Hump Day Half Check In!!

[boston340]

Good Morning Gals!  I thought I would start off this week's hump day - I hope that's okay!

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?

3.  What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?

4.  Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?

[Deleted]

Totally OK to get the ball rolling! Thanks!!!!


1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. Pittsburgh Half, 5/4, Modified Smart Coach/Women's Health magazine plan.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? I raced for my long run, 9.3 miles (10k/5k combo) and I realized how much easier it is to run far in a race. So many people to look at, to 'chase down' or to keep up with. So that was cool.

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you? Running 3 days a week. I really like to keep it to 2 since I do so many other things. I am ready to be done training!

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?
A few from the race Sunday (caption - what a difference Eyeliner can make) and then one from my Pi Day 3.14 mile run:

[shauni27]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. CBHM on June 1

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? Nada, but I got to run outside for the first time in awhile and while it was muddy, it was GLORIOUS.

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you? right now it is transitioning from indoor to outdoor runs. I get so used to running my long distances on the TM that when I switch to outside I have to get used to it again.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share? Nope.

[boston340]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.
Indy Women's Half on June 7.  I'm using a training plan from Coach Jenny.com and adapting it for my needs.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?
This is so gross, I saw a dead raccoon in the middle of the road (county highway) with tons of white foam surrounding his head.  Gag.  

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?
I think the hardest part of half-training for me is fitting in all the other fitness stuff into my schedule.  I take spin 2x per week, yoga 2x, try to swim on Saturday mornings with a few people from my gym, and figure out how to cram strength work in there.  @sessalee had a good blog post about this recently and having to make hard decisions regard what to keep and what to let go of in her fitness regimen.  I've only been running 3 days per week (speed work day, regular running day, long running day) and feel fine so far.  I'm worried it's going to bite me in the butt later though.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?
I don't run with my phone so don't really take workout pictures.  

[boston340]

Mar 19, 2014 8:57:00 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? Nada, but I got to run outside for the first time in awhile and while it was muddy, it was GLORIOUS.

I took Friday off from work to do a freezer cooking day with my friend who is 7 months pregnant and also to RUN!  I agree, it was GLORIOUS to run outside this week after being cooped up so long this winter.  The wind was terrible for me on my run, but it was still awesome being outside.

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2014 8:59:59 GMT -5 boston340 said:

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?
I think the hardest part of half-training for me is fitting in all the other fitness stuff into my schedule.  I take spin 2x per week, yoga 2x, try to swim on Saturday mornings with a few people from my gym, and figure out how to cram strength work in there.  @sessalee had a good blog post about this recently and having to make hard decisions regard what to keep and what to let go of in her fitness regimen.  I've only been running 3 days per week (speed work day, regular running day, long running day) and feel fine so far.  I'm worried it's going to bite me in the butt later though.

I honestly thing you (and I) will find that even if only running 3 days a week, considering everything else we do, it's not going to bite us in the butt. I ran on Sunday 2.3 miles longer than I ever had at once and sure it was hard, but it was also faster than my expected race pace and I honestly felt at the end that if I slowed down I could do 4 more no problem. 

So don't stress the 3x/week running. I think we're gonna be awesome.

And thanks for the comment about the blog post. That one was hard to write.

[libbygrl109]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. Run the Bluegrass on 3/29 (10 more days!). Was using HH's Novice 2, but have strayed a bit in the last few weeks. I haven't run since Saturday because I'm nursing a pulled hamstring.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? Not really. My last run was my race on Saturday. It was in a tiny industrial town, so not much to look at. Though the brief glimpse of the river was nice.
 
3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you? Getting mid-week runs in because of all the other stuff - work, motherhood, wife-hood. As great as DH is with supporting me and encourages me to run, I still place major mommy guilt on myself for taking so much afterwork time away from DS.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share? not right now. DH took pictures of me on Saturday, but they are on his phone and I have no clue what they look like. If I have a decent one, I'll post it when I'm home.

[emjacobs]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. Nike Womens Half DC, 4/27, HH Novice1

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? Nope.

