Double Digits and a New Weekly High (Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week 8)

April 21, 2019April 20, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

Happy Easter! I’ll be sharing a weekend update post after I finish this sugar rush. But in the meantime, here’s an update on my week 8 of Cleveland half marathon training. This week had highs and lows. I guess that is how it is when you’re training for something, right? Not every week will be great?

Here’s a look at week 8 of my Cleveland half marathon training. On paper/screen, looks good, right?

Mileage-wise, it was a good week. I got in 30+ miles for my total, including a 10 miler (which was done before work on Thursday). But overall, I didn’t feel great/strong/fast during most of these runs. My tempo run was done much slower than the runs of the previous weeks. My 10 miler had some of my slowest miles in some time. And I was due for a 5 mile pace run, and I only made it 4.5 mi very much NOT at pace (confession – I did stop early due to a screaming baby, but she had no effect on my pace).

I’m not 100% sure why the heavy legs. I’ve been working late and going to bed late, which hasn’t helped, and LM has been waking up throughout the night so I’m not getting a full night’s sleep. I know I need to sleep more, drink more water and eat healthier … so perhaps this week I’ll be able to do just that?

Starting a run before 5 a.m. is ROUGH

Hopefully next week I’ll be feeling more myself again.

Next week is the Cleveland 10 miler! It will be my longest race since 2017 and I’m a little nervous with how I’ll fare. It’s also the first time I’ve run this race solo – B is going to be watching the kids, so it will be a long and lonely run for me!

Some questions for you:

Do you ever have off weeks? How do you get back on track?
Did you have a ton of candy today?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week 7

April 14, 2019April 14, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 11 Comments

This week was another great week in terms of weather for running – every single one of my runs, including my speed training (8×400 m) was done outside.

Here’s a look at week 7 of my Cleveland half marathon training:

Overall, here is how the week looked:

weekly cleveland marathon training mileage

Some highlights/lowlights:

This week was the first time that I used my Garmin Fenix to help with interval training. I typically do speed work inside on a treadmill, but I opted to try it outside, since it was 50s in the morning. It was actually kind of fun to do my intervals outside – my only issue was that some of the runs were uphill and some were downhill. But I guess that is good for training in real world conditions?

Here were some of my splits:

I didn’t get in a really long run this weekend. I had a 10k race on the schedule, but since my parents were in town, I decided to take the weekend off from running. Instead, on the two days I was scheduled to not run, I did a 7 and 5 miler.

Next week is another 9 miler and then the following week I signed up for the Cleveland 10 miler! It will be my longest race since 2017!

Some questions for you:

Do you like 10 mile races?
Do you do speed training outside?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

My Fastest Run In A While and I’m on a Podcast (Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week Six)

April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 7 Comments

I don’t want to jinx it, but dare I say that spring is finally here and winter is gone? This week I got in ALL my runs (minus my speed training, which I like to do inside to keep me honest) OUTSIDE! And one of the runs was in shorts.

Here’s a look at week 6 of my Cleveland half marathon training:

Overall, here is how the week looked:

I had a lot of highlights this week. I got in my fastest post-baby mile!

Here were my splits:

And my longest post-baby run as well. I did it Friday before work.

I had planned on taking Saturday off, but it was nearly 60 degrees in the morning and FW asked me if we could go for a stroller run. I had to say yes and I’m glad I did!

Something else really cool happened, too- I was on a podcast! One of my fellow Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors has a running-related podcast, and I was interviewed this week. You can listen here.

All in all, it was a great week running wise. I hope this week is too!

Some questions for you:

Do you ever run on planned “off” days?
Do you listen to podcasts? Have you ever been on one?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week Five

March 31, 2019March 30, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 7 Comments

Happy almost April! April means it’s almost May which means it’s almost race month, amiright? Okay, I may be getting ahead of myself. But when I looked at my week’s training and saw that I was already at 8 miles (which is almost 9 which is almost 10…) I couldn’t believe I was already there. The Cleveland half marathon will be here before we all know it.

This week went pretty well in terms of training. I even got in a 3 mile stroller run on one of our warm days with FW. It was our first stroller run in FOREVER and it was hard! I am not used to pushing 30+ pounds.

Overall, here is how the week looked:

And a highlight? Besides the stroller run, my 8 miler on Friday morning (which I ran at 5:30 a.m. in the 40 degree rainy weather – ick!) was my longest run since LM was born! It wasn’t quite the pace I hope to be at for race day, but I’m slowly getting back into it.

