I'm linking up with the Weekly Run Down, please head over to Kim and Deborah to check it out.
The first thing to say about this week: whew! Running was the hardest thing that I did this week, which was a welcome change from the previous two weeks (FIL passed away, unreal work stress).
Second thing to say: Holy Weather Transition Batman! We were still in the grip of winter when the week started and I just about screamed every morning as I bundled up in All of the Layers for every run. All of a sudden the cold spell broke and summer is here. Which brings its own set of challenges since I'm not a good heat runner, but I'm more than ready for the change up.
Monday: weights and 4.25 miles easy (with a full on adult temper tantrum about the chilly temps)
Tuesday: speed day! 6.5 miles total = 1.25 miles warmup, 4 x 1200 & 400 recover, 1.25 miles cool down. Hit 10:28, 10:25, 10:20, and 10:07 for my splits. I love this workout so much, disregard the full on adult temper tantrum about the chilly temps that preceded this run.
Wednesday: rest, which means "commuting" from the couch to our office with a short outdoor walk in addition to regularly scheduled dog walks.
Thursday: 5 miles of a favorite treadmill workout adapted to the road. 1.5 miles warmup and then a 1-2-3-2-1 ladder x 2 (0.1 miles fast/0.1 miles recover, 0.2 miles fast./0.2 miles recover, etc). I wasn't targeting any particular speed for "fast" and because my route had some hills there were times when my recovery segments were faster than my fast segments. Overall everything felt good and it was a nice way to start the day. And hey it was finally warm enough for shorts so that ended my adult temper tantrum streak.
Friday: For whatever reason I couldn't get myself to spend 20 minutes lifting weights before my run, so shrug, it happens. Plan A was a hill run but I scrapped that for an easy route because wowza it was hot outside. 4.25 miles and yes I felt every degree of the heat.
Saturday: 8 miles, and I guess the elevation makes it kind of obvious that this was an out and back run;-) Everything was good until mile 6, the Extreme Uphill Mile. It's not an obvious hill, it's just a long continuous up and I wasn't feeling it. Two weeks ago I learned how to deal with this situation with 4:1 intervals. (P.S. idea credit for 4:1 intervals = Wendy)
Mile 6 on the good day was 11:52 with straight running vs 11:58 with the walk intervals, mile 7 was 11:16 running compared to 11:11 WITH TWO FULL MINUTES OF WALKING, and mile 8 was 11:28 running with 11:37 with one minute of walking (I skipped the last walk interval since I was at 7.8 miles at that point, maybe I should have taken it after all).
Oh and NBD but it was my 3rd fastest 8 miler ever, WITH SIX MINUTES OF WALKING.
Something that drives me absolutely bonkers is when I hear runners beating themselves up for taking walk breaks, or worst of all "I'm not a runner because I have to walk sometimes". Folks, can we agree that real runners walk?
Sunday: rest while I live vicariously through the adventures of the WRD group;-)
What's Next
Not sure, besides a lot of running. I kinda wanna just run, I kinda want to get back on the virtual 5k/10k train, and I most definitely want to start working on my mile time. I think next week will be a "just run" week and then I'll transition over to 5k/10k/mile stuff.
We had huge shifts in weather here this week as well. One day is was 75 and sunny and the other day it was 45 and rainy - so crazy.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge advocate for walk breaks! I say whatever you need to do to hit your mileage goal for that particular run, just do it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with walking.
Amen! But I know a few people who really think that a run doesn't count if they walk.
DeleteWhile I don't do any scheduled walk breaks, I often take brief breaks when racing (through the water stations...because I cannot drink and run without making a total mess). I have never felt any guilt in doing so, and I really don't think those misc. 5-10 seconds of walking really affect my finish time because I get a nice dose of mojo from it. Doesn't it feel great to have summer back!
ReplyDeleteYep, walking for drinking/fueling is kind of a given. I was able to run through my first fuel break in my virtual half but I haven't been able to figure out how to do that since.
DeleteYep, we all walk! No big thing. You're getting a lot of miles in! Congrats on that fastest 8 miler.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa!
DeleteI hate it when runners say that too. I walk a lot and there is nothing wrong with it. Way to go on your runs this week!
