He is Risen! I hope that everyone enjoys a lovely Easter Sunday! I attended a sunrise service down at the Lincoln Memorial and it was lovely. This week brings more travel, as I head off to San Francisco for a conference on Tuesday. This is my fifth year attending this particular conference and I always enjoy it. I’m looking forward to the trip. As you may remember, I will still be running (and even doing a couple of races) in between now and when I start training for the Berlin Marathon. But I’ll primarily be focused on cross training and keeping my base level of running up. I imagine I’ll run a few days a week for the next month or so before training gets going. In that spirit, I will continue to enjoy all of your training recaps, so please do keep linking up! This is a low-key link up, but if you participate regularly, link back to this blog. Now on to the maintenance training recap!
Monday: Got my butt kicked at Pure Barre in Chicago. Like, literally my butt hurt for a couple days, lol. It was a great class.
Tuesday: I was lucky enough to be in Chicago for a meetup for the local Oiselle team hosted at Fleet Feet Running Store. I got in 5 fun miles and enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. I love that this team gives me running buddies wherever I go!
Wednesday: Flew back home to DC and took a rest day.
Thursday: 3.3 miles with Caitlin before work. Um, hi summer? It was a BIT warm for my tastes but always good to catch up with C during a run.
Friday: So I am not sure if I mentioned this but my dear friend Pamela (she ran with me at B&A Half) is a running coach and while I know I’m going to follow the Hanson plan for Berlin, I struggle with setting a goal pace and never really know how to choose that pace. Pamela offered to help me with this but told me I should race a 5k and then she could work on my paces. Confession: I did NOT want to race a 5k. Racing 5ks hurts. Bad. I think I’d honestly take the slow burn of the marathon over the grueling ~25 minute hell session of the 5k. So I told Pamela that I’d do my best, knowing I was signed up for a couple of the Friday 5ks in April. Well, last week, I was in no way prepared to race after racing and PRing for two consecutive weekends. I also paced a friend last week and that was great. I thought that maybe I’d think about racing this past Friday but once I got to the race and talking took priority over warming up, I scrapped that plan. I decided to try and run with my fast friend Colleen. Colleen had already worked out 2x that day (she’s a beast!) and wanted to run about 8:30s. That sounded reasonable to me so I said sure. After the first mile, when Colleen looked at her watch and said she was gonna slow down, I knew that meant we’d been running too fast (I estimated we were running in the 7:xx range). She did tell me to go one and that I could PR if I kept it up. So I decided to just try my best and hold on. And sure enough, I ran a new PR of 24:17. I’m gonna be really real, y’all: that HURT. I didn’t quite blow up but almost…my splits were not great. 7:19/7:32/8:00/7:55 for the final .1. I am really really really bad at pacing shorter races. But on the positive side, this was a decent enough effort that I’m comfortable using it to set my goal for Berlin. Also, I’m super glad I don’t have to race another 5k again for awhile.
Saturday: A lot of stretching and some yoga at home.
Sunday: 3.3 miles total. I ran to and from Sunrise Easter Services on the Mall. It was a beautiful way to start Easter Sunday!
Total mileage for the week: 14.91 miles
Total mileage for the year: 419.19 miles
Do you run when you travel? I love it!
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The fact that your slowest mile was 8 and you thought you were going to run 8:30s….Super strong work! Be proud! Berlin will be amazing. How awesome that you ran yo church services in DC!
The sunrise service was so nice! I think I’ll make it a tradition!
Congrats on your new 5K PR and Happy Easter! I hope you also enjoy the conference in San Francisco this week! That has to be such an awesome city to explore via running!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to a couple good runs in San Fran!
Ugh! I feel your pain. I totally hate 5ks because they are a sprint from start to finish. I am not a sprinter by no means and it is 25 minutes of nothing but pain. Everything hurts! I ran the Shamrock 5k in March and I have decided no more 5ks!! Just not my race. But congrats to you on another PR!! That’s awesome!
Happy Easter!
Thanks – and I’m glad to know I’m not alone in my dread of 5ks 😉 So so hard!!
