This week is race week! No, the marathon isn’t 19 days early, don’t worry. But, I realized on Sunday that this week’s 13 mile long run is a half marathon! The Semi-Marathon de La Cote half marathon, an inaugural half which follows a point to point course along the lake. If the weather is as predicted, then my views should look something like the below picture, featured on their site! Excited would be an understatement, to say the least.

But, before I let my mind wander to this week’s half marathon, let’s not forget to recap last week’s training. Considering that I was traveling for work two of the days, I’m really pleased with the week in terms of workouts. Drinking and eating is a different story for a different post.

Monday – I hopped on the hotel treadmill for this week’s speed workout – 10 x 400 intervals. If you ever find yourself bored on a treadmill this is the perfect workout because you’re literally changing the speed every few minutes. The pace certainly didn’t feel easy but running sub 7:55 10 intervals in a row left me feeling really strong!

Tuesday – I got caught up in emails for 30 minutes too long, only to realize that I didn’t have time for a full workout. I squeezed in a 15 minute hotel room workout before showering. Something is better than nothing, right?

Wednesday – Two meetings went longer than expected which means that my run didn’t start until 7:30pm. I was thankful that Amy was willing to head down to the lake with me for a quick run but also frustrated that I only had time for 5 miles instead of the planned 8 miles. Instead of letting this affect the run I focused on enjoying the fresh air and keeping the pace in the tempo range.

Thursday – In order to catch up on mileage for the week, I did a relaxed 3.1 miles during lunch. This was the first time I’ve run two days in a row this training plan and it helped me realize how much I’ve loved this plan. The miles felt easy, due in part to the short distance. I found it hard to stop running as I felt as if I could run forever.

Friday – I came home from work craving yoga. I lit a spicy, cinnamon candle and practiced yoga for 30 minutes in the peace of our living room. I moved through a gentle practice, focusing on hip openers, before relaxing with my legs up the wall for 10 minutes.

Saturday– I spent more than 3 hours on my own, running 20 miles through the Geneva countryside on Saturday morning. I made a few wrong turns, encountered more hills than I expected and crushed my quads on a downhill around mile 14 but I pushed through and completed this run in a 9:56 pace. It wasn’t perfect by any means and there were moments where I wanted to give up. But, I have spent this entire training period trying to get better at pushing through. I listened to every word Laura and Charlie said during the Geneva Half marathon and, whether they know it or not, they are my long run focus points. I have mixed emotions knowing that my final 20 miler is complete. There are aspects I’d wish I could change about it and part of me wants one more long run. But, I respect the taper and am therefore focusing on other things, such as rest, during these final weeks.

Sunday– Utterly wonderful rest day which included watching movies, baking chocolate chip cookies and wearing pajamas all day.

My goals for this week are to focus on healthy eating, rest, and limiting my alcohol to two days. Notice I don’t say I want to eliminate anything, as I believe life is about moderation, but I know that I sleep better, run stronger and feel healthier when I’m not drinking as much and focusing on balanced meals.

What are your goals this week? How was your training last week? Are you getting nervous for any upcoming races?