One block of training down and onto the next. This is the recap of Week 5 of Mo’ Cowbell Half Marathon training. If you are just following along, this will be my second half marathon this year and also postpartum. I am chasing my longest standing half marathon PR from my very first one back in 2010 (1:45.) So far my training has been stronger than last time, only because I have more flexibility with training and am running more than 3 days a week. We will see if it pays off or not! My half marathon in April I ran a 1:59:54.
I’m currently in the process of trying new fuel, as the Gatorade Endurance line discontinued their gels. So far I have tried Honeystinger and Spring Awesome Sauce. This week I am giving the Huma a shot. It does feel the closest to the consistency of the Gatorade Endurance gels. *Spoiler alert – it was so good! I loved it and already purchased some others to try.
The price is comparable to Spring if not more when you know you need half the amount of Spring Awesome Sauces because of the carbohydrate content. For me, I still need more time but I think I tolerated the Huma better in regards to digestion and not as much burping. Longer runs will help identify when I need more than one gel.
Monday
Evening walk with the family of 0.75 miles
Tuesday
Hill workout. So before I even share my details I will let you know this went terribly. Directions wanted 1:15 on a hill at 5k pace and well, I didn’t think I had a nearby hill that was that long, so I took it to the treadmill. The treadmill directions were 6-8% grade at 5k pace. I never really mess with the grade on my treadmill, so I had no idea what this was going to feel like. It’s a big no from me. I will gladly walk at that incline, but when I tried to run, I literally felt like I was going to fly off.
So not only did I decrease the grade to 5%, but dropped my pace to whatever felt do-able. Needless to say, this did not feel natural to me and next week I will go to hills outside even if they aren’t long enough, we will make it work.
3.82 miles @ 12:57 pace with 135 avg bpm
Warmup 15 min – 1.16 miles @ 12:55 pace
- 1:15 on – 0.16 mi @ 7:47 pace
- 2 min off – 0.15 @ 13:23 pace
- 1:15 on – 0.13 @ 9:33 pace
- 2 min off – 0.11 @ 18:20 pace (yes I have now decided to walk for recovery)
- 1:15 on – 0.13 @ 9:29 pace
- 2 min off – 0.11 @ 17:53 pace
- 1:15 on – 0.13 @ 9:27 pace
- 2 min off – 0.11 @ 17:58 pace
- 1:15 on – 0.13 @ 9:32 pace
- 2 min off – 0.08 @ 26:29 pace
- 1:15 on – 0.13 @ 9:27 pace
- 2 min off – 0.13 @ 15:42 pace
Cool down 15 min – 1.16 miles @ 12:58
Yes, that was a hot mess, but I told myself the effort was worth more than just quitting and doing a regular run. I was still getting some incline. I also had recovery at the same incline because I wasn’t about to try to adjust between each, as it takes my treadmill a little bit to get to that grade. Two more weeks of hill training, so I plan to do go and hit the hills outside. At least be able to simulate something more like race day, because that felt way too weird to me.
Wednesday
3 miles @ 10:28 pace with 152 bpm avg
- 10:21
- 10:27
- 10:38
Thursday
4 miles @ 11:08 pace with 148 bpm avg
- 10:52
- 11:14
- 11:15
- 11:13
Friday
off day
Saturday
3.18 miles @ 11:00 pace with 137 bpm avg – treadmill run
I finished grocery shopping around 8ish and the air quality wasn’t great and it was extremely thick. I stuck to treadmill for easier breathing.
- 11:43
- 10:36
- 10:33
- 11:52 (.18)
Sunday
8.25 miles @ 10:13 pace with 147 bpm avg
One point I forgot to start my watch back, but it was less than .25 or so that was lost. I was actually only going to 7.5, but the weather felt great and I was having fun.
- 10:09
- 10:31
- 10:15
- 10:16
- 10:08
- 10:00
- 10:12
- 10:19
- 9:56 (.25)
I also was looking at old training logs this week, because I’m also trying to gather all my old running stuff to integrate when I am ready to start attempting for the 5k PR I have and man…..I was such a fool. I used my training logs like a personal diary and there was just a lot of ridiculous in them. Do you ever look back or see old things that you have written and just shake your head wondering who that person even was? Well, that’s what I did. Pretty disappointed in that person – but also if you understand how deep someone can be in the sport of running and what our thoughts consisted of, it really wasn’t surprising to be that way and say nasty things.
I’m speaking nasty in ways like cutting down others for pace or trying to give a reason why the run was “so much slower” because you ran with xyz. Just ridiculous. There was so much justification trying to happen for a run being the way it was and it wasn’t even bad. But then I also read things about my body and the body dysmorphia that occurred. So I know I was in a pretty deep place where your thoughts were just altered by so many factors. I’m glad my relationship with the sport has changed because I just feel sad for that girl, even if she does hold some pretty fast running times for her. HA.
But, obviously, much like my old training logs, my blog recaps are like my personal journal and where I can look back to see the details of how things went. I think I’m a bit nicer these days though, to myself and also others in the sport. It is just not that big, or at least does not have to be.
Next week I will be reviewing the Chirp Ultimate Back and Neck bundle that I was gifted. I’ll eventually do a full blog review, but want to give it some time first.
