hard but a comfortable hard. This run reminded me why I love running and left me excited to train for the NYCM this summer.


Thursday:
Thursday was an unplanned rest day due to studying for finals and finishing a paper I had to write. It was the only day I would have been able to swim since the pool had irregular hours but I knew studying was more important. I was frustrated all day that I wasn't able to fit in a workout, which means I must have finally caught the training bug!


Friday:
Friday I only did a 3 mile walk. I had a final Friday morning and then had to pack up my apartment and drive home to my parent's house where I will be staying over the summer. My bike hasn't been unpacked yet and I was just too exhausted to try to do anything productive. I was happy to get back in the habit of taking my dog for evening walks though.


Saturday:
Saturday was another walk day. I spent most of the day unpacking and cleaning, and getting things ready for my sister's graduation on Sunday. I could have gone for a run or done Insanity but I was lazy and only did a 2 mile walk.


Sunday:
Sunday was my sister's graduation and my scheduled rest day. It was a crazy day and I ended up getting pretty badly sunburned. I was going to go for an evening walk but my skin feels like it is on fire whenever I move so I opted to just stay as still as possible.


Weekly Totals

• Swimming: 0
• Biking: 65 min
• Running: 3.5 miles
• Walking: 5 miles
• Insanity: 75 min
• Total Hours: 4 hours 11 min

Thoughts
This was an extremely chaotic week and I knew going into it that I was just going to have to do what I could. The beginning of the week saw some great workouts luckily. I am most frustrated over not getting to swim at all but unfortunately my finals were scheduled during the two hours the pool was open every day. Next week is also going to be a little chaotic because I am pet sitting for family friends all week. I am excited to get some work but I will be staying at their house with the pets and am not sure how much time I will have a sneak away for a workout. I also start my summer classes next week and have my sister's graduation party next weekend. I just need to get through this next week and then I can really start bumping training up!

General Smallwood Training Week 7

Monday:
I woke up ready for a short trainer ride but as soon as I started pedaling I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. My legs felt stiff, sore, and tired. I'm not exactly sure what from, but after about three minutes on the bike I hopped off and did a 20 minute yoga dvd to loosen things up some. I even spent some quality time with my foam roller afterwards. During my lunch break I hit the pool for a 2,000 meter swim. This swim went much better then last time and left me feeling confident and ready for more.


Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I slept in and enjoyed every minute of it. After class I came back to my apartment and did an Insanity workout. I did plyo cardio circuit, which is one of my favorite of the Insanity workouts. By the end of the workout I was drenched in sweat. I was pleasantly surprised with how my body handled this workout, which means I must be making progress.


Wednesday:
Wednesday morning I woke up early and did a 45 minute trainer interval ride. At the beginning of the ride my legs felt pretty crappy but they soon warmed up and were ready to get to work. Then it was back to the pool during my lunch break for another 2,000 meter swim. This was another great swim and by the end my arms were burning.


Thursday:
I was hoping to get in a workout Thursday morning since my afternoon was all booked with end of the semester schoolwork but I hardly slept all night and just did not have the energy to squeeze in a workout. After trying very hard to find a way to fit a workout in I just accepted and enjoyed my unplanned rest day. In the end it was just what my body needed.


Friday:
Friday ended up being another rest day because my stomach was not cooperating again. I was planning on getting a swim in but the pool was closed due to a swim meet. In the end, the extra rest really helped my body and mind recover.


Saturday:
I spent the majority of Saturday studying for finals but managed to squeeze in a short brick at the end of the day. I did a hard 30 minute trainer ride followed by an easy 3 mile transition run. The run was not my best but I know it will take a little for me to get back into it. I started the run off feeling great but then died big time. I almost switched to walking but pushed through and finished the run.


Sunday:
Sunday was just not a good day. I passed out in my kitchen and spent the rest of the day laying on the couch dizzy. As much as I wanted to get in a workout I knew it was absolutely not worth it. My safety and well being come first, which means Sunday was another rest day.


Weekly totals

• Swimming: 4,000 meters
• Biking: 1 hour 15 min
• Running: 3 miles
• Other: 20 min yoga, 40 min Insanity
• Total hours: 4 hours 20 min

Thoughts

I have been mentioning that I have had a fair amount of unscheduled rest days lately that are due to my stomach bothering me. This past week I was pretty dizzy as well and just overall felt pretty crappy. I'm sure some of this is due to the stress of finals but I do have the feeling that something is actually wrong. I already have an appointment to go to the doctor after finals are over so I can make sure that everything is okay. The beginning of the week was pretty solid though and I am still happy with how this week turned out.