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you? Getting workouts in, my week and weekend are packed and I feel guilty if I workout on nights that T is off because that means we spend even less time together but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share? No pictures.

[Susie]

Mar 19, 2014 8:45:39 GMT -5 boston340 said:

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.  Patriot Half (70.3), 6/14/14, pre-built plan from a coach.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?  On Sat. I ran with my parents' dog.  That was fun  My dogs don't like running > 2 miles.

3.  What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?  The fact that it's meshed with training for a 1.2 mi swim + 56 mi bike

4.  Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?  So many workouts on the trainer lately; the weather has largely sucked.

[sassystace]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. Pittsburgh half, 5/4, a modification of Jeff Galloway Half plan

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? Cool--I finally did along run outside and saw other runners out there doing the same thing (long runs); Unusual--I ran along a section of the path where the power company had chopped down all the trees and brush and it looked awful--not sure if they are putting up more lines or what.

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you? getting my long runs to fit in with my life, and I have anxiety about getting out there for my long runs.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share? no pics taken


And I used to always run only 3 days a week to train for halfs--I did just fine.

[shellfish26]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. B&A Half on 3/30.  I'm using the Smart Coach intermediate plan, but I am going a bit faster than the plan recommends.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?  I usually run on a trail that goes around BWI airport.  But I discovered that there is a small connector off of that trail that ends up on the B&A trail, so I got to explore a whole new area on my long run. 

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you? I have been sick more than I have been healthy this winter.  It's been a real struggle to try to get runs in when I haven't been feeling so great. 

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?  No pictures. 

[water*drop]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.
Glass city, 4/27...no training plan. I had planned on Another Mother Runner Own It, but then the combination of a ridiculously awful winter and cold and flu season caught up with me.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?
Dry pavement! It was really great to be able to run without worrying about hitting icy and/or snowy patches.

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?
Staying healthy over the winter months. I feel like I'm constantly run down, and I'm always torn between resting and running. I don't think I've completed a full week of runs yet, and I'm getting super nervous for what that means for my race.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?
Nope, no pictures.

[billysgirl07]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.  Pittsburgh Half 5/4, I can't remember the name of the plan I am using - it might be something from Women's Health?  I just added what I need to do on my google calendar.  Whatever I am using, I have slightly modified.

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?  Not really, other than my 10K PR I already AW'd about

3.  What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?  Accommodating for the weather.

4.  Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?  No. I would not want to subject anyone to what I look like when I am working out. 

[texassmith]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half. Alamo 13.1 this Sunday!

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week? lol...runs this week. There were none. Gonna be honest. I haven't run in weeks. I shouldn't have registered for this race so far in advance not knowing how I'd feel after the marathon in January, which is TOTALLY BURNED OUT and not interested in running at all. I'd really like to focus on yoga, stretching, strength training, etc. I'm going to San Antonio with my mom, sister, and DD1 this weekend, so this half is really just going to be for fun. No PR attempt, or even anything close. And I'm OK with that.

[Vally]

1. Florida Beach Halfathon, this Sunday, and I followed HH novice 2.

3. Figuring out fueling was hard for me. I went out for my first 9 miles and did horribly but corrected it the next time, same thing happened when I first attempted 10 and 11, but I was happy that each time I took something away from the poor runs.

4. Sláinte!

[skwcm80]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.

Derby Festival Half - 4/19. I'm using the Smartcoach intermediate training plan

2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?

Nothing unusual thank goodness.

3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?

Waking up at 6:45 am on Saturday for my long runs.

4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?

I don't have any of just me.

[sunshinejoy]

1. Obligatory stats - name, date, and training plan you are using for your upcoming half.
 Run for the Lakes, April 26, using a training plan a friend created for me that I have used before


2. Did you encounter anything cool or unusual on your runs this week?
 Been on the treadmill so far, but I downloaded some new songs so I've been enjoying those


3. What is the hardest aspect of half-marathon training for you?
 A rough winter has meant only treadmill runs so far, which worries me a bit


4. Any pictures from recent workouts you want to share?
 Not unless you want boring pictures of my treadmill LOL  Hopefully outdoor running is coming up this weekend!