Allstate 13.1 Recap

I did it! I finished my first half marathon! :) Last Sunday (October 6th) still seems like a dream to me, but when I see the medal hanging it hits me...I actually completed my first half.

Here's a quick recap of what my day was like.


My day started off at 5 AM. Jen, Jill, and I stayed at the Marriott which was 4 miles away from the race. We got to Town of Brookhaven a little after 6 and met up with Brandi.

The race started right at 7 AM. About 5 minutes before the race started they asked people to start moving to estimate time of finish. I knew I would either finish at 2 hours or a little after so Jewell and I got in the 2:00 pace group. 

Five minutes went by quickly because before I knew it the race had started and my group started moving up. 

-Insert freak out mode- 

Some people started running before they even got to the start line, but I opted to walk until I had no choice but to start running. 

Before I knew it....I had crossed the start line. :)

Mile 1 to 5 went by fast. The hills weren't bad. They reminded me of some of the hills I trained on these last 12 weeks.

Between 5 and 6, we had to run back by where we started and would be finishing. I definitely didn't like that part.

Mile 7 - My friend, Kat, was out on the course cheering the runners on and waiting for me and my friend, Jewell, to show up. She made us both signs!! :) During this point in the race I was feeling pretty good. I wasn't going too fast which is what I wanted.

Around mile 8 and 9, I met few other runners who were also running their first half. We stayed together for awhile chatting helping pass the time.

Somewhere between mile 9 and 11, we hit this hill that just kept going and going or so it seemed. I absolutely hated this part of the race. I wanted to stop so bad, but Jewell wasn't going to let me.

Before I knew it I was back on the home stretch making my way back to mile 12 and soon I would be at the finish line. 

After I reached mile 12, the last 1.1 miles seemed to be taking a longer than I wanted to, but I kept on running.

Once we got to that final turn and I could see the finish line I took off using what energy I had left to book it across the finish line.

Once I crossed I found my Mom, who was there to give me my medal. :)

My official time for my first half marathon: 2:07:56

After I was done, I found my way over to the front of the finish line to cheer on the other runners who were making their way to the finish line. That little extra motivation from someone in the crowd really does help. :)

I can honestly say I had an absolute blast. I am ready to do my next half. I am still undecided as to what it will be, but the way things are going right now I see the GA Publix Half being my next. :)

I want to say thank you once again to some special running friends in my life. Brandi, Jen, and Jill....thank you so much for encouragement along the way. I definitely wouldn't have done it without you ladies. :) I can't wait to run another one.

Left to right: Brandi, Me, and Jen. Jill, you should have stuck around for a pic. :P

Kat, thank you so much for getting up early on a Sunday and cheering everyone on and being a great running partner at the group runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Big Peach. :) 

Jewell, thank you again for running with me and keeping me at a steady pace. Oh, and most importantly not letting me quit. Maybe we can run another race sometime. 

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 12

My half marathon training has come to an end. Its crazy how these 12 weeks have flown by.

Monday:

I was suppose to start my week of T25 Beta but decided I would just focus on my core only. Sit ups, leg lifts, and planks to start the week off.

Tuesday:

Not going to lie it felt weird getting up and not going for a run. I did do my core work out and in the evening I went to my group run over at Big Peach in Suwanee. I did an easy 3 miles.

Wednesday:

Since I wasn't feeling well after my run on Tuesday, I decided I would use this day to sleep in and hopefully get myself to feeling better. Luckily, I woke up feeling much better. Maybe getting more sleep is all I needed.

Thursday:

Group run was amazing. It was definitely a lot better than Tuesdays run. I was able to keep the pace I want for the half on Sunday. Can't believe its almost here. :)

Friday:

Rest day!

Saturday:

Rest day!

Sunday: 

Race Day!! I will have a recap of my first half marathon sometime later on in the week.

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 11

I can't believe week 11 is over with. I am going into my final week. So crazy.

Monday:

Dynamic Core.....I killed it. What a great way to start week 2 of T25 off.  :)

Tuesday:

Decided to split my 5 miles up again so I would be able to run with the group later on in the evening. 

