Week 4 Recap - We're Breaking Three!
- Hailey
- Feb 25, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 10
This week was a pretty typical one, but I added a little extra spice. The spice in question is strength training. I have known for years that strength training will help me with my running. Have I been good about consistently incorporating strength training into my life? Absolutely not. Admittedly, I have actively avoided for a very long time. I don't find it to be as fun as running and I get bored, so I don't like it. Also, I've never stuck with it long enough to see any significant improvements, so I also must admit that I have avoided it partially because I'm not good at it. Well, I decided that all I'm doing is hindering myself and my goals, so I took the plunge and started strength training. No, I'm still not a major fan but it's kind of okay, I guess. It did leave me more fatigued and sore than I have been in the past few weeks (no duh, right?), so I didn't feel as peppy while running. I'm trusting the process though and I know that after some weeks of hard training and a nice taper, I'll show up to race day stronger and fitter than I've ever been. At least, that is the general idea.
Enjoy this week's training recap below! And be sure to head on over to @imhaileymorgan on Instagram to see this week's Reel. There may even be a couple seconds of dog footage in it, which makes it worth the watch.
Best wishes!
Hailey
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Sunday - February 18th, 2024
Prescribed Workout: active recovery
Activity: elliptical
Summary: Today was an active recovery day and I opted for the elliptical. I kept the resistance low and averaged about 70 rpm. It felt good to still incorporate some movement into my day without running additional miles. There are so many other options for active recovery and cross training, such as biking, walking, and swimming, but I have always preferred the elliptical. Many people find it boring, kind of like a treadmill. I am not one of them, though that is probably because I nearly always read while on the elliptical. Now, I don't recommend this, as it isn't the safest way to use this machine. However, I started doing this in college as a way to read my textbooks without getting distracted by other things, like my phone or computer or the pile of laundry that I needed to do. I've had years of practice and my coordination has improved immensely. It's years later and I still love doing this as a way to exercise without the physical stress of running.
Monday - February 19th, 2024
Prescribed Workout: 10 miles @ easy pace (7:22-8:21/mi)
Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:18:14
Avg. Pace: 7:49/mi
Route: outside - 2mi w/ Maple
Location: 3 out of 5
Summary: There was nothing especially noteworthy about this run. It was drizzly and cold outside, but the pace felt very comfortable. My favorite part was running the last 2 miles with Maple, obviously.
Tuesday - February 20th, 2024
Prescribed Workout: 10 miles @ easy pace (7:22-8:21/mi)
Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:22:06
Avg. Pace: 8:13/mi
Location: outside...then treadmill...then outside again
Rating: 2 out of 5
Summary: This run tested my patience in ways that I was unprepared for. It started with a perfectly lovely two miles outside with Maple. We came back to the house and I was looking forward to hopping on the treadmill for the remaining distance. I wanted to use the treadmill to keep my pace honest and actually easy. "Easy" was not what came next. About a mile and half in, my treadmill started making a horrific squeaking sound, one that I instantly recognized. This has happened before and took a fair bit of finagling to fix. I managed to finish the second mile and that stopped, prepared to address the issue. Now, here is where I should probably admit something. I am not the best at fixing mechanical issues. I am smart enough to figure it out with some guidance from others, but when it's just me and an ornery treadmill alone together, I have one list of possible solutions. This list is devastatingly short and I'm pretty sure that it's titled "Bright Ideas That Might Solve This Problem Or Make It Infinitely Worse." Awesome. So, I pulled off the front panel and fiddle with screwdrivers and wrenches and even a bolt or two. Then I lifted up the deck of the treadmill and did the same thing. To be clear, I wasn't just making this stuff up. I was doing the things that we had done to fix the issue in the past. I am semi-capable at fixing things, but I'm pretty sure that my ingenuity peaked when I fixed a phone holder with nothing but my pepper spray and a hair tie. It's been downhill ever since and I'm not gutsy enough to just start cluelessly messing with things in a treadmill. With my fingers crossed and my hopes high, I got back on the treadmill and made it about a mile, all the while giving myself a massively cocky round of applause for being such a magnificent mechanic. Ha! Then the universe humbled me in the form of a very faint, but unmistakable, squeak. From there, it was rinse and repeat until I finally gave up at four miles. In an undignified, but in my mind at the time very much justified, huff, I left to run the last four miles outside. And it was fine, I guess. I mean, I did see that golden retriever in her raincoat again so maybe the universe was looking out for me after all. And yes, this run did only score a 2, one point for Maple and one point for the weather-ready pup.
