Divas Half Marathon Training – Week 2

Ok, I was a little more on my game for week 2. I got in all of my training runs, including a pretty nice pace run that I was really happy with this past weekend.

Monday – 3 miles (9:40 pace)

Treadmill run. Nuf said.

Tuesday – 4.01 miles (9:34 pace)

Since I know Goldy’s 10 mile is a hilly course, I making myself do my hilly route more often. I hit the hills for this 4 miler to start getting ready.

This was supposed to be a pace run, but I kind of forgot. Whoops. I’m hoping I can PR at Goldy’s, so I’m aiming to have my pace runs be about a 9:20-9:25 pace. It wasn’t too far off, so not a total loss, but I’ll pay more attention to my plan going forward.

Wednesday – rest

I headed to a volunteer meeting after work, so was a good day for some rest!

Thursday – 30 minute elliptical

I made myself get up early to hop on the elliptical so I could get in my cross training since I was meeting a friend for dinner after work. It was restaurant week, and we had an Italian feast!

Friday – 3.06 miles (9:29 pace)

All week we kept hearing that a big snowstorm was going to hit on Friday. The storm shifted south and we got exactly zero snowfall. I’m definitely not complaining! That meant I could still easily get outside for a run to end the work week.

Saturday – 5.05 miles (9:31 pace)

It was a chilly and windy day, something I actually wasn’t used to after a period of spring-like temps. But, the sun was out and it felt great to start doing longer runs. I always get excited about hitting the 6+ miles point in a training cycle, so I’m looking forward to next week.

Sunday – 3.02 miles (9:18 pace)

I was pleasantly surprised with this pace run and felt really good. The cold temps in the morning probably helped, but I’ll take it!

Divas Half Marathon Training – Week 1

I started 2017 wanting to do a spring half. I had one in mind, but then some discussions with family about a beach vacation made me realize I would be out of town for the half I was planning on. But, as luck would have it, there’s a Divas Half Marathon taking place on the same day as the other half, so I signed up! I’ll run a half marathon and then get to spend the rest of the day lounging on the beach — not a bad plan at all!

Last week officially kicked off training. I’m trying out the Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 plan. I’m used to Hal’s plans, but this one will be a little different since it only has 1 rest day. I’ll add in an extra rest day when needed, but I’m curious to see how this goes.

I had to move some runs around to fit my schedule, which meant a couple extra rest days, but I still feel good about starting the training cycle.

Monday – rest

Tuesday – 4.01 miles (9:23/mile)

I escaped from all the hearts and flowers crowding up my social media feeds and headed out for a run. Views like this are one reason I love running.

#RunLove

Wednesday – rest

I had book club, so skipped a workout to run an errand after work before meeting up with friends. Rather than meeting at someone’s house, we had a little field trip that ended at a brewery. Different location, but same gabbing and laughing over food and drinks.

Thursday – 3 miles (9:40/mile)

I ended up staying at work a little late, so it was dark when I got home. I’m not a huge fan of running alone when it’s dark, so I opted to just hop on the treadmill. It was actually a good excuse to check out the new equipment in my workout room.

Friday – 3.04 miles (9:30/mile)

I took the day off of work and headed back to Wisconsin to spend a couple of days with family. It felt more like spring than winter with temps in the low 60s. I got out for a short run in the afternoon and was actually able to wear a t-shirt…in Wisconsin…in February. Crazy!

Saturday – 4.03 miles (9:40/mile)

My long run for week 1 was just 4 miles. My parents and I headed to a local park so they could walk with the dog while I ran. It was warm again, and I saw some brave ice fisherman out on the lake. I also saw people practicing lake rescues. Good to know they’re prepared.

Sunday – rest

I headed back to the Twin Cities on Sunday morning so I could meet some friends for brunch. Our original plan got spoiled when we heard there would be an hour and a half wait, but we found a good back-up plan just around the corner.

Later in the afternoon, I celebrated a friend’s birthday by going to see Aladdin in the theaters. Yes, that Aladdin! The animated Disney movie you watched over and over again (or maybe that was just me). It was fun to watch it on a big screen and be transported back in time for a little bit.

We’ve been spoiled with the warm temperatures recently. Looks like they’re heading back to “normal” and snow is on the way. Back to reality.

What’s your favorite animated Disney movie?

Sleep Tight

Anyone have trouble falling asleep? Do you toss and turn throughout the night? Or hit the snooze button (a few times) because you just don’t want to get out of bed?

Sleep.

When our schedules get filled–both with fun and not so fun things–sleep can often be one of the things we sacrifice. We stay up later and get up earlier to cram everything in. Or we don’t get a restful night sleep because our minds just won’t shut off.

I was inspired by Leesa, an online mattress company, to write this post about sleep. I know I’m guilty of not getting a good night sleep. It has always taken me a long time to fall asleep at night because I just can’t shut my brain off. I’ve even had some restless nights of sleep this week making me feel more tired by the end of the day and not motivated to do much.

It’s important to remember that sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle. I’m always striving to eat healthy and stay active, but those things become a lot harder when I’m just too tired.

With a new half marathon training cycle starting next week, I’m going to try and take some steps to promote better sleep. Here’s what I’m thinking:

• Sticking to my bedtime. I aim to go to bed at 10 p.m., but that sometimes gets pushed a little later if I’m watching TV or busy doing stuff.
• Reading before bed. I think I could help myself relax and get my mind to turn off by reading more regularly. I just started a new book, so this is a good chance to get into it.
• Continuing my workout routine. Exercise is a great way to de-stress and it promotes good sleep.

I’m excited to dive into another training cycle. I think these tips will help me stay in good mental and physical health so I can accomplish all of my 2017 goals.

Image provided by Leesa

What are your tips and tricks for getting a good night’s sleep? 

Leesa inspired this post. All opinions are my own.