Journey to a Half Marathon

Week 8 Day 3 Duration 40 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 30 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes  Warm up: 3.6mph Running Intervals: 5 minutes at 4.2mph 5 minutes at 5.0mph 5 minutes at 4.3mph 5 minutes at 4.9mph 5 minutes at 4.4mph 5 minutes at 5.0mph Cool down: 3.7mph 2.92 miles/4.7 kilometres Soooooo freaking close to 3.0 miles!  There are a few things I'll do for next time I think to ensure I get there.  It was a really good run.  I was focused, strong and my breathing was steady.  Not sure about you, but when my breathing is off I get tired faster and it's just not as good of a workout. Instead of listening to a playlist today I went old school and listened to my broadcasting BFF, who is back in Winnipeg, on the radio!  Tune into Hot 100.5 and listen to my super awesome friend "AJ" and Kirby in the morning!  Great music to workout to.  They have an app for that which is very co...

Week 8 Day 2 Duration: 60 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 50 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 4.12 miles/6.78 kilometres The running portion of this workout was done in intervals as follows: 4 minutes running 5.2mph 1 minute brisk walk 4.0mph 3 minutes running 5.1mph 2 minutes brisk walk 4.0mph 3 minutes running 5.0mph 2 minutes brisk walk 4.0mph 3 minutes running 4.9mph 2 minutes brisk walk 4.0mph 3 minutes running 4.8 mph 4 minutes brisk walk 3.4mph 3 minutes running 4.7mph  2 minutes brisk walk 3.4mph 3 minutes running 4.6mph 2 minutes brisk walk 3.4mph 3 minutes running 4.6mph 2 minutes brisk walk 3.4mph 3 minutes running 4.5mph 2 minutes brisk walk 3.2mph 3 minutes running 4.5mph It's a lot of switching back and forth but it's good.  I was going to try and do 4 minutes running and 1 walking but all I could muster up after that first interval was 3 minutes of running and 2 of walking.  It worked out well though so I'm happy wit...

Week 8 Day 1 Before I get into it there is an amendment from last run.  I forgot to put the distance run which was 6.36 miles/10.24 kilometres.   Duration: 40 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 30 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 2.66 miles/4.3km So, not the greatest 40 minute run distance wise.  I started of way too cocky and then it went downhill.  Warm up was done at 3.6/3.8mph.  Run started at 5.0mph and I maintained that for 10 minutes, no problem.  I went down to 4.0mph for a couple minutes and then tried to go back up but got a cramp in my side and was not able to.  For the remainder of the workout I did a combo of jogging and walking.  I didn't keep track of what and when for speeds and times after the cramp.  It eventually went away but by then it was too late to run much.  I did the last 3 minutes running at 4.2mph and then the cool down was 3.2mph. The first half of the run was SO good!  I was so sure...

Week 7 Day 4 Duration: 104 minutes (1 hour 44 minutes) Warm up: 5 minutes  Jog: 94 minutes (1 hour 34 minutes) Cool down: 5 minutes 6.36 miles/10.24 kilometres Warm up was done at 3.2mph.  Jog started at 3.6mph and I did that for 34 minutes.  Then I went to 3.7mph for 30 minutes.  The last 30 minutes were done at 3.8mph.  Cool down was done at 3.2mph. At no point during this workout did I want to quit nor did I wish for it to be done faster.  LOL!  To be honest I really enjoy these longer workouts because they're done at a nice steady pace.  It's the faster, harder spurts that I have trouble with on the shorter runs but I know they're just making me stronger and boosting my endurance for the end goal so I push through.   Today I tried something new as I've been finding these longer workouts super boring.  Instead of listening to music I put on a podcast.  I love podca...

Week 7 Day 3 Duration: 40 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 30 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 2.87 miles/4.62 kilometres Intervals (these are being done on my own, not part of the app I use): Warm up 5 minutes: 3.6mph Run 4 minutes: 4.8mph Brisk walk 1 minute: 3.8mph Run 4 minutes: 4.8mph Brisk walk 1 minute: 3.8mph Run 4 minutes: 5.0mph Brisk walk 1 minute: 3.8mph Run 4 minutes: 5.0mph Brisk walk 1 minute: 3.8mph Run 4 minutes: 4.6mph Brisk walk 2 minutes: 3.8mph Run 2 minute: 4.6mph Brisk walk: 2 minutes: 3.8mph Cool down 5 minutes: 3.7mph  I was really hoping to push through the last 10 minutes of the run doing 5.0mph straight so I could get to that 3 mile goal but I didn't quite have it in me today.  Still determined to get there and I know I will before the end of the training.  I'm pretty proud of getting .02mph closer to that goal with this run!   Even though it's only been second run doing the intervals I'm really liking ...