Had a somewhat fast 2 mile run in the AM. I believe the cooler weather had a major part in that.  As soon as I was finished my run, I got started on my Core Cardio work out from T25.  For whatever reason I was struggling with that. I did the best I could. 

The evening run took place in Town Park for the second anniversary of SBPRC (Suwanee Big Peach Running Co). They had about 7 vendors there who demos. I went to to the Mizuno tent and tried on the Sayonaras. I took those shoes on a 3 mile run. I have say I liked them but would have to see how they feel to me on a longer run. Hopefully they will be back for another demo sometime in the future.  The run went well. Cooler temps definitely help me.

Wednesday:

I didn't allow myself to make up any excuses about getting up and getting my work out over with. T25 Rip't Circuit was a lot better than last week. I felt more comfortable using the resistance bands.

Thursday:

I am not really a fan on skipping work outs but since I sore from Wednesdays work out, I decided I would just run today and do nothing else.

My 2 mile run in the AM was another fast one. Faster than Tuesdays. I wasn't even trying to run fast it just happened. :\

I love joining the group run. Had another 3 mile run followed by some yummy pizza afterwards.

Friday:

I had a hard time getting up to go for a run. I really wanted to sleep in but I knew the run wasn't going to get completed without me. I was able to run my 10 miles in one hour and thirty-five minutes. I believe I am ready for my half. I just hope the weather is gorgeous next Sunday as it was on my run. :)

Saturday:

Rest Day.

Sunday:

Rest Day,

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 10

It's hard to believe that I am on week 10 of my training. It seems like yesterday I was just starting it. In 3 weeks, I will have my first half marathon under my belt.

Monday:

Started month 2 of T25. So far Beta means some serious business. Core Cardio kicked my butt. Maybe next time I will be able to say I nailed it.

Tuesday:

This morning felt amazing outside and since I was going to be running with the running group in the evening I decided I would split up my 5 miles. I did a slow 2 mile run in the morning before doing my T25 Speed 2.0.

Speaking of Speed 2.0....wow! That work out was crazy. I walked away feeling great. :)

The evening run went better than expected. Even though I hate the hill at the end, I can tell I am getting better and faster (trying not to get too fast though). :)

Wednesday:

It was a little weird working with the resistance bands today. I normally just use weights, but since I don't have any at home the bands will have to do.  I nailed my T25 Rip't Circuit. Hopefully next time won't be so awkward using the bands.

Thursday:

Since I am doing another run later with the running group, I decided I would get up and just run 2 miles in my neighborhood.

As much as I would love to say I nailed my work out afterwards...I didn't. :( T25 Dynamic Core means some serious business.

It was a little warm on my second run of the day. Decided to run a little slower than I did on Tuesdays run.

Friday:

Another busy weekend means getting my long run in early. Since the half marathon course is hilly, I have been taking my long runs to the park to run the hilly loop around the lake. Granted the hills there aren't like what I will see on the course, it is still better than training on a flat course. I felt slower than normal, but in the end my avg pace was  9:13" which is where I want to be anyways for my race.

Saturday:

Decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather, so we headed up to the mountains for the day/night.

Sunday:

Got on the boat for possibly one last time before the cooler weather sets in. It was so nice to be able to get out on the lake to relax.  Great way to end week 10 of training :)

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 9

Hard to believe week 9 is complete. Tomorrow beginning week 10. :)

Monday:

Started week 5 of T25. Crazy how fast these 5 weeks have gone. Anyways, today was Total Body Circuit. I have to say I really gave it my all today and nailed it. :)

Tuesday:

I had a hard time getting into my run today. Probably for the fact I was on the treadmill and the shows that were on TV were not interesting. I got my 5 miles done though. I am hoping to get up sooner on Thursday to get my run done outside instead of running indoors.

T25 Ab Intervals was challenging today but I got it done. :)

Wednesday:

I wasn't really wanting to do anything today, so instead of being lazy I went to the gym for some core work. I rewarded myself with the hot tub afterwards. I needed that.

Thursday:

Decided I would do my 10K run today instead of this weekend since I may not have time for it. It was the worst 10K time for me. I just wasn't into my run.

