Thanks for stopping by my half marathon training series!
Currently, I’m training for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon on April 13th. My week 1 half marathon training post has a comprehensive overview of my goals for this race, my training plan and philosophy, as well as my previous base training before starting this training cycle.
If you’d like to read the previous weekly recaps, here they are:
1st Week: Kick-off, Goals, and Base Training
2nd Week: Feeling like less than Superwoman
3rd Week: Easy Week + Sweetheart 5k
4th Week: Making Friends with the Treadmill
7th Week: Refining My Fueling Strategy
Half Marathon Training and Building Fitness
This was another solid week of training. It allowed for an extra couple days of rest, and capped with a 10-Miler Race on Saturday.
Last week I felt really exhausted, and I honestly wasn’t sure how this week was going to go. The first few workouts went better than last week, and I wasn’t dragging quite as much.
Before the 10 Mile Race, I wasn’t even sure that 2 rest days was enough. My calves were still somewhat sore from the recent training load. BUT it appears that 2 days was enough of a taper to still have an awesome race.
Related: Ogden Striders 10 Mile Race Recap
After the 10 Mile Race, I realized that I have actually been building fitness more than I have realized. Now, I can see that all those weeks I felt exhausted was actually because my body was pushing beyond its limits and stretching the limits of my fitness levels in training!
The Salt Lake City Half Marathon is only 3 short weeks away…
Monday
Scheduled: 5 miles easy
What I Did: 5.01 miles easy + 15 minutes calisthenics (Push-ups, Sit-ups, and more ab work)
This run went far better than last week’s Monday run! It was an easy, relaxing run on a beautiful day here in Utah. I averaged just under an 11 minute mile, which is on the quicker end of my easy range. It was a great way to start off the week.
Tuesday
Scheduled: 9 x 400m Repeats
What I Did: 3.67 miles in 37:15
On Tuesday I actually convinced my husband to meet me at the base track after work.
I’ve been doing my repeat workouts on my treadmill ALL WINTER, so I was super excited to get out and do these on the track. Plus, my physical fitness test is in May, so I need to get used to running on the track and pacing myself there again.
I completed each repeat right around the 2:00 per 400m mark, give or take a couple seconds. I consistently hit my goal pace every single repeat, and we even sprinted the last repeat.
This workout honestly felt GREAT!
My fastest 1.5 mile PT test was last year at 12:41 (and that was at SEA LEVEL elevation). This year (at 4700’ elevation), I’m feeling really confident that my fitness has improved a TON, and I’ll be able to FINALLY hit the 12:00 mark!
Ha! Take that, elevation.
Wednesday
Scheduled: 3 easy miles
What I Did: 3.01 easy miles + 16 mins leg strength
Another beautiful spring day in Utah! I actually wore my running capris and a T-SHIRT for this run. Craziness…
I knew this would be the last run before I had to rest up for my 10-Miler on Saturday, so I just kicked back, listened to the latest podcast I found, and enjoyed the run.
In case you’re wondering, this latest podcast is called Runners Who Wine and I think I’m about to fall in love with it. Because I LOVE running AND wine! I’ve only listened to the first episode, but I think it’s love at first…listen?
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Thursday
Scheduled: Easy run or rest.
What I Did: Rest.
Hmm…what did I do on Thursday?
Well, I didn’t run. And I had a ton of meetings at work.
After work, I hung out with my husband and harnessed my inner lazy girl to curl up on the couch and catch up on some of our shows together.
Friday
Scheduled: Rest
What I Did: Rest
After work, I headed over to pick up my race packet. And then I filled my time by watching more shows with my husband…we’re several episodes behind on like 4 different shows.
Where on earth has all of my time gone?
Oh yeah, it goes to this blog 😊 I put a ton of time into this blog so seriously….THANK YOU for reading! It means the world to me <3
Saturday
Scheduled: 15k Race
What I Did: Ogden Striders Winter Race Circuit 10 Mile Race
I couldn’t find a 15k race anywhere reasonably near me for this weekend, so I opted for this 10 Mile race instead. 10 miles is around 16k so…close enough.
Ha…I actually didn’t even calculate how many kilometers were in 10 miles until after I finished the race.
Actually, I’m an overachiever!
I won’t spoil all the details of the race here, you’ll have to head over to my full race recap for the good stuff! As in good stuff, I mean how this race taught me a lesson in gauging my fitness…and on how to treat a hilly race. Just go read it already: Ogden Striders 10 Mile Race Recap
Sunday
Scheduled: Rest
What I Did: Rest
I woke up pretty dang sore on Sunday. Guess that’s what I should expect when I push myself for 10 miles!
It rained nearly all day on Sunday… so we went grocery shopping, I did a ton of work on the blog and my Pinterest page, we cleaned the house, and my husband smoked a delicious pork loin!
We were hoping it would quit raining in the afternoon so we could take our dogs for a walk around the park but about the time we thought it was stopped, it started down-pouring again so…no walk.
Do you ever feel super exhausted in your training plan, only to discover that you’ve actually been building a ton of fitness?
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Run Happy,
Alexis
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About Me: I’m Alexis, Founder of RunningMyBestLife! I am an avid recreational runner, half marathoner, wife, dog mom, busy professional, downhill skier in Northern Utah. My mission is to help new enthusiasts fall in love with the sport of running. I believe that running is a catalyst to taking control of your life and living your best life by design. Learn More –>