Mile Markers: Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training Week 3

Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training Week 3

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a relaxing and joyful holiday!

The past week was spent visiting family in St. Louis, hence my break from blogging. Ryan and I only get to visit my family a couple times a year, as we live about 2000 miles away from them, so needless to say we wanted to spend as much time with them as we could. 

Due to a missed connection, we enjoyed two extra days in St. Louis. We were supposed to fly back to Seattle with a connecting flight in Minneapolis, but our airline decided to delay our early morning flight in the middle of the night, which would have missed our connection and there were no open seats on later flights out of Minneapolis. Thankfully, we were able to refund our ticket and get direct tickets with another airline to return home on Saturday and spend a couple extra days with family.

This week’s training the first treadmill runs of the training cycle, since St. Louis experienced days of heavy rains and then subsequent flooding (thankfully, we were not directly affected by the floods). 

Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training: Week 3

 

New to the blog? Catch up on Week 1 and Week 2 of my training!

Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training Week 3

Monday: 5 miles on the treadmill with 3 miles at tempo pace (7:26/mile average pace)

Dismayed by the third day of heavy rains, we used guest passes to access the treadmills at my former gym. My original workout called for 2 x 15 minutes at tempo effort, but I modified the workout (read: we got a late start that morning and I was hungry) to a 3 mile tempo run at a 7:26/mile average pace. 

I repeatedly complain about how treadmill running feels harder than outdoor running. Effort is an important metric for me, but I also get frustrated when I know how a certain pace feels to my body outside (such as, tempo effort is consistently a 7:25-7:30 pace for me these past several weeks). After reading Matt Fitzgerald’s article on perceived effort and treadmill running, I followed his suggestion and kept the incline at 0%, rather than 1-2%. This small adjustment did make my pace match how the effort feels outdoors. 

Tuesday: 7 mile easy run, on the treadmill, 8:35/mile pace

Ryan gifted me with a pair of Saucony bullet tights for Christmas and thus introduced me to my new running gear obsession. These tights are amazing and wick enough even for indoor runs and rainy runs. I shoved my keys in the side pocket and did not notice them for this entire run. 

Recovery holds equal importance as running during race training, so Charlie helped Ryan and I make sure we recovered from our workouts with some puggle snuggles.

Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training Week 3

Wednesday: 7 mile fartlek run on the treadmill with 10 x 1 minute hard at 5K-3K pace (6:49/mile to 6:35/mile)

Three conditions made my third treadmill run in a row significantly more mentally manageable. Ryan ran on the treadmill next to me the whole time (his longest run in over a year, I’m so proud of him!), speed play helped pass the time, and I listened to a superb Runner’s Connect podcast (Tina’s interview with Tom Foreman, the author of My Year of Running Dangerously).

Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training Week 3  

Thursday: 10 mile progression run with last 30 minutes at a moderate pace

After a lack of sleep (I was on the phone with airlines at 3AM), all I wanted to do was run to feel more awake and release my frustrations at airlines, so I altered my training schedule and ran my long run of the week instead of resting on Thursday. 

This run was challenging due to the wind! I complained last week about a progression run in windy weather and this run reminded me how unpleasant Midwest winter weather can be. The temperature was in the high 20s, but it felt much colder in the wind. Of course, I did an out-and-back loop 3 times, so half of my run was spent running directly into a headwind. Despite this, my last 4 mile splits recorded at 7:52, 7:29, 7:45, and 7:30. Can you tell which miles were run into the wind?

 

Friday: 15 minute kettlebell workout

Since I logged harder workouts on two consecutive days, I decided to rest from running on Friday. I did a quick kettlebell workout and some simple core work, but the focus on the day was on recovery, so I avoided pushing myself too hard in this workout. 

I will openly admit that I skip out on strength training when we travel. Running takes priority, especially when I’m race training, and I know that I can resume my normal supplemental workout schedule after vacation. Spending time with family is more valuable. 

Saturday: 3 mile with Ryan and Charlie, 9:38/mile

One of my favorite parts of Christmas vacation has been getting to run with Ryan. 

Sunday: Rest

Run: 32 miles | Hike: 0 miles | 1 supplemental workout

[Tweet “Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Training Week 3 via @thisrunrecipes #fitfluential #sweatpink”]

Did you experience any problems traveling this holiday season?
To what incline do you set the treadmill?
How was your running this past week? Did you race?

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26 Responses

  1. Nice job getting in your workouts while traveling! I also run more while traveling and skip out on some of the supplemental stuff. And I usually play around with the incline on the treadmill, but typically keep it around .5-1%. We thankfully didnt have any travel issues this year, which is surprising because I have terrible luck with traveling. Welcome back!

    1. Thank you! Playing around with the treadmill incline is a great way to pass time on the treadmill, especially during an easy run. Otherwise the treadmill can be so dull!

  2. I was just thinking the other day that it seems like it takes much more effort from me to run on the treadmill than it does outside! Sometimes I run faster inside but overall, it feels as though I have to work harder during the run to keep it going yet recovery afterwards feels better/easier on my body. I keep the incline usually at 0.5% and go up to 1 and back down at various times during the run.

