Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 6

Woah, we're half way there!  Woah, livin' on a prayer!  It would seem like Journey is the theme that is driving this week's training.  Only six weeks left until the big day when I toe the line and run through the city I love.

Monday: 6.28 Miles - Yes, my geeky-ness shone like the sun on this day when I decided to run 2π to both celebrate Pi Day and meet my training plan schedule.  The only thing that made this run a little challenging is that I was running on less than a decent night sleep and, like I said at the end of my training post from last week, my legs just didn't seem to be recovering well from their recent workouts.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 4 Miles - I was glad this day only had a small amount of mileage to complete since I had three meetings that afternoon/evening.  I laced up and ran in lots of circles around the school grounds after the first meeting finished.  I was reminded why I only stuck with track through 10th grade....

Thursday: 6 Miles - I decided for this workout that slowing down the pace was what my body needed.  Once I started my Garmin, I didn't look back down at it.  Since I had resolved to let this week serve as recovery, the only goal I had was finishing the miles.

Friday: Rest Day - I did walk 2.5 miles with my students as part of a homelessness simulation.  They were miles for a greater cause!

Saturday: 8 Miles - While the sun was shining for this run, I was a little disappointed in that the weather had reverted back to its wintry wrath.  Out came the running pants and multiple layers and down went my mood.  Cold weather definitely drags me down and, to add to the challenge of the long run, I had developed a nice cold that made breathing a tad hard.  I did my best to maintain an even pace and just keep moving.

Sunday: Rest Day

While last week contained some great training, this week just didn't do it for me.  In having to slow myself down, I'm getting a great lesson in humility.  I've heard that sometimes you have to slow down in order to go faster!

Happy Running!
Sean

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 5

To say I was excited when I saw this week's forecast would be an understatement.  The moment I noticed the temperature reaching the 60's and sunny most days, I knew spring had arrived!  My body seemed to have know that it was time to awaken from its hibernation as well.

Monday: 3 Miles - My training plan incorporated this week as a mini taper-since my mileage had been increasing steadily for a while.  I just ran by feel this day enjoying the freedom of just running in shorts and a t-shirt.  The clear blue sky made for a perfect workout day.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 6 Miles - I decided to hit the trails for this workout, since I didn't feel like running the routes I had used throughout winter.  After finishing about half the run, I decided to push myself a bit and see if I could get my average pace for the run below 9 minutes.  Going hard (and mostly uphill!), I was able to hit my target by finishing with my average at 8:57/mile.

Thursday: 5 Miles - Clouds and rain had moved into the area overnight meaning my run was going to be a wet one.  Oh well!  In some way, the rain seemed to encourage me to push harder.  I was able to finish the run with an average pace of 8:53/mile.

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 4 Miles - Whatever had me going strong in my last few runs seemed to be holding on.  In my first mile, I was already moving at an 8:58/mile pace and by the end finished the last mile in 7:30.  Wow, was I booking it!  While it felt great to be reaching numbers I normally only see in races, I had this nagging feeling that I may have gone a little too hard.

Sunday: Rest Day

By pacing standards, my running had clearly improved from what I was doing throughout the winter months.  However, in retrospect, I should have allowed this week to be the taper it was intended for.  Walking around on Sunday, I commented to my wife how my legs just didn't feel right.  Despite the lower mileage, I felt stiff and more tired than normal.  In the coming week as my distances start to climb again, I may just have to take things easy.  Lesson learned!

Happy Running!
Sean

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 4

I believe the word ¨cold¨ best describes how my running had felt this week.  These miles required both some layering that undoubtedly slowed me down and a drive that just wasn't there.

Monday: 4 Miles - Like many runners, I did get in some Leap Day miles, but didn't really realize that fact until I posted my run on Twitter - whoops!  As for the workout, while the weather wasn't terrible, the wind definitely had a cold bite to it.  I was also disheartened when I glanced at the temps for the week and noticed the decline back into winter territory.  Ugh!

Tuesday: Rest Day - I did get in about an hour of walking on the treadmill while grading papers.  I figured the endorphins would make me more lenient!