ReplyDeleteYes, I know a few people who really believe that. Strangely enough they don't run regularly.
DeleteReal runners totally walk! You're doing so great with your speed work. 1200 repeats are tough! Hooray for that speedy 8!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marcia! Agree
DeleteThe week's weather was equally crazy down here and I don't blame you one bit on throwing a tantrum!
ReplyDeleteJeff Galloway, who we can all agree is a "real" runner, is a huge advocate of taking walk breaks. Oh and hey, this bona fide runner is walking exclusively these days. ;-)
Lol, you left out the 14:18 pace that you hit for your walk...
DeleteI had to take walking breaks today, too. It was a vicious hill. Interesting stats that you were actually faster with the walking breaks!
ReplyDeleteOur track has opened, so I'll be doing some speed workouts as well this week (ok, so that was a lame excuse... can you tell I don't like speed workouts?)
I struggle a lot with hills, and now I wonder if I should just settle for power walking them? Hmm...
Deletenice work on that 8 mile! Walk breaks are no biggie. As Kim says, most people use them during races for water stations. I find it hard sometimes to get going again after walking during a marathon, but during a training run, they are bound to happen. And bathroom breaks :)
ReplyDeleteYes, the struggle to get going again is the only argument that I can think of for not walking. I'm not finding that to be as much of a problem when I do a planned 4:1.
DeleteI'm glad to hear that the walk breaks are working for you. I like them, although many coaches do not. Too bad, too sad, right? When I do my trail runs, my walk breaks aren't scheduled because I usually have to stop for obstacles, like fallen trees, and mud. Either way, it works out well. Nice job on your 8 miler! You're getting faster!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy! I got the idea from you!
DeleteI do interval runs all the time. Now that I don't have my group for motivation, I am walking more than I used it. I am totally ok with it. Gotta keep moving forward!
ReplyDeleteExactly, in the grand scheme of things it's the overall workout that matters, not the occasional rest. I know you're coming back from injury and adapting to solo runs, so the transition is beneficial there as well.
DeleteI used to be solely a Galloway runner and it irked the heck out of me when I'd get people (usually faster runners) who made wise cracks about it! Um, hello, Galloway and his son both qualified for Boston using run/walk so buzz off haters! That's all I have to say about that ;-)
ReplyDeleteAgree! Buzz off is a very nice way to say it;-)
DeleteNothing wrong with walk breaks! Great job with your 8 miler!
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle!
DeleteSo glad the walking is working for you! I know alot of runners swear by the run/walk method. There are definitely times i take walk breaks, especially if Im pushing the stroller up a hill.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling the same way about the weather. Last weekend I was so annoyed that it was still so cold. We finally had warm temps for a few days and now its supposed to cool off again.
Run/walk is a very nice tool to have in the toolbox.
DeleteI don't think there's anything wrong with walk breaks. I can wait for us to start getting the heat, I love it, it's still pretty mild here. Great week!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a good heat runner, but I love summer for the 23 hours a day that I'm not running.
DeleteI'm a regular Galloway runner. I can't run-walk-run faster than I can run. I think it helps to live so close to Disney where Galloway and RunDisney are hand-in-hand and really encourage the program, so it's not out of place here.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I'm being true to couch to 5K, so maybe I will be able to run a full 5K without stopping at the end of 8 weeks. It would be the best thing to come out of this whole ordeal.
I didn't know that you were a Galloway runner! I've heard a few interviews with Jeff and it really resonated with me when he said that run-walk was the only way he could get through long runs in the heat. I want to dive in and learn more.
DeleteGreat job! I have not fully incorporated walking intervals in my runs but I know so many people do well with them and it doesn't hurt their pace at all, which always surprises me!
ReplyDeleteIn the past I've only walked when I've hit the wall and can't run anymore, so walking has been "the beginning of the end". What I'm doing now is "hmmm, running feels hard so Ima walk for a minute and then run 4 minutes", and repeat that until I get distracted and forget to walk. It really keeps the wheels on the bus when a run starts to get hard.
DeleteWeather has been so strange here too... not quite freezing temperatures LOL but 30 degrees differences within a couple of days.
ReplyDeleteYes, what's up with that? It's a strange world right now, we don't need the strange weather to match.
Delete