Fitness

Weekly Workouts

October 8, 2023

9 weeks to JAX marathon

M: Group run, 9.07 mi @ 9:34/mi average

T: Speed day – 9.1 mi total, ran 6 x 4 min @ 7:33 – 7:46/mi pace (was supposed to be 10K pace or thereabouts).

W: Group run again – 9.06 mi @ 9:45/mi average

R: Chill square run with strides, 9 mi @ 9:43/mi average + 20 minutes strength for runners (Matt Wilpers / Peloton) and 10 min core for runners (Becs Gentry / Peloton)

F: Another group run!!!! This was the most social running week ever. I guess the local schedules just aligned! 6.75 mi @ 10:13/mi

S: 20 miles @ 9:19/mi average. I wasn’t really trying to push the pace on this but generally felt good and comfortable. As I reported to Josh upon arriving home, I could have kept going but was also happy to be done!

my Apple Watch (series 7, about 3 yrs old) has been particularly inaccurate with HR data lately 🙁

S: Today – some light strength (barre, maybe some strength for runners with light weights) + yoga for stretching purposes!

TOTAL: 63 mi, strength day x 1 (2 if you count today)

I honestly am enjoying this training so much. Especially now that the weather is slightly more tolerable (it’s still hot/humid by non-FL standards but it’s definitely better than August)

And now to follow all of my Chicago-running friends. I predict some PRs!!!

10 Comments

  • Reply Lisa’s Yarns October 8, 2023 at 9:00 am

    Awesome week of training! How is Josh’s going? Does he have a time goal? I really don’t know how he fits it into his busy schedule that is full of call and long/late days! You guys both must have low sleep needs!! Or I suppose he doesn’t have to be in super early?

    I am excited to track Chelsea and Coco today. Chicago is such a fun race. You should put it on your bucket list! It’s super well spectated. Some cities just really support marathons. Like in the Twin Cities, marathon weekend is well known and well supported. When I was living in Charlotte I kind of assumed it would be the same so when the fall marathon rolled around, I mentioned the marathon and people were like ‘oh the marathon is this weekend?’ I went out to spectate and there was no one out in the stretch I lived along and it was in the final stretch. I get that spectating at races aren’t for everyone but it’s especially fun to run a super well spectated race! You’d get that at Chicago and Twin Cities!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger October 8, 2023 at 10:48 am

      He has a couple of days with later starts where he can run while I drive kids to school! His is going well, we have opposite challenges (mine is speed and his is endurance).

  • Reply Enily October 8, 2023 at 4:30 pm

    Apple Watches are not at all reliable for measuring HR. I will often train by HR using a chest strap and my HRs from the chest strap and my Apple Watch can be off by like 20bpm! Highly suggest a chest strap if you want to use HR data

  • Reply Elisabeth October 8, 2023 at 6:03 pm

    Wow! 9 weeks sounds soon. I’ve been following along vicariously, so somehow it still felt very “distant” to me, but that time span will pass by quickly I’m sure!

  • Reply Kristie October 8, 2023 at 11:15 pm

    Another great training week in the books! I always enjoy reading your updates.

    Chicago was amazing! I was at mile 12 when they announced the world record was broken by Kelvin Kiptum with a 2:00:35 marathon!! It wasn’t a PR for me, but I got one 4 weeks ago and was happy to run this one feeling strong. It’s really just the best crowd support you could imagine, and the weather was perfect this year. I had a fun day celebrating with my running group and will enjoy the extra rest this week!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger October 9, 2023 at 8:23 am

      Marathons 4 weeks apart – that is amazing!!!! Congrats and enjoy the rest!!!!

  • Reply jennystancampiano October 10, 2023 at 8:44 am

    Wow, this was a great week for you. Finishing a 20 mile run feeling like you could have gone further is tremendous. Especially in this heat! I agree it’s the teensiest bit cooler, but it’s still hot. Imagine how amazing you’ll feel by the time the marathon rolls around- and it’s quite a bit further north. Hopefully you’ll have some cool weather.
    You commented on my blog about the strength training I do- if I were running your mileage, it would be very, very hard to fit in strength. I even have trouble when mine gets up to the 30-40 mile/week range. Fitting in a leg day that doesn’t interfere with a long run or speed workout is practically impossible. It doesn’t seem like you’re injury prone, so the strength you’re doing is probably perfect for you.

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger October 10, 2023 at 9:11 am

      I have been very lucky so far this training cycle but still live in fear of injury. From approx 2007-2009 I trained for at least 2 (maybe 3) marathons at high mileage that never happened because of injury (hip, tendon, etc). I do think the shoes are better now and I also benefit from largely flat terrain. I also used to do a ton of treadmill running and now i almost never do (unless i’m doing a specific hill workout or there’s lightning) so maybe that’s a factor too. Good to know though that you are periodic in you strength and a good reminder to UP my strength when my mileage comes back down post race.

  • Reply Kristie October 10, 2023 at 9:57 am

    One more comment about the Chicago marathon—it was so fun to run through Pilsen after reading Hello Beautiful (I have a few chapters left, so I guess I’ll see how I feel at the end!)

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger October 10, 2023 at 10:11 am

      ohhh I could see that (even though I didn’t love that book, the “place” aspects I did enjoy!!!)

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