After my run I came home and took it easy for a few before getting starting with T25 Cardio. Not going to lie I was pretty tired after my 6 mile run. I pushed through it though and finished.

Friday:

Since I switched up my running days, I decided I would run my 5 mile that I was suppose to do on Thursday. First I had to get T25 Lower Focus done. I nailed it! :)

I did my 5 mile in the evening. My legs felt a little sluggish at first but quickly warmed up. 

Saturday:

Rest day.

Sunday:

Rest day.

AllState 13.1 Marathon Series - Atlanta

Just a quick post today...

If you are looking to do a half marathon in 3 weeks, check out the 13.1 Marathon Series in Atlanta on October 6th.  This will be my first (and I am sure not my last half). I am starting to get super excited about it! I would love to have everyone I know running it or at least doing the 5K. Use the code below if you are interested in participating in the half marathon.

P.S. Some exciting news coming soon. Can't wait to share... :)

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 8

Oh my, week 8?! Only 4 weeks to go....I CAN DO THIS!

Monday:

Started week 4 of T25. Hard to believe I only have one more week left in the Alpha stage before moving on to Beta.

I really nailed the Cardio portion today. It was only towards the end that I was starting to get tired. I am also happy to say I did all the moves without going to the modifier :)

Tuesday:

Since I normally don't like to drive too far to run and since I just so happened to be in the area, I decided I would go run where it all started for me. It was nice being back where I started running. I really like this greenway because for the most part its pretty shady and since I was running at 10 AM I needed all the shade I could get it. I completed my 4.5 mile run in 40 min. :) Maybe just maybe going back to where it started at will give me a boost. :)

I moved my T25 Total Body Circuit work out to the evening. It was a good and bad thing. Good because I was tired and didn't get back home until 2. Bad because I like getting my work outs over with in the AM even though I am not the morning person by all means. LOL. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to nail the work out. I just wasn't into it.

Wednesday:

Tuesday night I felt a little pain in my lower back (not sure how I even strained my lower back muscle either), so I decided I would take the day off and rest.

Thursday:

Back felt better so I decided I would go for a 2 mile run. Painless run. I would have done the other 2.5 but didn't want to push it.

Got my T25 Lower Focus in that I was suppose to do on Wednesday. Nailed that work out. My legs are looking and feeling amazing! :)

Friday:

I didn't want to do anything. I went to bed with a migraine and woke up with what was left of it. I normally can't do anything when my head is throbbing. So I decided I would just chill for a bit. I took some medicine to help kick that lingering headache before attempting to do my double day of T25.

After about 45 minutes of relaxing, I was able to get started on my work outs. First up Ab Intervals. I have to say I have a love/hate relationship with this particular work out. Instead of complaining to myself about doing it, I sucked it up and nailed all the moves. Talk about ouch. My abs were on FIRE! :)

Next comes Speed 1.0. I have to say this one has totally grown on me. And its exactly what I needed this morning. Just like the ab intervals, I nailed this work out as well. :)

Completed week 4 of T25. Next week is my final week of T25 Alpha. I am excited to see how Beta is going to treat me. :)

Oh, and it's one month until my half marathon.

Saturday:

I got up early (even though I didn't want to on my day off) to beat the heat for my 8 mile run. I still wasn't sure where I wanted to run, but decided I would go to Little Mulberry Park to get in a hilly run. Took my EnergyBits before heading out of the house (I was going to need them today, lol). I knew when I started running that I didn't want to take off too fast. I am trying to keep my pace down so I don't over do it. Before I knew it the run was over. I completed my longest run yet. My avg pace (according to my Nike+ GPS) was 8:59. Close to 9 which is where I wanted to be. I felt great when I finished. I am extremely happy I was able to run the whole time without stopping to walk. :)


Sunday:

After an amazing run Saturday, I definitely can say I earned my rest day! :)

Week 8 was amazing. Now on to week 9....

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 7

For whatever reason I just wasn't feeling it on week 6. I am hoping that week 7 is a lot better.

