February 2015

02/12/2015
by She's Going the Distance 8 Comments

5k Power Songs!

Wednesday: 4m easy 9:20/pace, 25 minutes of TRX chest/shoulders

There’s a decent chance I won’t be running the planned 5k race this Saturday due to incoming winter weather–but i’m still crossing my fingers and preparing just in case. I’m taking a rest day from running today and heading to the chiropractor. My shins are a little achy, and rightly so. I’ve been pushing the pace weekly and soreness comes with the faster territory. I just want to get ahead of the aches and get the knots worked out.

a couple weeks ago.. we currently have no snow at all right now.

I also (finally!) purchased a lacrosse ball and started rolling out my calves yesterday (actually helped loosen the tightness by 50%). I’ll do a special post for myofascial release next week so you guys can DYI.

I want to start sharing music as I stumble across it, in case any of you are in a music funk or just curious as to the music I listen to out on the open roads. My 5k distance playlist needs to be a super pumped up mix filled with powerful lyrics or music that keeps the legs turning over and my heart happy. I need a playlist that gives me goosebumps and can keep my thoughts positive while pushing through the pain. The playlist generally starts slower & builds up with a strong finish. Exactly how I want to run a 5k. Don’t blow up the first mile and push the last two.

“Bridges” – Broods

“Miles Away” – Madonna

“Island” – The Starting Line

“Say My Name” – Odesza

Gecko (Overdrive) – Oliver Heldens & Becky Hill

Recess – Skrillex

Well these are what I’ll be listening to. I hope you found a new song or two to download for a run. And if you hate them all it’s cool too. It’s my list. 😉

What’s your current Power Song?

02/10/2015
by She's Going the Distance 12 Comments

Wine & Race Entries

Monday: 5000m row, 25 pull ups, 50 pushups, 100 sit ups

Tuesday: 5.5m intervals (8 X 400s, 6 @ 6:00/pace, 2 @ 6:15/pace)

I finally have a few races on the schedule! It helps to commit to a race when you have a great cabernet in hand.. No joke: it lowers your inhibitions, makes taking the credit card out a little easier and makes your goals more exciting than ever.

I really need to see where my fitness is so I can nail that sub 20:00 5k this spring. And a great thing about training for a 5k is that there is almost always a local 5k every weekend, and generally it’s a cheap entry fee. I signed up for the Potomac Valley Track Club’s By George, 5k! The course description says “totally flat.” I’ll totally be the judge of that. Sounds like a good way to wake up on Valentine’s Day and get a workout in before the day starts.

I also threw my name in the lottery for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler back in December and got in. Everyone in the DC area raves about this flat, fast & beautiful course. I’m also excited to race a new distance this April!

And finally I choose my fall ‘A’ race. The Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon. I really want to hit a fast half and I’m taking my time to rev up for it. This race is in November, which gives me plenty of time to find another half for a practice race in August/September.

And what better way to attempt my 1:30 half than by being in my home state of Indiana with my closest, best friend of all time!?

us just being classy–also this picture is like 8 years old.

Last Week

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5 Rounds w/30lb bar: 8 Overhead shoulder press, 15 front squats, 10 thrusters, 5.75m easy 8:01/pace (ranged from 7:22-8:20)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 20 min running drills, 8 miles (intervals- 8 x 800s), 30 min core

Friday: 3500m Row, 30 lateral wall ball slams, 35 pushups

Saturday: 12m easy/long, 8:06/pace

Sunday: Rest

Mileage: 25.8

Fall races picked out yet?

Goals??

02/05/2015
by She's Going the Distance 5 Comments

Turn It Up To 11!!

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 20 min running drills, 8 miles (intervals- 8 x 800s), 30 min core

The last time I did 200s on the treadmill I went to 11mph– ELEVEN! That’s a 5:27 pace! When I think of running at that pace, i get really excited, cause I have a TON of room to grow as a runner. When I think of elites running that pace for the entire duration of a marathon, it makes me feel not-so-cool. But at the same time, running’s not my job sooooo… i do what i can. 🙂

from Monday’s run outside. sooo pretty 🙂

Lisa @ Running out of Wine had a really great post today about letting go of obsessive tendencies to count miles (similar to how people count calories.) And it made me think of the transition from continually building mileage to train for long distance races to basically sticking around the same weekly mileage (about 25 for me) and focusing more on increasing speed at a short distance. Training has been so different and it’s hard to turn off the yearning to add miles each week.

