Bayshore Marathon training – Week 4

• Monday: yoga – 35 min. + 10 min. circuit training. Completed after the girls were asleep.

I went back to my old standby, Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown (level 1). My body apparently forgot how hard this workout is after a few weeks away. I did not feel as confident and stable in the poses as usual. And I broke a sweat (which is a good thing!).

I tacked on a couple of quick Blogilates videos – one HIIT abs circuit and one arms circuit – to round out my workout.

• Tuesday: 3-mile run – 30:32/10:11 pace. Treadmill. Completed before work, about 6 a.m.

I thought for a split second about ditching my early-morning run and doing a midday run, but I already had gotten out of bed and gone to the bathroom, so I got dressed and ready to go.

I warmed up with an easy first mile, then I did intervals for a mile and a half – going between 5.7 and 7 mph, then 5.5. and 6.5 mph – then I kept my speed faster than 6 mph for the last half mile. The run felt really good and really easy because it was so varied.

• Wednesday: Zumba – 45 min. Class at the Y.

This was an awesome class. I worked up a really good sweat, because I felt confident in all the dances (except one, in which there was one step combo that kept tripping me up).

• Thursday: 4-mile run – 41:40/10:25 pace. Treadmill. Completed before work, about 6 a.m.

This run was similar to that of Tuesday: easy 1-mile warm-up, 2 miles of intervals, then steady-state, speedy-ish 1-mile finish. It went by pretty quickly thanks to the intervals.

• Friday: Body Pump 9-mile run – 1:36:29/10:43 pace. Outdoors and treadmill. Completed while the girls took their afternoon nap, about 12:30 p.m.

The weather was predicted to be frigid Saturday, but tolerable Friday. So, I changed my plans and skipped 6 a.m. Body Pump in favor of an afternoon long run.

I knew it would be unsafe and unbearable to run all 9 miles outside in the biting wind, so I ran 2.3 miles to the Y, ran 4.4 miles on the treadmill, then ran 2.3 miles home.

The run to the gym was good – really cold, but fast at 9:59 pace.

The run on the treadmill was pretty good, too (10:43 pace). I warmed up at a comfortable pace for seventh-tenths of a mile, then increased the speed a bit for the next half-mile. I did 2 miles of intervals, which proved a bit tough, but a good challenge. I slowed down, then, for a half-mile and then a bit more for the last seven-tenths of a mile.

The run back home was the most difficult – really cold and tough, given the temperature swing from inside to outside, from hot and sweaty to shivering, and my sore legs, at 11:25 pace.

I had such doubts about this run, but I ultimately – dare I say – enjoyed it, thanks to breaking it up into three manageable runs.

I’ve got 10 miles on the docket for next weekend, and I plan to approach it in a similar manner, as the weather is supposed to be just as bitter cold.

• Saturday: 9-mile run rest
• Sunday: rest

Here’s what’s on tap for this week:

• Tomorrow – yoga
• Tuesday – 3-mile run
• Wednesday – Zumba
• Thursday – 5-mile run
• Friday – Body Pump
• Saturday – 10-mile run
• Sunday – rest

Let’s all do a sunshine dance, shall we?

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