Hey there! I have survived my first week of training for the Philly Rock & Roll Half Marathon, so now it’s time to recap! For the next 9 weeks or so I’ll be sharing my progress as I train for my first half marathon since 2012!
Week 1 Training:
Monday 7/7: Rest day!
Tuesday 7/8: Hip strengthening and balancing exercises followed 3 miles solo; was supposed to run 11:00 pace and had an average 11:33 pace. It was REALLY hard trying to keep a consistent pace that I’m not used to these days. It didn’t help that it was at least 92 degrees out and I was fumbling with a hydration belt that was unfortunately too big. I also hadn’t eaten since noon (I ran at about 4:30 pm). Do I sound whiny? Sorry! I was incredibly tense, but hopefully this will get easier!
Wednesday 7/9: Core and More cardio kickboxing class. Was supposed to run again but decided to push til Thursday.
Thursday 7/10: Makeup day; 3 miles solo after work with an average 11:20 pace. I didn’t wear the belt this time, though I was pretty thirsty! I felt really good, though it again seemed to take a lot more effort. Running in 90 degrees is no joke!
Friday 7/11: I woke up with a sore ankle…it’s not too bad, but was probably caused by our Kickball game Thursday night. We had a blast and had our first victory, 10-0! Everyone clicked this time and we played great! I also had another Core and More class.
Saturday 7/12: 6 mile run at 12:07 average pace with my running buddy Mark. Thank goodness he was there! He actually wore the hydration belt (since it’s his) and would pass a bottle to me at each mile per my request, haha. I also ate the Clif Shot Bloks for the first time at the halfway point. I think they worked well, and no digestive issues! My knees and feet were hurting by the end, but it wasn’t too bad!
Sunday 7/13: Rest.
Monday 7/14: 4 mile run at 11:48 average pace after work with Mark. It was oppressively humid and over 90 degrees with nary a breeze. The last mile was HARD. It took a lot of concentration not to give up, but thankfully I kept pushing. I was absolutely soaked at the end of it!
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| Happy Janelle after the 6 mile LSD run! |
Week 1 Report Card
Coach Kristy has been checking in with me and so far, so good! She did tell me that I started out too fast on the 6 mile run, so I have to make sure I start out at the right pace. This weekend I’ll be running my first 7 mile run since…I don’t remember when! It’s a little scary but very exciting…I’m ready for it!
I’m happy with my progress thus far and I’m grateful for the support I’ve had. Mark has been a great running partner and Bret has been amazing with helping myebalance home life and training life. There are still a few kinks to work out, but I know things will only get better! This week’s grade, B+!
Bonus: My First Race
For the first time I am linking up with Tuesdays on the Run with Run the Great Wide Somewhere, My No-Guilt Life, and MCM Mama Runs. This looks to be a great way to connect with other runners/bloggers! This week we’re talking about our first race.
While I did “run” the 4×400 meter relay in high school track, my first long distance race was the Inaugural Rainbow Ridge 5K in July 2011. I had just started the Running Club at work and Mark and I decided to sign up! It supported an awesome cause (engaging disabled children and adults with equine therapy) and took place in the Philadelphia Zoo!
I’ll be honest and say that the race wasn’t as organized as I expected. We started about a half hour late. But it was really exciting to run around the zoo! The volunteers were friendly and kept us on course, as we had to make at least 3 loops around the zoo, which almost got me a little dizzy! At one point Mark had to go to the bathroom and took off, but he caught back up with me! We ended up finishing in 29 minutes. There was a little after party and I remember an aspiring country/pop singer sang a few songs that weren’t half bad! It was a great start…who knew that 3 years later I’d be paying coaches to train me to race?!
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| Mark and I at Rainbow Ridge 5K |
What was the first race you ran? Have you struggled with meeting your pace goals when training for a race? Any recommendations for hydration belts and visors/hats or sunglasses in this oppressive heat?
good week! i feel you — this humidity is a killer! i’m curious — what is your coaches rationale for having you run way slower than your goal pace? is it time on your feet she’s focusing on?
My first race was the Capital City River Run (half marathon) in Lansing, MI back in September 2010. It seems like such a long time ago! On my long runs I use a Nathan hydration belt that holds two 10 oz. water bottles. It doesn’t bother me at all and I like the fact that it stays put nicely on the hips!
Great job getting those runs in in the heat! I am trying to beat the heat by running at 5:30 am. What a fun first race!
Sounds like a great first race! Can’t wait to watch you train for and run your first half marathon!
Thanks for joining our link up. Hope to see you again next week!
Sounds like you had a great training week, but I don’t know how you manage to run in that heat! Living in Florida, I have to run at 6am all summer because it gets so hot so you’ve got big respect from me for running after work!
Thanks for linking up with us today!!
I loved the RnR Philly–such a pretty race course! I have definitely struggled with pace goals during training, but I just try to make the best of it and complete my run. I like the Nathan Speed 2 belt, it’s got a pocket big enough to hold the necessities and it’s not terribly heavy. As for hats the North Face better than naked had is the lightest one I have found. Good luck with your training!