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Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k Training Update

Old Navy Timex image

Good morning guys!

As you may recall, I’ve been in Las Vegas for a busy week of meetings. Our days start at 7:30 and end most evenings around 10pm so there hasn’t been time to explore Las Vegas or take in many of the sights. I have, however, made time to workout every morning I’ve been here. Having a training plan again has been great motivation when my alarm clock goes off at 5am.

Last week’s training went pretty well though I am definitely still finding my groove.  If you recall, here are my goals for each week leading up to the September 25th Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k.

10k Training Plan

  • Runs: 3x a week (1 speed, 1 mid-distance run and 1 longer run at goal 10k pace per week)
  • Yoga: At least 1x a week
  • Cross Training: At least 2x a week

Here is a look back at how things went last week.

 

  • Monday: Uplift Express at Uplift Studios
  • Tuesday: IMAX Shift Brooklyn spin class
  • Wednesday: Unintentional rest day but still managed to walk 6 miles while running errands after work.
  • Thursday: A 5.5 mile run with Katie and Nicole through Prospect Park in the morning followed by a 70-minute Basic Yoga class at Area Yoga with Heather that night.
  • Friday: Unintentional rest day but still managed to walk 4 miles throughout the day.
  • Saturday: 75-minutes of tennis followed by a hot 2 mile run which 1.5 miles of speed repeats.
  • Sunday: An afternoon 5-mile run along the Brooklyn waterfront.

Thoughts: Overall, this was a good first week back as I completed the cross training sessions, yoga and ran three times. I wish I hadn’t waited so late in the day to run and therefore could have had stronger runs on Saturday and Sunday.  I am going to try to incorporate at least one Mile High Run Club class per week between now and the 10k as I believe this will help me start getting accustomed to running faster again.

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Training for the Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k

Montreal Pic from Trip Advisor

Happy Monday friends!

Now that our Canada vacation is over, it’s back to the real world which includes digging my way through work and blog emails, catching up, and reviewing what our calendar has for the rest of August and September. In case you missed it, I shared our first recap from the trip last week. I am going to dedicate two posts per week over the next three weeks to recapping our Canadian trip details. But today, as part of my return from vacation, it’s time to talk about another fun topic – racing!

During the flight, I realized that in just five weeks we return to Canada to run the Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k as part of my Rock’n’Blog Ambassador partnership with the Rock’n’Roll race series. While Bo has been to Montreal twice before, this will be my first time visiting the city!  It seems like there are a number of great  bike tours of the city which will allow us an opportunity to get to know the city together while not exhausting our legs.  Since we are both traveling a lot during August and September this is a shorter, two night trip. We are flying in first thing Saturday morning and leaving early Monday morning, following Sunday’s race.

Montreal 10k

I am thankful that Bo and I decided to drop down to the 10k from the half marathon as the 6.2 mile distance is the perfect way to ease back into training and running after a few months of less focused training. I am excited to start tracking the pace, distance and feel of my runs while preparing for this race. While I could definitely run the 10k distance today, it will be far more enjoyable to feel strong and prepared going into the September 25th race!  Since the race is relatively flat, I am going to focus my limited training on speed and building my mileage versus having a specific hill workout. Since some of my longer runs will be in Prospect Park or include bridges, I will definitely still log a few hilly miles over the course of the next few weeks.

Rock'n'Roll Montreal 10k elevation map10k Training Plan

  • Runs: 3x a week (1 speed, 1 mid-distance run and 1 longer run at goal 10k pace per week)
  • Yoga: At least 1x a week
  • Cross Training: At least 2x a week

Goals

  • Enjoy the race.
  • Run a strong race.
  • Possibly run a PR (57:17 or 9:19 pace per mile) depending on weather and training

This plan will help me get back on track with the regular workouts and running that I crave, while also ensuring that I am still able to enjoy the flexibility. This plan will allow me plenty of opportunities to workout with friends as well as ensure I do not put too much pressure on myself.  Based on how the first few weeks of 10k training go, I will assess my goals for the Rock’n’Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon which is two weeks after this race.   If the first two weeks go well and I can easily hit my pace goals during my long runs, then I will increase the long runs in preparation for the half marathon and 10k versus limiting them to 6 or 7 miles.

Your turn: Are you heading to Montreal for this race or the half marathon? If you’ve been to Montreal, any restaurant, museum or other recommendations? 

All images are from the official Rock’n’Roll Montreal Website

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London Winter Run Race Recap

Today I ran my first race of 2015! The London Winter Run 10k was a perfect way to kick off February, support a great cause, catch up with friends, and enjoy a run through some of London’s top sights.

London Winter Run After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, banana and DailyBurn Pre, Charlie and I headed into Central London. The convenient starting location in Central London meant it only took us one tube and 30 minutes to reach the race area. On the tube it became clear that the race attracted lots of people in its inaugural year as the tube was filled with runners! Upon exiting at Embankment we headed up to the VIP area to pick up our bibs and check in with the other ladies. The organizers were kind enough to provide some of us with bibs in exchange for helping them get the word out about the race and the great cause it supported, Cancer Research UK.

The VIP area was unlike anything I’ve experienced, complete with bag storage, sparkly nail manicures, snowflake face art, sparkle lips, refreshments, and guided warm-ups. Due to the race’s wave start, we opted to stay in the warmth and start in a later corral so we could run together.  IMG_5980IMG_5982IMG_6031

An hour later we emerged, complete with sparkling snowflakes adorning our cheeks and glitter lips!

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After giving a few polar bears high fives, we reached the starting area, packed with runners waiting for their wave to begin. There were seven waves in total, each one allowing around 2,500 runners to start before cutting it off. The starting line staff did a great job keeping the crowd’s mood up with warm-ups and loud music. It was blustery and frigid at the start but group dancing helped keep us warm. Big Ben smiled down on us as we huddled together, waiting for our corral to cross the starting line. During the 30 minutes we waited it continued to get sunnier. burning off the morning clouds.

London Winter Run Starting LineIMG_5993

My goal for the race was to have fun and enjoy the course, only focusing on maintaining a consistent pace. Luckily Charlie, Zoe, Leah and Laureen had the same idea! Since my goal for the day was bidding Leah farewell, I stuck by her side, letting her set the pace. The race course was well organized with volunteers supporting and guiding runners in the right direction, large signs marking each kilometer, a water station and multiple “Winter snow zones” along the course. As the Swiss Tourism Agency was one of the sponsors, there were even fun Swiss flags illuminating the tunnels!  Switzerland Flags in the tunnel IMG_6010 London Winter Run St. Paul's CathedralDue to the corral system the race never felt too crowded, even in the narrower areas where the course looped through London and sent runners turning back towards the finish area. The flat, fast course could be a great PB attempt though I highly recommend running it for fun too! In fact, I would recommend this 10k to any London runner who is looking for a fun way to get out and enjoy London during the bleak winter months.

Everyone in our group enjoyed it and the snowflake medals we received upon crossing the finish line! London definitely gives out more race medals than Switzerland!

London Winter Run medals London Winter Run Finish Line

After the finish we met the rest of the group at Bill’s Restaurant for brunch. Leah did a great job organizing and due to placing our food orders in advance, we each had delicious food within minutes of sitting down!

IMG_6024 IMG_6037 IMG_6038I’m so thankful that Leah’s organization and support of the London fitness community helped me meet so many inspiring ladies! The Team Naturally Run community is so supportive and perfect for anyone in London looking for group fitness and running support!

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