TC 10 Mile - 7 Weeks to Go

Sunday
Planned: Long Run Hill Run
Actual: 7.95 miles, all the hills Cincinnati has to offer.  I don't have a 10-12 mile route in Cincinnati  and it seemed silly not to take advantage of the hills, so I swapped long day with hill day this week.

Monday
Planned: Hill Run  Long Run
Actual: 11.2 miles on the Minnetonka LRT trail.  This was not my favorite run ever, but I was happy to get out and visit this trail.

Tuesday
Planned: Low heart rate run, lift weights
Actual: 6.14 miles, Avg HR 133.  TRX/Kettlebell class.

Wednesday
Planned: 1 mile easy
Actual: 1.21 miles, 8 minute abs.

Thursday
Planned; 8-10 miles, Z3  Run by feel
Actual: 8.01 miles.  Run by feel worked really well.  For the main set Avg HR of 145. Go me!  Quick finisher of 10xsquats, lunges, calf raises, single leg dead lifts.

Friday
Planned: 1 mile easy
Actual: 1.23 miles in the morning before work

Saturday
Planned: Constant speed 2x 20 mins, 5 mins recover
Actual: Set 1 in 11:03/mile,  Set 2 in 11:31/mile.  This was not a good run.  First, I was wearing shorts that ride up like no other and I was wicked uncomfortable.  Second, I started out Set 1 waaaay too fast and paid the price.  I guess that's a good lesson for race day.  I don't know why I have to keep learning it over and over and over this year. 

TC 10 Miler - 8 Weeks to Go

Step Back Week, also vacation week

Sunday
Planned: 1-4 miles easy
Actual: 4.09 miles before vacation started

Monday
Planned: 1-4 miles easy
Actual: 2.05 miles, flat as I could make them which is not very flat.

Tuesday
Planned: 1-4 miles easy, lift weights if I can find them where I am
Actual: 4.72 miles, more hills.  No weights.

Wednesday
Planned: 1-4 miles easy
Actual: 1.32 miles in the pouring rain.  My shoes were wet for two days.

Thursday
Planned: 5-8 miles
Actual: 6.5 miles, hills.  This was a better run than the day before.

Friday
Planned: 1-4 miles easy
Actual: 2.04 miles, easy.

Saturday
Planned: Constant speed 2x15 mins, 5 mins recovery
Actual: Completed.  1st set 10:57 avg pace.  2nd set 11:18 avg pace.  I was a little disappointed in the second set.  I thought I should've been faster, even though it was mostly up hill.  I didn't have the workout programmed into my watch properly, so it wasn't beeping at me when I was going to slow. Sigh.

TC 10 Miler - 9 Weeks to Go

Sunday
Planned: 12-14 miles
Actual: 12.65 miles, post-run foam roll.

Monday
Planned: Hills or trails
Actual: 7.15 miles at Baker Park Reserve (hill running on a paved trail).  I ended this run by jumping in a lake and I think it's the best thing I ever did.

Tuesday
Planned: Low heart rate run, lift weights
Actual: 2.25 miles on the treadmill, Avg HR 135.  60 mins on the elliptical.  TRX/Kettlebell class.

Wednesday
Planned: 1 mile run
Actual: 1.22 miles run.  8 minute abs.  My arms are sore from yesterday. 

Thursday
Planned: 8-10 miles, aim for Z3 I'm cringing as I write this
Actual:  7.95 miles.  Watch me be okay with that last 0.05. 9 minutes abs with a friend at the end.  I did not focus on heart rate.  I let myself go on Monday, and was happy with that effort.  And it was 82* and 80% humidity when I was running, which always skews the heart rate anyways. Despite all that, the run felt great. 

