Training Tuesday: Third Trimester Training

April 5, 2016April 3, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

The name of this blog post is definitely a tongue twister! Try saying that ten times fast – Training Tuesday Third Trimester Training. Ha! It’s probably easier for me to say that than actually running at this point 🙂 It’s getting harder and harder! But here we go – here was what last week looked like:

Week of 3/27: 22.23 miles running/walking

Sunday: 5.25 miles. OUTSIDE!

Before Easter Mass, B and I got outside for a slow and hilly run. My legs were not feeling it and I did stop midway through one hill for a second, but we still managed to finish (at least according to my GPS) at just under 10 min/miles pace (B’s Garmin said something different – but I’m going with mine :)) I overdressed, but wasn’t too hot.

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Monday: 2.65 miles

These treadmill miles were not as good and slow. Ended up only having about a half hour or so before an early doctor’s appointment / glucose test. But happy to get them in. AND even happier to have passed my test!

Tuesday: 1.5 mile walk and 55 min elliptical

Body and legs were tired today, so I opted to take the day off from running. Still got in some steps- my fitbit definitely motivates me!

Wednesday: 6.5 miles run and walk.

Wasn’t feeling too bad but still much walking. Indoors on the treadmill – mixed it up with walking and jogging while watching Bosch on Amazon.

Thursday: 2.5

2.5 slow miles on the treadmill and 45 min elliptical. Rainy morning, but probably should’ve just sucked it up and went outside- the gym was steamy!

Not feeling it again.

Friday: 5.36 miles OUTSIDE.

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I had looked at the ten day forecast and saw that Friday a.m. was going to be in the 50s before work – unlike any other day in the forecast. So, I pulled myself out of bed and went for a run in the dark. I don’t know why, but during my pregnancy I’ve had such a hard time doing this, so this was a victory for me. AND my pace was much faster than I was expecting! I stopped a few times but overall it was a good run and BEAUTIFUL morning!

stopped to ~~catch my breath before a hill~~ take this picture .

Saturday: No running miles, but about a 4 mile walk with B.

I wanted to rest my legs somewhat, but still get moving – so B and I walked to the West Side Market to get our shopping done and around the neighborhood and back. It was chilly and windy but gorgeous blue skies!

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I’m happy to share that it was another 20+ mile week for me. Not quite as many miles as I’m used to getting at this time of the year (I’m usually at the peak of my training!), and definitely not easy, but STILL getting them in – and that’s a victory for me!

Questions for you:

Any pregnant runners/mamas out there – how far along into your pregnancy did you run?
Did you run outside this week?

Training Tuesday: A Pretty Good Week

March 15, 2016March 13, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

What a great running week! Not really because of the runs (though I did have some pretty good ones) but because of the fun and social aspect of it. Woohoo! Wednesday was the Cleveland Rite Aid Ambassador Meetup and I got to meet some new ambassadors and catch up with some of the ones I know and love from past years. It was so great to see everyone – it was like one big happy family reunion!

group shot

Look at this onesie Melissa gave me!!!!

The weather was great most of the week, too 🙂 I got in two outdoor runs BEFORE work!

Also, Saturday was the Malachi 5 miler. Another great weather day and a relatively fast run for me and the hilly course. 3 outdoor runs in 1 week? That’s a first all winter! Anyway, here I go. Let me get to the week.

Week of 3/6: 22.54 miles

Sunday: 5.14 miles: OUTSIDE @ 9:30 pace

I hadn’t run Friday or Saturday, and after two days off, I guess I was feeling alright! I was really surprised by my pace – I’ve been doing 5.8 mph on the treadmill (so close to 10:20 miles) and wasn’t sure I could do 5 miles but I kept it up and felt great toward the end. As usual, first two miles or so were the roughest but after that the bladder pain/pressure went away and I just took the next 3 pretty easy, stopping just a few times to take a photos, at lights, etc. Wanted to prove to my pregnant self that I could do 5 miles before next weekend’s race – and I did it!

