Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Weeks 4 + 5 / 11
02.05.2016
Schedule: Strength + Stretch.
Distance: 0km. Did not strengthen nor stretch.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 10km.
Music: N/A
03.05.2016
Schedule: 6.5km run.
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 8.5km.
Music: N/A
04.05.16
Schedule: 7 x 400 track intervals.
Distance: 6.75km – ran with friends again; it makes all the difference.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 9km.
Music: N/A
05.05.16
Schedule: 5km run + strength
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 9km.
Music: N/A
06.05.16
Schedule: Rest (yay!)
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 5km.
07.05.16
Schedule: 5km pace
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance: 5km. Walked with my son and his school in the local parade.
Music: N/A
08.05.16
Schedule: 13km long run
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance: 7.5km split between a trip to the park with Spud and a family Mother’s Day hike.
Music: N/A
WEEK 4 TOTALS
Distance (actual vs scheduled): 6.75km vs 36km
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 54km
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09.05.2016
Schedule: Strength + Stretch.
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 7.5km.
Music: N/A
10.05.2016
Schedule: 6.5km run.
Distance: 0km. Commute from hell coming home, lost will to run… Sent Colin out instead while I covered Spud’s dinner and bedtime. Wine.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 8km.
Music: N/A
11.05.16
Schedule: 40min Tempo
Distance: 40min with hills instead = 5.5km. Ran the biggest hill all the way without stopping, which is a big deal for me! Total run was actually 6.5km in 47min.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 11km.
Music: Fall Out Boy’s American Beauty / American Psycho album played straight through and then repeated.
12.05.16
Schedule: 5km run + strength
Distance: 5km
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 9km.
Music: Can’t remember if I had my iPod for this run.
13.05.16
Schedule: Rest (yay!)
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 12km. Also includes hanging out downtown after work waiting to meet up with friends for drinks.
14.05.16
Schedule: 5km pace
Distance: 0km.
Music: N/A
15.05.16
Schedule: 15km long run
Distance: 17km. Ran with Colin and Dianna in Squamish. Completed the Coast Mountain Trail Series’ Survival of the Fittest long course, minus the short downhill/uphill of the start/finish. Since they are in the final taper for their race the distance was short enough that I could finally tag along! I’ll be doing the SOTF short course in 2 weeks so it was a nice preview.
Music: N/A
WEEK 5 TOTALS
Distance (actual vs scheduled): 28.5km vs 37km
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 47.5km
Note: Remember to take your vitamins! The difference in how I felt between Week 4 and Week 5 was night and day once I started taking my vitamins, and specifically my iron, again.
Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Week 3 / 11
25.04.2016
Schedule: Strength + Stretch.
Distance: 0km. Did not strengthen nor stretch. Zzzz.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 13.5km.
Music: N/A
26.04.2016
Schedule: 5.5km run.
Distance: 0km. Made the mistake of sitting in a comfy chair, got hungry, put on pjs. Zzzz.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 10.5km.
Music: N/A
27.04.16
Schedule: 35min Tempo
Distance: 10km slow instead. Didn’t want to go, but did it anyways. Awful.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 9.5km.
Music: N/A
28.04.16
Schedule: 5km run + strength
Distance: 5km + no strength
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 10km.
Music: N/A
29.04.16
Schedule: Rest (yay!)
Distance: 0km.
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 13km.
30.04.16
Schedule: 5km pace
Distance: 0km.
Music: N/A
01.05.16
Schedule: 11km long run
Distance: 0km. Didn’t work out with Colin’s run schedule and then had errands and a work shift. Oh, well… At least the distance isn’t what I’m worried about.
Music: N/A
WEEK 3 TOTALS
Distance (actual vs scheduled): 15km vs 30km
Daytime Distance (commute + shift): 56.5km
Positive Thinking aka What Have I Gotten Myself Into?
After a good couple of years of mediocrity and probably being a sports psychologist’s dream I think that this might actually be a good running year for me. The very abbreviated back story (that will probably never be expanded on) is that I had a failed experiment with heart rate training that knocked me so hard on my butt that it’s taken me a really long time to mentally come back from. When your head’s not in it everything else is on the back burner. Suffice it to say that I did not love my runners for a while, but I think I’m back!*
I think my turning point was being included in a UBC NIKE study on running. They gave me a 13 week prescribed running program to follow during a time of year when I would much rather sit on my couch. Dark, rainy, winter-y Vancouver is not my favourite place to run. However, a treadmill and a decent amount of accountability kept me running on average 3 times a week. So what if my runs were predominantly inside? I’ve actually come to love my treadmill (hopefully the downstairs neighbours do too!). We had a slightly illegal 10km race at the end and I came away with a respectable 1:05 finish time. Considering I ran once outside in 13 weeks I’m pretty happy with that!
Another key to me being more optimistic is that around Christmas I got my hands on a downloadable goal tracker from Believe I Am. I’m not usually one for journals – although I’m keen to get one of theirs when they’re back in stock – as I start and never finish. But this one made me sit down and think about what I want from running this year. I want to get faster and I want to finish my 50km race in August. Voilà! I suddenly found myself with goals that are attainable. The other helpful part of the tracker was an outlook calendar. I don’t usually race a lot, but I wanted to this year. I’m not wealthy by any means so it’s usually a stretch to get too many races in. But I found some affordable ones (and ways to get in free, too) and I have about one a month. This will give me more race and trail experience, which I very obviously need in tackling an ultramarathon.
I haven’t paid for all of these yet, but they aren’t really negotiable anymore.
I have goals, people, and I will darn well reach them!!
What’s on the agenda for you this year? And will I be seeing you anywhere along the way?
*Notice that I’ve removed the subtitle “Slowly Reconciling With Running” from by blog (and on Twitter, too). No self-defeating thoughts, please.
Love My Runners 