    1. It’s so weird – you’d think that the treadmill would feel easier, but it always does feel like a harder effort! I agree about the recovery though – it’s a lot less pounding on the legs than pavement or concrete.

  3. My parents were here for Christmas and had the joy if being delayed and cancelled numerous times on their way home. At least we got 2 extra days with them! And glad you love the Saucony Bullet! They are quite awesome. Now you need the shorts! ?

    1. At least you did get extra time with them! I wonder what it is that caused all of the delays. I want the Saucony bullet shorts now – those pockets are amazing! 🙂

  4. Nice job keeping up with your workouts while away! Flight delays/cancellations can be so frustrating but I’m glad it all worked out for your guys in the end. Ugh, the wind and cold has been brutal here. Seriously. I was out Saturday morning and I felt like the headwind was following me at every turn! Needless to say, I opted for the treadmill this morning ;-). I keep the incline generally at 0% after also reading that article. I hope you have a great Monday, Laura!

    1. Thank you, Angie! Midwest winter winds are brutal, so I don’t blame you for opting for the treadmill! At least you got to enjoy lots of outdoor runs in December and hopefully this winter isn’t as bad as the last two!

  5. Way to go on a successful week of training despite the travel stress and having to rebook the flights, etc. You got a lot of workouts in which was a good thing! I ran on the treadmill one day last week, and for me it is harder to get started but once I’m going, I am good. I take a longer warmup on the ‘mill, but I do keep the incline at 0% unless I want to do a hill workout specifically.

    I love the saucony bullet shorts. It’s too hot here for tights, but I’m obsessed with the shorts and they’re perfect for racing. I’m scouring amazon for another pair, I already have 2 pairs.

    1. Thank you! The treadmill does take a longer time for warming up, probably because it takes a while to mentally settle into it. I think I saw a pair of Saucony Bullet shorts on Amazon for $20 yesterday!

  6. I keep the treadmill at 1.5-1 when running–I start at 1.5 and then decrease to 1 or even .5 over the course of my run. Working out while away is what keeps me going (and, back when I could run, regular, lol). Going to Mexico next week will be interesting without running! Luckily, I will be able to do weights, but I’m still not to the point that I can swim or bike yet.

    1. At least you can still kick back and enjoy the sunshine in Mexico! I agree, though, running on vacation keeps things feeling normal – and keeps a healthy appetite for enjoying local treats!

  7. I haaaaaate running in the wind. HATE IT. I always set my treadmill at 0.5 %. It’s just enough to help me not feel like I’m braking with each footfall. I’ll have to check out that podcast. I listened to the one with her and Dick Beardsley and I had to step off the treadmill to cry. It’s a life changer.

    1. Yes! I listened to the Dick Beardsley one a while ago and it is a tearjerker indeed! As is the one with Fernando Cabada. Tina always does such a good job at creating interesting interviews!
      And that’s why we both live in the PNW rather than the Midwest – the wind isn’t as bad here!

  8. Welcome back! I hope you had a really nice and relaxing vacation. Luckily I didn’t have any issues with traveling this year..all the roads were clear and there was surprisingly no traffic! We traveled on Christmas Day and the day after New Years, and no one seemed to be traveling besides us. Score!

    1. Thank you! Vacation was nice and relaxing – I hope your holidays were as well! That’s great that you didn’t have traffic issues – traffic on Christmas day itself seems so hit or miss. The airport was so empty for our flight on the day after New Years – so it worked out well that our flights were delayed, I guess!

  9. Nice week! Way to get it done despite challenging travel/weather circumstances!

    I remember reading somewhere that they did a study related to the 1% incline and found that unless you regularly run at sub-7:00 paces, the incline actually doesn’t make any difference. I don’t bother with it. I just don’t see the point, since I usually don’t do enough of my running on the mill for it to be significant. But I totally agree that the effort level feels harder on the treadmill than outside. It seems like it should be the other way around though, doesn’t it? Why would a certain pace at zero wind resistance and 100% flat, smooth terrain feel like more effort? Who knows!

    1. Thank you, Hanna! I recall reading that study as well, which is interesting because older pace charts showed that it did make a difference. I also read a study that said that we perceive the treadmill as harder because we aren’t moving forward and that messes with our perception of effort. Who knows if that’s right, but it could be!

  10. Hi! Glad you had a nice vacay 🙂 your pace is crazy awesome!
    The last time I had a bad flying experience we were stuck in the Carribbean for an extra night…it wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’ thave to pay for the extra night 😉

    1. Thank you, Jess! I hope you enjoyed the holidays as well! Being stuck in the Caribbean doesn’t sound too bad at all, although paying for the extra night is never fun!

  11. While travel snafus stink, it’s great that you got a couple of extra days with family. Great job with your workouts too! I too have a hard time running on treadmills. It always feel so much harder than running outside! But good podcasts definitely help!

    1. Thank you, Christine! It was great to get to spend extra time with family, especially since we live so far away now. Podcasts really do help – and there’s so many good ones out there now!

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