Monday: 4 miles

Run/walk on the treadmill on some tired legs. Funny how only 5 miles can make me tired these days. Woof. No pace written down because it was a run/walk heavy on the SLOW run and walk.

Tuesday: 4.18 miles OUTSIDE @ 9:40 pace

It was my first pre-work run outside in who knows … months? It was warm enough for shorts and semi light out (before daylight savings time change) – I had to take advantage of it. Even got in a few hills and some stairs, ouch!

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Look at how pretty the sky was!

See the bump?

Wednesday: 4.26 miles

I got in another outdoors pre-work outdoor run! So happy to have 60 degrees and beautiful weather. The legs were not feeling great, but emotionally I was happy to be outside. AND happy to be seeing my Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors that night!

Thursday and Friday: Long elliptical days. 1 hour and change on the machine and a little walking.

With the race on Saturday and legs still somewhat tired, I wanted to make sure I took a few days off from running.

Saturday: St. Malachi Church Run – 5 mile race

Woo! I had such a good time during this race. Was I as fast as last year? Hellllll no (I was 1:05 min/mile slower in case you were wondering). Was the weather gorgeous? Yes. Did I even enjoy the run? Most of the time, yes! I finished at 46:43 and am darn proud of it. B ran with me the entire time and kept me company AND I only felt like I had to pee part of the time.

ready to run!

See – what a good running week! I have a lot going on this week, so I’m not sure I can keep it up – but I’ll try to get in a few runs and maybe get outside for one. Who knows – maybe spring is REALLY on its way!

Some questions for you:

Did you do a St. Patrick’s Day themed run?
Does the warmer weather make you more prone to running outside, too?

PSA for the Marathon – They are in need of volunteers! Can’t run? Love the crowds? Love helping out? We need you! Sign up here!

Training Tuesday: Fewer Miles, Bigger Bump

March 8, 2016March 10, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

I FINALLY signed up for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon! No, not the full marathon, but the challenge series. Since I’ll be about 35 weeks pregnant during the race, I have opted not to do the full or half, but instead I signed up for the 5k 10k program.

I’m so excited about the Challenge Series this year! They just shared the pretty sweet medal too – take a look. And don’t forget to sign up this week!

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Last week’s training:

Week of 2/28: 20.7 miles

Sunday: 3.6 miles: OUTSIDE!

I convinced B to get in a few short miles outside. I’d been out of town, traveling for work and was tired BUT the weather was going to be in the 50s and I really wanted to get in a run before my niece’s first communion.

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This was a super speedy run for me these days. I haven’t seen sub-10 minute miles on the treadmill lately, so being outside it was nice to get in some faster miles.

Monday: 4.6 miles.

I ran 2.25, walked some, then ran some again. Was tired!

Tuesday: 4 miles.

Another indoor run/walk on the treadmill before the elliptical.

Wednesday: 2 miles walk/run on the treadmill

Thursday: 6.5 miles

Finally felt pretty good on the treadmill. Ran slow for me (5.8 mph pace) but was able to keep it up and not walk except for about .5 miles of the entire workout. Woohoo!

Friday AND Saturday: 0 miles

I know, it’s not like me to take two days off, but my legs were SO tired. So I took two days off from running (meaning I did the elliptical or only went for a walk – don’t worry, I still got in 12,000+ steps and a workout) and hoped that Sunday I’d be able to run a little more (spoiler- I did!).

All in all, not a bad week. Fewer miles than usual, but still happy to be out there. Bump and all – as you can see, it’s out!

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Anyway, if you haven’t signed up, don’t forget to do so soon AND enter to win my co-ambassador’s giveaway. This week Jamie is giving away a free entry via her blog!

Questions for you:

Any locals running the Malachi 5 miler this weekend? I am – hopefully!
Have you ever done a race with a Challenge Series – two days and two races?

Training Tuesday: Still Running (6 months pregnant!)

March 1, 2016March 3, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

It has been two weeks since I last updated you on my training and I have two thoughts to share:

Running is getting much harder. At 6 months pregnant, I’m feeling the pain that I heard other runners share with me, especially, er, bladder issues (it always feels like have to pee!) and breathing issues (it’s so much harder for me to catch my breath).

