The end of the training cycle is near (ok really, it’s here) and I am coming to the realization that I have no idea what I’m going to do with myself after this is over. Guess I’ll have to find another half marathon to run!

Not many of my workouts in Week 17 were convenient. That whole “I travel a lot” thing happened again. If you too have an oddball schedule, you too can train for a half marathon. All you have to do is get creative, and show up… even if you’re cursing your previously motivated self under your breath the whole time.

#SeaKatyWheeze – Week 17 Recap

Day 113 – Sunday 7/30

Rest Day

After a 14-miler the day before, I deserve a rest day, amirite? Anyway, my Dad and I hopped in the car for our annual field trip to Patriots Training Camp.

Back in 2008, it was super easy to get a seat on a Sunday morning. 2017? Standing room only before practice even started. Training camp used to be chill Sunday morning. Now it’s a circus. 82% of the kids there were not even alive when I started going. Rant over.

Day 114 – Monday 7/31

Warmup 2mi + Tempo 5mi

Did this on the treadmill. It was a bit toasty outside, so I sought out the treadmill in the small gym at my corporate wellness center. It was just as toasty in there, and a little bit claustrophobic in the mini cardio room.

That said, warmup felt fine but the tempo miles got spicy fast. I did the first 2 miles unbroken and then had to walk for .05mi before starting each of the next three. So, the tempo miles really morphed into mile repeats.

I started to get a new pain running up the inside of my left leg into my (I hate to say it) SHIN… so as soon as the 5th fast mile was over I called it a day. I wasn’t about to get an overtraining injury less than 2 weeks before the race. No thanks.

Day 115 – Tuesday 8/1

CrossFit

Olympic Weightlifting
Push Press (3×5) – 90lbs
Push Jerk (3×3) – 105lbs
Split Jerk (3×1) – 115lbs

Metcon (AMRAP – Reps)
6 Rounds for Reps
1 Minute: 2-10 Strict Pull Ups (I used a band)
1 Minute: Max Ring Rows
1 Minute: Row Calories
Results: 223 reps, and a PR for sweating buckets.

Nothing to write home about here. The barbell is a foreign object to me at this point, so the numbers are whatever they are. Too busy focusing gaining running strength to worry about having lost CrossFit strength.

Day 116 – Wednesday 8/2

Warmup 2mi + 6x800m Repeats w 400m rest = 6.5mi

With an overnight trip to NYC for work, I had to push my run to the morning. It was hot, steamy, sweaty and I sweat out 2lbs in that session. If my charts for this run had a name, it would be Spike.

Day 117 – Thursday 8/3

Rest Day

I was New York City for work all day long, and got caught in complete rush hour soup on the way back home. Long flipping day left no time for training.

When I got home, I had a fun red lululemon bag waiting for me on the doorstep: my pre-ordered Seawheeze gear. Huzzah!

Pictured at left are the Speed Shorts, and at right are the jet stream blue Chase Me Crop, with a sweeeeet zippy green stripe down the side. Love.

Day 118 – Friday 8/4

Run 5.5mi (Conversational Pace)

TGIF, this was the first run all week that I was able to go out and run without having to scramble and accommodate some other busy thing happening in my schedule.

So I’m not the best at calculating distances. It was supposed to be 5 miles, but I ended up going for another half mile. I felt guilty for punting my cooldown mileage on both Monday and Wednesday, so when I ended my 5 miles, I opted to run the rest of the way home, instead of walking.

Day 119 – Saturday 8/5

Run 8mi

My distance peaked with 14mi in one shot in Week 16. This week’s long run was dialed back to a nice 8mi. Once a long run, now normal for me. Not mad about it.

However, I was mad at Mother Nature on Saturday morning. I needed to be in Boston for a wedding that night, AND be all packed and ready to leave for my westward adventure in Vancouver’s direction so that I was ready to drive home from Boston on Sunday morning and hop on a plane that afternoon. When I woke up, the radar looked like THIS:

Roar. Rain? Fine. Lightning? Not fine. I did my best to hustle around doing housework and eventually went outside on the tail end of the rain storm, because the clock was not working in my favor.

The run felt pretty decent. It only took 3+ months, but I finally feel like I can put some oomph into my running, and not just use whatever energy I have to pick up dead weight legs. It kept raining for the first 4 miles or so, then it was just wet.

That night, I went to a wedding in lululemon. The dress, IT HAS POCKETS.