Is It Hump Day Yet! 3 & 6 Mile Runs Review

So this week seems to be dragging and its feeling long already. I think it's because I have already done a million and one things and it is only Tuesday.

So I was feeling really good after my race last Sunday and did my Monday 3 miler after work on treadmill. Did not have the issue I had last week after my long run and was able to run through it without  interruption.

The weather this afternoon was amazing, sunny, clear and breezy! I had to get out and do my 6 mile run outside during lunch - so I took to the streets of DC and ran by the White House!

This was a slower run and thought I was trying push the pace yet a bit of shin soreness and traffic lights may have slowed me down. Will stretch and ice tonight to relieve some of the soreness.

Are you able to get away for lunch breaks? If so how do you  take in the Sun - running, walking or eating lunch outside?

Here's to BQing' in 2015,

Yvonne

Weekend Wrap-Up and Week 4

Had a great race yesterday in Burke, Virginia put on by the DC Road Runners! The 12K which is about 7.45 miles went almost around Burke Lake with a turnaround and back to the start which is also the finish, so an out and back run. This is great because you get to see the front of the pack (the really fast runners) on their way back to finish the race - this motivates me as I know the turnaround point is somewhere in site and I look forward to making my way back as well.

 

I completed the race in 1:06 at a 9:13 min/mile. My Garmin shows a distance of 7.21 miles instead of 7.45 miles - course distances may vary slightly and I guess I was really hugging the turns and lost some distance off my course. I did do my half mile warm up before the race as my schedule called for 8 miles.

 

 

 

 

This course race was scenic with both paved and dirt trail paths. Also rolling with hills and valleys so not flat. It was a great trainer and I felt good and finally gave into the speed which I know I have, now to build on from here. Below is me and baby Enzo right before the start.

 

Saturday I did the 6 mile outdoors around my neighborhood. I am glad as my neighborhood is pretty hilly and the race course was just as hilly...it prepared me.  Sounds weird to run before a run instead or rest yet my body actually needs a good amount of warming up and so this was really good for me.

 

 

This week's schedule looks like this -

 

3.30 Monday           3 Miles

3.31 Tuesday           6 Miles

4.1 Wednesday        3 Miles

4.2 Thursday            4xHills

4.3 Friday                Rest

4.4 Saturday            6 Mile Pace

4.5 Sunday              13 Miles

__________________________

Total                       31 Miles and 4xHills

 

Looking forward to increasing the mileage!

 

Here's to BQing' in 2015,

Yvonne





 

Speed Workout and 3 Miler on Rest Day

Thursday's speed workout was tough yet fast, so it was over quickly. I started with a quarter mile warmup to build me up to my half-mile (800 meter) sprint then cooled down/warmed up again with another quarter mile leading into the next half-mile sprint.

Schedule called for 4×800 sprints which totalled 2 miles and with warm-ups I did 3 miles. First sprint I did at about a 8:30  min/mile then went down to 8:17 min/mile for my last sprint gradually decreasing in between.

Weight workout I did before running yesterday as I have slacked off in the weight room. I did biceps curls with shoulder press and one arm dumbbell rows.

Today was a rest day yet I had to make up 3 miles from Sunday's unexpected rest day. I decided I would do the 3 miles on treadmill during break from work. Yet the whole day went by and it was then 7:00pm. I really really really did not want to do these 3 miles and wanted to just go home. 

Yet I got out gym bag, changed and headed to gym. I knew I would hate myself in the morning if I skipped this and there was no way to make up later and I also knew I would feel so good afterwards.

So happy that I got it done. How do you motivate yourself to work out when you just  don't want to?

Here's to BQ'ing 2015,

Yvonne

YEAH! I GOT INTO THE 40TH MARINE CORPS MARATHON!

I am so excited to get into the 40th Marine Corps Marathon by lottery! Ironically my first Marathon was the 40th New York Marathon...40 seems to be my number.

So yesterday I wanted to do 6 miles on treadmill and 3 miles today following my schedule however when I got on the treadmill after work running was a laborious process. I am guessing after my long run on Monday my body took a temporary pause and maybe that is why Hal Higdon says to do 3 miles after a long run and not 6! I barely scraped a not so great 2 miles with a really bad attempt at the beginning which added to about a mile which I chopped up to a warm-up.

Today was a different story and I was ready to redeem myself and got out a decent 6 miles on the treadmill at a bit under a 10 min/mile average pace.

Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast (300), stone crackers and wheat thins with peanut butter (400), almond milk yogurt with almonds (150) for snacks and a green drink for lunch  (200) - I am about 1050 calories for day. Plan on having about a 400 calorie dinner - tuna and green salad with glass of wine...1 glass :) Speed workout tomorrow!

Here's to BQ'ing in 2015,

Yvonne

A Feel Good Long Run & Upcoming First Race!

11 Mile Run today actually felt really good. It was a gorgeous day and there is something defiant about going out for a long run on a work day - MONDAY! So I had to be at work yesterday, Sunday and was just not able to pull off running 11 miles and then going into work so it was run today or bust! I am glad I was able to it and headed into work after. I know most people can't afford a Monday Morning off yet if you can take a couple of hours on a Monday morning - it definitely takes the edge of the "Mundane Monday" thing.

 

So I did the 11 miles in about a 10 mim/mile average pace which is a great improvement as last week I did 10 miles in about the same amount of time it took me today to do 11 miles! So the running is dare I say... staring to feel good! Plus I felt a lot better today than last week where legs felt like lead and today they felt normal. I also felt my breathing was much more in tune with my stride.

 

 

 

So because yesterday ended up being a unexpected rest day, I will do today's called for 3 miles on Friday instead of rest. So week 3 schedule looks like this -

 

3.23    3 Miles (11 Miles done today to make up for unexpected rest day yesterday)

3.24    6 Miles

3.25    3 Miles

3.26    4x800

3.27    Rest  ( 3 mile make up for 3.23)

3.28    6 Mile Pace

3.29    8 Miles - I will be doing a 12K (7.45 Miles) Race with the DC Road Runners. I will do half a mile before the race to make a full 8 mile.

 

Total: 26 Miles plust 4X800 speed workout.

 

I am looking forward to the 12K race put on by DC Road Runners on March 29th in Burke, VA.  My last race was last year December 2014.  It is always great to run under race conditions. My pace is usually so much faster under race conditions than training an is a better indicator of how I am progressing.

 

Still in calorie range of aboaut 1200 to 1500 calories a day depending on my activity level. It is alot harder for me to count calories on weekends as I am busier and doing more mileage and burning crazy amounts of calories so I usually eyeball my intake and try and stay in range. How does your weekend eating habits differ from your weekday eating habits?

 

Motiviaton music check this week - "I Lived", One Republic; "Animals", Maroon 5; "Truffle Butter", Nicki Minaj; "Riptide", Vance Joy

 

Here's to BQ'ing in 2015,

Yvonne