Iss. 6 - Weekly RunDown
Iss. 6 - Weekly RunDown
Shamrock feels around the corner…am I ready?
Thought of the Week
Do you ever have that one thing that always feels like it is looming in the distance?
Well for me that is my big, upcoming spring race, The Shamrock Half Marathon. I have had many friends and runners ask me what my goals are for this race, and what I hope to accomplish. This has been something very difficult for me to fully form, because I have been all over the place in my run journey recently.
I have chronicled on several occasions the different things that have derailed my running in the last 6 or so months. It feels exhausting to constantly explain why my fitness has dipped so much from my high of 1:33 at last year’s Shamrock Half Marathon. It does constantly feel like one thing after another.
However, I am only 1.5 months from one of my favorite races and I have to wonder what I am hoping to get out of this year’s race.
I have entered myself in what is known as the Dolphin Challenge (this is the 8k and Half Marathon over the course of the weekend). I have done this in the past and have dropped out of one of the races, for one reason or another (not usually because of injury though).
I think this year, that will be my goal though. I don’t have any time hopes. As it gets closer I will set some, primarily to keep myself honest about my fitness. However, I want to go to the race and have a good time. This will be my first Shamrock weekend as a J&A Ambassador, and throughout the weekend there is a bit that goes into that.
If you are participating in the weekend, you will see me at the expo Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, I will be working the J&A Hub at the expo. Friday, I will more than likely just be hanging out (because I can’t resist extrovert time haha). I plan to run the 8k on Saturday morning, hanging around for the after party and then to the expo. Sunday, I plan to run the half marathon (obviously not as hard as last year), then the party really begins.
I will spend a lot of the weekend hanging with J&A, hanging with my run club, RunSomeMo.
My goal is to enjoy myself, and I know that sounds cliche. However, it has been a bit since I have gone into a race without looking to PR. I love going into races with that goal (to PR that is). However, I also love running. I do want to see what my fitness is, but I also want to have fun.
Looking forward to an awesome weekend (scroll down to Rev on the Run to see my training update).
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Rev on the Run
This past week
I “restarted” my Shamrock Training Plan this week.
*Now when I say restarted, I mean I finally put some workouts together on a training plan to follow…and followed it (for this week).
What a week it has been though. As my mileage has begun to increase and I am feeling great, I tried to inject some speed into my runs. Unfortunately, I think I pushed it too hard. For the past few weeks, I have put some tempo/marathon pace type workouts into at least one run per week. However, this week I tried to bump that up to some threshold pace fartlek, and picked up a nice ache in my Achilles.
Luckily I was smart and stopped before it could turn into anything detrimental. I walked back to my car, and called it a run. I took off on Thursday and went for a walk in the morning on Friday before an afternoon run that day.
In continuing to up my long run distance, I hit 15k (9.3ish miles) on my Saturday run, and my confidence in my endurance is going up. I know the speed will come in time (with consistency), but I have so much joy for getting these longer runs in.
Weekly Mileage: 27.04 Miles (43.53km)
Coach’s Corner
My coaching lesson for the week comes from my Sunday run:
Having done a long run on Saturday, I knew my legs needed some recovery, but am still building my mileage. I went out for my Sunday run just looking to get some miles and “stretch the legs.” However, when I started running my body thought it tried to do more than I really needed. Even though I was within my easy pace range, I knew I needed to go a bit easier.
A runner’s easy pace can fall across about a 90sec/mile range. Sometimes it makes sense to run at the front end of that range, and sometimes you need to keep it easier.
Always listen and know where you body needs to be. As you keep track of your training, don’t be afraid to make some miles easier than others. While pace zones are there, don’t allow the front end of them to define you. Be comfortable where you are and respect what your body needs to get better.
Around the Network
Latest Run Build Grow Episode: I was excited to bring on Megan Schulze to talk about her journey in running that brought her through so many communities to appreciate the competition alongside the community. Don’t forget to follow and rate the podcast to help it grow.
The Olympic Trials are this coming weekend (February 3), and I am getting super psyched!!! I am working on a trials preview article, coming out later this week with predictions, and then hope to do a recap as well after it is over. I am hoping to do more of these pieces, looking deeper into the running world.
RunninRev Preaches: Don’t forget to check out my sermon from yesterday, continue to explore God’s voice through some of the stories in the Old Testament. Yesterday I looked in Deuteronomy at a prophecy given through Moses to the Israelite people.