I’m still doing it! I had another good few weeks in terms of miles. Were they easy runs? No. Were they a lot slower than my usual runs? Yes. Did I walk some? Yes. But I’m still happy I’m keeping up with it.

Onto my weeks.

Week of 2/14: 24.55 miles running/walking

Sunday: 3.6 miles.

My parents were in town and I had about 30ish minutes to kill before seeing them, so B convinced me to hop on the treadmill for a quick run. This was my best feeling and fastest treadmill run in weeks!

Monday: 4 miles.

These treadmill miles were not as good and slow. But happy to get them in.

Tuesday: 6.2 miles run plus 1 mile walk

Another pretty good run day! I ran a little faster than I have been and after the first 2 rough miles, I felt relatively good and kept it up. I had no plan on how far to run and that helped – I kept telling myself to go a little further, a little further, etc. and then before I knew it I told myself I could do a 10k. And I did!

Wednesday: 2.25 miles walk/run

Wasn’t feeling it. Ended up doing the elliptical after giving up around 2.25 miles.

Thursday: 3.25 miles

Not feeling it again.

Friday: 0 miles.

I just couldn’t run. I got on the treadmill and my feet hurt. My legs hurt. My whole body was not able to run more than a few tenths of a mile – so I got on the elliptical instead.

Saturday: 4.25 miles OUTSIDE!

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Week of 2/21: 28.6 miles

Sunday: 3.25 miles OUTSIDE! Plus a 2-3ish mile walk outside with B.

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Monday: 2.1 miles

Run then elliptical.

Tuesday: 6.2 miles

10k on the treadmill! First 2 were the worst and then I kept it up and finished. No breaks except at 5.75 to tie my shoe quickly. Which is progress for today- 23 weeks.

Wednesday: 4 miles

Thursday: 0 miles

Had about 4 hours of sleep after driving to Philadelphia for work conference and not getting in until after 3 a.m. I had plans to run, but spent the whole day in a haze. Being pregnant makes me tired. Being pregnant and not getting any sleep makes me even more tired.

Friday: 5.5 miles run/walk

Testing out the hotel gym before my conference. Managed to get in 5.5 miles somehow.

Saturday: 4.5 miles run/walk

Another tired run and little sleep the night before. Up late at the conference, but managed to get the tired legs to move.

All in all, not a bad two weeks. If I can keep this up another 4 months, I’ll be happy!

Questions for you:

How did your workouts go this week?
Do you have any races coming up? I signed up for the St. Malachi Church Run. It’s a 5 miler, and I’m hoping I can do it!
AND as an ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, I’d be remiss not to remind you to sign up for the race! Haven’t signed up yet? My co-ambassador Debi is giving away an entry this week- enter here!

Training Tuesday: Pregnancy Running Ramblings

February 16, 2016February 15, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

I’m SO thrilled to finally be sharing with you some of my updates as I run through my pregnancy. The past few weeks, I’ve been keeping it hush hush and haven’t been able to share with you as openly as possible as I would’ve liked about my training as an ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon,

January total miles: 98.13 miles (so close to 100!)

And my recent weekly miles:

Week of 1/31: 26.78 miles total (includes running and walking)

Sunday: 4.5 miles – it was 55 degrees so I couldn’t help but get outside to run.

capris in February. Wish it were still this warm!

Monday: 7.25 miles – got in a 6.25 mile run and then 1 mile walk cool down. Did stop a few times and do some weights in between miles.

Tuesday: 2.25 miles

Wednesday: 6.5 miles

Thursday: 1 mile before getting in an hour elliptical workout.

Friday: 2 miles – wasn’t feeling it so I hopped off after 2 miles and hit the elliptical for 48 minutes.

Saturday: 3.28 miles – OUTSIDE running! I haven’t run outside since, sadly, but it felt so good to be outside. AND this was my fastest run in FOREVER.

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Week of 2/7: 27.75 miles (includes running and walking)

Sunday: no run – spent the day traveling to and from a wake, but I did get in a longish walk because it was 50 degrees out!

