I’m a little late on this, but it was a recovery week and it kinda sucked anyway, so…

Monday: rest day
Tuesday: 8x800m fast – 6.0 miles total (11:00 avg pace)
Wednesday: scheduled for 3 but decided to take a rest day
Thursday: supposed to be 5mi goal pace but… – 3.5 miles total (11:38 avg pace)
Friday: rest day
Saturday: supposed to be 6mi but… – 3.5 miles total (11:07 avg pace)
Sunday: 7.6 miles (11:10 avg pace)

Ah, my first cut-back week! I was actually supposed to take one a few weeks ago, but I didn’t since I took an earlier week off to rest my foot in December. However, the timing of this one was good, since last week was my highest weekly mileage ever (and it only goes up from there).

This week was all over the place. It started out well with Tuesday’s speedwork. Then I just took Wednesday off since it was a cut-back week anyway. My next two runs were plagued with GI issues, and my long run was all sorts of tough (cramps, blisters, fatigue, you name it), though I did manage to the distance I was supposed to do.

But I’ve shrugged it off. Some weeks are bad. At least it was a recovery week anyway.

Halfway through the training plan! This week marks my first voyage into double digits since last April. Oh, and this is also the highest weekly mileage I’ve ever done.

Monday: 6.0 miles easy (11:21 avg pace)
Tuesday: rest day (Preds game)
Wednesday: 12x400m fast – 5.4 miles total (11:29 avg pace)
Thursday: 3.0 miles easy (11:17 avg pace)
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 5mi steady – 6.0 miles total (10:49 avg pace)
Sunday: 10.0 miles (10:33 avg pace!)

My schedule still isn’t completely normal this week. (My calendar says speed work on Tuesdays, easy run on Wednesdays, tempo/steady/goal pace run on Thursdays, easy on Saturdays, long on Sundays.) But I actually didn’t mind this rearrangement, even though it meant running six miles the day after a long run, having also run almost six miles the day before it as well (nearly 21 miles in 3 days…I think I’m ready for Ragnar). And I got to do my group run on Thursday!

The last time I did my 12x400m speed work (two weeks ago), I took a full 400m break between my fast intervals (I jogged, then walked, then jogged during that time, which averaged about 3 minutes, 20 seconds). This time I took a timed 2 minute break, only walking. I think this was too much. I was probably completely recovered after 1:30, so I’m thinking of shortening the break when I do these again in two weeks. I’m not going to say the fast intervals were easy, but…they weren’t hard.

My steady run on Saturday went well. I ran all five miles in my steady pace zone (or faster) without walking, woohoo!

I perhaps ran my long run a little too fast. I know I’m supposed to be running these at easy pace, but there’s some sort of satisfaction in running them faster when I have heavy, tired legs. Oh well.

I hope everyone had a good holiday month! I will do a post later detailing the running-related gifts I received!

Monday: 2.0 miles (10:52 avg pace)
Tuesday: 12x400m – 7.0 miles total (11:17 avg pace)
Wednesday: Christmas Eve, rest day!
Thursday: Christmas Day, rest day!
Friday: 4mi goal pace – 5.0 miles total (10:34 avg pace)
Saturday: rest day
Sunday: 8.0 miles (10:59 avg pace)

This week was a little complicated because it was the first week I was supposed to run five days, but I didn’t get a choice on when my rest days were due to the holidays. (I felt like I was rushing around enough as it is!)

I knew I needed to recover from last Sunday’s long run (I was sore!), so I planned to do one of my two easy runs on Monday. Tuesday was my first speed workout (ugh, seven miles on a treadmill…).

After two days of (much needed) recovery, I did my goal pace run on Friday. I ended up taking Saturday as a rest day, instead of doing an easy run, because that goal pace run was pretty rough (confession: I took one brief walk break during my goal pace miles…I still averaged 10:17 min/mi). Then I had my long run on Sunday.

This week is going to be just as hectic (Preds game and New Years’ Eve), so I’ll probably only end up doing four runs this week as well. Maybe next week I can get back on my actual schedule!

Monday: rest day
Tuesday: rest day
Wednesday: 4mi steady – 5.0 miles total (11:15 avg pace)
Thursday: 3.3 miles (11:44 avg pace)
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 2.5 miles (10:51 avg pace)
Sunday: 7.0 miles (10:51 avg pace)

I got in all my runs this week, though some were a little shorter than what my training plan says as I recover from that weird foot thing that happened.

My steady paced run on Wednesday was pretty mentally tough. No walk breaks for the four miles (took one briefly after my warmup before I started the steady pace) on the treadmill. My steady pace is 10:45-11:15 min/mi and my average for those four was 10:59 min/mi, so looks like I did it perfectly. I am, however, now absolutely terrified of my goal pace four mile run next week, which is the exact same thing but faster.

I really wish I could do these specific pace runs outside, to make sure I really can feel the pace. I’m thinking I might start heading out to the group run before the rest of the group shows up, getting in a mile or two and then finishing up with them (they typically do 3-4 miles).

My long run went pretty well, albeit a little fast. I felt so amazing at the halfway point, that I decided to pick up the pace on the last 3.5 miles and ended up with beautifully perfect negative splits:

I’m a little apprehensive about this week. This is the first week with speed work AND running five days a week. Not sure whose great idea it was to plan that for the week of Christmas, so we’ll see what I can actually fit in.