Wednesday: 5 Miles - This run was a great example of poor decision-making with regard to attire.  In being hopeful that there was no snowstorm ravaging the town, I decided to go slim on the number of layers I wore.  Bad idea!  It was not until I got to about mile 4 that my upper body finally started to warm up.  My legs on the other hand just suffered giving me cold muscles that didn't want to work.

Thursday: 3 Miles - By this day, I was able to see the 5 day forecast and the light at the end of the cold tunnel!  I just had to make it through my next two runs and I'd be enjoying some warm, sunny miles.  I took this workout easy, especially since a random snow squall had passed through the night before leaving my route covered in white.  I did take a moment to notice how my surroundings looked since it was likely to be the last major snowfall - everything seemed so peaceful.

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 8 Miles - My long run for the week would probably best be described as a "hot mess."  I wore way too many layers, carried items I really didn't need, and miscalculated the distance of my route leading me to finish my workout about two miles from my intended end point (good thing I'm not a math teacher!).  When I finally pushed all these issues out of my head and just focused on running, I felt good.  I figured my race was only 5.1 more miles than I had run, which is totally doable.

Sunday: Rest Day

Of my weeks of training, I would have to say this one was fraught with a low motivation to hit the roads.  Regardless, I got my miles in and am hoping to better weather and a greater drive next week.

Happy Running!
Sean

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 3

In some ways, I still cannot wrap my brain around the fact that I am a fourth of the way through my training and the Pittsburgh Half Marathon is only two months away.  Yikes!  However, with all that in mind, I think things have been going well.

Monday: Rest Day - In having gone on a run with Mike the day before (see last week's training recap), I moved the miles planned for this day to the previous.  I instead went on a nice walk with my wife.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 5 Miles - The plan for this day had been 4 miles, but in thinking ahead and looking at the forecast (snowy and colder), I figured I was better off getting in the extra distance early.  The workout itself was a little odd primarily due to the weather.  I began in torrential downpours, but finished with a clear blue sky.  Oh the unpredictability of weather!

Thursday: 4 Miles - Well, the weather I knew was going to hit during this workout in fact did.  An added bonus to the cold and snow was the arrive of some intense gusts of wind.  In being anything but aerodynamic due to the number of layers I was wearing, the need for extra effort was a given.  However, the run was pretty decent - I survived and felt I had accomplished something good.  In all honesty though, I am definitely looking forward to spring!

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 7 Miles - This is a number I haven't seen in a while!  When I saw on my training plan that I was approaching this distance, I was getting excited.  My long-run days were beginning to distinguish themselves from my traditional base miles.  The only hesitation I had approaching this run was the fact that I would be at a conference with my students and, in previewing the schedule for the weekend, saw little time to squeeze it in.  I accepted the realization that I would have to run in the morning prior to breakfast after a night in which sleep would be a luxury.  However, things turned out way for the better!  Friday night, one of my students, who knows I'm a runner, made a joke to me about going for a run the next day.  When I responded in sincerity that I was planning to get in 7 miles, two of the students asked if they could join me.  It was one of those rare opportunities as a teacher to interact with students in more than just a classroom setting.  While the one student only made it one mile (for which I am very proud of him!), the other, who is actually a cross country runner, kept pace with me the entire time.  We found some great trails around the retreat center and had some good conversation about running and life.  I would call it an extremely successful workout!

Training has been progressing well with only the occasional ache or pain (mainly in my shins and calves).  I'm actually looking forward to longer runs while I await the arrival of milder temperatures and less layering.

Happy Running!
Sean

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 2

The second week of training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon got off to a rocky start, but ended on a high note.  All is well that ends well, I guess!

Monday: 4 Miles - It would seem that my legs had a case of the "Mondays" during this run.  I could not find the rhythm for my cadence and was more stomping along than actually running.  It wasn't until I was nearing the end of my workout that I realized why I felt so sluggish - all the slushy snow I was trudging through was sticking to my shoes.  It surprisingly added a decent amount of weight!  I also made a fatal mistake from the get-go in my run - I let my watch dictate my pace.  I started too hard and couldn't get myself back on track.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 3 Miles - Those "blah" feelings in my legs from Monday's run held on through these miles.  In between various meetings, I only had about 45 minutes to warm up, complete the run, and then cool down.  As is usually the case when I am crunched for time, I abridged the pre- and post-running activities so I could achieve my distance goal.  While I can get away with this strategy on occasion, I was definitely hurting during the workout, since I didn't account for the amount of effort needed to run through 2-3 inches of snow.  My legs were burning and the miles dragged.