General Smallwood Training Week 6

Along with week 5, week 6 was not my best training week. The stress of finals really got to me but I still managed to get in some good workouts.


Monday:
Monday was part of my self sabotage mission. I don't think I did anything productive on Monday, making it a rest day.


Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I woke up determined to make this a great week of training after all. I did a 30 minute trainer ride to kick off my day, and finished up with Insanity Max Recovery in the afternoon.


Wednesday:
Wednesday ended up being another rest day but only because my stomach was in a world of hurt. I think it is stress but my stomach has been hurting pretty badly almost every time I eat.


Thursday:
On Thursday I decided to end my running hiatus. The plan was to do three miles nice and easy, but my stomach didn't want to run. I ended up doing a three mile run/walk loop around campus.


Friday:
On Friday I did another three miles running and walking. I fell and twisted my knee during Thursday's outing and I was feeling a little pain on Friday so I didn't want to push it.


Saturday:
Despite the rain outside preventing me from swimming, I still managed to squeeze in a twenty minute trainer ride followed immediately by Insanity Core Cardio & Balance. This was the best workout I had all week and really left me ready to take on Sunday's workout.


Sunday:
Another unwanted rest day due to stomach troubles. Definitely bummed but I wasn't going to chance heading out with an iffy stomach.


Weekly Totals

• Swimming: 0 
• Biking: 50 minutes
• Running: 6 miles
• Insanity: 70 minutes
• Total hours: 3 hours 23 minutes

Thoughts
I started the week off in a bad place. I was mad at myself and skipped workouts because I felt helpless. Based on how the week started off though I am pretty happy with the workouts I did Thursday through Saturday. Even though it wasn't the best of weeks I am motivated and ready to take on the next week. 

Triathlon Training Week 4

There isn't anything too fabulous about this week but here we go:


Monday:
Since Monday's high was 90 degrees I decided biking inside in the air conditioning was the way to go. I did my longest ride on the trainer so far: 60 minutes! My rides have been getting significantly better, although I can't measure speed. They are definitely feeling easier though. My hip flexors were a little tight throughout the day so I stretched and iced after my ride.


Tuesday: 
I ended up skipping my planned morning run in favor of some much needed sleep. My apartment has air conditioning but it was still almost 80 degrees inside which made sleeping nearly impossible for me. I was finally able to sleep in the morning so I went with it. I did a hard 30 minute trainer ride in the afternoon though. I was shocked at how quickly the time flew by.


Wednesday:
I took a much needed rest day on Wednesday since my left leg/hip was really wonky. It was incredibly nice to do nothing all afternoon and just hang out on the couch.


Thursday:
Thursday was another rest day, as I had decided to make week four a recovery week. By late Thursday I was really itching to get a workout in though, which made me excited for the next week's training.


Friday:
I finally swam! I did my first swim of triathlon training and realized that I am much more out of shape than I thought. It was still a really nice swim that left me wanting more though. I focused mainly on pulling drills and kicking and ended up with 1,800 meters for the day.


Saturday:
Friday night my boyfriend and I went camping with some friends and were planning on going hiking on Saturday but our plans got derailed by a full day of heavy rain.


Sunday:
Sunday completed my super rest week. I spent the majority of the day in bed sleeping and relaxing with the boyfriend. I really should have done something on Sunday but sometimes you just need to be lazy all day and do nothing.


Weekly Totals

• Swimming: 1,800 yards
• Biking: 1 hour 30 min
• Running: 0 miles
• Total hours: 2 hours 15 min

Thoughts
This week consisted of a lot more rest than I had anticipated but I'm not too worked up over it. My body feels completely recovered and I have no lingering soreness anymore. I am really glad I took this rest week and now I am looking forward to three more weeks of hard training.

Triathlon Training Week 3

Monday:
I woke up Monday morning with a really stiff neck that hurt with pretty much every movement I made. I was originally planning on running Monday morning but with how stiff my neck was all activity was out of the question. Unfortunately Monday ended up being a rest day.


Tuesday:
I got in a 45 minute ride on the trainer while studying for my Russian test and watching reruns of Friends. This was the longest ride I had done on the trainer so far but the time flew. It wasn't a hard workout but I did switch up the intensity multiple times to keep things interesting.