Some questions for you:

For those of you that wear a Garmin or fitness watch – do you ever resist it so you can break / start new records? I reset mine after LM was born!
Do you do speed training outside or inside?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week Four

March 24, 2019March 23, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 9 Comments

I can’t believe it’s less than 60 days to the Cleveland half marathon … that means I’m 25% through with my training! It hardly feels like the race is so soon – perhaps because it still felt like winter this week?

For my long run this week, it was in the 20s when I started … and “feels like” was 17! I’m used to that in December, but at the end of March.

Here is how the week looked:

I felt pretty good during my long run Saturday, but can’t imagine going any faster or further yet. We will see how next week goes. Hopefully I won’t have to break out my winter running socks again.

Some questions for you:

Is it spring near you yet?
Do you wear special socks in the winter?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week Three

March 17, 2019March 17, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

I’ll start this post by confessing that while I didn’t follow this week’s training 100%, I did get in 5 runs, includimg a long run. So for week 3 of Cleveland half marathon training, it wasn’t bad.

The week called for off days on Thursday and Friday, and then a 5k race on Saturday. I didn’t have any races planned, so I opted to get in a long run Saturday instead (and still get out for a short run Thursday … it was 55 degrees when I came home from work — I had to!). So here’s what the week looked like:

I was so excited to have THREE outdoor runs, including 1 done in the evening! I somehow got home before B and the kids on Thursday, so I prepped some dinner and then got outside for a short run before we ate. I can’t imagine doing this on a regular basis, but it was fun!

I was also excited about my long run this weekend. I haven’t run this long since before LM was born and probably since I was last training for a half – so it’s been about 2 years!

Some questions for you:

What’s the longest run you’ve done recently?
Do you have favorite running socks?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week Two

March 12, 2019March 11, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

And now, week two of Cleveland half marathon training is done.

This week, I was only sick a few days, which helped a TON. My eye infection healed, but then LM came down with a fever and likely HFM (along with teething), which is making sleep fun. I also was away for the weekend, which made the schedule change a bit – I did my long run on Friday and then got in an impromptu run on Saturday.

Saturday’s run included some great views – look at the frozen lake! It was also the first run I’ve had outside in forever so any views would’ve been great.

This week’s Tuesday Topic is are you a morning runner or an evening runner?

I’m DEFINITELY a morning runner. I can’t imagine running at night – running is how I start my day nearly every day of the week. It’s the only way I function some days! Plus, my days/nights are pretty crazy that if I ran at night, it would have to be after the kids are in bed and wouldn’t be until after 9 p.m. some nights (which would be too late for me). Here is how I make it happen:

I sleep in my running clothes when I can. Maybe it’s gross, but it makes it so much easier to get out and run! And when I don’t, I make sure my clothes are set out and ready to go.
I figure out my running route and plan before I go to bed. I don’t want to have to think in the morning.
I set multiple alarms. I don’t always wake up with one alarm.

Some questions for you:

Are you a morning or evening runner?
Do you run on vacation?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway.

Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Linking up with Tuesday Topics!

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week One

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

Week one of Cleveland half marathon training is done!

I’ll be honest, while I pretty much was able to follow the plan, it wasn’t my best week ever. I was still feeling under the weather and then Fri/Sat came down with an eye infection (yay!) so overall haven’t been myself lately. But the week is done and here it is:

That brings my February total to 85 miles.

The next week includes pretty similar training, but with a 30 min tempo run instead of the intervals and a 6-mile run instead of 5 miles. I’m not going to be home Saturday, so I’ll probably try to run my 6 on Friday. We’ll see how that plays out!

This week’s Tuesday Topic is running wish list. What’s on my wish list for training?

A healthy, injury-free training season. I’m so tired of being sick and would love to stay healthy this season!
Sleep! I’m seriously lacking in the sleep department with 2 kids under the age of 3, including a 9 month old who still doesn’t sleep through the night every night. And I notice that on the nights I get 7-8 hours, I run much better than the nights I’m getting 4 and waking up lots.
New shoes. I’ve got 500+ miles on my grey Saucony Ride 10s, but can’t seem to find a similar pair I like right now. I will keep looking, but for now am running in some Ride 9s.

Some questions for you:

What kind of shoes do you run in?
Do you follow a specific training program?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway.

Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Linking up with Tuesday Topics!

Cleveland Half Marathon Training Starts Now!