Week 7 Day 2 Duration: 57 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 47 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 3.84 miles/6.18 kilometres Today's run was a bit different because I was having trouble maintaining a good run pace so I'm going to break it down in point form: Warm up: 3.6-3.8mph Run: 10 minutes at 4.8mph Brisk walk: 3 minutes at 3.4mph Run: 5 minutes at 4.6mph  Brisk walk: 4 minutes at 3.2mph Run: 10 minutes at 4.4mph Brisk walk: 5 minutes at 3.4mph Run: 10 minutes at 4.2mph Cool down: 3.2 mph It was more of an interval workout but it actually worked out really well.  The last 10 minutes were the best of the workout which is not normal for me, they're usually the hardest.  That all being said I think I'm going to keep doing the intervals for a couple weeks.  I need to switch some things up because I'm getting bored and finding it hard to keep a good pace for long stretches.   During this run I was like, seriously why in the hell...

Week 7 Day 1 Duration: 40 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 30 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes This run was actually done yesterday but I did not have a chance to do the blog entry until today.   2.61 miles/4.2 kilometres The last couple of days I've been feeling really good.  It's been really nice.  Yesterday's run was...interesting.  Haha!  So I started off the warm up at 3.6mph with a jog.  Went to 4.8mph for the running part and then planned on going up from there as I progressed through the running part of the workout to try and get to 3.0 miles.  Needless to say, that did not happen as you can see above.  Around the 12 minute mark I broke down crying.  I'm not really sure why, just a flood of emotions came and I had no control over them.  I had to slow the treadmill down to a brisk walking pace and just let the tears fall. A lot of things have happened in the last 5 months.  3 people I know passed away.  I've...

Week 6 Day 4 Duration: 97 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Jog: 87 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 5.9 miles/9.5 kilometres Not going to lie, it has not been an easy day.  I stayed home with my son as he had a fever yesterday at daycare and still wasn't feeling great this morning when I had to wake him up.  He had a low fever all day.  The bugs going around this winter are all nasty and seem to linger for-freaking-ever.  I'm so over this already.  All of it.  I really need to do a Costco run.  My husband has been stuck at work for 16 hours.  It's been a long ass day.  To add to it I had a panic attack this afternoon for no real reason.  So that was fun.  Heavy on the sarcasm.  I had a good cry after the kids and I ate dinner then suited up for my run.  I was bound to do at least one thing for myself today dammit!  I'm so glad I did because it helped immensely. For this long run I decided to divid...

Week 6 Day 3 Duration: 40 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 30 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 2.75 miles/4.43 kilometres What. A. Shit. Show. This run started off great!  It really did.  I knew it was a 40 minute run and today was the day I was going to get in 3 miles in that time!  However, that is NOT what happened.   The warm up started at 3.6mph (that's how confident I was feeling).  I didn't even so a brisk walk to warm up, I was jogging!  Then I thought for the run I'll start at 5.0mph and do that for 10 minutes, or as long as I think I can.  Great!  5.0mph was good.  It was a great speed for the music I was listening to.  I was floating on that treadmill.  Started getting tired around the 5 minute mark but knew I could push through for another 5 minutes.  It was about the 7 minute mark into the run that my son fell off of his chair in the kitchen while eating his dinner.  Took out and ear bud, asked if...

Week 6 Day 2  Duration: 54 minutes Warm up: 5 minutes Run: 44 minutes Cool down: 5 minutes 3.41 miles/5.5 kilometres A little back story about my day before I get into what speed I did what at today.  I volunteered for my daughters field trip to Fort Whyte Alive today.  It was mostly outdoors and it's -37 (Celsius) with the windchill today here which is COLD!  We did lots of walking, some snowshoeing and had lots of fun despite the deep freeze we're in.  The snowshoeing is a great glute workout by the way!  Knowing it was run day I thought I'd get it out of the way right when we got home.  I did some extra stretching before knowing my legs were cold and a bit stiff from all of the activities we did today.   Everything started out okay.  I did the warm up at 3.4mph and then bumped it up to 3.6mph for the last 3 minutes of the warm up.  The run portion was started at 4.4mph with the intention of slowly going ...