Today was my makeup run from yesterday. The rain and dark are not my friends during the training season....
I did a 5 mile speed run (since I didn't do the track workout this morning). Here's what the workout looked like:
1/2 mile warmup
1st mile: 1/4 all out, 3/4 easy
2nd mile: 1/2 all out, 1/2 easy
3rd mile: 3/4 hard, 1/4 easy
4th mile: race pace
1/2 mile cooldown
Unfortunately, I messed up the distances while running so I didn't get the 1/2 mile cooldown at the end. Regardless, I was able to keep a pace under 9:00 for all of the pushes and my last mile was 8:51! Now I have a great benchmark to try and beat every time I do this workout (which I plan on doing a lot because I loved it!)
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
A New High
So today I did my 3 mile run while trying to keep my new cadence. I felt GREAT! I set my metronome app for 167 beats a minute. This was an easy pace to keep (after I warmed up) so at the 1.5 mile mark I upped it to 170 beats a minute. This great strategy allowed me to run my 3 miles at a 9:33 pace (WHAT?!?) with ease. Yes, I was breathing hard but I could have gone harder and my legs felt great. I am so excited about this new running high!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Have I Been Running Wrong This Whole Time?!?!?
Wow! So today I took all of the research I had done on cadence and put it to the test. I ran my .83 mile jog to the cemetery at a 9:18 pace and stopped to stretch.
After a good stretch I set out to find my cadence benchmark. I counted how many times my left foot hit the ground for 1 minute and multiplied it by 2, finding my cadence to be at 154. Knowing that the ideal cadence is supposed to 180, I knew I had some work to do!
I continued with the workout by putting 159 in my new Metronome app and ran to the beat for one minute. I had to adjust my stride to keep up, but I felt good! I increased it 5 more to 164 and ran for another minute. Still good! I bumped it up to 169 and felt like I was really having to adjust the way I was running. While not my ideal stride, I didn't feel any pain or uncomfortableness. So I finished out my loop in the cemetery and decided to run the .87 miles back at a 167 cadence.
What a difference! On my jog to the cemetery I was jogging at a comfortable pace but counting down how many more blocks I had until I could take a rest. On my jog back, I felt like I could run forever! I even added an extra few meters to the jog because I didn't want to walk anymore than I had to. I cannot believe what a difference this workout has made -- not physically, but mentally. I'm excited to try and run my three miles at my 167 cadence and push myself until I feel comfortable at that beautiful 180!
**Part 3 includes the easy jog inside the cemetery to cool down after my pushes. Tomorrow I'll share the pace of my cadence vigilant run!
After a good stretch I set out to find my cadence benchmark. I counted how many times my left foot hit the ground for 1 minute and multiplied it by 2, finding my cadence to be at 154. Knowing that the ideal cadence is supposed to 180, I knew I had some work to do!
I continued with the workout by putting 159 in my new Metronome app and ran to the beat for one minute. I had to adjust my stride to keep up, but I felt good! I increased it 5 more to 164 and ran for another minute. Still good! I bumped it up to 169 and felt like I was really having to adjust the way I was running. While not my ideal stride, I didn't feel any pain or uncomfortableness. So I finished out my loop in the cemetery and decided to run the .87 miles back at a 167 cadence.
What a difference! On my jog to the cemetery I was jogging at a comfortable pace but counting down how many more blocks I had until I could take a rest. On my jog back, I felt like I could run forever! I even added an extra few meters to the jog because I didn't want to walk anymore than I had to. I cannot believe what a difference this workout has made -- not physically, but mentally. I'm excited to try and run my three miles at my 167 cadence and push myself until I feel comfortable at that beautiful 180!
**Part 3 includes the easy jog inside the cemetery to cool down after my pushes. Tomorrow I'll share the pace of my cadence vigilant run!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Week 1
Now that the cross country season is over, its time for me to get started with my own training!
These are my current personal records:
5K - 26:48
10K - 59:52
1/2 Marathon - 2:05:08
My goal for this training season is to increase my pace. In order to do this I am going to be focusing on improving my cadence and have at least one speed workout a week. Improving my cadence will help me improve my pace and run more efficiently. Here is my training plan for this week:
Monday:
Turnover Drill: This will help me determine my current cadence and begin to improve. The optimal number of steps I should be taking per minute is 180. This drill will look like this:
1. Begin with a light jog for half a mile.
2. Then begin to jog at my normal training pace. For one minute, count how many times your right foot hits the ground. Multiply the number by 2. This will determine my current cadence.
3. Jog slowy back to the start.
4. Repeat step 2, but this time try to increase the number of steps by 2 - 5. Then do another recover jog.
5. Do four more repeats, continuing to increase your cadence each time until you are not running comfortably anymore.
Tuesday:
P90X Chest & Back, Ab Ripper
3 miles using the metronome beats app set at the optimal beats I achieved in yesterdays workout.
Wednesday:
5 miles using the metronome beats app
Thursday:
Track Workout
P90X Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper
Friday:
Turnover Drill
Saturday:
10 miles @ 10:00 pace
These are my current personal records:
5K - 26:48
10K - 59:52
1/2 Marathon - 2:05:08
My goal for this training season is to increase my pace. In order to do this I am going to be focusing on improving my cadence and have at least one speed workout a week. Improving my cadence will help me improve my pace and run more efficiently. Here is my training plan for this week:
Monday:
Turnover Drill: This will help me determine my current cadence and begin to improve. The optimal number of steps I should be taking per minute is 180. This drill will look like this:
1. Begin with a light jog for half a mile.
2. Then begin to jog at my normal training pace. For one minute, count how many times your right foot hits the ground. Multiply the number by 2. This will determine my current cadence.