Wednesday - February 21st, 2024
Prescribed Workout: 11 mile threshold workout
Workout Description: 2mi wu + 4x1.5mi @ 6:33/mi w/ 400m jogs + 2mi cd
Distance: 11 miles
Time: 1:24:03
Avg. Pace: 7:38/mi
Location: treadmill & 1mi w/ Maple
Rating: 3 out of 5
Summary: I took a chance today and tested my luck with the treadmill. Surprisingly, it worked out. There's this odd thing that happens with that squeaking sound and that is that it goes away if you run at a fast enough speed. I managed to make it through the first two miles with only a little protestation. Once I started my intervals, the squeak entirely disappeared. I would say the moral of the story is that I just need to "run fast" all the time, but we all know that is unreasonable, illogical, and the perfect recipe for an injured body and a damaged treadmill. Still, it worked out for today and I celebrated with running the last mile outside with Maple.
Here are my splits:
Warmup: 9:05/mi
Repeat 1: 6:33/mi
Jog 1: 10:00/mi
Repeat 2: 6:33/mi
Jog 2: 10:00/mi
Repeat 3: 6:33/mi
Jog 3: 10:00/mi
Repeat 4: 6:33/mi
Jog 4: 10:00/mi
Cooldown: 8:21/mi avg
Thursday - February 22nd, 2024
Prescribed Workout: 10 miles @ easy pace (7:22-8:21/mi) w/ last mile at incline
Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:20:36
Avg. Pace: 8:03/mi
Location: rolling hills outside
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary: This run was beautiful! I did go off script here and deviated from the prescribed workout, but I had a plan, I promise. I was scheduled to run 10 miles easy with the last mile at an incline. However, I really did not want to fight with a treadmill today and I really did want to go run in a beautiful place outside. Luckily, I had just the solution! I drove to a nearby park, mentally calculating a route that would take me to my desired destination, the water. I am a looky-loo, sightseer, viewpoint enthusiast to my core and I will absolutely plan an entire run around one scenic moment. It makes me happy, so that's what I did. Now, here's where the strategic plan comes in. I knew that I would be sacrificing a final mile at incline, but I also knew that I would be running the entire 10 miles on rolling hills, with some significant hills tossed in there, for good measure. It felt like a fair trade and this bright idea got bonus points for being scenic, so I went for it. It was wonderful. I ran all the way to the water's edge and just stopped, listening to the waves and the birds. My time at the water was brief, but it was perfect. I have never regretted running a route with the intention of exploring a new area or seeing something beautiful, especially if it's a body of water. I do take my training seriously, but I also want to enjoy life and part of that is the fun of seeing the sights, big and small.
Friday - February 23rd, 2024
Prescribed Workout: 7 miles @ easy pace (7:22-8:21/mi) w/ 2x20s accelerations per mile for middle 5 miles
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 56:23
Avg. Pace: 8:03/mi
Location: outside
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary: This run was nice. Just nice. The pace felt good and I ran the first two miles with Maple, which is always fun. After dropping her off at home, I headed out for the remaining miles. The accelerations were a nice way to break up each mile and it was one of those runs that just felt like it flew by. With about a mile to go, I stopped at the grocery store to buy a couple of things really quick. Yes, I did get some odd looks from people as I walked through the store in my running gear and some even odder looks when I packed all of my items into my running vest to carry home with me. Did I care though? Nope! It worked perfectly into my route and saved me a trip to the store later in the day. I'd call that a win-win.
Saturday - February 24th, 2024
Prescribed Workout: 17 miles @ easy pace (7:25-8:41/mi) w/ hills
Distance: 17 miles
Time: 2:25:19
Avg. Pace: 8:33/mi
Location: treadmill & 2 miles outside with Maple
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary: Today's long run felt really good. Before I started, I took the treadmill apart, again, and readdressed the squeaking issue. Good news, I think I fixed it! I ran the first 15 miles without hearing a peep from the squeaky bolt and it was so nice. I opted to keep the pace on the slower side of the prescribed range because I started strength training this week and felt a little more sore than usual. To my surprise, I actually felt really good during this run. I ran the last two miles outside with Maple and then I took her to get a pup cup to celebrate. It was the perfect way to end the week.
Overview
Training Phase: Preparation Phase
Training Block: Base Fitness
Total Distance: 65 miles
Summary: This week felt good, but not great. Some paces felt a bit harder than usual, which I am attributing to the addition of strength training this week. Basically, I didn't feel as peppy as usual, but that is okay. I fought a minor battle with a treadmill and seemingly have come out the other side of that victorious. Other than that, it was a fairly typical week of training.
Highs: 1) a glorious run down to the water, 2) fixing a treadmill
Lows: 1) fighting with said treadmill
Things that went well: 1) I felt strong during my threshold workout, 2) the addition of strength training
Things that I will be altering in the future: 1) focusing on recovery, namely foam rolling and stretching
Rating:
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