Sunday, April 12, 2020

Weekly Sweats: Weather Report and Virtual Half Marathon Game Plan

In this week's tale, 31.25 miles, 2 two weight workouts, some complaining about the weather, and half marathon #4 game plans.


I'm linking up with the Weekly Run Down, please head over to Kim and Deborah to check it out.  Happy Easter my Friends!

Monday: weights and 4.25 miles easy.  I've started adding an extra quarter or half mile on the end of my workouts, it's just a sneaky way to get my mileage up.

Tuesday: speed day!  6.25 miles with 1 mile warm up, 4 x 1200 fast/400 recover, 1.25 miles cool down.  I wasn't as fast as the previous week, eh it could have been from last Saturday's 10k, it could have just been a slower day, not a big deal either way.

Wednesday: off, with a "commute" of a short walk outside before I started work.

Thursday: oh boy.  There's a fine line between writing a running blog and a weather blog.  I try to minimize the weather stuff because where I live the weather is absolutely perfect for an average of two days each year and also because I've made the choice to not cuss on the blog.  We'd had a big thunderstorm the night before.  The internet told me that low 40s with rain would be rising to mid 40s with no rain over the course of the run. The internet was lying in its teeth.  The rain wasn't that bad but the temperature kept dropping and the wind was unreal.  I kept seeing "white" raindrops, surely I was imaging things?  Nope, once I got home a full on snowstorm broke out.

So anyway, what was the workout?  6.5 miles total made up of 1.5 mile warmup, 4 x 400 fast/400 slow, not targeting any particular intensity besides "spicy", 3 miles cool down. 

Friday: dear weather, you were uncalled for.  Snow and All The Wind.  I did weights and then set out for a hill run, but my hill is a bridge and that just did not work with the wind.  I cut the hill efforts short and settled for 4.25 miles total with a headwind pulling me back every step of the way.  Just a little bit frustrating.

Saturday: long run day with 10 miles!  The only downside of doing virtual races for the past two weekends is that I haven't been getting a true long run in.  After much time procrastinating I set off at an easy effort and didn't look at my Garmin.  My head was telling me that 10 miles was a long distance and then my head decided that I was running 4 miles and then 3 miles and then another 3 miles (yes 10 miles on a continuous route without stopping, but the mental division helps.)

Wind was still an issue, although it was much less than the past two days.  I got pretty tired toward the end but my legs still felt strong so I'm happy.  And my 11:51 pace is still faster than any of my previous half marathons.

Sunday: Rest day, more wind in the forecast for tonight and Monday.  Because if you're going to have wind might as well have a full 5 days of it.

Race Cancellation/Rescheduling Recaps
  • My favorite 5k on earth that was supposed to be in May was rescheduled for early September.
  • A 5k that was on the calendar for mid July has been rescheduled for October.  "With an abundance of caution blah blah our team feels that medical and food distribution services will be better positioned for the race in the Fall."
Half Marathon #4 Game Plan
I think all systems are a go for next Saturday.  I realized that I will need to modify my route to pass by my house because my running water bottle is 16oz and I will most likely want a bit more than that.  And also it's probably not the smartest to run the trail in my favorite park right now due to social distancing concerns.  So I think I'm going to run an 8 mile route that I like, loop past my house for a water stop, and then finish it out with 5.1 miles around my hood.  I'll be running at an easy effort which is all that I need to do to beat my PR.  Part of me thinks it's going to be hard and of course the crazy runner part of me is looking forward to it;-)

29 comments:

  1. Great job with your long run! I split the distance in my head, too. It helps!
    Your plan for your half-marathon sounds good. Hope you will have less wind!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly, it's just mental but so is most of running.

      Delete
  2. I feel you. Our weather has been all over the place and the forecasts have been dead wrong. Nice miles this week! You half marathon plan sounds like a good one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read somewhere on the internets recently that weather forecasting uses data from commercial flights and now that we don't have as much of that data that forecasts are going to be off. Idk if that's true or not but it sounds plausible.

      Delete
  3. Nice week for you and good luck on your half marathon! I'm planning on one in 2 weeks. I hope I feel better than I did on yesterday's 10 miler--it felt like I had cement shoes on!

