Carmel Half Marathon Training: Week 2

I am training for the Carmel Half Marathon, which will take place April 16 in Carmel, Indiana.

"Survive."

That was the word I wrote underneath "This Week's Focus" in my Believe Journal. I just wanted to make it through and come out the other side mostly unscathed.

While most weeks can be crazy – kids, husband, job, kids – last week was going to be especially so. An instructor at the Y was sick, and I was asked to fill in for two Silver Sneakers classes. And that was after I had already agreed to sub a different class for a different instructor who had a work obligation. On top of my regular class load. Seven classes in four days – that would be the marathon week of teaching.

Oh, and then there's that whole training for a half marathon thing.

Had it been any other time, one when I wasn't actively training for a goal race, I might have said, "Screw running" and given myself a break. I would have taught my classes, put my energy into getting in the most out of those workouts and reminded myself that a week off wouldn't tank my fitness. However, albeit early in the plan, I am training and I wanted to build a strong base from which to work.

I would need to stick to the schedule.

I would need to get up early twice midweek to get in runs as the Silver Sneakers class cut into my golden hour of mid-morning, pre-work run time.

I would need to run twice on the weekend so that I could have one work morning to, you know, breathe.

I would need to put my head down and take it a day at a time. One run at a time.

Mid-long run at the park.

And that's just what I did.

Highlight: Nailing my tempo run. Tempos are by far the scariest for me but as I was indoors, I was able to control my pace (I shoot for 10K pace) and finish feeling like I had more. It did help that my BRF was next to me and had volunteered to do my workout, too. You know, for solidarity sake.

Lowlight: I allowed myself to rely far too much on the treadmill. The one morning, it was too cold and windy. Another, I had already made plans with BRF Tami to meet at the Y thinking it might be too cold and windy. The final indoor run was inevitable as I was in Cincinnati and needed to use the child care.

My week, in running:

Tuesday: 5 miles, intervals
Thursday: 5 miles as 1.5-mile warmup; 2 x 1 mile at tempo pace w/0.25-mile recovery; cooldown
Saturday: 5.25 miles, easyish with strong finish
Sunday: 8 miles, long