Thursday: 4 Miles - For how poorly my runs had gone earlier in the week, this day made up for it.  The sun was shining, a good amount of the snow had melted away and things just clicked.  I cruised along my route enjoying the fresh air with a vitality in my legs that had been lacking previously.  It was a great day to be a runner!

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 5 Miles - I didn't think Thursday's run could be topped, but this day's workout did just that.  Spring decided to throw us a bone by bringing out a clear blue sky and temperatures in the 60's.  In not having to wear layers for the first time in a long time, I felt light on my feet as I trotted along.  It was just what I needed when I needed it.  If only every day could be this perfect!

Sunday: 4 Miles - While Sundays tend to be rest days, I made plans to run with my friend Mike.  To give you an idea of our friendship, he was the best man in my wedding and he will geek out with me saving my wife from having to entertain my nerdy side.  You can imagine how much fun we had during this workout!  Though slightly cooler than the day before, the sun was still shining away and great conversation and company is invaluable.

Week 2 is in the books and more great miles ahead!

Happy Running!
Sean

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 1

The first week of training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in some ways represented both the joys and challenges of running.  In some ways the weather couldn't make up it's mind, but that's Pittsburgh for ya (or should I say yinz)!

Monday: 3 Miles - This day began the official training cycle for this race.  I'd like to say things felt great, but the weather (cold and rainy) put me in a funk.  My legs just didn't want to move no matter how hard I pushed and every ache and pain seemed to flair up.  To top it off, when I attempted to sync my Milestone Pod, it had never recorded any of the run.  I was just hoping that this was not a foreshadowing of how the next 12 weeks of training would be.

Tuesday: Rest day

Wednesday: 4 Miles - The best way to describe how I felt during this run compared to Monday is somewhat akin to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Though the weather had gotten colder, my body was more responsive and alive.  Even with a slight snow flurry blowing through around mile 2, I bounded along with ease.  But, like my prior run, my Milestone Pod didn't record this run either.

Thursday: 4 Miles - The trend of Wednesday's run carried over to Thursday.  The only challenge that I faced at this point was that the snow had continued overnight and into the next day leaving little room on the berm of the road to actually run.  Traversing through the few inches of powder and maintaining my balance made for a great workout.

Friday: Rest day - 30 minutes on the stationary bike during my planning period at school.  Figured I could do work just as well on that as at my desk!

Saturday: 4 Miles - Well, the weather decided to not play nice by dropping to -8 with windchill.  I had seen the possibility of this happening and just hoped that all the weather predictions were wrong.  No such luck!  I thus resorted to the treadmill letting Sherlock on Netflix distract me through the miles.

Sunday: Rest day

Overall, a good first week and only eleven more to go!

Happy running!
Sean

Let the Training Begin!

I am still in the process of wrapping my mind around the fact that it's actually the beginning of February.  The school year is flying by and the weather is taunting me with thoughts of spring.  With a month into the new year under my belt, it also signals the time for training to begin for my next big race - the Pittsburgh Half Marathon!

With this event only twelve weeks away, I'm definitely both anxious and excited to run around my hometown.  While at the Greensburg Half Marathon I had only ever driven past the starting area, this race will be one in which I have run the routes many times thus knowing the ups, downs, and curves of the road beforehand.  I wonder if this familiarity will be a benefit or hindrance; foreknowledge can be a nice resource, but the unknown can be a good motivator.

To help me keep track of my progress, I've decided to do a weekly training report.  In being someone who has tried and failed many times to journal my feelings in a notebook, I think that blogging about how each run goes will be cathartic, especially on the days when things don't go exactly as planned.  I'll also be forced to take the time to reflect on my workouts instead of just moving on to the next scheduled thing for the day - truly being in the moment.  I'm thinking only good can come from this daily activity!

Check back each Sunday as the chronicles of training unfold and we'll see where it takes us!

Happy Running!
Sean