Wednesday:
Wednesday was a 30 minute easy recovery ride on the trainer. I really did not want to do this ride but I didn't want to see another rest day for the week. It wasn't the best ride but I'm still glad I got it done.


Thursday:
My first brick! I did an easy 45 minute ride on the trainer followed immediately by a four mile run. Based off of this workout I am very excited to do more brick workouts. I also tried my first energy gel during this workout!


Friday:
I woke up on Friday and my hip was really weird feeling. It wasn't particularly sore but the joint felt messed up. I was originally planning on going for a short run on Friday and making Saturday a rest day but I just decided it was better to switch them and make Friday the rest day. 


Saturday:
The plan was to do a six mile easy run but things didn't quite go as planned. As soon as I started off I knew it was going to be a tough run but I thought as long as I kept my pace easy I would be alright. Around a mile and a half in, though, I started cramping and became really dizzy. I stopped and walked for a little bit and then tried to run again but there was no change. It was really hot outside and I didn't have my phone with me so I didn't want to chance passing out with no way to call for help. I just walked the rest of the way back to my car, which was actually quite pleasant. I ended up running 1.83 miles and walking 1.83 miles. Not ideal but I didn't want to take any chances.


Sunday:
After how crappy I felt during Saturday's run I decided to do a short 2 mile recovery run on Sunday. I was super excited to try out my mom's Brooks Pure Cadence shoes during the run but unfortunately my legs still felt like dead weights. After that disaster of a run I went for a 2.5 mile walk with my mom and with Gracie. I think Gracie had the most fun on the walk


Weekly Totals

• Biking: 2 hours
• Running: 7.83 miles
• Walking: 4.33 miles
• Total Hours: 4 hours 30 min

Thoughts
This week was full of ups and downs. I loved my bike rides on the trainer and my legs are loving them too. The rides are feeling more comfortable and are becoming quite enjoyable. I had a really great brick workout on Thursday and I pushed myself to get in workouts that I normally would have just skipped. On the downside, though, my runs this week were pretty craptastic. My legs, particularly my calves and lower legs, feel really tight and swollen and therefore very heavy. I wasn't sure whether I should try to run through it or just rest my legs. I tried to do some active recovery but that didn't seem to help much. I am going to make it a point this next week to foam roll and stretch every day in hopes of that helping. I know everyone has bad runs so I am hoping that is all it is. My nutrition this week was pretty good too, and I even tried my first energy gel! Next week is going to be a pretty tough week training wise so I am really going to monitor everything that goes into my body to make sure I am being fueled properly.

Triathlon Training Week 2

Week 2 didn't go as well as week 1 but there were a few highlights:


Monday:
I'm not sure what was going on but my stomach was a mess all day. I would try to eat but then just feel nasty afterwards. I was going to try to get in a ride on the trainer but I decided no just make Monday a rest day in hopes of feeling better for the rest of the week.


Tuesday:
Since Monday was a rest day I started off the week with a 30 minute hard ride on the trainer. I put on Biggest Loser and I must have been motivated by their trip to the White House to visit Michelle Obama because I was feeling great! I still haven't figured out how to set up my bike computer so I have no idea what my pace was but I felt so much better than my last ride.


Wednesday:
Started the day off with my longest morning run to date: 4 miles! I was still a little sleepy but felt pretty good. Right now I am working on building up my endurance so I'm not worrying so much about my pace. I am really starting to enjoy these morning runs too! I finished off the day with a 30 min easy trainer ride. My legs were a little tired but started to loosen up during the ride. Followed up the ride with some foam rolling, which felt so good!


Thursday:
I was planning on doing another trainer ride on Thursday but I when I woke up my stomach was pretty sick so it ended up being another rest day. I actually didn't even go to class and just slept all day on the couch. Hopefully my stomach calms down soon and everything goes back to normal.


Friday:
I was hoping to get in a morning workout before heading home for Easter but my body just wanted to sleep. I think I am fighting some sort of stomach bug because food isn't settling with me well and I am always tired. Anyways, I listened to my body and slept in. I did go for a two mile walk with my dad and my puppy once I was home though.

Saturday:
After 11 glorious hours of sleep I headed out to the trail near my parents house for an easy four mile run before meeting my dad for another three miles. I ended up with seven miles for the day, which I am very pleased with. I took it easy and felt pretty good the whole time. This was also the longest run since my half in March.


Sunday:
Sunday was my scheduled rest day and between celebrating Easter with my family and going back to school I didn't have any time to get in a workout.


