This past weekend marked the forth in a row that I wasn’t at home. In fact, I’ve only been home for five full days since August 18th. Having just finished the 7th week of my 16-week Run Less Run Faster (affiliate link) training cycle for my OBX Half Marathon, I’ve had to complete over half of my runs away from home.
Always planning ahead, I did my track workout on Monday and my tempo run on Wednesday so I could do my long run on Friday while visiting my mom at the farm, and before heading on to Blacksburg Saturday morning for the Virginia Tech football game.
I headed to the high school track on Monday morning only to find it locked (even the secret back gate was locked). Fortunately, my schedule had me running 6 x 800’s with 90-second rest intervals and a 1-mile warm-up and 1-mile cool-down. My friend Tracy met me, and we improvised by running in the parking lot. Unbelievably, the distance from the front left side of the school’s football field to the back right side of the school is exactly 1/2 mile. Since we were running at 7 AM on a holiday, it was very easy to run back and forth in the parking lot. My goal pace for each 800 was 7:27; however, I just couldn’t hit those numbers. My paces were 8:08, 8:12, 7:54, 8:04, 7:57, and 7:39.
After I finished my repeats, I ran back to the gate to double check that I hadn’t messed up thinking it was locked when it really wasn’t. One of my MRTT friends posted that it looks locked when it’s not and I started second guessing myself and that I’d overlooked something – I hadn’t.
Before heading home, I decided to take my frustrations out on the tackle dummies and do a little cross training at the same time. Just kidding, if I’d run against them with any force I’m sure I would have been catapulted back to where I started, but at a much quicker speed. HaHa!
On Wednesday, I was scheduled to run 7 miles with 5 at a tempo pace of 8:28. I ran to the W&OD Trail for my 1-mile warm-up, and once there, ran my tempo run on a relatively flat portion of the trail. Again, I struggled to keep the pace I needed – my mile splits were 9:19, 8:56, 8:57, 9:19, and 8:51. My speedy running friend Kathy caught up with me just after I turned around at my half-way point and paced me for 2.5 miles. Even though she was running a long run at an easy conversation pace, she still pushed me, helping me hit my last two miles closer to my targeted tempo pace than I might have on my own.
Friday morning, I got up early to head out for a long run before Bill and I took my mom out for lunch for her birthday. It was 37° and foggy at 7:30 when I headed out. I’d forgotten to bring gloves with me so I borrowed a pair from my mom. I started running as soon as I stepped out of the door so I didn’t have a chance to get too cold, even in shorts and a tank. The sun was working hard to burn off the fog and by the time I reached 1.5 miles, I was past the tree-lined river and in the sun. Completely warmed up, I was able to shed my gloves. My plan called for me to run 10 miles at an average pace of 10:48 (I didn’t have my plan with me and remembered it as 10:28). Despite the southwestern Virginia hills, I maintained a 10:27 average pace and thought I was spot on.
With the sky half foggy and half sunny, I paused long enough to set up my GoPro for some quick picture of my biking buddy and me.
Saturday morning we drove from my Mom’s house to Blacksburg to watch our Hokies play. We had a great time seeing friends, but I’m grateful to be home even if it does mean I’m back to work tomorrow…
Even though I continued to mix things up this week, I’d say it was a pretty good week of training. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and adjust accordingly. I’m extremely happy to be home for a few more weeks before we travel again!
Looking ahead to this coming week, I plan to write my recap from last week’s Shenandoah Half Marathon, and what ever else might come to mind.
In case you missed it, this past week I posted the following articles:
- Wednesday – Room For Improvement… Especially For This Yogi Wannabe
- Friday – Two Weeks On The Outer Banks… In Pictures
In addition to the runs I mentioned above, here’s a run-down of other workouts I completed this past week…
Fitness tools beyond the equipment in my gym that I used during the week included:
- Rodney Yee’s Complete Yoga For Beginners (affiliate link)
- Rodney Yee’s Intermediate Yoga (affiliate link)
- Rodney Yee’s Yoga Conditioning For Athletes (affiliate link)
- Tony Horton’s Ten Minute Trainer (affiliate link)
- Teeter Hang Ups Inversion (affiliate link)
Cameras used for blog photography include:
- GoPro Hero 4 (affiliate link)
- Canon Power Shot Elph (affiliate link)
- iPhone 6S (affiliate link)
- And the occasional picture taken by Bill
- Questions:
- If you’re training for a fall race, what training plan are you following? Your own, one from a book/online, or a hybrid?
- Are you a college football fan?
- Did you race this weekend?
Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
I’m also linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC for her Training Recap linkup. Be sure to check out how Courtney the other great bloggers joining the linkup are doing on their fall marathon and half marathon training.