My husband says the exact same thing about shorter races! When he was in High School, he would beg them not to put him in the 3,000 metre races and would opt for the 8k or longer each time! So WELL DONE girl! WELL DONE! And Happy Easter! 🙂
Thank you – 5ks HURT so much, lol 🙂
Way to go Courtney!!! I am bummed I missed you on your last trip to Chicago. I guess I have to make a visit to DC, right? I like but also dislike 5ks but you want to go fast but then not too fast.
Thanks! The team meet up was super fun! 🙂
You are one speedy lady. Congrats.
Thanks Darlene!
Congrats on the new 5K PR
And I agree I will take the slow burn of a half/full over the excruciating pain of really racing a 5K.
Congrats on the new 5K PR! Excited to hear what your Berlin goal will be 🙂
Ah, I hope you get in some great runs in SF! I went a couple years ago and did a couple bike rides but no runs! I wish I had though – guess I’ll just have to go back 🙂 I have no idea how to set a goal pace either – glad to hear you’re getting some help from a coach on that! I was so excited to hear about your 5k PR this week! I’m pretty anxious to see how I do this Friday. I haven’t raced a 5k in nearly 2 years and I’m not sure I remember how to pace myself for that so it will be interesting!
Congratulations on the new 5K PR! I think people underestimate the 5K because it’s short (err, shorter than a half or full), but it takes a LOT of training and mental preparation to race. And, to race a fast time, it actually takes a lot of mileage and endurance. The fastest 5Kers I know are putting in a bunch of miles each week to do it. I think you did an awesome job considering you never really race 5Ks and mostly just needed a baseline, and you set a new PR! It’s a hard distance to get right especially coming off half training. Glad you had a great week and some great runs with friends, too.
Thank you! You are kinda a 5k expert, so that means a lot. 5ks are so dang hard to pace. I think I’d need a lot of practice to get the pacing right!
I hope you had a wonderful Easter – congratulations on your new PR! I’ve never been to San Francisco – I’ve been dreaming of visiting/running there for years! Enjoy!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Buffalo Half Marathon Training Week 3 Recap
I’m excited to get in a couple runs! I love San Fran!!
Congrats on the new PR! I’m in awe of how fast you’ve become. Keep up the great work, and I have no doubt that you’ll be able to crush whatever goals you set for yourself for Berlin.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Loudoun Half Marathon Training Log – Weeks 4 and 5
Thank you Kathryn for your kind comments. I know I’m going to have to dial in this summer in order to achieve my goals in Berlin this fall! I know it’ll be a journey 🙂
I completely agree with you about 5ks! I always joke that they make me sick. I’m so jealous you’ll be running in San Fran. LOVE that city! Congrats on the new PR!
Alaina @ The Simple Peach recently posted…5 Racecation Must Haves (That Aren’t Gear)
Woo hoo great job on your race!!
Diana @ Live Lean Eat Green recently posted…How Speed Training Has Changed My Running Game
EEEEK!!!! That was a blazing fast three miles, my friend; WOO HOO!!! What a fun race (well, you know, after it was over)! Big congrats to you on ANOTHER big PR; you are going to be ready to rock your biggest, most badass marathon EVER!!
Tara recently posted…Reasons to Remember
Oh my goodness, Tara, I sure hope so! 🙂
Oh my goodness! Congrats!!! I love that you didn’t even plan to try for a PR but went with the flow, even though the flow hurt. Ouch–you are making me remember how much 5Ks suck, lol! But they are so rewarding when you do well like you did. Great job!
Yeah – the pain is SO REAL! So so hard. And thanks, lady!
Oof! I haven’t really raced a 5K, but I’ve heard enough to know it’s TOUGH raced. Congrats on the PR and enjoy SF! 🙂
Congrats on the new 5k PR! I think you’ll really love working with a coach–it has been a really valuable experience for me.
Thanks! I’m doing my same Hansons plan but the help on my paces is going to be invaluable!
Congrats on your new 5k PR!!!!
The fact that you were able to run this PR after coming off of half training means that you have some hidden speed in your legs,chica. Youve got a base line now for Berlin so I forsee another great training cycle up ahead!
Glad you had a wonderful easter-that sunrise service sounds nice!
oh and btw,I am the complete opposite of you- I LOVE the 5k and would prefer it over the half or full marathon any day, lol!!!!
Hahahaha I love that you are the total opposite and love the pain of the 5k! I SO respect that, because DANG they are hard!