Friday
Planned: 1 mile run
Actual: 1.22 miles, bonus 2 mile walk with friends at lunch

Saturday
Planned: Constant Speed 2x10mins, 5 mins recovery
Actual: Completed, "speed" sections were 10:56 and 10:49 pace.  I am still totally intimidated by these runs and I can't imagine running 10 miles at this pace.  But when I'm out actually doing it, it feels kind of good.  As a bonus I caught the last 20 minutes of Zumba.

Sunday Long Run - Lakes at Sunrise

Plan: I do not have 14 in me today, 12 is okay.  Try to keep same low heart rate thing that happened last week.

Route:  This combination of things is a new route for me, though I've run all the places on the route.  I headed down, along the creek, and then around Lakes Harriet and Calhoun, bake along the Greenway and then home.

Weather: I was told "cloudy" but no such thing happened.  It was in the 60s to low 70s and humid.  But not altogether unpleasant.  The sun was absolutely beating down on me on the Greenway, but it was a gorgeous run.

Execution: I feel like this "running in zone 2" thing has finally clicked in.  With last week and this week, I was able to just lock in to a low heart rate and a slow but regular pace, and just go forever.  Some odd things happened late in the run, a walk break for water and food, and then, um, another stop for other reasons.  Otherwise, I had it pretty much dialed in and I was really pleased with this run.

Nutrition: I did not eat a ton on this run.  I had half a pack of chews left when I got home.  I carried two bottles of water, and finished one.  This is a good thing for me to remember on race day when they have water stops ever mile at the end.

Bonus: Did I mention it was a freaking gorgeous day?

TC 10 Mile - 10 Weeks to go

10 Weeks 'till race day

Sunday
Planned: 10-12 miles
Actual: 11.63 miles at Ft Snelling.  At 5am. Bonus walk around Lake Harriet with Olive later in the day.

Monday
Planned: Hills or trails
Actual: 6.6 miles on the Lyndale/50th hill route.

Tuesday
Plan: Low heart rate run + lift weights
Actual: 60 mins elliptical (because that's always good for low heart rate); 2.2 treadmill miles Avg HR 132; TRX/Kettlebell class.

Wednesday
Plan: 1 mile
Actual: 1.21 miles, 8 minute abs

Thursday
Plan: 8-10 miles
Actual: 4.8 miles on treadmill, 48 mins on the elliptical.  16 mins foam rolling.  Even though this isn't 8 straight miles of running, I'm quite happy with this work out.  The treadmill portion went much better (faster, lower heart rate) than expected and it was quite a confidence builder.  Treadmills at the gym can only be programmed for 1 hour, so after that I switched to the elliptical.

Friday
Plan: 1 mile
Actual: 1.05 miles, and I did not poop my pants but it was a close thing,  I'm calling that a win.

Saturday
Plan: Hills - 2x6 mins.  Or backup is 3x 7mins speed, 4 mins recovery
Actual: 3x 7 mins speed, 4 mins recovery.  Speed laps were 10:51, 10:50 and 10:46.  I'm confused about how I'm going to be able to keep up that pace for 10 miles though.  After the run I did Zumba and some foam rolling.

Sunday Long Run - Ft Snelling

Plan: Run at a low heart rate, walk up the big hill.

Route: I took the Ft Snelling Route today.

Weather: I accidentally woke up at 5am.  Because I hadn't re-set my alarm from last week.  So I stayed up and headed out then.  It was 68* and 80% humidity when I started.  It didn't get much hotter during the run.

Execution: I find myself in the unusual predicament of having to try and run faster to keep my heart rate above 130.  I so do not understand what is happening.  I kept my heart rate in Z2 until around mile 9.  After that my brain kind of gave up and my heart rate went up a bit, but nothing outrageous. I was really pleased with this run, especially the 'go faster' bits.

Nutrition: I did not eat before I ran.  At 5am I couldn't get anything down. I carried two bottles of water, and a bag of gummy chews.  I did eat the chews, finishing them up around mile 9 or 10.  I had a few sips of water whenever I wanted. 

Bonus: I saw this guy up fishing for his breakfast after mile 1.