OK, now I’m singing the Willie Nelson song. Thanks! 😉 I’m following my own training plan. Sort of. Oh yes, we enjoyed the college football games yesterday. Roll Tide. I could have raced a local 5k or 10k yesterday..but I’m just not feeling it right now.
Oops, sorry about getting that song stuck in your head! 😉 Funny, I didn’t even think about it when I titled my post.
It really helps me too when I have a slightly faster running partner to push me. Have a great week
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Weekly Wrap -The Week of Happy Miles & Welcome Runs
I definitely agree! About four years ago I saw a significant increase in my pace after it had gradually gotten slower over the years, and the increase was 100% due to me starting to run with faster (and much younger) friends. 🙂
Great week of workouts! I can’t believe that you have only been home 5 days since the 18th….just thinking about that makes me exhausted!
I collaborated a plan with one of my coach friends for my upcoming fall races. It helps to have that extra little bit of accountability!
Thanks for linking up!
Sara recently posted…Great Race 5k & UBHM Training Week 6
What a great idea to collaborate your training plan with a fellow coaching friend. I hope your fall races go well!
I’m totally winging my fall training this year! My circumstances are so surreal…it’s gonna be an interesting as I’ll be learning as I go (based on my progress). We LOVE college football!! Our Iowa Hawkeyes won the annual game against our inner-state rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones. Great weekend!
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…The Waiting Game….
Oh fun! I love those annual rivalry games! We played and beat WVU last weekend. They used to be a huge rival team when we were both in the Big East, but we stopped playing them regularly when we moved to the ACC.
I’m looking forward to following your fall progress after the summer you’ve had. Something tells me you’re going to have fun as you get back into running!
It seems as though all the schools are locking tracks now. What’s up with that? 🙁
When I run with Darlene, it’s easy for her, but it helps me get to a tempo pace!
And obviously I’m following Rachel’s plan for me. 🙂
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…New Critters: 9/4-10 Weekly Wrap
Many of the schools around here have redone their tracks and football fields at great expense so I can understand them wanting to protect them with locked gates. On the other hand, as a tax payer, I’d love to be able to take advantage of one of the things my hard earned money is helping to pay for. 😉
You had a great week of training! I saw those tackle dummies today and I wanted to punch them, I was so frustrated with my run. (I didn’t.) I totally thought of you!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Slowing Down is Hard to Do
Sorry you had a crappy run, but LOL on thinking of me when you saw the tackle dummies! 😀
All of our local high schools lock their tracks up. It is sad because I can remember being able to use them on any given weekend years ago. Unfortunately, vandalism is just too great of a problem.
While your paces were off a little, it still sounds like a solid week of running especially coming off of a speedy half marathon! Anxious to hear all about that Shenandoah Half!
Teresa recently posted…Marathon Training Week 1: See Sloth Run
Our county has kept their tracks locked for years, but the neighboring county doesn’t so I guess it’s a county by county thing. One of the AD’s gave me the combination to his track’s lock back when I coached large groups and needed to use the track, but that track isn’t convenient to my home.
What a great week for you! Can’t believe you’ve been home 5 days since the 18t!!
Zenaida recently posted…Brilliant Reflective, my latest favorite running song, and I am still running.
It’s been crazy!
That’s a bummer about the gate to the track being locked 🙁 I’ve heard the same thing from a few other runners since schools are now back in session.
Looks like you had another solid week of training. I’m so impressed that you are able to fit in so many workouts away from home!
Kimberly G recently posted…Chicago Marathon Training Recap – Week 16
Many of our high schools have upgraded to new track surfaces and artificial football turf, and I suppose they don’t want them damaged…
Wow, great improvising to find a place to do your track workout! Love the tackle dummy pic!
Jennifer @ Dashing in Style recently posted…Marathon Training Week 7: Trail Love
HaHa, thanks! 😀
That’s a bummer about the track. Our track is always open but I have a feeling it will be locked up next year when we get a brand new one. Grrr!! And way to take it out on the dummy. Lol!
This particular high school’s track was the only one open for years… UNTIL they got a fancy new track and football field. 🙁
You have done great getting your runs in while traveling! Lots of good football last weekend 🙂 Too bad your track was locked but y’all made it work anyway 🙂
courtney @ eat pray run dc recently posted…Berlin Marathon Training Recap – Week 16
Thanks, Courtney! Today we went back to the less-than-desirable middle school track, but it was better than the parking lot. 😉
Geez, the nerve of them keeping the runners off the track 😉 I have a really nice straight area of a bike trail where I can do intervals, that almost exactly a mile from my house. That worked out really well last summer when I was doing my marathon training.
That sounds like a good alternative option to the track. I, too, have a fantastic flat trail I can run my track repeats on, and have in the past. I just prefer the spongy track surface when I can get on it. 🙂