Monday: 7.5 miles – probably the best I felt all week! The First 2-3 miles were rough, but I stopped and walked .75 miles and then felt good enough to do 3.5 more.

Tuesday: 6.25 miles – a run and walk on the treadmill along with some weights and kettle bells.

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Wednesday: 2.25 miles – a shortish run before 48 minutes on the elliptical.

Thursday: 6.25 miles – ran 5.25 and walked 1 while watching Amazon videos.

Friday: 5.5 miles

Saturday: 0 – SUPER cold outside and spent the day hanging out with my parents, who were in town from NY! (weekend summary photos = here)

Running while pregnant – thoughts at 6 months/how I’m feeling*:

*if you don’t care about pregnancy running OR don’t want TMI, stop reading 🙂

I’m sad not to be running the half marathon this year as I’ve done for several years before. But, my doctor (and some running friends) have advised me that it’s not the best idea for me to run 13.1 miles at 30something weeks. I’m not an elite runner. I don’t have the body (especially now!) of a runner. I get it – it already is somewhat uncomfortable to run. That being said, it’s still disappointing and I miss having my training schedule and long runs in there as well.

I’m a lot slower than I was a few months ago. I could bang out a few miles in the 8-something pace if I tried, and was getting faster thanks to speed workouts. I could do a long run (10 miles) at 9:07 pace semi-easily. Now, I can barely break 10 minute miles, especially on the treadmill. It’s harder to breathe, my bladder aches and I have to stop a few times to catch my breathe. My resting heart rate is more than 10 beats/minute higher (thanks to my FitBit, I know this!) and I’m out of breath walking up stairs sometimes.

Not that it’s all bad – I’m feeling glad that I’m still running! Some days are easier than others. Some days are a lot HARDER than others. But I have to remember to be grateful that I’m still running and remind myself that I’m running for two. Or whatever that means 🙂

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Some questions for you:

Moms or moms-to-be – did you run throughout your pregnancy? Any tips? How long did you run until?
Locals – have you signed up for the CLE Marathon series yet?
Anyone – what’s your next race?

Training Tuesday: End of January

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

Happy Groundhog Day! I’m really hoping we get spring sooner, because I’ve been really missing my outdoor warm weather and non icy runs. As you know, as an ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, I’m sharing my training with you and even a race giveaway in a few weeks! (If you haven’t registered yet–>you can do so here).

Again, I haven’t created my training program yet, but I’m still trying to keep up the base miles and again these weeks I’ve had to run inside quite a bit. This week was a decent week running wise – compared to last week when I got basically no miles (but had a great time in Mexico City!) as you can see:

mileage chart

Weekly miles:

Week of 1/17: 3.35 miles total

Yes, a wayyyyy less than stellar week, mileage wise. However – B and I were in Mexico City and walking around a TON. The first day we got 30,000+ steps! We did make it out for one run on my birthday (woohoo) and despite the altitude, it was fun 🙂 AND wearing shorts and short sleeves in January is always nice!

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Week of 1/24: 27.03 miles (includes running and walking)

S: no run – spent the day traveling

M: 6.5 (did the Runs for Cookies Virtual 5k on the treadmill and added on a few extra miles running and walking)

T: 4 (wasn’t feeling it today. walk/jogged on the treadmill)

W: 2.5 (55 min elliptical workout and then ended with a short run)

Th: 5 (5 slow treadmill miles – I stopped 3 times to do weights and then kept running. followed by 12 min on the elliptical)

F: 4.25 (4-ish miles and then 17 min on the elliptical)

S: 4.78 (Warm enough to run outside again!)

Weekly highlights:

The Runs for Cookies Virtual 5k kept me motivated with an actual planned run that day. Maybe I should put together a training plan so I have something to follow?

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I got new shoes! I love the bright color and hope that I can get many good miles in them.

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I ran outside! B and I ran to brunch on Saturday and the weather was in the 40s when we finished our run – it was SO nice!

