Spring Half Marathon Training - Week 8

This was a harder week than I was expecting! I didn't feel that sore after Shamrock on Sunday, but I did feel tired. All week I struggled to feel like I was getting enough sleep, and I could definitely feel the impact of my race on my couple runs of the week (thankfully they were already scheduled as easy runs). 

I've been trying to write my Shamrock recap and for some reason I just haven't been able to get the words down yet. I love this race so much and this year might have been my best and favorite year yet, so I'm not sure why I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts out. I'm also coming up on two months of working with a coach, and I've mentioned tidbits here and there about that's going, but I think I might try to pull together a post about my thoughts on it two months in.

Week 8

34.9 miles

(21.6 easy / 5.3 hard / 8 long)

Monday 3/19 - Rest

Tuesday 3/20 - 5 mile easy run @ 9:43 / 1 hour Zwift ride (15 miles)

Wednesday 3/21 - 6.2 mile easy run @ 9:46

Snow run! We had steady snow all morning and afternoon, had an inch or two stick, and then it melted by the time I ran at 6pm. Such is life in DC this winter. There was still some pretty snow on the ground to look at, and it only impacted my run for about a quarter-mile stretch over a bridge that was slushy, so I guess it kind of worked out for me.

Thursday 3/22 - 8.1 mile interval run @ 8:51

• 4 x 5-minute intervals @ 7:20
• Actual:
• 7:12
• 7:16
• 7:17
• 7:15

Yay consistency! This was really tough for me and it took everything I had to hit my paces. It was cold and windy, which I am BEYOND over (spring, where you at?!). I actually felt pretty confident going into this, but Katie had warned me that it was going to be a hard one and she was right!

Friday 3/23 - Rest

Saturday 3/24 - 8 mile long run @ 9:29

I really did not feel like running this morning and wish I could have put it off until later, but I had to get it done before the March For Our Lives! The run didn't feel all that great (possibly my tired legs, possibly the bottle of wine Ben and I split at dinner Friday night...hard to say, really) but there were so many people already out and on their way to the march, and their signs and just their presence both entertained and inspired me. I know this isn't running-related, but as Hokies who were at VT on 4/16/07, this is a really important and personal issue for both of us and I'm so grateful that all we had to do to be able to attend was bike a mile and a half down our street. Those kinds of unique experiences are the ones that are going to make it really hard to leave DC in a couple weeks!

Sunday 3/24 - 7.6 mile interval run @ 8:59

• 4 x 5-minute intervals @ 7:12-7:28
• Actual:
• 7:34
• 7:29
• 7:25
• 7:23

This was my first time having a workout on a weekend (aside from the last two weeks' races) and I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. Running back-to-back 8-milers was harder than I had anticipated and my legs were really dead for this one. This one was nearly identical to Thursday night's run, but whereas last time the intervals felt hard on my chest and my breathing, this time my legs were the limiting factor. I didn't quite hit all my paces and, in retrospect, maybe I could have pushed a tiny bit harder to get there, but my legs were so tired (there were also a TON of people on the Mall so there was a bit of slowing and bobbing and weaving). This was a tough week, especially coming off last week's race, so I'm happy with how this went even if I didn't totally nail it. Plus it was actually a pretty nice day out for once - I even wore shorts!

Next Races:

Crystal City 5k Fridays (4/6)

Monument Avenue 10k (4/14)

New Jersey Half Marathon (4/29)

Previous weeks:

Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 (Central Park Half Marathon) / 

Week 5 / Week 6 (Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon) / Week 7