Countdown to F^3 Lake Half Marathon - 13 days

I am 13 days out from the F^3 Lake Half Marathon and it's taper time! While I still have another week's worth of some challenging strength and tempo runs, I completed my longest run since the marathon in October. It feels good to have that under my belt, especially after the challenging weather this week.

Here was my schedule:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 4 X 1.5 mile strength run

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 5 miles easy, 10 min Pilates workout

Friday: 5 miles easy

Saturday: 12 miles long, Jasyoga - Optimal Hip Reset

Sunday: 6 miles easy, Jasyoga - Booty Lock Mitigation

Weather played a huge part in all my runs. Tuesday's strength run was made infinitely more difficult by the 32 mph winds that were pushing me off the trail. I dug deep during this workout and was able to make it through the 4 repeats for a total of 7 miles despite the wind.

I had every intention of completing my temp run on Thursday, but an ice storm on Wednesday evening covered all of streets and sidewalks with a thick layer of ice. This is probably the worst ice storm I've seen in a long time and clearly it meant the tempo run would not happen. I took the opportunity to try out my new Salomon Snowcross shoes which have incredible traction meant for snowy and icy terrain. While the 5 miles were far from "easy", I believe any miles are better than no miles. If you have read my post regarding ice here, you know that I don't mess around when it comes to ice. I was surprised at how well these shoes performed. They were a bit heavy and the built in gaiter bothered my right ankle a bit, but I did not fall or slip once.

Salomon Snowcross shoes

I thought that perhaps some of the ice would melt and I could do the tempo run on Friday, but the ice was just as bad, if not worse. I tried a different trail in hopes the maintenance would be better and while it was safer than by my house, I still needed traction on my shoes. I was really disapointed that I didn't complete the tempo run, but that's the negative part to training in the winter. Some weeks go as planned and others need to be adjusted.

I was dreading my long run on Saturday simply for the fact that I expected to wear traction on my shoes for 12 miles. By some miracle, the exact trail I had been on Friday was mostly melted on Saturday and this instantly gave me a boost to start out the run. As mentioned, this is the longest run I've completed since October and while challenging due to the cold and icy spots, I am thankful that I was able to get this distance in before the race. It is exactly the confidence booster I needed.

Fatigue Level:

I definitely felt the fatigue this week, especially after running in the thick ice on Thursday and Friday. I continued to use my R8 roller after each run and this helped flush out my legs and made them feel noticeable better. Sunday's run after the 12 miles started off very slowly with heavy legs, and I am looking forward to a rest day soon. Thankfully that was the last long run before the race and I can enjoy some easier distances that will help with the fatigue.

Mental & Emotional Strength:

I have noticed that I get really frustrated when the weather impacts my runs. I was in such a horrible mood Thursday and Friday because I did not want to run in ice and snow. While cold temps and wind do not seem to bother me, I am really growing tired of having to run with traction and every day that I woke up and saw ice made me feel super bummed out about my runs. I know if I did not have a race I would probably not mind as much, but I feel pressured to put in the time and miles with a goal so close. Thankfully the long run was what I needed to feel better about my training. I thought back to all that I have run through these past few weeks: ice, rain, snow, negative temps, wind. I could have some or all of this on race day and I will be all the more prepared because of it.

Last long run. Taper time!

Nutrition:

My nutrition was focused around fueling for some of the longer runs I had. I was not sure if I was fueled enough for the long run since I did not have a "dinner" Friday night due to attending my husband's holiday party. While alcohol was in abundance, food not as much. I made sure to eat a meal before I went to bed so I would have something in the tank for the run. I was also mindful to take a gel early on during the run to avoid bonking as I knew I was running with carb depletion. I felt hungry during the run but never hit "the wall" so thankfully my night out beforehand did not hurt me in any way. While a few more glasses of wine would have been nice, knowing I had a 12 miler the next day made that seem much less appealing.

Assuming the weather cooperates this week, I will be able to get in the last strength and tempo runs before race week. Either way, the hay is in the barn and everything I do between now and race day is just to maintain my fitness.