Half-Marathon Training 13.3 & 13.4

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First off the tempo run I had scheduled was horrible. So horrible I refused to take pictures and stomped all the way home.

It was after work, it was hot, and it involved running in a lot of grass.

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My long run this week was a lot better. I had to run 11 miles this week for my training for the Nike Women’s Half-Marathon in DC on the 28th.

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My goal for this upcoming half is to finish in under 2:30 so I am gonna need to take it up a notch and really ride the wave of excitement.

I am so looking forward to it along with the free manicures and pedicures at the expo.

–Allison

Half-Marathon training 13.1

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Another interval run today and another ass-kicking served up by my Pear trainer. This run called for 5x2minute sprints in zone 4 with 3 minute recovery in zone 1 in between.

I seriously almost died. or at least it felt like I was going to.

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First reason this run was not my favorite was that I had to run in the afternoon. I usually run in the mornings but on this particular morning it was raining non-stop and since I had to be at work early, it just didn’t look like a morning run was going to be feasible.

Richard and I made the plan to tackle the run after work and since it was interval sprints we headed to the local middle school track and had our way with it. This was one of the harder weeks for my training and as it ends near it is amazing to be able to run these difficult runs knowing that I would have never been able to do it at week one.

I am getting stronger, I am getting faster

–Allison

Half-Marathon Training 12.4

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So this was the longest I have run in about two weeks and it was one of the toughest 7 miles of my life. I ran with Richard which helped and my legs felt fine, this run was all in my head.

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By the time I got to mile four I was seriously debating just falling to the ground but luckily my Pear trainer Matt Fitzgerald came in with a reminder of the last time I ran 7 miles which was about a month ago. Taking that moment to realize how much stronger I have gotten since the last 7 miler really reset my mental focus and allowed me to get through the last couple miles with ease. I have cut almost a full minute off of my mile time since I started training with pear and I know my results are only going to get better.

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Anyone else training for a race?

I am currently counting down until the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in DC at the end of the month.

–Allison

New Records!

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Richard and I made an impromptu trip to Waterloo Records yesterday and I found these two records and couldn’t resist.

First, I found a first pressing of Emotionalism by The Avett Brothers. I wasn’t looking for this record, I actually was only in the “A” section because I was checking the new record price of the Arcade Fire record, but for some reason I was drawn to this beautiful record.

When I first started collecting records I went out and looked for this lp and found that Avett Brother records are highly sought after which has driven up the prices. I got this for less than $30 and quickly looked it up in eBay to see it was selling for $35-$75 online. I had to buy it, I had no other choice.

Record number two was The Suburbs by The Arcade Fire. Richard actually saw this in the used section and passed it on to me. It was only $17, which is $9 off of the price of the record new. We checked it for scratches and gave it a quick listen over some questionable marks but the double lp’s played like a dream.

Two good finds in one trip is about as good as it gets.

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Does anyone else reading collect records or anything else?

I also collect concert t-shirts

love to you
–Allison

Half Marathon Training 12.2 and 12.3

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These are the stats from my last run with Pear which was a 35 minute foundation run. Foundation runs are simply just running for a designated period of time only in heart rate zone 2 which is the prime fat burning zone. Zone 2 is the pace that you feel like you could run forever. Very calm, slow and steady.

Today’s Run:

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35 min fast finish run. The last ten minutes of the run were run in heart rate zone 3 (very slighty hard). Running in zone 3 should have a deep controlled breath.

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Tomorrow I have a 7 mile long run for the last workout in this training week.

29 days until the DC half marathon, 29 days until I PR.

–Allison

Half-Marathon Training 12.1

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After missing 5 runs due to illness I was finally able to make it through a 35 minute speed play run with my Pear training plan. I am lucky enough to start running again in the middle of a recovery week so I shouldn’t be in too much pain from fitness lost during this week off.

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In other news Richard and I finally bought our plane tickets to DC for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. I am so freaking excited, and am hoping to PR.

We are also preparing to move into a new apartment next month, we are staying in the same complex but are moving into a newly remodeled unit. Yay!

Next run is scheduled for Friday. Looking forward to it.

–Allison

Sick days

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I haven’t been able to run for a week and I think I am beginning to go a little crazy. Living in central Texas my entire life I have little issues with allergies but when I do it messes with all of my sinuses and just knocks me out. My nose is so congested it makes me dizzy and when I go outside my eyes don’t stop watering.

The highlight of this week has been getting an email from Nike about the half-marathon next month.

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It turns out that all of the aid stations will have nuun stocked and clif shot blocks, my two favorite items to consume while running. So excited. DC here I come. #werunDC

Half-Marathon Training 10.3

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I ran my first tempo run ever this morning. It was supposed to be last week but I called it off due to some IT band issues.

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It was challenging but I pushed through it and by the end of the run I broke both my mile PR time and my 5k PR. Extremely satisfying to say the least. I felt like death at the end of the tempo block but was surprised at how quickly my body recovered in zone two.

The rest of my day will be spent running to the running store to get more nuun/shotblocks/body glide and then watch Parenthood on Netflix until Richard gets off work.

Tomorrow I will be back after I run 10 miles which will be the longest non-race distance I have ever run.

Wish me luck
–Allison