Monday:

After having a crappy week last week I wasn't sure how I was going to do starting off the new week of training. Luckily I kicked some major butt during my work out. I felt amazing afterwards. Three weeks in to this program and I can definitely tell a difference in some of the things you have to do.

Tuesday:

I decided that I would go to the park and run some hills. One loop around the lake is 2.2 miles. Perfect place to get my 4.5 miles in. I was feeling pretty good the first loop around. Second loop I wasn't feeling it. Normally I like to switch it up and go back the way I came when I get to the start area but today I kept going the way I had started. I pushed through it though. Glad I did. :)

Came home and relaxed for a little bit before starting T25 Speed 1.0. I am not sure where my energy came from but I nailed it. I was able to do all the moves with no stopping. It wasn't easy but I did it!! :)

Later in the evening my friend, Kat, and I decided to go for a run together. It was nice to run somewhere different. Ended up doing another 4 miles.

Wednesday:

Today was tough. T25 Lower Focus was strictly working on the lower part of my body. I really pushed myself to do everything that Shaun T and the crew did. Definitely an amazing cross training work out.

Thursday:

I decided I wouldn't run in the AM so I got started on T25 Cardio. Love walking away knowing I completely nailed the work out. :)

Friday:

Double day! Decided I would start off with T25's Total Body Circuit today. This is my least favorite. As much as I wanted to skip it I kept pushing myself through it.

Ab Intervals was up next. I felt like I gave it my all. I think the next time I had to do Ab Intervals on a double day I am going to get it over with first.

Saturday:

Since its a holiday weekend, I decided I would get my run in a day early. I waited a few hours after I got off work to get in my 7 miles. Surprisingly, I was faster than I had planned. I ended up getting a new PR in my training 10K. I also finished 7 miles in under an hour. A lot better than I did 2 years ago. :)


Sunday:

Rest day.


Week 7 was definitely a lot better than week 6. Here is to week 8 being even better.

No Motivation

Lately I have been feeling like I shouldn't have signed up for this half marathon in October. I have been running since Jan until now. I feel like I am honestly burnt out of running which is odd because I love running, but I guess I don't love it as much as I thought?

I went from one 12 week program to another 12 week program. I am only week 7 and I can tell you right now I am so close to throwing in the towel, but I can't and won't. Why? Because I have so many people pulling for me. I really don't want to disappoint.

It's really bad that I am actually looking forward to taking a "break" from running afterwards. I'll continue to run but it won't be more than 4 miles if that. I need time to relax and not worry about having to run.

I really wish I knew what was going through my head. I just know something needs to spark or its going to be a long 13.1 miles..

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 6

Wow, I have made it to the halfway mark. It's hard to believe I have done 6 weeks already. I am going to be running my first half marathon before I know it.

Monday:

Today I started week 2 of T25 Cardio. I have to say I pushed myself harder today then I did last week. I am so happy to know I didn't have to go to the modifier as much. :)

Tuesday:

Woke up not really in the mood to run, but since I had a double work out today I had to get up and get it over with. So I decided I would switch it up a bit and go to the gym and run on the TM. I felt great running. I ended up finishing my 4 mile run in 34 min and 58 seconds.

After my run I came home to do my Total Body Circuit work out. I have to say even though my whole body was tired I pushed through it. I can't say I completely nailed it but I can't say I barely made it. I am sort of in the middle.

Wednesday:

Woke up to rain...blah. I could have ran at the gym but since I only needed to 2 miles I decided I would just do my cross training instead. Today's work out was Speed 1.0. I have to say I nailed it. :)

Thursday:

I woke up not feeling too hot, but knew I really needed to try and get my run in. Since it was already warm out I decided I would just go back to the gym and run my 4 miles on the treadmill. I felt sluggish on my run. I am starting to think getting to bed late and waking up early is catching up with me. :-\ Time to change up the sleeping schedule.