Weekly Totals

• Swimming:
• Biking: 60 minutes
• Running: 11 miles
• Other: 2 mile walk
• Total Hours: 3 hours 30 min

Thoughts
Week two was pretty rough overall but I still managed to get in a few good workouts. I'm really happy that I  ran seven miles on Saturday and that I felt so good doing so. I definitely had more rest days that planned but I knew resting was best. I didn't do so great with my nutrition with all of the Easter goodies but I did have a fantastic Easter dinner. I thought my upset stomach last week was due to poor food choices but now I think I may have been fighting a small stomach bug. I was really tired all week too, so I think multiple rest days were necessary.

Triathlon Training Week 1

I know a lot of others bloggers do weekly recaps and honestly, I love reading them! I love seeing them address their training with honesty and owning up to their mistakes. I am going to do my best to post a weekly recap documenting my triathlon training so that I look back and see what did and didn't work.


Monday:
Monday marked the first day of triathlon training for me! I wanted to a time trial in each of the three tri sports to establish a base so I can track improvement. I did my run time trial on Monday, which was a 5K. My current 5K PR is a 26:57 from the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but I smashed that time going 25:41! This was also my first run after my half marathon so I'm surprised with how strong and fast my legs felt. My stomach was causing me more trouble than my legs!


Tuesday:
Tuesday was a 2 mile recovery run. The goal was to try to keep my heart rate as low as possible and as a result my pace was super slow. But it was a really enjoyable run minus the cold temps. This was my first morning run in a very long time too! My legs were pretty tight the rest of the day so I was glad to have the afternoon off.


Wednesday: 
The plan was to do my bike time trial on Wednesday but I couldn't figure out how to set up my new bike computer. I decided to switch Sunday's planned easy ride to today instead. I did 30 minutes on the trainer in a really easy gear. The outside of my left lower leg was really sore so I wanted to keep it easy so I didn't aggravate it anymore.


Thursday:
I received some incredible news Wednesday night that had me dying to go for a run. I knew I wanted to do an interval run but I was debating how many repeats to do. In the end I settled on 3 x 800 with both a warm up and cool down for 3.1 miles total. I started off way too fast but the last two repeats were more consistent. It wasn't the best run I've ever had but I knew this workout would be worth doing regardless.


Friday: 
I was up pretty late Thursday night so Friday ended up being a rest day. It was nice to take an afternoon nap and not worry about fitting in a workout.


Saturday:
I wasn't quit sure what I wanted to do on Saturday so I decided to just see what I felt like as the week progressed. I settled on 4 miles easy since I wanted to go for a run. My knees were bothering me during this run so I made sure to keep the pace really easy and in control. I also iced and foam rolled after the run to give my knees a little extra TLC.


Sunday:
I was pretty pressed for time on Sunday so I was going to do the Insanity Cardio Recovery workout but I only made it about half way through. Something is better than nothing though.


Weekly Totals

• Swimming: 
• Biking: 30 min
• Running: 12.27 miles
• Total Hours: 3 hours

Thoughts
I wanted to still take it pretty easy this week since it was my first week back to training since my half marathon. Last time I jumped back into training too quickly and ended up irritating my IT bands. I am pretty happy with the workouts that I did get it, although I wish I would have biked more than once. I am especially pleased with Monday's run and I hope that was an indicator of things to come. I did a pretty good job getting enough sleep this week, which made it easier to workout in the mornings. What I need to focus on for next week is my nutrition though. This week I just kind of ate whatever and whenever. I know that my upset stomach on Sunday was a result of my poor eating choices. Overall, though, it was a decent week and I am excited for next week!

Keystone/Baltimore Training: Week 3

3 weeks down.. 14 more until the Baltimore Half Marathon! And I think it is something like 7 weeks until the Keystone State Sprint Triathlon! I am so excited still, and my training has been getting better. Even though my leg was really bothering me on Monday, my other run felt great and my leg is starting to feel better.

Sunday
Rest
Spent the day with Callen and the family relaxing and having fun.


Monday
Run/Walk 1.92 miles @ 12:45
This run was incredibly painful and I ended up walking almost half of it. I wanted to run 3 miles but that just wasn't going to happen.


Tuesday
Rest
Took an extra rest day to let my leg calm down some. I was going to go swimming but didn't want to do anything to aggravate it.


Wednesday
Bike 9.8 miles @ 14.5 mph
First bike ride in awhile. I wanted to go faster but I started dying on the way back. I really need to work on getting my speed up on these rides.


