Harborside Half Marathon

Harborside Week 3

September 23, 2018 by Michelle 33 Comments

Fall is officially here and best of all this past week Mother N got the memo and delivered some much cooler…dare I say, downright chilly at times, temps! You will hear absolutely no complaints out of me – just hoping it sticks around for a bit!

As I mentioned in last week’s wrap, this week was all about juggling. I was single parenting while J was on a business trip so I knew I was going to have to get creative if I wanted to get my workouts in. And I’m happy to say I was pretty successful fitting things in.

Squeezing it in

Instead of early morning runs, I settled for a couple of late afternoon 3-milers before school pick-up. There were also two “leg day” strength workouts, including a challenging session with my PT who wanted to see how my legs would respond to “stress” – translation, ouch! But, hands down, nothing made me happier than getting back to the kickboxing studio!

Last week I was convinced that yet another week was going to go by without a boxing class. But, as luck would have it, the heavy rain that swept in here on Tuesday (leftover from Florence) led to my son’s sports practice being canceled. So I picked him up early from school and had just enough time to drop him at home and then get to class.

It had been two weeks since I had seen the inside of this studio and while I held my own during the class I was working my tail off….and definitely felt it later! Love every minute of it!

The only thing I missed out on this week was time on my yoga mat – but I’m still hoping to get there before today is over.

Fun Mail

If you’ve been around here for a bit then you know that I’m a fan of StrideBox, and the September box they sent me did not disappoint!

I especially cannot wait to try the Protes protein popcorn and I love that this box included a stainless steel straw!

I also got a nice surprise from the folks at Headsweats as they sent all of the ambassadors tech shirts and stickers commemorating the company’s 20th anniversary!

And that’s a wrap on week 3!

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Filed Under: #StrideBox, #TeamHeadsweats, half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Half Training Week 2

September 16, 2018 by Michelle 30 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I swear I blinked and this week went by! I was plagued by a migraine that slowed me down a little this week, but I did my best to get my workouts in. Here’s how the week played out…

Monday – Migraine hell. I managed to get through the work day, but not much else.

Tuesday – While I was definitely feeling some better, I was pretty sure a run was not the best choice, so I opted for my yoga mat.

Wednesday – It poured rain so I took my 3-mile run to the mill.

Thursday – I dodged the downpours and got 3 miles done. It was crazy humid, but at least there was cloud coverage. I also got a much-needed needed sports massage after work!

Friday – 60 mins of legwork with the physical therapist. Walking lunges, hamstring curls, glute bridges, single leg squats, and a ton of band work – hello jelly legs!

Saturday – My legs were not feeling it when my alarm went off so I opted to push my run to the afternoon – but the day turned out to be a pretty busy one and the run never happened.

Sunday – 4 miles on the struggle bus. This was a tough run from the first step. The hammy was quiet – I was just feeling off and never found a rhythm. I got to 4 and pulled the plug. Have I mentioned how tired I am of running in the humidity?!

Definitely a mixed bag of a week! On the plus side, my PT was really pleased with where I am and it looks like I could be “graduating” before the month is over. Unfortunately for the second week, I haven’t been able to figure out how to fit in a kickboxing class, and I miss it. And, since I’ll be single parenting it this upcoming week, I’m not holding out much hope for getting to the studio. As it is, I’ll need to be creative to get the runs done.

So that’s a wrap on week 2.

In case you missed it – check out my Fall Race Calendar

Are you still dealing with humidity where you are?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Half Marathon – Week 1

September 10, 2018 by Michelle 30 Comments

Now that I’ve set my sights on a couple of fall races, it’s probably time that I get back to something that resembles a training plan! With just 10 weeks until the Harborside Half, I used this past week to get my training started.

Monday – Yoga
Tuesday – 3-mile run
Wednesday – 45 minutes of strength work including my PT exercises
Thursday – 3-mile run
Friday – Yoga
Saturday – 4.25 mile run. With temps in the mid 60’s, this was definitely my best run of the week. While my hammy still squawks a bit going uphill, it no longer feels so limited in the range of motion, which is a huge plus!
Sunday – Rest day

All-in-all a decent week. Since I haven’t run a half marathon since Fall 2017, I have no big goals for this race other than to finish upright and smiling…and uninjured! I’m happy I made my way to the yoga mat twice – I think yoga will do a lot to keep me from the injured reserved list. I am bummed that I didn’t make it to a kickboxing class last week. Now that I’m back to picking my son up in the afternoon from school, I’m still trying to figure out between work and pick-ups how to fit a class in. I determined to get to at least one class this week – ideally two.

And that’s a wrap on Week 1!