After my run I came home to immediately get started on my T25 Cardio. I got 15 min into the work out and really seriously thought about turning it off. I kept on going though. Sometimes you just have to tell the little voice in your head to shut up. :)

Later in the evening I went to the Big Peach Suwanee group run. I had originally planned to only do 3 miles but once I was on the course I decided to push it to 4 miles. It was a great slow run through puddles. :)

Friday:

I was suppose to do my 2 T25 work outs, but I only got one in. :( I did Ab Intervals. I didn't feel as awkward doing it this week. I guess I am slowly getting the moves down. I really hated not doing the other but seeing how I really worked out the day before I felt like my legs needed a break.

Saturday:

Rest day! :)

Sunday:

I wish I could say I ran but I didn't. Ended up moving furniture around that took up a good bit of the day. By the time I wanted to go run I ended up taking a nap because of my head hurting. I'll try to make it up sometime this next week.

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 5

I knew from the beginning that this week would be a challenge and here is why...

Monday:

Instead of going to the gym I started day 1 of T25 Cardio. I was expecting this work out to kick my butt but it didn't. Since I have been doing lunges and squats since June the leg work outs in this weren't too bad. I can't even imagine what I would have felt like afterwards if I hadn't been working on my legs for a few months.

Tuesday:

I woke up tired. I wasn't sore in the legs which is always a good thing. It took all I had to drag my butt out the door to get to running. I had 4 miles planned but as soon as I got to 3 miles I cut my run short. My legs felt really tired. I guess I will be running the mile I didn't do later this week.

As soon as I got in the house I put my ProCompression socks on and my cross trainers. I was ready to get day 2 of T25 over with. I am not going to lie I wanted to puke in Speed 1.0. I haven't felt like that since Pure Cardio in Insanity. I can't say I "nailed it" today. I wanted to quit but since it was only 25 minutes long I kept on going.

Wednesday:

I decided I would just do XTing today. I did day 3 of T25 - Total Body Circuit. It kicked my butt. I definitely walked away sweating after just working out for 25 minutes.

Thursday:

I was going back and forth with myself about where to run. I get bored with the same thing every week, but I also wasn't in the mood to take on some hills. Decisions decisions. I finally decided I would just take on the hills. I am glad I did! It was a perfect morning for it. Low 60s. I couldn't have asked for better weather. I can tell my legs are getting stronger and stronger.

After running I came home to do my T25 - AB intervals. Loved working on my core. I was honestly dreading 25 minutes of just core stuff, but it ended up going by fast.

In the evening, I decided I would go for a quick 2 mile run in the neighborhood since it felt amazing.

Friday:

Normally this would be my off day, but since I am doing T25 5 days a week I decided I would just move my off day to Saturday.

Friday was a 2 part work out for a total of 50 minutes. If you aren't able to do it all right away you can break it up. I decided I would just knock both of them out of the way. I didn't want to have to do them over the weekend.

I decided I would start off with the Cardio first. I knew I was going to be able to do that without a problem since I basically nailed it on Monday. After I finished it, I took a 5 minute break before putting Lower Focus in. OMG! That had to be the longest 25 minutes of my life. I definitely worked my lower half. My legs were screaming at me. My favorite part was the 3 minute cool down/stretch. I needed it after all that.

Saturday:

I switched things up AGAIN. Since my birthday is Sunday, I decided I would just go ahead and get my 6 mile run in at the gym (it was raining and I just didn't want to run outside). I ended up doing a 10K to finish my Happy 10K virtual race. Legs felt great during and after. I was able to do my 10K in at 54 minutes. I am hoping to eventually beat my current PR


Sunday:

Finally my off day. Since it is my birthday I am going to take the time to relax and enjoy it. Oh and I will cheat a little. I can't pass up a cupcake or two on my birthday. :)

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 4

After coming back from vacation on Sunday I wasn't sure how I was going to do this week. I had to get back into the swing of things with work and also my training.

Monday:

I woke up feeling completely exhausted still. I did a few push ups and sit ups just to do something even if it wasn't what I was suppose to do.

Tuesday:

I went for my 3.5 mile run. I decided I would hit the hilly part of the neighborhood just to do something a little different. I was doing fine until my neighbors dog decided to chase me when I was going out of the neighborhood. I had to stop running and walk a different way just to stop the dog from chasing me. My run went down hill from there. I felt very sluggish after that.