Thursday
Run 3.05 miles @ 10:36
Insanity, Cardio Recovery
This run felt great. I was so worried that my leg was going to hurt but it held up and did great. I ran on the trail, which really helped. I really liked this Insanity workout too. It was no cardio but a lot of deep muscle work.


Friday
Insanity, Core Cardio & Balance
I really liked this Insanity workout too. It wasn't insane cardio but still felt great and got me sweating. I especially like the hip flexor work at the end of the workout.


Saturday
Rest
I stayed with Callen since he wasn't feeling well. We had a great weekend relaxing though


Weekly Totals: 4 hrs 9 min
Running: 4.97 miles, 56 min
Biking: 9.8 miles, 40 min
Strength: 1, 15 min
Insanity: 2, 1 hr 10 min
Other: walking, 1 hr 8 min

Keystone/Baltimore Training: Week 2

Sunday
5K @ 9:00
I loved this 5K and hope to do it again next year. Unfortunately, I hurt my knee after the race so that is why there is no other running this week. This was much faster than my previous 5K and my second split was the fastest.


Monday
Swim 1,700 yards
Every time I swim I am feeling so much stronger and faster. I haven't been paying too much attention to my times since there is no clock at the pool but I can feel that my arms are remembering how to swim.


Tuesday
Kayaking 1 hour
I was supposed to swim today but I chose to go kayaking with my Dad instead. It was a great upper body workout but was so relaxing at the same time. It's nice not to have to religiously stick to the swimming part of my plan.


Wednesday
Walk 25 min
Took Gracie for a walk on the trail since my knee was still feeling funky. Didn't want to mess anything up so just went slow and let Gracie lead the way.


Thursday
Bike 14.5 miles @ 12.86 mph
I hadn't biked in awhile so my Dad and I just went super slow and chatted the whole way. It was nice to go farther than planned but still not feel like death. I really need to work on picking up the pace on the bike though.


Friday
Rest
Went to look for apartments all day Friday so I really didn't have time to do anything. I just moved my rest day from Saturday to Friday.


Saturday
Walk 25 min
Took Gracie for another walk on the trail. I was going to go for a 5 mile run but decided to play it safe. I really hope this extra rest will help my knee bounce back and not lead to any further complications.

Weekly Totals: 4 hrs 12 min
Running: 3.1 miles, 28 min
Biking: 14.5 miles, 1 hr 9 min
Swimming: 1,700 yards, 38 min
Other: Walking, 50 min, kayaking, 1 hr 11 min

Keystone/Baltimore Training: Week 1

This week wasn't originally supposed to be part of my training but I included it since I wasn't doing the triathlon but rather the 5K instead. I didn't get a whole lot of miles in this week because I hurt my knee at the beginning of the week during a bike ride and wanted to take it easy before the race.

Sunday
Bike 7 miles (12 mph)
At this point I was still not sure whether I was going to do the triathlon or not so I set out to ride the bike course. I made it about half way before my knee started really hurting from all of the hills on the course. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish based on how much pain I was in. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to do the triathlon at this point since I could barely finish half of the bike portion.


Monday
Run 3 miles (10:54)
I decided late on Sunday that I wanted to run a 5K instead of the triathlon since I had been planning on racing over the weekend anyway. I did this run in the neighborhood with all of the hills and felt so good. I was feeling confident about the 5K and was so glad that I decided to change races.


Tuesday
Rest
I made Tuesday a rest day since I didn't want to run two days in a row before the 5K and the last thing I wanted to do was get back on the bike.


Wednesday
Rest
I had planned on running on Wednesday and then Friday but I wanted to take off two days before the race so I changed my run to Thursday instead.


Thursday
Run 2 miles (10:31), Strength
This run made me feel even better about racing on Sunday. I held a faster pace during this run than I normally do but I didn't feel like I was using much more energy. I tried to minimize the hill work so I didn't end up too sore but the last hill on the way back up to my house really killed me. I also threw in a quick upper body strength workout to get some extra burn in.


Friday
Rest
Took it easy and got a lot of much needed cleaning done around the house. Was so glad to make it a rest day and just relax.


Saturday
Rest
Had a great time hanging out with friends and eating yummy seafood. Perfect way to spend the weekend.

Weekly Totals: 1 hr 43 min
Running: 4.93 miles, 53 min
Biking: 7 miles, 35 min
Strength: 1, 15 min