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Despite being in the 50s-60s over the weekend(yay!) it was SO cold some mornings. And that got me thinking – what’s too cold? I’ve run in the teens and below – maybe I just need to get used to it again?

weather on my walk to work in the morning – thus it was much colder when i woke up!

Some questions for you:

What’s “cold weather” running to you and what’s too cold? 40s? 30s? teens?
For the locals – any races I should sign up for soon?
How do you stay motivated on the treadmill?

Training Tuesday: First Two Weeks of Jan

January 19, 2016January 16, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

It’s mid-January – you know what that means?

No, not that it’s almost time to celebrate my birthday (well, it is … hint hint!) – but that it’s marathon training season for so many! While I’m not training for a full marathon this year, I am getting ready to train for the Rite Aid Cleveland race series, which means I’m building some base miles to get ready for when training begins.

Once again, I’m excited to be an ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. Which means I’ll be sharing my training with you and even a race giveaway (if you haven’t registered yet–>you can do so here).

I haven’t started seriously training yet, or created my training program, but I’m building up the miles, getting reacquainted with the treadmill again (ugh! winter) and getting excited for spring. Here’s some of the highlights of my running so far:

YAY! I’m keeping track of miles this year.

Weekly miles:

Week of 1/1: 4.3 miles total

Okay, there were only two days in the week – Friday and Saturday. I ran 4.3 miles on New Years Day and that was it!

first run of 2016

Week of 1/8: 29.35 miles total (includes running and walking)

S: 4.6 (some snowy outdoor miles!)

M: 5

T: 4.6 (running on the treadmill and then 20 minutes on the elliptical)

W: 6.2 (treadmill 10k)

Th: 4.7 (running and walking on the treadmill)

F: .25 (warmup run before the elliptical)

S: 4 (Cleveland Marathon Kickoff Run!! Last outdoor run in a while)

Before the Kickoff Run – a photo opp with some of my Marathon Ambassadors!

Week of 1/15: 29.6 miles total (includes running and walking)

S: 3.1 (treadmill 5k, then the elliptical and some weights/kettlebells)

M: 6.3

T: 6.2 (4.5 miles running, rest was walking warm up and cool down)

W: 2.25 (2.25 miles running plus 48 min on the elliptical)

Th: 6.25 (5 miles running inside and 1.25 miles walking)

F: 0 (50 minutes on the elliptical)

S: 5.5 miles (3.5 miles running inside plus 2 miles walking on the treadmill)

And that’s it so far! I’m pretty proud of all the miles I’ve already got in this year. This week is going to be a little slow – I’m on vacation – but looking forward to keeping up miles and sharing training with you this year!

Some questions for you:

Do you have any races coming up?
What’s your favorite marathon/half marathon?

Training Tuesday: New Shoes, New Socks and a PR!

June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

It’s been too long since I’ve written a Training Tuesday post, huh? You’re probably all wondering if I fell off the face of the running earth. Have I stopped running? Have I taken up another sport? Am I injured?

Thank goodness the answer is no, no and no (fingers crossed). In fact, I’ve still been running – I’ve just been bad about sharing my weekly updates (though if you read this blog you’ve seen me mention it on occasion anyway). Here are a few running updates:

I have new shoes! While I’m always a fan of Sauconys, I have my first pair of Mizunos! I have the new Mizuno Enigma Wave 5s (got them for reviewing purposes from Fitfluential!) and they’re SO soft. They’re a cushion shoe, which I love wearing, and have been enjoying them on long and short runs.

doing running drills with my new Mizunos

I’ve signed up for a new race! Finally, right? I’m signed up for the Rock Hall Half Marathon in August. It’s the first time the race is in town and I’m excited for a brand new race and new course!
I’m apparently on week five of training for the race … whoops! Good thing I’ve been doing 6-8 mile runs on the weekends. Last Friday, Nicole and I ran 8 miles before work and discovered a new path in the flats with a great view.
I’m streaking! Hehe. What I mean to say is that I am participating in the Runners World Running Streak. You have to run daily between Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Only 4 more days and I’ll be complete!
I’m continuing to do speed training. I’ve only done two speed workouts since the Cleveland Half Marathon (one tempo run and one interval run … and have another interval run planned for today), but I have been seeing it work. I’m getting faster and that means …
I got my first sub-25 minute 5k!!!! Again, finally, right?! This has been a goal of mine for a year, but last year my main goal was a sub-2 hour half marathon. Now that I’ve crushed that, I was able to focus on the 5k and speed runs. I’m so happy 🙂

My race time! Proof! (and see who #1 is? Fellow Cle Marathon Ambassador Jess!)