There are days when a speed workout ends at 5 or 6 miles. The distance runner in me always says, “just do one more cool down mile–add to your weekly mileage total!” Usually i’d give into that, but right now i’ve been asking myself if the several extra miles a week are worth risking injury, helping with my 5k time goal, or taking extra time from my post recovery. Instead of the “extra mile” i’ve been focusing more on warming up, cooling down and foam rolling.

Make sure you ask yourself what that extra mile or two or 3 is adding to your training. Always listen to your body and quit if you are feeling pain.

Not gonna lie: Today I wanted to quit. 8 x 800s are so hard to run (800s are 1/2 mile). By the time 800 interval #5 came and went I wanted to end it at 6. However, just like when you strength train, the last few reps are going to be hard. If you don’t do the hard reps your muscles and body won’t change. Something came over me when I realized this and I ran the last 800s faster than the first half.

1 mile warm up @ 9:05/pace (in between each interval i jogged .25 mile @ 10:00/pace, last 2 intervals I walked for 30 seconds, then jogged)

3 x 800s @ 6:33/pace

3 x 800s @ 6:22/pace

2 x 800s @ 6:18/pace

1.5 mile cool down @ 9:15/pace- total miles 8.

This was me before the torture of the 800s. ughhhh.. my pony tail never looks that cute. Only before bed or before a workout. Am I right ladies? Dudes, you’ll never know what it’s like to plan out your workouts around your hair.. it blows. Like the dryer you have to use after the shower

InstaRun

Tell me about your workout from today!

How much time do you put aside for the foam rolling and recovery?

02/03/2015
by She's Going the Distance 5 Comments

Ice Skating Made Me Realize…

Mon: Rest

Tues: 5 Rounds w/30lb bar: 8 Overhead shoulder press, 15 front squats, 10 thrusters, 5.75m easy 8:01/pace (ranged from 7:22-8:20)

Monday’s are my new rest days. Just thought i’d share. I only like worrying about coffee & training others on Mondays. It makes the day much more bearable. Tuesdays now, are a new beast. I’m finally on board with “Track Tuesdays” or as i’m going to call it “200s Tuesdays” since I’ve been doing 12 x 200s. Today though, I ended up outside for more of an easy run. The wind and hills made it difficult to push or maintain any sort of pace, but I needed to get outside..turns out wind, hills and cold feel a lot easier than the treadmill lately. 8:01 easy pace?? I’ll take it. Track Tuesdays, are paying off :).

Also, I got a haircut.

SO—A few weeks ago I went ice skating. No, i’m not bragging, i’m a terrible ice skater. There is a reason I run. Forward. In a straight line. On my feet. I’m also a little OCD when it comes to knowing distance/pace with any type of cross training i might come across. My poor Garmin probably thought i strapped it to a chicken with it’s head cut off (sorry to the vegetarian readers), but seriously, this is a screen shot of my Garmin from the 1 mile skate I did.

I used this picture the other day, but I just had to share that it wasn’t a stock photo–it was legit mine. As I was ~~skating~~ dodging kiddos and their parents, teens and their selfies, and my own two left feet, I realized that I can totally do an Iron Man one day. If skating a mile takes me 25 solid minutes I can totally push through a triathlon. Science. Logic. Other smart words even though this concept is terrible.

I guess I assume since Skating isn’t a part of the Iron Man, I’ll be fine.

haha.

Last Week

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 6.5m intervals (12 x 200s, 5 @ 5:39/pace, 5 @ 5:33/pace, 2 @ 5:27/pace)

Wednesday: 30min Kettlebell workout (5 rounds: 20 overhead swings, 20 off set weighted lunges, 10 tricep pushups)

Thursday: 4m easy 9:00/pace, 30 min core

Friday: 6 easy 8:45/pace, 20 min TRX Upper Body

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 10m easy 8:30/pace

Total Miles: 26.5

Are you a practicing Track Tuesday-ian?