Wednesday:

I was going to go on my 2 mile run, but I woke up with a migraine and decided I really didn't want to make it worse trying to run. Since I have a 4 mile race on Saturday night so I might run the 2 miles that morning or on Sunday morning.

Thursday:

I decided I wanted to switch things up so I went to Little Mulberry Park in Auburn, GA to get a hill workout in. One loop around the lake is 2.2 miles. I decided once I got all the way around that I would go back the way I came then turn around when I got close to 3 miles. I probably could have ran the rest of it, but I wasn't wanting to push it too much.

I ended up running another 3 miles in the evening with the Big Peach Suwanee group. I love when I am able to make it. Running with others is so motivational to me. :)

Friday:

Rest day and carb overloading day!

Saturday:

Since my training schedule has me scheduled for a 5 mile this weekend and I am doing a 4 mile race later, I decided I would get up first thing in the morning and run a fast 1 mile. I knew since I have been doubling up my run days anyways that I wouldn't be tired come 9 PM.

My race went great! I honestly wish I still lived in that area so I could train there. It ended up raining a little bit on the course, but I didn't mind since it felt kind of refreshing. I ended up finishing around 35 minutes. I am not sure on the official time. I also ended up placing 2nd in my age group!

I'll have a race recap up sometime this week so be on the look out for that.

Sunday:

Since I wasn't able to run my 2 miles on Wednesday, I got out in the AM to run the 2 miles. My legs honestly didn't want to move at all. I got it done though! :-D


Week 4 is now complete. Next week is going to be a test, but I am ready to take it on full force. :)

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 3

Crazy how I am already on week 3 of my half marathon training. :) With the way time is flying by, I will be at 12 weeks in no time.

As I mentioned in my previous recap post, I was on vacation for half of this week which meant I had to switch up my running just a tad bit. But it also meant no cross training for me. :(

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Monday: 

Since I had to work all day on Monday, I wasn't able to get to the gym to do a full work out I decided that my ab work out was the only thing I was going to get done. I still feel bad, but I did something even if it wasn't what I had wanted to do.

Tuesday:

Since I had a 3.5 mile run scheduled, I decided I would take advantage of the cooler morning and get out there before work. Loved it! At around 2.7, I stopped by my house to grab the dog so she could finish out the last leg of my run. She really hasn't ran in over a year. She did great even though if she slowed me down some. I am hoping to get her out there more often for my smaller runs since she enjoys it.

After my run I came in to do my ab work out. This was suppose to be my rest day for that, but since I was going to be traveling on Wednesday I decided to get it over it.

Wednesday:

I got a 2 mile run before packing up the car and heading to the beach! :)

Thursday:

I woke up at 6 AM central  to go for a run on the beach. My plan was to run 3.5 miles, but when I turned around I noticed I was getting a blister on my right foot. I ran back to the condo but decided that I was done. I did a little over 2 miles.

Friday:

Off day aka spend all my time on the beach!!! :)

Saturday:

I had originally planned to let this day be my long run day but I decided that I would skip running. I instead went for a walk on the beach. Very relaxing.

Sunday:

Did nothing since it was travel day.


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Week 3 is over with! I didn't do great but I will get back into it this week. I am also looking to get back into Insanity along with running. Or maybe T25. Either way I am going to be tired and sore.

Here is to a new week of training. Oh, and I have a race on Saturday. 4 mile night run. I am so excited about it!

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 2

Monday:

I wasn't able to get to the gym due to work but I did do a little Insanity at home. Something is better than nothing. :)

Tuesday:

I got up did 3 miles in the neighborhood. During the run I thought I was running a little slower than normal. but when I finished I looked at my avg pace and was surprised I was actually in a race pace. I'll take it. :)

Later in the evening I went down to Big Peach Suwanee to run with the running group. I decided I would only 3 miles. I didn't want to over do it. Plus it gave me a chance to demo some compression sleeves from Zensah. LOVE THEM! I didn't feel any spin pain in my left leg (I normally have some kind of shin split if I over do it).

