Boston Marathon Training-Week 10

Week 10
Monday
40 minutes on spinning bike (hr-130, easy recovery bike ride)
60 minute Full Body Workout (except legs) 

Tuesday

10.20 miles

7:23 pace, heart rate avg. 137

4.15 miles

15 minute ab workout

Wednesday

12.26 miles (2 @ half marathon pace, 6:30 mile avg.)

7:08 pace, heart rate avg. 146

40 minutes on the spinning bike

15 minute ab workout

Thursday

6.22 miles

7:29 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 136

60 minute full body workout (brought it extremely hard!)

Friday

7.05 miles (w/6 x 100m strides)

7:26 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 142.

This run was supposed to be 11 miles, but due to the Half Marathon on Saturday I adjusted it slightly.  Other than that, I made no other changes to my training this week, with the exception of the weekend.  I did 13.1 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.  Winds were gusting at up to 35 mph!
15 minute ab workout

Saturday

Mt. Pleasant Ice Cube Half Marathon

13.1 miles 1:22:50-that is no typo!

6:21 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 159

Well, I don't even know where to start.  I even exceeded my own expectations.  I was nervous as to whether or not I'd be able to maintain roughly a 6:30 pace and get a 1:25 half time.  I was the only one in the race to wear shorts and temps were at about 21 degrees at the start.  I am a great cold weather runner.  That is where I thrive.  I started the race with a goal of hitting 6:30 splits and quickly I questioned that due to the extremely windy conditions.  Since the race was pretty small, there weren't many people and I was one of the few up near the front, but I mostly ran alone with no one to block the wind.  My splits were:  6:33, 6:34, 6:39, 6:31 6:23, 6:23, 6:29, 6:18, 6:20, 6:26, 6:18, 5:59, 5:42, and 4:52 (.1 miles).  I just kind of took off after mile 4.  The strange part is that after the race, I jogged right to my car and I had plenty left in the tank.  I was completely shocked.  I was capable of much more than I originally anticipated.  So, even though I ran a pr by nearly 5 minutes, I couldn't help but think how much quicker I could have run.  I am not ever close to satisfied unless I run as fast as I possibly can at a race or close to it.    

I am already looking forward to my next race and trying to run faster, since apparantly I have trained myself pretty darn well over the winter.  I took 5th overall in the race and won my age group.  Not a bad start to start the race season!  Next up:  The Shamrock 5k on March 19th.

Sunday

9.84 miles
7:37 avg. per mile, heart rate avg. 141
Today I did less than 15 miles I was supposed to do in the training schedule.  But, it wouldn't have been smart, considering I just ran an all out Half Marathon the day before.  My legs did feel incredibly good for having run a Half Marathon the day before.  
40 minute spin bike recovery (heart rate avg. 141)
15 minute ab workout