How was your week? Do you find it hard to make it to scheduled classes?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

And with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Wk 6 – Quick update

October 8, 2017 by Michelle 37 Comments

Week 6 of Harborside training is done and there’s not a ton to report this week. As I mentioned over coffee yesterday, it was another one of those weeks where I didn’t know if I were coming or going. But in an effort to stay consistent on recapping my training, here’s a quick review.

Monday – Rest day

Tuesday – 3.25 miles. I was starting to not feel so hot so I pushed the run to the afternoon. There was a lot of self-talk to get myself out the door, but once I was moving I actually felt pretty good, so I’m glad I went.

Wednesday – Week 2 of gym meet-ups with my friend E

Thursday – 5 x 800-meter repeats were on the plan, but I woke up feeling pretty lousy. I spent the day working from my couch and while I hated to miss time at the track, I decided rest was the better choice.

Friday – E and I decided to head outdoors instead of another trip to the gym. We did a 4-mile walk at a brisk pace and my legs were surprisingly sore after (funny how walking can do that!).

Saturday – Had a great run with my husband, despite the ridiculous humidity (c’mon Mother N!) and we were rewarded with this view as we reached the top our last hill.

Nothing flashy this week, but given how I was feeling most of the week, I’ll take it! As always, I’m joining Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

How was your week? Do you still run when you’re not feeling great or do you take a rest day?

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Week 4

September 24, 2017 by Michelle 26 Comments

Week 4 of Harborside Half training is done and what blur of a week it was! It was one of those weeks where you stare at the calendar on Sunday night, take a deep breath, and brace yourself for the scramble to come. J was traveling so I was doing the single-parent thing…throw in the dog returning from board and train and the usual school/sports/homework dash and you start to get the picture.

Source: Tiny Budha

Workouts happened when they happened…there was some running, a little hiking, time on the Arc Trainer, and some yoga…with an assist from the newly-returned pup!

New meaning to downward dog!

I also got some time with my massage therapist who gave me an earful about needing to balance my running with more strength work. She has a point…strength work was noticeably absent from this week’s workouts and has been hit or miss lately. Past experience has taught me that I am not one of those people who can just run…my body holds up much better when supported by strength training.

So this upcoming week I’m re-committing to strength training. My friend E just joined my gym and we’ve made a pact to meet every Wednesday (and most Fridays when kids sports schedules allow). I’ll be incorporating the RunnersConnect Kettlebell for Runners program. I had started to do some kettlebell work with Trainer Stacey before she left and I’m looking forward to getting back at it.

So how was your week? Are you consistent with strength training?

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. If you do a weekly training recap, be sure to join this great link-up for inspiration and motivation!

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Schedule vs Training, Strength training, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Half Training Week 3

September 17, 2017 by Michelle 20 Comments

And just like that, we’re already halfway through the month! It’s Sunday again so I’m joining Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. If you do a weekly training recap, be sure to join this great link-up!

This week was definitely all over the place – it started with my foot wrapped in ice and ended with an LRB.

Monday: Rest day. So how does one end up injured on a rest day? I’m still asking myself that question. One minute I’m pacing around my kitchen on the phone for work and all of the sudden I take a step and I’m hit with a shooting pain in my foot. I’m talking “stop you in your tracks” pain. WTH?! I hobbled the rest of the afternoon and evening but was convinced it would be fine for Tuesday’s run.

Tuesday: No run – in fact, my foot actually hurt more! Again, WTH? So I spent a good bit of the day like this:

Wednesday: Time to get over the mini pity party I was starting to throw for myself. Upper body workout on the Bosu and then a trip to the chiropractor.

My chiro was as baffled as I was by the sudden pain. He did a stress fracture test and then went to work on my foot and ankle. While not fun, my foot felt a lot better afterward. When I told him my plan to run the Wicked Half as an LRB, he gave me the hairy eyeball and let it be known he didn’t love my plan.

Thursday: 3-mile run – the foot was a little sore, but the run gave me hope I might be able to pull off Saturday’s half.

Friday: Rest day. I ran errands, met a friend for lunch, and then headed up to Salem to meet some of the Skirt Sports Ambassadors for a pre-race dinner. This meet-up was so much fun – there was lots of running talk and lots of laughs!

Thanks to Serena for the photo!

Saturday: Wicked Half Marathon – aka, LRB (long run with benefits!) I’ll be doing a separate recap on Tuesday, but I will share that it was 100% humidity, the ankle was done after mile 8, but I completed my main goal of finishing upright and smiling! Half marathon #13 done.

Needless to say, today was a total rest day, and thankfully the ankle’s a little sore but otherwise not too bad.

