Training Log: Surf City Half - Week 7

Hope everyone celebrating last week had a great holiday! It was so nice to get back to Washington State for a few days, although I think I've lost my ability to handle temperatures below 50 degrees. I felt pretty shamed running in a long sleeve top, vest and leggings when other runners were in shorts and a tee (in my defense, it was in the high 30s to low 40s, which is hardly shorts weather...).

Traveling home for the holidays makes a solid week of training close to impossible (for me, at least). The week wasn't a total bust on the training front, but I didn't get in the long run I'd planned on. Here's what I did get done:


Training Log: Surf City Half - Week 7


Monday: Strength training with Melanie (Equinox trainer).

• 0.5 mile warm-up on treadmill
• Two sets of fifteen reps of two core exercises
• Three sets of fifteen reps of four total body exercises (squat to row, chest press with raised hips, etc)
• Two sets of fifteen reps of two pilates-style hamstring/glute-targeting exercises
• Stretching

Since the theme of this week was rest before the last month of hard training, strength was more focused on things like a tricep cable pull with a lunge, squat to row, etc. Nothing too fatiguing for my leg muscles.


Tuesday: Rest day / travel.

Normal workday followed by a 2.5 hour flight and a 2.5 hour car ride home. I love that traveling back to WA doesn't entail a full day of travel anymore (although next time we're seriously considering flying into the local airport and cutting out that long car ride).


Wednesday: Easy 6 miles.

Gorgeous day for a run (I might have gotten a bit picture happy). My Garmin was dead so I ran a route where I knew the mileage. Mentally I struggled a bit -- the run felt very long -- but physically I felt good, and the last three miles were fun since I got some beautiful farmland views.


Thursday: Very easy 2 miles / rest.

After a relaxed Christmas morning, we headed out to my favorite run path in Whatcom County, the beachside trail at Semiahmoo. My mom is currently working through the Couch to 5K program so I did her run with her: 5 minutes fast walking to warm up, 10 minutes running, 3 minutes fast walking, 10 minutes running, and 5 minutes fast walking to cool down.


Friday: 10x200m hill repeats + rock climbing.

I had to do some work Friday morning, so hill repeats were pushed to the late afternoon after the day's activities. My mom unfortunately had to work, so it was my dad, sister, brother-in-law and Sourabh. First we went to an indoor bouldering gym.

The rock walls aren't as high at a bouldering gym, but there are no ropes so you aren't supported at all. I love climbing so I had a great time, and it made Sourabh and I even more excited to get back to Joshua Tree and spend a day climbing the rocks there. The gym was awesome, and I plan to go back next time I'm in WA. Next was lunch at Fiamma Burger, probably my favorite burger place anywhere, and then bowling.

Burgers were probably not the best meal before hill repeats. Oh well. We picked my mom up and headed to the above location for the workout (Sourabh and my mom walked our dog, Mason, while my dad hit the hill with me).

• 1 mile warm-up
• 10x200m repeats: 46-52 seconds each
• 1 mile cool-down

I was wheezing hard by the end since it was in the high 30s and I hadn't done any hard cardio in the cold in nine months. Reminder of why I like the mild "winter" here in SoCal!


Saturday: Strength workout.

• 0.5 mile warm-up on treadmill
• Dynamic stretching routine
• Three sets of fifteen reps of four upper body exercises (double arm row, anti-rotation cable pulls, squat to curls and lateral pull-downs)
• Two sets of fifteen reps of three core exercises
• Foam rolling my tight, sore legs

You know you're in WA when you see Seahawks wine. Kind of kicking myself for not buying a bottle...

Sunday: Rest day / travel.

Total Mileage = abysmal 12


And now I'm back in Southern California and starting the last month of hard training before the Surf City Half Marathon!