AND I’m excited to share with you that I found some new compression socks that I’m in love with- Lily Trotters! I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of their compression socks and I’ve worn them a few times now for training runs and just around the house (because I’m cool like that).

Lily Trotters Sock Selfie!

Some things I like about them:

They are made in the USA.
They are cute! Look at them. I love the polka dots and ruffles because let’s face it, I’m not that girly in real life but in my running life, I can pretend, right?
They’re soft and I can wear them all day. Sometimes compression socks itch if i wear them all day (does this happen to you?!) but these don’t!
They’re not toooo tight! I sometimes feel like other compression socks I wear are so tight over my slightly larger-than-normal not-so-ladilike calves, but not these.

I made Nicole take this picture of me running with them.

Want some for yourself? There’s a Kickstarter campaign starting July 14th so check them out now!

How about you? Some questions for you:

Have you crushed any running goals (or other workout goals) lately? What should my next goal be?
What’s your favorite pair of running shoes?
Do you wear compression socks? Yes! I have three pairs and I swear by them. I definitely think they help me with recovery.

Disclosure: I received a pair of Mizuno Wave Enigmas thanks to Fitfluential to try out AND Lily Trotters sent me a pair of their compression socks. As always, all thoughts and reviews are my own. 🙂

Training Tuesday: Two More Weeks. Eep!

May 5, 2015May 3, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

I reallllly can’t believe that I only have two full weeks left of training for the Cleveland Half Marathon and sharing my training with you as a Cleveland marathon ambassador!

Week ten of Cleveland half marathon training is DONE. And it was a good week, pretty uneventful. I admit that I didn’t follow training 100% – a few days I accidentally got in a little more mileage, but overall it felt pretty good to get in a 30+ mile week again.

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Monday: On the schedule – 5 miles.

Actual run – 7.12 miles. Yup – 2 more miles than necessary. I ran with Nicole and somehow we miscalculated our route and ended up with a few extra miles. It was also pretty chilly out (for end of April – 40 feels like 37!) and I was not prepared. But it was so sunny out!

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Tuesday: On the schedule – 45 minute tempo run.

Actual run – A lame tempo run. I didn’t push myself as much as I should and definitely should have gone faster during my speed part. But my legs were a little sore, likely from the 10 mile race and the previous days 7 miles.

Wednesday: On the schedule – 3 miles.

Actual run – 5ish miles, thanks to running with Nicole again. We did a little extra. Surprise!

Thursday: On the schedule – stretch and strengthen.

Actual workout – I did about 55 minutes on the elliptical at basically no resistance. Just to get the legs moving.

Friday: On the schedule – 5 miles, pace.

Actual run – 6.8 miles, not quite pace. Again, I decided to run outside with Nicole and the weather was gorgeous! I was struggling this morning, though – I had gotten very little sleep Wed. night and woken up Thurs. to work out at 5 and then Thurs. night B and I were out until midnight for our anniversary dinner. Needless to say, getting up on Friday was rough. Running early on little sleep after a four course wine/beer pairing meal (Yes, both) is not fun.

Saturday: On the schedule – 11 miles.

Actual run – 11 miles at a somewhat easy pace with B and Mary. The weather was SOO gorgeous and I felt pretty good the entire time. Finally – a confidence boosting run!

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AND after the run I got to hydrate with Nooma. They’re a local hydration drink company that uses no acid or preservatives AND they sent me and some of the other ambassadors some beverages to try out. I love the mangosteen!

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Sunday: On the schedule – crosstrain or off.

