We go running! L&LLRs May 21 - 27

[colby]

This last week has been nuts for me. I left on Thursday and went to the east coast for 3 days, flew to Vegas and did a conference for 4 days. Straight from a schedule where I felt "off" the entire time due to the time zone difference into one where I was on my feet almost all day answering questions and eating and sleeping when I got a chance. I got home late Thursday night, was totally useless at work on Friday, yesterday helped sod my backyard (thankfully my dad understood and assigned me mostly the watering job, though it was super sunny), and today ran my half marathon. I did get my last week of running in, except my last long run which was supposed to be Sunday (seems weird to do 12 miles 7 days before the half marathon, but I guess the last distance I trained for was the marathon so it's all different).

I'm not sure how I expected to recover from 7 days of travel in 2 days, I guess I was being optimistic. I ordered a size S shirt only to find I needed an XS but they wouldn't trade until today (at which point they were all out ). I got up this morning and felt tired, but I figured it was just from getting up early. An hour later, in the car, I was still yawning (bad sign). I somehow got it in my head that the run started at 8:00, but it actually started at 7:30 (hooray for chip timing, it didn't really matter, I just started 15 minutes after everyone else). I felt tired until mile 7, and my heart rate showed it, too. I lost my hammer gel flask around mile 6, but didn't realise it until mile 10 when I wanted some more.

On the upside: my late start didn't really matter, I caught up to a lot of HM runners, the last 6 miles felt really good, and I tried to carry another tired runner through the finish (she almost made it with me, just 10 steps to go, when she couldn't push any harder). I also learned a valuable lesson about my capacity for recovery from tiredness.

I finished in something like 2:20... 10:41 miles. Slower than I expected, I think I really would have rocked it if I wasn't still beat from the schedule. And hey, not everyone can say they ran a half marathon on their birthday.

[rocknrollgirl]

OK..I do not know if I want to follow Colby's post...holy cow, you should get a T-shirt just for keeping up with that schedule. Great Job!

I did a good solid brick yesterday. 90 mins of mt biking, 42 min run. The run felt hard. It was the first time we did a whole loop at the park where we ride, and it is kind of hilly.
I was cruising until I hit about 30 mins, and then my legs went...OK enough, but I finished. The run at my next off road tri is longer, so I am just getting ready mentally. I know I can run the distance, but mentally, I need to know I can do it on tired legs.

[kelownagirl]

So what does it take to work your way from 5k to 22 k? Do you need a good solid of year of running under your belt to do those kind of distances or can you do that in one season?

[colby]

So what does it take to work your way from 5k to 22 k? Do you need a good solid of year of running under your belt to do those kind of distances or can you do that in one season?

As long as you do it right, sure you can. You'd want to ramp up slowly, but most half marathon and other distance training plans are over 10-16 weeks. This plan, for example, is 12 weeks and assumes only that you can run 3 miles (about 5k):
http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

12 weeks from now would be sometime around September, there are plenty of fall events you could look forward to, or you could choose a shorter distance like the 10k if you're not comfortable training for a half marathon this season.

[colby]

I finished in something like 2:20... 10:41 miles. Slower than I expected, I think I really would have rocked it if I wasn't still beat from the schedule. And hey, not everyone can say they ran a half marathon on their birthday.

Proof that I finished, for reals!

Finishing:
http://kmorris.exposuremanager.com/p...ox_/cda_149057

The "what's that up there?" look before I realise the answer is "a photographer" (about a mile from the finish):
http://kmorris.exposuremanager.com/p...tos/cda_243733

The second one isn't really very flattering.

[kelownagirl]

Thanks Colby! I should have thought to look for a plan online. There is a half marathon here in October. I can't even believe that I am even thinking about it. 3 months ago I couldn't run a block.

Anyway, I rode 34 km after school then came home, had supper, waited for it to cool down a bit, and then ran 5km. I was tired but felt ok. My legs still hurt from the century ride on Sunday and a recovery 30k yesterday. BUT I did it. 32 minutes. Not fast but I did it.