This week in running: week 4

This was the week where things started to feel right in my half marathon training. I'm getting used to running at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (it's still miserably hot, but I know what I'm dealing with) and 7 a.m. (GAH!) on Sunday morning.

Tuesday
 
This was our first night of intervals, and I loved them! I'm not sure if it's because I haven't done them in awhile, I'm crazy or it just broke up the monotony of just running. 

Our coaches split our group into fast runners and the not-so-fast runners. I know this is shocking, but I was in the not-so-fast group. We did an easy run down to an area with a circle sidewalk, and then the intervals started.

The interval site

I think there are fancy ways to write this, but I don't understand it, so I'll write it the only way I know how: we did 5 sets of 1 minute hard/2 minutes recovery, 5 sets of 30 seconds hard/1 minute recovery and 5 sets of 20 seconds hard/40 seconds recovery.   

Overall, it was just 50 minutes of fun. It was a challenge, and I did end up walking some of the recovery times. But, I felt like I pushed hard and got in a great run.   

Distance: 4.2 miles

Thursday  

This week is full of new running things. Today, it was a tempo run. I remember these pesky tempo runs from last training cycle, and I remember not liking them. It's hard to pick a faster pace to maintain for a sustained period of time ... well, it is for me at least.

The plan: run a 10-minute warm up, do a 16-minute tempo run, and then do a 19-minute cool down run. 

As much as I don't like tempo runs, and as bad as I think I am at them, I think this one went pretty fabulously. Granted, my faster time was only about 30 seconds faster than my warm-up time, but it was faster. I'll take it as a starting point. 

Happy after a decent tempo run

Distance: 3.6 miles

Sunday

In my fogginess early on Sunday morning, I thought someone was taking pictures outside. It was only after I threw my clothes on and ran out the door in less than 10 minutes that I realized this was lightning. Morning person I am not. 

Another thing I am not: a lightning person. I'm frightened of this stuff in a serious way. But, since I was already awake, I headed to running group anyway. Being in Florida, a thunderstorm where I live doesn't mean lightning 10 miles away.

But, I didn't think the continued lightning and then the pouring rain on the way there were a good sign. 

I arrived at Fit2Run, our meeting spot, in the rain. I ran inside the store (thank goodness we have it) and found exercise stations set up around the store. We couldn't run due to the lightning (thank goodness the coaches are smart and safe about this), so they set up some stations throughout the store for our workout. We did lunges, push-ups, dips, crunches, squats and climbed stairs for a minute at a time before rotating to the next station. After 20 minutes, the coaches decided it was safe to try and run.

We headed out to tackle a 5-6 mile run (depending on the weather). Unfortunately, it got cut to 2.5 miles. As my running buddy and I were running toward the rest of the crowd, a girl came running back at us saying that rain was coming down in a sheet ahead (and we heard scary thunder rumblings). We promptly turned around and booked it back to the store ... with everyone else on our heels. We then promptly went to breakfast and talked running.

I'm hoping to make up some miles tonight.
Distance: 2.5 miles

How was your week in running? Did you run intervals? A tempo run? What is your favorite? Any thunderstorms that prevented getting a run in?

Because I wanted to run

Ever have one of those days that you just have to run? Not because it's on your schedule or you need to train for a race, but just because you want to run?

That was my Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday is a normal running day for me, but I needed it. Work was frustrating. I got more and more irritated the longer the day went on. Handy that I run in the evenings. I ran hard, and the frustration and irritation just melted away (along with me — man, it's hot again). 

The mood-lifting quality of running is such a huge benefit. Stressed? Irritated? Mad? Run. You'll be less stressed, irritated and mad. Why everyone doesn't run is beyond me. 

Wednesday is not a running day for me, but I had to run. I wasn't as mad or irritated, but I remembered how good I felt the day before, and I wanted to feel that way again. Problem: as I was getting ready to head outside, the lightning and rain started. Crap. I am seriously frightened of lightning. I tried to wait it out, but it wasn't stopping. When I say I'm frightened of lightning, I mean I'm terrified. As in, I won't step foot outside. As in, I wasn't walking the 75 or so steps to the craptastic condo gym to run on the treadmill.

So, I improvised and hit the stairs. The stairs aren't the most glamorous (or the same as running), but they do the job. Afterward, I was happy and sweaty. Goal achieved.

Thursday is my running group day. Unfortunately, that pesky thing known as work got in the way of my plans. Argh. So, my options: run around the neighborhood or hit the craptastic gym. My choice: craptastic gym. I know, I know. I continually complain about the gym and the treadmill. But, for some reason, I just had the urge to run and watch TV. What better way to catch up on "Jersey Shore"? 

The show and gym are equally craptastic, but I keep going back for more. And, guess what? This time, I actually kind of loved the craptastic gym. It was still hot (no fan and little air conditioning are extremely uncool, but thrifty, which I guess is the goal), but I loved being completely distracted by those Jersey kids' antics. Before I knew it, 45 minutes were up, and I had  multi-tasked my way through a run (and sweat through everything I had on and felt dizzy). 

You have some issues still, craptastic gym, but I love you a little more now.