Myrtle Beach Mini + Kiawah Marathon Training Week 8 (9/28-10/4)
A very rainy cutback week
This week was about learning to dance (or run, as the case may be) in the rain. Charleston, and most of South Carolina, had record breaking rainfall and flooding. My neighborhood didn't have much flooding, but parts of Charleston had water deep enough to kayak down the streets and lots of people had to be evacuated from their homes. Now that the weather is clearing, I hope that all of those affected by this flooding can begin to pick up their lives and move on from this. Because of the crazy weather, events all over town were canceled, including the IOP Connector Run that was I scheduled to race on Saturday.
Workout summary:
- Monday: OFF
- Tuesday: Easy run - 3.1 miles (9:04 pace)
- Wednesday: Easy run - 7.01 miles (9:07 pace)
- Thursday: Easy run - 6.10 miles (9:09 pace)
- Friday: OFF
- Saturday: OFF
- Sunday: Easy run - 6.10 miles (8:50 pace)
Total miles: Run - 22.31 miles / Total runs: 4 / Total core workouts: 0 / Total strength/conditioning workouts: 0 / Total crosstraining: 0
Flooding over the marshes at the Isle of Palms Connector
Because of the race, this week was originally on my schedule as a cutback week in mileage and workout intensity. I really wanted to give my legs a break and keep them fresh for the race, so I didn't go to Journey for any strength workouts this week and I missed it! Had I known the race was going to be canceled, I would have done at least one workout there. My mom was also in town visiting this week, so between that and the nasty weather, it was a good week for a cutback.
This is not a creek; it's my regular running path, totally Flooded
After I found out the race was canceled, I thought I'd run 10 miles on Sunday, but there was so much flooding on my regular running route that I just decided to do the original 6 from the 10K sans the speed. I was glad for the rest week, but I still felt a little lazy, especially since I ended up not racing, so my strength cutbacks were a bit in vain. I'm anxious to get back to my regular schedule this week!
In addition to all of the crazy rain, Hurricane Joaquin was also off the coast, creating some crazy surf. We were all a bit stir crazy from the rain on Saturday, so Sundway we headed to brunch at Crave Kitchen & Cocktails and then went to Isle of Palms for a few minutes to check out the waves at the beach.
Cutest little bruncher
Crazy waves
More crazy waves
B loved watching the waves and laughed at the rain - this kid adores water in any way, shape or form
While I'm feeling rested from my cutback week, I'm disappointed that I didn't get my 10K race in since I was planning to use that as a gauge for the half marathon in two weeks. I haven't raced all out since before I was pregnant at the Run for the Coast 10K in September 2013. Sure I've raced a lot, but I was pregnant, recovering from pregnancy (which I feel like took me almost a full year, really - the last of the residual issues have finally disappeared with this training season), having asthma and allergy issues, and then just sandbagging summer races by tempo running in the intense heat. So I'm ready to really race and see what kinds of PRs I can hit.
However, I'm nervous now because I didn't want my first all-out race in two years to be a half marathon. I'm running the Coastal 5K the day before the half, but that doesn't count since I'll be saving my energy for the following day. All of that combined with the fact that the humidity still hasn't broken has me setting very, very low expectations for this race.
I think my big PR race will be Charleston in January after I've gone through marathon training. I hope I still PR at Myrtle Beach since I really have put in a lot more training than I ever have before and my current half PR was set at just under 7 months post-baby with very little training. So based on increased mileage alone (and being fully recovered), I should be faster, but I'm not sure it will be the time I'd really like to see.
But at this point, my training for the half is set and not much is going to change over the next two weeks, so what I get is what I get. I'm just glad the weather has cleared and I can get back to regularly scheduled programming this week before winding down a bit again for the race on the 18th.