February 26, 2019February 24, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

Well, the time has come – Cleveland half marathon training is here!

At the beginning of the year, it seemed like I had so much time to kill and that it wouldn’t be training time any time soon. But suddenly, it’s here.

Of course I’m getting over a cold, so I’m not at peak running level, but I’d rather feel this way now as opposed to race day. What’s my training look like? I am a big fan of Hal Higdon’s plans, so I’ll be once again using his training program. Here’s a slightly modified version of what I’ll be doing:

Each week, I’ll share my training – how it went, what I actually ran, etc. My goals are to do the full training program and run my best. I’d love to do another sub-2 hour half marathon but I’m not sure how training will go this year. I’m not in as good shape as I was last time I ran a half marathon, my lack of sleep is real (see: 2 kids under 3) and I have been having a hard time finding enough time to run every morning (again, 2 young kids). But enough excuses – it’s training season! And here we go!

Some questions for you:

What are you training for?
What training program do you use?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway.

Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Linking up for the first time with Tuesday Topics!

Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon Challenge Series Recap (2017)

May 23, 2017May 23, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Wow – I can’t believe this is my last Training Tuesday post for this year’s stint as a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador. I feel so truly grateful to have been able to participate in the experience this year again and share my training with you and the other amazing ambassadors.

Said amazing ambassadors

This year I had signed up for the Challenge Series – the 8k and Half Marathon. This would mean that I would run an 8k Saturday morning, followed by the half marathon Sunday morning. (You may recall I did the Challenge Series last year, but the 5k/10k, since I was 30+ weeks pregnant)

This year looked a little different. First, the races were downtown, which was great! They were a 10 minute walk from my apartment and the courses were wider and more open than last year. I didn’t run with FW but we did get a pre-race pic.

I wanted to “take it easy,” knowing I had a half marathon the next day; but of course I took it a little faster than I would’ve liked. About 1 mile in, I found fellow Ambassador, Sara, running with her boy and her stroller! We ended up running the rest of the course or 4ish miles together. It was great to have someone to talk to for those last miles – it made them fly by!

Saturday was PERFECT running weather. It was 50 degrees, overcast and a little breezy. I couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the 8k.

pre-8k with some other ambassadors

Half Marathon

Sunday was a different story for the half marathon. Looking ahead at the weather all week, I was nervous for race day. It was due to be upper 70s (one day it forecasted 78 … ick!) and 100% chance of thunderstorms. Definitely not ideal running weather, especially for me, as I have not been training outside much during this training season.

But, luck was on our side. I woke up and it was mid-60s and NOT raining. I made it to the start and then began to wait in the massive porta potty line. And by massive, I mean that I was still waiting when the race started. I ended up heading inside the Q to use the restroom and Mary and I jumped into Corral D (we were supposed to be B or C) for the start. We discussed our goals – we decided that it would be to “survive the humidity … or get a PR.”

For the first few miles, we spent most of the time running/walking/dodging people and walkers. But after a few miles in, we were finally able to get into a good pace and enjoy the course. This year was a new course and I LOVED it. It took us part of the way through downtown, into the Flats, into Tremont, throughout the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood and then back downtown on Detroit (no dreaded running on the boring hot Shoreway!!).

How did I do? I felt pretty good for the first few miles. And B even surprised me by cheering us on with FW throughout the course! I knew he was watching, but didn’t expect to see him 4 different times, so that was great. About mile 6-7 I started to get pretty hot and thirsty and my fingers began to swell up. I took in part of an expired Salted Caramel Gu that I had found in our apartment but it tasted funny so I dropped it just in time to pick up a Vanilla Honey Stinger from the course around mile 8. I made sure to get water at every stop throughout and even dumped some on me.

smiles before the race

Around mile 11, I was spent. I told Mary she could go ahead of me as soon as we saw the bridge to back downtown; the thought of going up the hill made me nervous and more tired. Mary looked at me and said, “We will get under 2 hours!” She dashed ahead and I tried to keep up somewhat as I made it up the bridge and back into downtown.

I finished as strong as I could and was pleased to find out that my finish time was 1:58:07. Was it the PR I was hoping for in the weeks ahead? No. But it was under 2 hours, a solid race for my first post-baby half marathon, especially considering the humid conditions.

I’m feeling a little bit emotional now that my training is done. Or maybe it was the 2 engagements that happened this weekend during the running festivities? Either way, for some reason, this year’s race has left me a little misty eyed. Must mean it’s time to sign up for another race!