1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon Week 4

Happy Hump Day!  Hopefully you’re having a great week so far.  It is SO hot here in Philly and now we’re thankfully “settling” back into the 70’s instead of the upper 80’s!  I had a really fun weekend which included lots of running but a little culture too! I’m linking up with Sheila and Diatta for Workout Wednesday!

Road Runner Shoe Shopping

I’ve been talking lately about needing to get new running shoes.  I’ve surpassed the 300 mile mark on my Adidas so I’m ready for something new!  I decided to take action last Friday and went to Road Runner Sports in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on my day off.  I even dragged Bret along!

So Road Runner has this “Shoe Dog” program where they take video of your feet while you run on a treadmill to watch your gait. From there it’s determined what types of shoes are best for you and what cushioning is appropriate based on your planned mileage.  You even get fitted for a custom pair of orthotics, which are optional, of course.

I was especially happy to see that my gait analysis showed that I should be wearing neutral running shoes, which is what I’ve been wearing for a while now.  Validation at last!  In the past I’ve been told that I overpronate at other running stores and put in stability shoes….that led to pesky plantar fasciitis…never again!

So neutral shoes with a cushion rating of 4 (out of 5) were recommended for me.  I tried on a few pairs but surprisingly I really liked the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus, super cute!  I tend to wear a 10-10.5, but the store hardly had any shoes in my size to try on.  So I didn’t buy the shoes, but I did get those custom inserts!  I also joined their VIP program, so I’m looking forward to shopping online in the future!  The hunt continues!

Classing it Up at the Art Museum

Then that same evening I had an event with members of my graduating class at Penn for a private tour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Bret was my date, of course.  We ended up being a little bit late but were able to catch up quickly to hear the random tidbits on an assortment of paintings and sculptures in the museum.  It was nice to see some old friends, but the tour itself was a bust and lacked cohesion.  The best part was learning about future expansion of the museum – if  only I had a few million to help donate!   After the tour we stayed for Art After 5, a concert performed by local groups every Friday evening in the museum, and were able to take this great photo!  I invited my friend Melanie who was a fellow Penn Band member to come out and it was great to hang out with her again, so I hope we do it again soon!

Okay, now that is all said and done, let me get to my recap of 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon training…week 4!

1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon Training Week 4:

Wednesday 5/6:  The heat has been brutal but I was finally able to get in my 4 mile easy run.  For once Kelly Drive didn’t feel ridiculously crowded and I was able to just enjoy myself.  I started out pretty slow but ended up with my last 3 miles being in a sub-11 minute pace, yay!

Thursday 5/7:  Rest day!

Friday 5/8:  Bret and I both had the day off, and while we tackled a lot of errands, the best part was a 4 mile run on a trail in South Jersey.  Again, the heat…but we spent most of our time in the shade thank goodness!  We even found a perfect spot to do some hill repeats, so that was fun.

Saturday 5/9:  I had an 8 mile long run on deck and I made sure to be out the door before 8 am for once.  I met with Mark, my old-time running buddy, and we had a great run.  We always pass the time so easily.  I felt really good at my pace, fueled well, and even ran for an extra 0.8 miles for the heck of it!

Sunday 5/10:  An early evening 3 mile run followed by strides in the soupy weather…this humidity is no joke!  I felt pretty sluggish but I got it done!

Monday 5/11:  I was very tempted to run but felt 4 days in a row would be too much.  Rest day!

Tuesday 5/12:  At work we’re participating in a Walking Challenge one day a week during lunch, so I had my first walk at noon for about 20 minutes.  After work, I didn’t realize Boot Camp Class was over so I showed up to an empty room!  I spent some time doing squats, lunges, pushups, hip stretches, and planked for 1 minute, 10 seconds. Then, I had softball.  The game was a tie but I was happy to get a good hit and walks, plus run home.  It’s not so scary anymore!

Training Report Card

I gotta say this was a pretty strong week for me, and I am so relieved!  I’ve been mentioning how I don’t feel as motivated during this training cycle because of the weather, but I’m still making the effort to have quality runs and I think it will pay off!

I am definitely feeling the “physical abuse” of running on my joints, though.  That’s why I’m making sure to do clam shells and any other hip exercises in my free time.  Foam rolling is crucial – I’m even thinking of buying “The Stick” after trying it out at Road Runner Sports!  The Nike Training App is going to be essential for making sure I keep up with strength training.  I will give this past week of training an A-!  

How is your week going?  Are you loving/hating the weather where you are? 

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