3. Jog slowy back to the start.
4. Repeat step 2, but this time try to increase the number of steps by 2 - 5. Then do another recover jog.
5. Do four more repeats, continuing to increase your cadence each time until you are not running comfortably anymore.
Tuesday:
P90X Chest & Back, Ab Ripper
3 miles using the metronome beats app set at the optimal beats I achieved in yesterdays workout.
Wednesday:
5 miles using the metronome beats app
Thursday:
Track Workout
P90X Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper
Friday:
Turnover Drill
Saturday:
10 miles @ 10:00 pace
A New Beginning
Wow -- life is amazing. I obviously have been off the blogging/training bandwagon for quite sometime, but life has offered me such a refreshing, exhilerating new beginning with our new life in Florida. Since my last post there have been many, many changes in our lives. We have moved to Fort Lauderdale, I started a new job at Miami Country Day School as a fourth grade teacher and cross country coach, got married and honeymooned in Spain, and have made a new life for ourselves in south Florida. With our new beginning in Florida, I think it is only fitting that my training and blogging start with a new beginning as well.
This past weekend my cross country team travelled to Tallahassee to compete in the state championships. This is a wonderful ending to our cross county season and the beginning to my training season. Although I won't be training for a full marathon (quite yet), I have many races that I am training for. I will be running the ING Half Marathon in Miami on February 2, 2014, the Ragnar Relay February 7 - 8, and the Allstate 13.1 Series in Miami on March 2, 2014. As I begin this training journey, I hope to also begin posting to this blog to record my training schedules, diet, and thoughts throughout. I hope to accomplish a marathon in before my 29th birthday. As I prepare my body for these fabulous races, I'll also be researching which marathon I'd like to run!
Here's to a new beginning!
This past weekend my cross country team travelled to Tallahassee to compete in the state championships. This is a wonderful ending to our cross county season and the beginning to my training season. Although I won't be training for a full marathon (quite yet), I have many races that I am training for. I will be running the ING Half Marathon in Miami on February 2, 2014, the Ragnar Relay February 7 - 8, and the Allstate 13.1 Series in Miami on March 2, 2014. As I begin this training journey, I hope to also begin posting to this blog to record my training schedules, diet, and thoughts throughout. I hope to accomplish a marathon in before my 29th birthday. As I prepare my body for these fabulous races, I'll also be researching which marathon I'd like to run!
Here's to a new beginning!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Day 86
So, I know it has been a few days since I posted, but there has been a bit of excitement going on around here since Jones and I are getting MARRIED!!! :)
Friday, July 20th Brian proposed at the St. Regis and we have been celebrating with family and friends non-stop. We also have our big move coming up in exactly a week and my family reunion on Saturday. So many exciting things going on around here! Needless to say, I've been trying to keep up with my workouts but have missed a few. Last week I got an hour of cross training in on the stair master and did my speed run on the treadmill (the rain has been non-stop around here the past few days). So this week is a new week and here is the plan:
Tuesday: 10 miles @ 11:15 (done, the info is below)
Wednesday: Cross training and abs
Thursday: 1 @ 11, 4 @ 10:15, 1 @ 11; arms
Friday: Cross training and legs
Saturday: Rest (Family Reunion)
Sunday: 11 @ 11:30
Wednesday: Cross training and abs
Thursday: 1 @ 11, 4 @ 10:15, 1 @ 11; arms
Friday: Cross training and legs
Saturday: Rest (Family Reunion)
Sunday: 11 @ 11:30
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Day 78
Even though I got off to a great start last week, of course I hit a bit of a snag. Because we had to sign our lease (woohoo!!) early Saturday morning then rush off to Mom's for the yard sale, the 9 miles didn't happen. Nor did it happen on Sunday because of a bit of a hangover. Nor did it happen due to rain. Too many excuses? I think so!!
Today (because of rain again) I did the stairmaster for an hour for some cross training and some ab work. Starting over fresh with renewed motivation. Here's the rest of the week's schedule:
Tuesday -- Stairmaster, Total Tummy Makeover
Wednesday -- Morning: No Weight Arms, Minute Plank Drills; Afternoon: 10 minute warm up and cool down, 4 x (3 minutes @ 9:15, 3 minutes @ 11)
Thursday -- Morning: Lunge Variation; Afternoon: Cross training (spin or stairs)
Friday -- Morning: Burn Fat Faster, Abtastic; Afternoon: 2 @ 11, 3 @ 10:15, 2 @ 11
Saturday -- 10 @ 11:15
Sunday -- Work on Weekends
Today (because of rain again) I did the stairmaster for an hour for some cross training and some ab work. Starting over fresh with renewed motivation. Here's the rest of the week's schedule:
Tuesday -- Stairmaster, Total Tummy Makeover
Wednesday -- Morning: No Weight Arms, Minute Plank Drills; Afternoon: 10 minute warm up and cool down, 4 x (3 minutes @ 9:15, 3 minutes @ 11)
Thursday -- Morning: Lunge Variation; Afternoon: Cross training (spin or stairs)
Friday -- Morning: Burn Fat Faster, Abtastic; Afternoon: 2 @ 11, 3 @ 10:15, 2 @ 11
Saturday -- 10 @ 11:15
Sunday -- Work on Weekends
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