    I think you nailed it with the weather comment! I've noticed how some feel the need to post weather conditions with every run they take. I don't know where you live, but here in the Midwest, the weather can change within hours. It is what it is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I grew up a bit south of Chicago and we don't have the extremes that you do but things have a tendency to be unpleasant and ever changing. The bottom line is that anyone who's waiting on good weather is not going to be very active.

      Delete
  4. You had a pretty stellar week of workouts. Adding in a quarter mile sounds like a great idea. Good luck w the half this weekend. I am not ready to run that far alone yet without an actual race. Thanks for linking up

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you Deborah, and honestly I'm not sure if I'm ready to do 13.1 on my own and I reserve the right to DNF if my body tells me to. It's more of an experiment to see if I *can* do it.

      Delete
  5. Runners care more about the weather than non-runners :) It's totally normal to discuss!
    Glad you still got in quite a bit of good mileage this week, despite some tough weather. Sounds like a good route for your long runs. Minneapolis isn't going to turn our their public water fountains the whole summer ( for good reason) so I definitely will need to figure out a better hydration plan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me know what you figure out. I'm seriously thinking about a hydration vest, I just need to figure out which one. Even on my 6 mile runs there are times when I wish I had more water.

      Delete
  6. We had wacky weather here this week as well - we even had hail on Friday!

    Good luck with your virtual half marathon this weekend! It sounds like you have everything planned out well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It appears your weather was just as unstable as mine was, especially Thursday and Friday. It is a big factor in a run (or race, if we were doing "real" ones) being easy, difficult or insanely miserable. I'm also doing a virtual 13.1 on Saturday (in honor of the real one that's yet-to-be rescheduled). I'll see ya on the "virtual" course ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw yiss! I'm so happy that we'll be racing together!

      Delete
  8. I think the phrase I'd like a vaccine against is "out of an abundance of caution". So so over used.
    It was before I started following you, I think, but one point last summer I said it would be a challenge if we (linkup bloggers as a whole) could get through a week wtihout weather comments. It's impossible. It's just so changeable.
    Congrats on the solid week

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ha ha we should do a WRD "weather free" linkup sometime. That would be quite a challenge.

      Delete
  9. Haha I have to try to not write about the weather too much, but usually that is such an important part of my runs! Our weather was all over the place this week. I am debating a virtual half next weekend but its tough to plan out the logistics!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree, it's tough enough to run a half but we have to come up with our own race course and all of the course support. At least the start and end lines are my front door and I get to set the race start time.

      Delete
  10. I am disliking the weather here too. Cloudy and gloomy and depressing. We have maybe 1 or 2 sunny days. Ugh on the wind. I dislike it too. You have a good plan for your half marathon. Good luck with it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am a huge fan of snow, but by April, I'm done with it. I see we might have some in the upcoming week. Dislike! Good luck on your half! I could run mine as soon as April 16th, but I think I'll wait until a week later to get another long run in. Either way it's probably going to be my slowest half, but that's OK with me! With all of the rescheduled races it's going to be bonkers in the fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, I haven't yet looked at all of the new dates, I don't think I have any conflicts yet. It just going to be so much fun to get back on a real race course.

      Delete
  12. Snow! That's crazy! We are expecting nasty storms through here over the next week, but it will be limited to wind and rain. Hopefully the mornings will stay clear. Normally, even in storm season, we get rain for an hour or two and then all clear.

    Weather is such a huge part of outdoor sports. I will run in the cold and the wind, but rain is a big fat nope for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries, I'll take the rain. I really do love it, with the disclaimer that I won't run if there's lightening or hail or anything like that.

      Delete
  13. The weather's been crazy here too - especially the wind!

    Nice job with your 10-miler - I like to mentally break up a long run like that too - just makes it feel more doable. Sounds like you have a good plan for your half marathon - hope the weather cooperates!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to work a lot more on my mental game of just running the mile that I'm in.

      Delete
  14. We've had some stiff winds recently too, though pretty normal for spring here. Good luck with the half marathon - hope the wind holds off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hannah! It finally blew itself out yesterday - good riddance!

      Delete
  15. Chopping up the distance of the long run in your head is a smart strategy!! Isn't it funny how we both dread and look forward to race day? I am the same way!

    ReplyDelete