Wednesday: 

I decided to switch it up. Instead of doing strength training on Thursday, I decided to do it on Wednesday. I did chest and back. After lifting I went up up to the treadmill to run my 2 miles. I felt great afterwards. I may actually keep my strength training days on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays.

Thursday:

Since I woke up with a headache, I was a little late getting out there to run my 3 miles.  Around 11:20, I crawled out of bed to go for a run. It wasn't a super fast run or a super slow run. I was pleased with my time and avg pace.

I was suppose to go for a run with the Big Peach group, but I decided to skip the second run of the day. I just wasn't feeling it.

Friday:

Off Day! :) I love this day.

Saturday:

I had to work today so I basically did my cross training at work. Walking is considered cross training, right? If so, then cool. If not, well, nothing I can do now.

Sunday:

I really didn't want to get out there to run 4 miles. I was still really tired from having to work on Saturday. I did get out there though. I can't say it was an easy one or even fun one, but I got it done. That's all that matters right?


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Week 2 was much better than week 1. Week 3 is going to be a little crazy. I am going to be out of town starting on Wednesday so I am probably going to be switching up a few things. I am going to try my best not to miss a run day.

Half Marathon Training Recap: Week 1

Monday:

I was suppose to go to the gym to work on my strength training, but after a weekend at the lake I was still completely drained. So I skipped my work out.

Tuesday:

I woke up not really wanting to go for a run, but I knew once I got out there I would feel a lot better. I did my 3 miles. It was a bit humid out but I lived and definitely felt better afterwards. :)

Wednesday:

Instead of running 2 miles or doing something else, I decided I would go to the gym to lift weights. I guess you can say I was making up for Monday.

Thursday:

I had 3 miles scheduled. Normally, I would just run outside but I decided I wanted to do something different. I headed off to the gym to get my run in. Instead of dong the 3 miles, I decided I needed to go ahead and complete my Running Mad virtual 10K run. I did 6.2 miles in 54 min. I was proud I didn't even stop on the treadmill. I didn't even slow own the speed. I actually upped it to 7.5 for the last bit of my run. I also was planning on going to the group run in Suwanee in the evening to run another 3 miles, but I decided to stay home since I was feeling a bit sore from lifting the day before.

Friday:

Rest Day! :)

Saturday:

Since I had a wedding to go to that day, I decided I would only do my ab work out, which is part of the 30 Day AB Challenge.

Sunday:

I woke up not wanting to really run my 4 miles, but after fighting with myself for a few minutes I finally got out the door. It was a hot one, but I am glad I got out there.


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Week 1 of my half marathon training is complete. I am hoping I will get back into the training groove soon. It seems after the Peachtree I just haven't felt like training.

Half Marathon Training

After multiple suggestions I decided to go with the Hal Higdon's half marathon training program. I felt like it fit my schedule better than the others even though I may have to switch up a day up every other week.

Monday started week 1 of my training. So far it just feels like a normal week for me. I imagine it will get a little bit harder as I progress. I am definitely up for the challenge though! :)

A long with that program, I am doing the 30 day ab challenge. That's definitely a work out. I usually do it after my runs or work outs. I am slowly starting to see a little results. :)

I hope to do a recap of the previous training week at the beginning of each new week.


Do you have any races you are currently training for? If so, how is it going?

5 Miles plus possible AllState 13.1

Normally I like to stick to my smaller runs on the treadmill, but since it was a tad chilly this morning I decided I would go to the gym and get a few miles in. I didn't think I was going to last 5 miles on the treadmill because I get soooo bored, but once I got to 4 miles I decided I wasn't going to stop. I am happy I didn't. I wish I could have gone on another mile, but my legs were getting tired. I haven't ran more than 4 miles since last year.

This was my last run of the week. Tomorrow I am going Insanity's Pure Cardio to finish out my cross training week. Hoping to kick some butt in that tomorrow. :)

Sunday will mark one week until my next 5k. I am really excited even though I wish I was doing the half marathon instead. Maybe next year I will decide to tackle that tough course.

Speaking of halfs, I may be doing the AllState 13.1 in October. I am not too totally sure yet. I am hoping to make my decision by May if I am going to participate in it or not. If I do, it'll be my first. :)