Two weeks of training in two very different climates. Week 7 was all about easy tapering before my Austin Half Marathon, with a handful of workouts in super warm, super sunny Texas. Week 8 was back at it here at home in the cold, the snow, the ice and the wind. Winter please go away.
Week 7 (Feb. 9-Feb. 15): 3:55:54 hours
Swim: 0 hours/0 yards
Bike: 30 minutes (trainer)
Run: 3:25:54 hours/23 miles
Workouts
Monday: rest day
Tuesday: easy bike
Wednesday: speedwork (treadmill)
Thursday: rest day
Friday: easy 3 mile run
Saturday: walk/run
Sunday: Austin Half Marathon
There's not much to say about week 7 - it was a lot of rest in anticipation of a hard race on Sunday. Lots of rest, lots of easy runs and bikes. Even my speedwork on Wednesday wasn't bad and was pretty short. The best were my workouts in Texas. My Friday easy 3 mile run was in 65 degree sun. I was kinda happy and took this Gloaty McGloaterson picture for my friends in PA who were freezing in sub-zero temps.
Annnnnnnd then karma gave me a big ol' womp womp with a disappointing and hard-fought race on Sunday. Still ... worth it.
Week 8 (Feb. 16-Feb. 22): 4:25:21 hours
Swim: 0 hours/0 yards
Bike: 1:15 hours (trainer)
Run: 3:10:21 hours/19.6 miles
Workouts
Monday: rest day
Tuesday: easy bike
Wednesday: walk/run
Thursday: easy run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: walk/run biked instead
Sunday: long run: 17 miles - did 13.25 instead ON THE TREADMILL
So, yeah, welcome home to cold. And then snow! A snow day! And then ice! And cold! And all of those things! I was able to do a bike at home on Tuesday (snow day), which was fine. Wednesday I had a walk/run and I was not going to do it on the treadmill. I went to a park near the kids' school and wore my Yak Tracks. It was a 10 minute walk with a 30 minute easy run. Contrast the above McGloaterson photo with McSnowerson.
Still ... better than the treadmill!
I wonder what the cars passing by were thinking as I snapped these shots.
Thursday was an easy run, which, given the time of day that I had to run and the extreme sub-arctic cold, I opted to do on the treadmill. Friday was a rest day - woo hoo. Saturday was supposed to be another walk/run, but I couldn't fit in a trip to the gym, so I opted for a longer bike ride instead: 45 minutes on the trainer. Not too shabby.
Sunday. Did you read the all caps? Yes. I did 2 full hours (13.25 miles) on the em eff treadmill. I didn't die, but I will tell you that if I had run literally one more second, I would have turned into the hulk, raised that treadmill over my head, and thrown it out the window of the gym. And then jumped out the window and destroyed it with a baseball bat. So, I had to do the treadmill because on Saturday we got a lot of snow. And then rain. Which turned the snow to slushy ice. Sunday morning had terrible conditions, and I absolutely had to run early. Treadmill it was. I can't get Pollyanna about this run. It was not fun and kind of terrible, but I did it. I was supposed to do 17 miles, but that was not happening. Hopefully 13.25 is good enough.
Up this week - more miles, and I really want to get in a swim. I have the Ambler Frostbite Five Miler, which I've run (and managed to PR) every year for awhile now. This year, coach has me running a little 11 mile warm up beforehand ... so I am not sure about a PR. My eye is on the prize, which is the NJ State Marathon in late April and the Love Run Half in late March.
Bonus! Bonus! I made a new playlist for the Austin Half Marathon and I'm going to share it with you. I feel that the city of Austin might ask me to remove its name from the playlist because a cool music town like Austin will not want itself associated with the below, but it will kindly have to get over itself.
The Austin Half was such a brutal race and I was so out of it, that I only remember one -- yes one -- song from that playlist for the entire 13.1 miles. That song, my friends, was Neil Diamond's They're Coming to America. It was around mile 6 and I remember thinking "Ok ... this is it. This song is going to change this whole race for me. This is the moment." Sadly that did not happen. I listened to this playlist on my treadmill long run and really enjoyed it! It was as though I had never heard it before. Ha. Enjoy. You're welcome in advance. Comments in bold italics where needed.
1812 Overture (Finale) (Charles Gerhardt & London Philharmonic Orchestra) I defy you to hear this song and not pick up your pace. I also defy you to not do the cymbals in the air at the appropriate place in the song.
All Through the Night (Cyndi Lauper)
America (Neil Diamond)
Annie's Song (John Denver)
Apache (Sugarhill Gang)
Around the Way Girl (LL Cool J)
Baby, What a Big Surprise (Chicago)
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (Jim Croce )
Brandy (Looking Glass)
Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder)
Can't Hold Us (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis)
Carefree Highway (Gordon Lightfoot)
Count On Me (Jefferson Starship)
Different Drum (The Stone Poneys)
Do You Hear the People Sing? (Les Misérables Original London Cast)
Double Dutch Bus (Frankie Smith) this song reminds me of roller skating as a kid. I start to shuffle when I hear it.
Emotion (Samantha Sang)
Feels So Good (Chuck Mangione) I LOVE THIS SONG. My sister and I grew up dancing to it. It's fun to run to.
Get Closer (Seals & Crofts)
Guilty (Duet With Barry Gibb) (Barbra Streisand)
Hello (Lionel Richie) Not a typo. This song is really on here.
I Can't Hold Back (Survivor)
I Got a Name (Jim Croce)
If You Could Read My Mind (Ela Wardi)
If You Leave Me Now (Chicago)
It's My Turn (Diana Ross)
Just Remember I Love You (Firefall)
Knowing Me, Knowing You (ABBA)
Let It Go (Demi Lovato)
Long Long Time (Linda Ronstadt)
More Than a Woman (Bee Gees)
One Moment In Time (Whitney Houston)
Party In the U.S.A. (Miley Cyrus)
Penny Lane (The Beatles)
Selling the Drama (Live)
Shadows of the Night (Pat Benatar )
Shake It Off (Taylor Swift)
Sloop John B (The Beach Boys)
Solitary Man (Neil Diamond)
Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot)
Take a Chance On Me (ABBA)
Talking In Your Sleep (The Romantics)
Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) (Joey Scarbury)
Truly (Lionel Richie) See above. Not a typo either.
You Are the Woman (Firefall )
You Can Do It (Ice Cube) I imagine I'm in the movie "Save the Last Dance" when it comes on. You're the Only Woman (Ambrosia)
Pretty sure that only on my playlist can Ice Cube, Lionel Richie, Barry Gibb, ABBA, Gordon Lightfoot and the 1812 Overture peacefully coexist.
Have a great week!
See you swoon,
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