Spring Training: Week 13

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3.25 miles
Tuesday: 6 Week 6 Pack Abs, Level 1 +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 3.2-mile run
Thursday: 4.1-mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon
Sunday: Rest

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First off, can I get a prize for respecting the taper? I totally rocked taking it easy last week!

Highlights of the week: Pretty much every thing. I really enjoyed the extra rest last week as did my legs. My easy runs seemed so slow and yet two of the runs were sub-9 averages, which is really good for me. All of the runs were outside and during daylight, and the weather was just slightly warmer. I also ran two new routes - Run the Bluegrass (race review in the works), which I loved, and the towpath trail near my dentist's office that I wasn't so enamored with.

Lowlights of the week: Pretty much none.

Moving forward: I have just less than six weeks until the Wisconsin half and between reverse taper and taper, I only have a few weeks of real work. Even though I went plan-less, sort of, for Run the Bluegrass and did well, I feel like I need more guidance going forward. Especially in terms of consistent speed work, which I decided was the difference between this cycle and the training cycle that I did when I trained for my PR in 2010. 

There are tons of plans out there, as we all know, but I really like the "Train Like A Mother" plans, and I will be following the last few weeks of the Half Marathon: Own It plan. I was drawn to the fact that it will take me up to 15 miles and and has speed work based on minutes. I will have to include more cross-training that it recommends but I'm not worried as it's been a constant in my routine.

Taking care of business: I finally created a Facebook page for Healthy Strides. It would be great for you to "like" me, and I think it will be a nice way to interact with all of y'all.