Weekly workouts (5/18-5/24): Beat the Heat + 10K training week 1
This week I started Beat the Heat track training (plus HIIT workouts) at Fleet Fleet Mount Pleasant, and the training schedule and timing coincides perfectly with the 10K plan I'm loosely following (found in Competitor magazine).
I modified the 10K plan to fit my schedule a little better, and to include more strength and crosstraining. The original plan called for six days of running and I dropped it back to four to five (sometimes three), depending on the week and my other workouts. The longest run of the training is supposed to be a 12-miler, but I might drop it back to just 10. Because, summer.
This week's workouts:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Track: 1 mile baseline at conversational pace (8:38 pace) + 30 minute CXWorx class
Wednesday: Run (easy) - 4 miles (8:55ish pace - lost track because of the mid-run dog chase/rescue)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Run (unstructured fartlek) - 4.13 miles (8:39 pace)
Saturday: 30 minute HIIT + Run (easy) - 3.41 miles (8:51 pace)
Sunday: Bike - 4.5 miles
Total miles: 12.54 / Total runs: 3 / Total core/strength workouts: 2 / Total crosstraining: 1
My first workout this week was on Tuesday at Fleet Feet. All we did was a baseline mile at the track, run at conversational pace, and they made us sing the theme from the Brady Bunch to make sure we stayed conversational, so that song was stuck in my head for days. I ran with my buddy Steve and we came in at 8:38 for our mile, which is about right for me since most of my easy runs fall in that range, give or take 15-20 seconds, depending on the day, how I'm feeling, and the weather. For the record, it was hot and humid on Tuesday evening. I followed up our baseline mile with a CXWorx class, which is a good core/strength workout. I've missed those!
Wednesday's run was an easy one, but turned into a little adventure when I spotted a loose Yorkie playing in traffic. Literally. She was in the road, dodging and chasing cars. My run got a slightly diverted while I stopped running to catch her. Fortunately, she was friendly and easy to catch, and I returned her to her family (who was across the road in a parking lot and not sure where she had gone).
Friday I did an unstructured fartlek (officially the worst word ever - go ahead, say it out loud), but it's a good workout! I started with a one-mile warmup at about a 9:15 pace, then did five speed pickups in the 7:00-7:30/mile range with equal distance recovery in mile 2 and five speed pickups in the 6:30-7:00/mile range in mile 3 with equal distance recoveries, followed by a one-mile cool down. Those pickups got gradually faster until I hit the fastest one at 6:28 on my last pickup. Those are my current pace targets for 10K, 5K, and 1 mile paces, and I was feeling good during this workout.
Saturday was another strength class of the HIIT variety at Fleet Feet followed by an easy 3.5 miler with the group post-HIIT.
Sunday I had initially thought I'd run my "long" run for the week, but decided to do a crosstraining day instead. I really ramped up with more intense workouts this week and my legs were feeling it, so crosstraining seemed like a better option. Plus we got Little B a bike trailer, so we had to take him for his inaugural bike ride! Crosstraining while spending time with the family is definitely time well spent.
Next week I'm planning on adding my long run back in on Sunday, along with checking out a new studio that opened here in Mount Pleasant called 9Round (I'm still waiting for an Orangetheory to open here in Mount Pleasant because West Ashley is just not convenient for me at all). And the following week, I'll be starting back up with paddleboarding plus BodyFlow classes. Can't wait!