Actual workout – 60 minutes on the elliptical and a nice walk with B. It was another gorgeous day and I couldnt NOT be outside!

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Love this view of the city.

Overall thoughts about the week:

The good: I finally had a good, confidence boosting long run. With only 2 weeks left of training, it’s about time!

The bad: Speedwork still kicks my butt and I’m slacking off with getting it all in. I need to hold myself accountable and actually do “pace” runs!

Questions for you:

Was your last run a confidence boosting one? Or the opposite?
Do you do speed work? What do you do? How do you get yourself to do it?

Training Tuesday: Back on the Running Buddy Bandwagon

March 24, 2015March 22, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for another edition of Training Tuesday, where I share my Cleveland Half Marathon Training experiences for the week.

Another week of Cleveland half marathon training is DONE. Despite some soreness in the beginning of the week, it was a pretty good week. I ran outside several days and even got back together with a running buddy, Erica, for two – not one – runs this week. Again, mileage was lower than it had been prior to training season where I was earning 30+ miles a week, but I’m not taking my miles for granted and trying to stay uninjured.

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Monday: On the schedule – 3.5 miles.

Actual run – 4.5 miles outdoors! The weather was perfect to run outside – I was even slightly WARM which was awesome. My legs were a little tight from the race still but it felt SO good to be outside!

Running outdoors means I can take pictures 🙂

Tuesday: On the schedule – 35 minute tempo run.

Actual run – 3.7 miles, 35 minutes tempo run. It was rough – normally tempo runs aren’t that bad for me but this day for some reason it was rough. You can see I literally have to write down minute by minute what I’m doing when running tempo runs – I get mushy runners brain otherwise and forget.

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Wednesday: On the schedule – 3 miles.

Actual run – 4.27 (3 miles plus warmup and cool down). Didn’t make it outside but instead got in some indoor miles.

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Thursday: On the schedule – NO RUN.

Actual workout – I did the elliptical on EASY and lifted some weights. I’m really trying to take my off days seriously!

Friday: On the schedule – 3 miles.

Actual run – 7.89 miles. I wasn’t sure if I’d have time Saturday to get in a long run (or motivation, I knew we’d have a friend in town Friday through Sunday) so I headed out early with Erica, one of my running buddies. We hadn’t run together in FOREVER and it was so nice to see her! I got in 3 miles before meeting up with her and finished what I thought was only 4 more miles … my Nike+ had stopped working, though, and I didn’t realize I got in a few extra miles. Whoops!

Erica and me. I made her take a selfie before one of our TWO runs together this week!

Saturday: On the schedule – 7 miles.

Actual run – I was planning on doing an easy 3 (Friday’s workout) but instead ran with Erica again! Erica wanted to do 6 and I figured I’d try to get in a few with her — I got in 6.89 miles (not sure what’s up with the .89 miles on both Friday and Saturday) and felt pretty good. Woohoo!

Sunday: On the schedule – cross train or rest.

Actual run – none! Spent some time on the elliptical for a short workout and then got in a few walks with B and two movies at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Perfect off day!

Overall thoughts about the week:

The good:

I got back outside and it was great! Some days were a little chilly but it was so nice to be back outside and off that dreadmill.
I proved to myself that I could do a semi-long run (7+ miles) in the morning before work. It had been some time that I dragged myself out of bed and outside in the cold and dark and I was pleased with my ability to do so.
I ran with Erica twice in one week. Sometimes running indoors for a long time makes me doubt my ability to run not only outside, but also with others. Nope – still got it!

The bad:

I was pretty sore for a few days after Malachi. I don’t know why but those 5 lies really put a stress on my body. Guess I raced hard?
I didn’t 100% follow the plan – I ran a few extra miles. Not that that’s REALLY bad, but it’s still something I shouldn’t make a habit of.
Interval running still kicks my butt. Even an “easy interval run” (meaning not 200 meter repeats) was tough this week.

Questions for you:

Did you finally get outside and run this week?
Do you like running with other people? Yes, while I do love my alone runs and the solitude of it and being able to think to myself, running with others keeps me entertained and motivated.