Mile Markers: Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Race Week
Hi, everyone! How was your weekend?
This week was the last week of training and race week for the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon. New to the blog? You can catch up on my training here!
Oh, the taper! I find it’s a good feeling when a taper leaves me a bit antsy. If I’m too eager for the taper and rest, that means I’m a little too overtrained and mentally burnt out for race day; if I’m too antsy, it means I could have worked harder in training. But as I’ve said before, it’s always better to under train than overtrain.
Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Race Week
Monday: AM: 7 miles with 4 miles at goal half marathon pace; PM: 15 minutes of Pilates + foam rolling
Hello, eager legs. This was a tune up run, intended to remind me what half marathon pace feels like before pre-race nerves can set in. All 4 miles were slightly under goal pace, around a 7:26/mile average. By the time I hit 4 miles, I felt like I was in a good rhythm with that pace and could have kept going.
Tuesday: AM: 5 miles easy on the treadmill, 9:20/mile average pace + foam rolling
I opted for the treadmill because we were under a wind advisory. The last thing I want to do on race week is fatigue myself either mentally or physically, by running in the wind or running a hilly course. All the hard work is done at this point, both in terms of improving race specific fitness and building mental strength. These taper week runs are just about keeping the legs and mind loose.
Wednesday: 3 miles easy on the treadmill, 9:05/mile average
Another easy run on the treadmill. I usually prefer to let my body set the pace, but I didn’t want my legs to get too excited and go too fast on just an easy run. Even 20-30 seconds per mile above an easy pace can add a bit of unwanted fatigue, so better slow now than on race day.
Thursday: 4 miles easy on the treadmill + 4 strides, 9:28/mile average pace + foam rolling
I wanted to run outside this day, but we were temporarily with just one car. The one places to run without having to drive are (1) on a busy road and (b) on steep hills, and I didn’t want either for an easy taper run. So, to the treadmill it was!
Friday: Rest
Usually I do a shake out run the day before a race, but Hudson’s plan suggested a rest day and I thought, why not? A shake out run has never been something I’ve noticed to make or break a race, so a bit of extra rest it was. I spent time to make sure everything was ready for the race and made sure to get extra sleep.
Saturday: 1 mile warm up + Lake Sammamish Half Marathon (13.1 miles), 1:38:40 official time (7:32/mile)
Holy crap. I ran nearly a five minute PR (4 minutes and 32 seconds, to be exact) since my last half marathon (1:43:12) and probably the smoothest, most enjoyable race I’ve done so far. I checked the race result numerous time to make sure I didn’t dream it. More about the race in my recap tomorrow!
Sunday: Rest
We took a short 30 minute or so walk with Charlie along the boardwalk by our apartment and kept the rest of the day lazy.
There’s still time to sign up for my Master Your Fueling and Hydration 6 Week e-Course! In this course I synthesize all the research and experience I used to overcome fueling and hydration problems both in training and on race day to run my 4.5 minute half marathon PR! Use the sign up button below and learn more about the course here.
33.1 miles run | 0 miles hike | 1 supplementary workout
[Tweet “#halfmarathon taper, race week, and #pr via @thisrunrecipes #lakesammamishhalf #sweatpink #fitfluential”]
How was your week in running? Did anyone race?
Do you run the day before a race?
What did you do this weekend?
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26 Responses
Congrats again on such a great race! I can’t wait to read all about it! I go back and forth about shake out runs the day before a race. I agree that they don’t make or break a race and a little extra rest never hurts! I think its just personal preference and what you’re used to doing.
Thank you so much!! I definitely think shake out runs are personal preference, and that little rest never hurts!
I can’t remember ever being eager for the taper. I’m getting better at not fighting it but it’s still what I think of as a necessary evil.
You’re going to be so ready for this race!
The taper is such a strange week – and it messes with routine so much that it can be hard to mentally manage. And thank you! 🙂
so excited for you! I can’t wait for all of the details of the race! I play with running or resting the day before a half. like you say – not really sure it matters. some races I don’t run the day before, some I run 3 miles. I don’t know if it matters!
Thank you so much! I don’t know if a shake out matters either – all by feel, I think! Now I’m just so excited for whatever we find out you’ll be training for!!!
SO FREAKING HAPPY FOR YOU. Girl, you bitchslapped this training cycle. You totally owned it! I always shakeout the day before a race. You gots to!
Thank you! So happy for both of us because of all good things this weekend – congrats again on the job!
Great job at the race! I was so excited when I saw how you did. You earned that PR! Great job Laura 🙂
Thank you so much Gretchen! I hope your training goes well this week – getting excited for you as your race approaches!
I love how you ran that race in such a beastly badass time and then look as sweet as you do at the finish. I need to learn how to braid my hair like that. It would take away a lot of drag that slows me down! Ha ha!!! My hair is HUUUUGE. Congrats again on such a huge PR.
Thank you so much! I actually had salt stains on my face so you’re being sweet. 🙂 My hair drags and tangles also so I french braid the left (where most of my hair falls based on my part) starting at the roots until I reach the nape of my neck, bobby pin it in place then I just braid all of it together, tie the bottom tight (and sometimes add a band in the middle of the braid for extra security), and bobby pin it like crazy. No need for even a headband!
That is freaking awesome, Laura!!!! Great job!! You had some amazing weather on Saturday, also. I ran the Hot Chocolate Sunday morning…and weather was not quite as cooperative. I look forward to reading your recap soon!
Thank you, Aimee! Saturday’s weather was almost a fluke how nice it was! As Sunday’s weather was crazy, it kept raining, being sunny, and then raining again. How did the Hot Chocolate race go for you? I’ve heard that’s a fun one!
Weather yesterday was unreal!! I had a soccer game after the race and it POURED!!!! I was drenched (again) but worse than during the race. The Hot Chocolate went pretty well. I am working on focusing on the positive and that I still had a pretty respectable finish time (for me…1:21:47). This was my 4th year running the Hot Chocolate in Seattle. I kind of love the 15k distance. Training wise, you do not need to kill yourself in preparation but it is a distance that it feels so gratifying to finish. You should check it out in 2017!! 🙂
Great job on your finish time – especially in the rain! The 15K distance sounds really fun and I want to try one someday – I know there’s a bunch around here and just like you said, it’s a nice length distance to train for and race. I wish the Hot Chocolate 15K wasn’t the same weekend as Lake Sammamish Half!
Congratulations again on your race- can’t wait to read your full recap of it. I know the feeling of rechecking the results to make sure you didn’t dream it too :).
Thank you! That sub-1:40 is so surreal, isn’t it? 🙂
I’m so excited for you. You truly deserved that and I almost screamed when I saw how huge that PR was.
Awww, thank you so much Hollie!! 😀
CONGRATS ON A HUGE PR!!!!! I was overjoyed when I saw your post race pic. You have worked so hard this training cycle. Do the work, execute the plan and believe in yourself. I can’t wait to read the reacap!
Thank you so much!! Both for the congrats and all the encouragement along the way 🙂
Congrats on such a great race! That’s huge! And you look so happy.
Thank you so much! I still can’t quite believe it!
Yay congrats! Can’t wait to read your race recap to hear all about your PR!
Thank you so much!! 😀