Can every week of training please be as perfect as last week? Not only did it put me in the best mood ever but it also did a great amount to boost my marathon spirits. It’s hard to believe what two strong weeks of training can do to inspire a runner’s heart!
Let’s do a recap of last week’s training, shall we?
Monday: I really enjoy kicking the week off with an easy run. This week’s 40 minutes easy followed by a few striders gives Emily and me a chance to catch up from the weekend and chat about the week. It is also a great way to wake the body up and kick off the week.
Tuesday: The cool weather helped this progression run evolve into one that included 9:20 for 15 minutes and an 8:35 minute mile which is super fast for me! The gorgeous morning sunrise over France paired perfectly with the energizing speed!
![IMG_0495[1]](http://www.healthyhappierbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_04951.jpg "IMG_0495[1]")
Wednesday: The plan called for 40 minutes with hills which turned into 4.3 miles on a rolling hill path and 2 quarter mile hill repeats at the end!
Thursday: In preparation for my long run on Friday I took Thursday as a rest day from any running. I did however do the new 5 minute strength workout that I’ve been doing daily for the past week. I will be sharing it on the blog tomorrow AM!
Friday: I enjoyed 14.1 gorgeous miles bright and early with Emily! After only 5 hours of sleep I wasn’t expecting much from the run but luckily it was my strongest run yet and I felt strong and happy even during my 6 solo miles. You’ll notice that during this training cycle I will do most of my long runs on Friday so they don’t interfere with the time Bo and I spend together on the weekends. I absolutely LOVE doing my long runs on a Friday versus Saturday or Sunday. Ericka wrote a great post a few weeks ago about her conversion to weekday long runs. If you have questions about how or why I do them on weekdays let me know in the comments!
Saturday: So coach Gia had either cross training or yoga on the agenda. I guess you could call a 5 hour hike through the French Alps at more than a mile above sea level cross training. Emily and I laughed multiple times during the hike as just a day earlier we spent more than two miles during our run contemplating our strength training plans here in Geneva. Hiking definitely counted as strength training, especially for my legs and glutes!
Sunday: I woke up Sunday morning feeling a pain I haven’t felt in years. My entire body was sore and screamed for more sleep. This rest day included 10 hours of sleep, a long walk to the farmer’s market and some quality compression sock time on the couch.
How was your training this week? If you’re like me and love half marathons don’t forget to check out the great discount code Theodora and other Fitfluential bloggers are featuring for the Runners World Half Marathon! I’m in a wedding that weekend or I’d be making a special trip back to the US for sure! Let’s get real, being in a wedding is ALWAYS > than running a half!
Congrats on an amazing training week! I’m interested in your philosophy of doing your long run during the week to allow for more leisure time on the weekend – makes sense! Do you work during the week? If so, do you do your runs after work?
Thanks for the linkage! Next week I’ll be attempting 16 on a weekday, so we’ll see how that goes! I’m glad you had such a great week of running — love when that happens. It’s amazing how some days can feel awesome and others so hard! I’ll be rooting for you all the way to the finish line!
I had a solid training week — taking it a bit easier this week thanks to it :). More yoga..with maybe one less short run.
How are you liking the weekday long run? I know you used to do Friday…at my previous job I was able to squeeze a long run in during the week, but can’t now. I do miss that because you didn’t have to worry about it at all over the weekend…hello wine! 🙂
I’ve recently switched my long runs to weekdays too – it’s brilliant! All of a sudden, the weekend is mine again and any running I do is just for fun!
I have done a few early morning long runs on Fridays- it makes the weekend that much sweeter!
I couldn’t agree more! Having a long run done bright and early on a Friday makes the weekend seem longer!
Sounds like you rocked this training week! I believe that sometimes you do need those rest days to slow you down – and a day relax doesn’t hurt anyone!
Amen Kelsey! I swear by my rest days these days especially during marathon training!
That view from your hike is gorgeous!
Weekday long runs is a great idea I think, except I never have time in the morning for runs that long. I suppose I could wake up earlier………. 😉
Waking up early is key for running 13+ miles!
As a bust mum myself I find it difficult to run more then 5 miles unless I get up 1 hour early. I do this 3 times a week as I have a fantastic husband who watches the kids. It is ideal for our lifestyle.
So glad you had a great week! I’m in week 5 of my marathon training and I’ve had great success with motivation, I hope that sticks!!