Talk to me – how was your week?

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap, Wicked Half Marathon

Harborside Week 2 & an Upcoming LRB

September 10, 2017 by Michelle 34 Comments

So week 2 of Harborside training is done and an LRB awaits. What’s an LRB? I’ll explain more but first a brief recap of this past week:
M – Rest day. Spent a great Labor Day touring around Newport with the family!
Tu – 5-mile run
W – Ankle PT and lower body strength work
Th – Yoga
F – 3-mile run
Sa – 9-mile (my longest in months!)
Su – Rest
It was a fairly uneventful week. Saturday’s nine miles was the longest I’ve run in a while – it was not without its ups and downs, especially in the final 2 miles, but I was very happy to see that 9 come across my Garmin!

OK, so what’s an LRB? A long run with benefits!

With the Wicked Half Marathon coming up on Saturday, this is technically “race week”. When I signed up for Wicked my main goal was just to join in on the Skirt Sports Ambassador meet up, run for fun, and finish upright. And, now given my sometimes temperamental ankle, those are still the goals. So the RC coaches want me to treat this as a long run… with benefits. Basically, it will be a 13-mile training run with course support and a medal 🙂 The challenge for me will be to not get swept up in the race atmosphere and try to do more than I should. The plan is to stick with the run:walk intervals, ignore my watch (pace-wise), and just run by feel.

So that said, this will be a pretty routine training week with no special race prep except to try to get a little more sleep-which has been lacking lately.

Have you ever used a race as a training run?

I’m wrapping up another week with Holly, Tricia, and this week’s guest host Sara from Sara Runs This Town. If you do a weekly training recap, be sure to join into this great link-up!

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap, Wicked Half Marathon

Harborside Week 1

September 3, 2017 by Michelle 25 Comments

Week 1 of Harborside Half training is in the books, and I’m happy to say Mother Nature cooperated by sending some fall-like temps my way. So let’s re-cap, shall we?

Monday: Rest Day – Nailed it 😉 Both my husband and I had the day off from work so we took the kids to Kimball Farms for mini golf, bumper boats, arcade games, lunch and some of the best ice cream!

Tuesday: A second day off from work meant more familly time! Covered 4.5 miles hiking with my family and the pup.

Wednesday: 3-mile run and a much-needed sports massage. My massage therapist spent a good deal of time on my left ankle, calf, and knee and urged me to see the chiro soon for more ankle work.

Thursday: Between work and middle school parent orientation, my workout time got squeezed, but I did fit in my ankle PT work.

Friday: Another run – this time for 5 miles.

Saturday: I had planned to get some strength training in, but we ended up needing to go car shopping to replace my husband’s car. It turned into a much longer endeavor than I had expected. The good news is we found a car and got a good deal….but what a long process!

Sunday: 7-mile long run. Ths run was pretty good until it wasn’t – the ankle got cranky around mile 5 and then the mist turned into a downpour. Hello struggle bus!

All in all, not a bad first week. For this upcoming week, I need to make sure that both strength work and yoga happen. I’m also hoping to get that chiropractor visit in.

I’m linking up with Holly, Tricia, and this week’s guest host Montana from Pretty Lil Mudder. Please be sure to stop by and show all these ladies some love!

How was your week? Have had a taste of fall temps yet?

Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap

Kicking off Harborside Training

August 27, 2017 by Michelle 28 Comments

I’m wrapping up another week with Holly, Tricia, and this week’s guest host Teresa from Finding Fabulous at Fifty. Please be sure to stop by and show all these ladies some love!

Workouts for me this week were kinda meh. My work schedule continued to be hectic this week as I was finalizing the program launch I’ve been working on. So work, combined with kids being home (no camps this week) = jamming in workouts when I could. There was a lot of PT ankle work, daily planking, and yes, some running. I even squeezed in some speedwork on the mill at the end of a very long Wednesday, but my weekly yoga and cross-training took a backseat.

With today’s 7 mile run I kicked off my training for the Harborside Half! Back in July, I had runfessed that I was looking for a November goal race, in part so I could avoid heavy training in the heat. I also knew that given what was coming up on the family calendar for the fall, November would be quieter. There are a couple of local races I’ve been wanting to check out and have heard some great things about the Harborside Half, so I’m in!

While I have a decent base, the RC Coaches are going to have me start this training cycle with just 3 days of running, a couple of days of cross-training, plus yoga and a rest day. Once we’re sure my ankle’s totally onboard, I’ll probably move up to 4 days of running. I’m not 100% sure what my goals are for this race yet, but I do know that I really want to push myself during this training cycle and see what I can do!

Filed Under: Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap