RunAPalooza Training Week 8

I have fallen SO behind on my blogging! Life has been so crazy with work and family stuff, but if you follow my socials, I've still been putting in the work! Since I'm pretty much stuck inside because of the pending Noreastersnowmageddonpocalypse (Part 4, BTW), I decided to catch up on blogging! Here's how week 8 went down:

Monday-REST

Tuesday-4 miles and Centergy

This one was supposed to be 6, but it was super cold and windy. Plus I was not feeling 100% (lack of sleep and forgetting to eat-totally owning up to it). So I cut it at 4, got myself a smoothie, and took a Centergy class with my friend Rachel. Felt better.

Wednesday-REST

This was Noreastersnowmageddonpocalypse Part 2. I wound up going to work for a bit in the morning, so I couldn't get in the gym then. My gym closed at 3, so no Ride and Power at night. Took it as a rest day and watched Angry Birds.

Thursday-30 minute speed run, Barre, and ViPR

Thursdays mean short and fast runs with a side of Lori's Barre and ViPR. This run was 2.68 miles, which put me at a 11:24/mile pace. Loaded functional training with strengthening work after a run. It is working. I feel improvements in my conditioning. This was the best I felt all week.

Friday-Ride and Core

No Wednesday workout meant having to get it in on Friday. Solid spin class followed by a good Core class. I do need to get more consistent with core work, but I'm getting there. 

Saturday-Cycle and Power

Tough workout. No mercy was shown in cycle at all. Power was equally tough. It was tough, but I nailed it!

Sunday-5 miles

The "long" run of the week. I attempted to go my full nine (which was the plan), but working from 4:30 in the morning the day the clocks changed forward left me feeling wiped out. So I did what I could. This run was crap, but it was something.

Total Run Mileage-11.68

Total Spin Classes-2

Total Strength Training-1 hour (Power)

Total Mind-Body Work-1 hour (Centergy)

Other Workouts-30 minute Core class, 30 minute ViPR class, 60 minute Barre class

Overall, this week was not so great. I was less than 100% for much of the week, the weather threw me off, and I was working like crazy. I did get something in for five days, which is better than nothing, but still not where I wanted the week to be. Week 9 was much better, and I'll have that post up soon!

RunAPalooza Training: Week 7

Whoa, I'm halfway there. Whoa, livin' on a prayer. Okay, I'm showing my inner Jersey girl a bit, but I finished week 7 and am just under seven weeks to 13.1! 

Here's how this week went:

Monday-REST

Tuesday-6 miles
This one was actually a split run since life happened. I had a split shift at work, and I had to take my dad to the doctor's. It was a hilly run, but the pace wasn't terrible on either end.

Wednesday-Ride and Power
The usual Wednesday night. I pushed resistance in Ride and went for my heaviest weight on legs in Power, along with bumping it up on the shoulder track. Legs were shredded for sure!

Thursday-5 miles, Barre, and ViPR
I am digging Lori's Barre and ViPR! So worth the trip to Ocean on Thursdays! Those are not easy classes, but they are helping me with strength, lengthening, and conditioning (which runners can always use). Before that though, I got five miles in OUTSIDE since the rain managed to hold out after I got off work! Yay!

Friday-REST

Saturday-Ride, Team Training, and Centergy
Solid morning of cross-training that hit everything! I started with Ride, then followed that with an upper body heavy Team Training class. After those two, I cooled down with Centergy. Pretty good mix for a Saturday morning!

Sunday-9 miles
This was tough. It was cold and windy. I had quite a few points where I wanted to give up, but I kept going! I stayed in my town and did the same two mile out and back four times. After the fourth round, I went a different way for my last mile. Nine miles under 13:00/mile? I'll take it!

Total Run Mileage-20

Total Spin Classes-2
Total Strength Training-1.5 hours (Power and Team Training)
Total Mind-Body Work-1 hour (Centergy)
Other Workouts-30 minute ViPR class, 60 minute Barre class

NAILED IT! I feel great about how this week went! I finally got every workout I wanted to get in done! I even added some new stuff too! Mileage may go down next week since it's tempo week, but I hope to keep this awesome momentum going!

Johnny Mac House of Spirits Train Run (Asbury Park, NJ)

While this run was not a race by any means, it was a fun experience despite some miserable weather, so I decided to recap it on its own instead of just a brief summary on my weekly training log.

Before this, I had never done a train run. In short, a train run is where you take the train to where you want to start, then run back. The Jersey Shore Running Club puts on one where you take the Asbury Park train to either Bradley Beach, Belmar, or Spring Lake, depending on how far you want to run. I saw it and had eight miles planned for last Sunday, so I decided to make it part of my long run and take the train down to Spring Lake.

Even though this was not a race, I decided that I still had to sparkle AND rep my We Run Social crew! It was Phoenix Marathon weekend, which is pretty much the We Run Social anniversary, so I broke out my hoodie for the occasion. ;-)

I woke up on Sunday and saw rain. Just, ugh. I would have ran at the gym if I didn't already pay for the run. So I grabbed my poncho and down to Asbury Park I went. I did not get the mile and a half that I was planning on because of the weather, but I would be okay with what I got. 

Check in for the run was at Johnny Mac's, which is where you got your train ticket (included in the price of the run). Once I got my ticket it was a lot of mingling until we went to the train station at about 10:30 (train was scheduled to depart at 10:58).

We then went to the train station for the national anthem played by Trumpeting Dave (if you've never ran a JSRC race, you wouldn't get it) and some photo ops before getting on the train.

A post shared by Tracy Carroll (@tradledee85) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:50am PST

Soon enough, we were on the train, and there were actually a handful of us who were going long and making the trip down to Spring Lake. 

I started off okay, but soon enough, the weather took its toll on me, I got separated from the pack, and I was going solo. Which normally would be fine, but on a wet day like that one, it was not a fun run. My feet got SOAKED within two miles, so going for another four(ish) with wet feet was MISERABLE!

Because of the weather, it was very slow going. I got back on a main road and cut it short by about three tenths of a mile. Definitely not my fastest, but I am proud of myself for not backing out and sticking with it through some tough wind and rain. 

A post shared by Tracy Carroll (@tradledee85) on Feb 25, 2018 at 10:07am PST

I made it back to Johnny Mac's, where I checked back in for my souvenir shirt and drink ticket. After I got my drink (Miller Lite never tasted so good), I got my ticket to get pizza. I thought it was a slice, maybe two. WRONG! It was a whole bar pie. So worth it. I spent a few hours hanging out with other runners, and got home at about 3:00. 

Other than the weather (which is out of our control), this was a fun experience! Train runs are pretty cool, going somewhere I normally wouldn't. It was also nice to get to hang out with other runners. Pizza, a drink, shirt, and a train ticket at $25 was a pretty sweet deal. I would totally do this again, but hope for better weather.  

How about you? Have you ever done a train run?

RunAPalooza Training: Week 6

Hello, everyone! It has been a busy week and I finally just found time to recap my sixth week of RunAPalooza training! I shook things up a bit, and it seemed to be okay. Here's how it went down:

Monday-Centergy and Core

I took Monday as an active recovery day. Plus I missed my girl Adrienne A LOT. Nothing too over the top, just enough to get moving and feel good.

Tuesday-4 miles

I RAN ALONG THE BEACH IN FEBRUARY! If you haven't guessed, I like running along the beach. ;-) It was a beautiful day, so I went to Pier Village in Long Branch (my happy spot) and ran a solid four miles. 

A post shared by Tracy Carroll (@tradledee85) on Feb 20, 2018 at 4:38pm PST

Wednesday-Ride and Power

The usual. It's getting harder to recap Wednesday night workouts unless I really amp up something in either class. I just played around with my weight in Power and felt some really good challenges in class.

Thursday-3 miles, Barre, and ViPR

I took a trip to the gym in Ocean to take Barre and ViPR with Lori, who has become a fav of mine in the short amount of time I've taken classes with her. The three miles were amazing with a pace of 11:14! Barre and ViPR proved to be a challenge too, but gave me some needed conditioning and toning work.

Friday-REST

Saturday-REST

I was planning on some type of activity on Saturday, but life and work happened. So I took a second rest day after all.

Sunday-Johnny Mac House of Spirits Train Run (5.7 miles)

I recapped this separate, since it was an experience in itself. Recap is HERE.

Total Run Mileage: 12.8

Total Spin Classes: 1

Total Strength Training: 1 hour (Power)

Total Mind-Body Work: 1 hour (Centergy)

Other Workouts: 30 minute Core class, 30 minute ViPR class, 1 hour Barre class

My goal mileage for the week was 15 miles, and I did come short on my long run. I'll have more about that in the Train Run recap, but overall, I feel good about last week. I got to run outside, make a new friend, and got some different types of workouts in! I'm still trying to balance everything, but I feel like I'm making some good moves forward! 

RunAPalooza Training: Week 5

Five weeks of training done already?! Time is flying! Only 63 days to 13.1! Since tomorrow is a rest day (closing Ocean again), I decided to recap the week today!

Monday-REST

Tuesday-30 minute tempo run and Centergy

This week actually called for 40 minutes tempo. I decided to just hop on the treadmill and see what happened. I had a solid 30 minutes of work (2.58 miles)while watching Olympic curling. I was on the treadmill so I could take a Centergy class with my friend Rachel too! Boy, was it needed! My hip flexors were screaming for a good stretch and I felt better after the class!

Wednesday-Ride and Power

Valentine's Day is about love, right? So why not spend it with my girls doing my fav double workout? ;-) Great workout and I actually increased weight in four tracks in Power (including the evil shoulder track-Hello, 32ish pound barbell!). 

Thursday-4 miles

This run was tougher than it looked. I was not feeling 100% (Mother Nature sucks sometimes) and was tired after a long day at work. Still, I went outside for this one and it was awesome! This girl was meant to be outside! 

Friday-Cycle and Core

Good workout. Cycle was a mixed bag and Core was good too. I need to do more core work, but the class was not as much of a struggle as it was the last time. 

Saturday-8 miles

This was tough. I went outside and it was COLD! I also started to test energy gels. Chocolate GU tastes like hot fudge...lol. I do think I need to space them out a little more (I had two about 3-3.5 miles apart), but my body was fine with them. I pushed through and ended up with a 13:00/mile pace for the 8! I'll take it! Longest run yet!

Sunday-REST

Total Run Mileage: 14.58

Total Spin Classes: 2

Total Strength Training: 1 hour (Power)

Total Mind-Body Work: 1 hour (Centergy)

Other Workouts: 30 minute Core class

Overall, I feel GREAT about this week! I got my mojo back and had some solid mileage. My cross-training was on point too. Hope to keep this up into next week as I have a second eight-miler and am targeted for 16 miles overall for the week. 

Have a good week!

RunAPalooza Training: Week 4

To say this week was rough would be an understatement. Work has been crazy and I found myself really losing focus on everything. The week wasn't a total wash though. Here's how it went down:

Monday-REST

Tuesday-4 miles and Team Training
I was feeling super burned out on Tuesday. I worked for seven days straight in two cafes. So I decided to cut my run a mile short and take a Team Training class. The struggle was real ALL night...

Wednesday-Ride and Power
The usual. I slightly increased weight on the leg tracks in Power though. 

Thursday-4 miles and yoga
Not terrible, but not great either. I was pushing for five, but I had checked out around four. After yoga, I was done. 

Friday-REST

Saturday-REST
I worked from 5:30-3, and was planning on the seven miler after work. My mind and body were saying rest though. So I listened and took another rest day. I felt better.

Sunday-7 miles
I'm over treadmill running. Up it, over it, past it, in the driveway. Yeah, I'm sick of treadmills if you haven't guessed. ;-) That and Swedish fish do not make god running fuel. Still, I pushed for it and wound up with an awesome seven!

Total Run Mileage: 15
Total Spin Classes: 1
Total Weight Training: 1 hour
Total Mind-Body Work: 1 hour (yoga)
Other Workouts: 30 minutes Team Training

I did miss one workout this week, and that was a spin class. No big deal. I made up for it with the Team Training class (which is mostly interval and strength training, but it's something). I lost focus big time, but I'm coming around and can not wait to make this week stronger and better!

RunAPalooza Training: Week 3

Week 3 already? Time is flying! 

I decided to publish this on Saturday since I need to take tomorrow as a "rest" day (no workout, but I am working 6-3, so I'm not actually resting), so here's how it went this week!

Monday-REST

Tuesday-5K Run
Tuesday called for 5 miles, but since it was cold with snow showers, I went to the gym and made it the pace run. I don't have a clear idea on a half marathon or even a 10K pace, so I went with 5K pace (36:05-11:38/mile). I know this is not the best approach, but at least I got the miles in. I'll have a better idea of pace as I get more long runs in.

Wednesday-Ride and Power
The usual. I really don't know how to recap it other than my girls rock and make me feel better than when I go in to the gym!

Thursday-5 miles
This. Was. CRAPTASTIC. I worked from 5:30-3, and the last thing I wanted to do after work was run. However, I kept the end goal in mind. It was not pretty, as I took a fall with less than a mile to go. I'm fine except for a few cuts. Whatever. I got the miles in. 

Friday-Ride and Core
Since I have work at 6 on Sunday morning, I had to switch my cross-training from Sunday to Friday. Thankfully, I found a gym with spin class on Friday afternoons. I went in and had a solid workout. I took Core after and learned that I need to get some more core work in too!

Saturday-7 miles
LONGEST RUN EVER! This was when I found out the treadmills have time limits of an hour. Meh! I was getting into my groove! Anyway, a friend of mine suggested using gummy bears as fuel. I did and it worked! I felt fine throughout, until the end when I wanted to get off the damn treadmill. Pace was a little fast, but I'll take it! If there was a run I needed to prove to myself that I CAN do this, today was it! Oh, and I love this shirt from Bucket List Running! Check her shop out on Etsy! She has some pretty cool stuff! 

Sunday-REST
My rest day got switched to Sunday this week as I had to open another café. So I get two rest days in a row. I don't want to do this too often, but it's okay once in awhile.

Total Run Mileage: 15.1
Total Spin Classes: 2
Total Weight Training: 1 hour
Total Mind-Body Work: None
Other Workouts: 30 minute Core class


Still working on getting the mind-body work in! Highest mileage ever hit this week though, so that's a plus. This week showed me that not every run is going to be sunshine and rainbows, and that coming back from the bad ones matters as much as having good ones. 

Have a great week!

RunAPalooza Training: Week 2

The main goal I had for week 2 was to build on what I did in week 1. Here's how I did:

Monday-REST

Tuesday-4.5 miles
I got to run outside again! In January! What a unique experience! This one was tough, as I ran into wind and sprinkles of rain at one point, but it got done! I also made a wrong turn and wound up with an extra half mile. Okay, then...

Wednesday-Ride and Power

Need I say more? ;-)

Thursday-30 minute tempo run and yoga
I. Hate. Tempo. Work. I never do it, and I had to do it inside, which made it worse. Whatever. Next tempo run is 40 minutes and in a few weeks. Hopefully I can make that one outside.

Friday-REST

Saturday-6 miles
I took this week's long run to a trail that runs through my area. So nice to run someplace different. This long run's objective was pace control and consistency. Still working on both, as I had one mile at 11:36. I'll get there.

Sunday-R30 and Power
Since 6 miles on Saturday didn't hurt enough, I went all out on the bike. Plus I took my second Power class of the week. Somehow I felt okay after. Not complaining, but know if it doesn't feel right, adjust as needed.

Total Run Mileage: 13.25
Total Spin Classes: 1.5
Total Weight Training: 2 hours 
Total Mind-Body Work: 1 hour (yoga)
Other Workouts: None

This week went great, other than the tempo run! I felt good with most of each of the other two runs, plus I got some solid spinning and weight training in! Plus I hit 13 miles in a single week! I don't think that happened before! Here's to keeping up the momentum in week 3!

RunAPalooza Training: Week 1

Since I just dusted off my blog, I am starting the training recaps a little late. Oh well.

Here's how week 1 went down:

Monday-REST

Mondays are rest days. Which suck, but at the same time, necessary. Hal Higdon has Mondays as either rest or active recovery (think yoga or any other type of stretching workout) since runners tend to work out so hard on the weekends (long run and usually some cross-training). It just sucks because I'm so used to working out on Mondays. I may sneak in a Barre class here or there depending on how I feel after that weekend. Time will tell.

Tuesday-4 miles

I did this one on the treadmill as I was planning on a yoga class that night too. Never made it to yoga, but the run was good. 

Wednesday-Ride and Power

Usual Wednesday night workout. Felt pretty solid the whole time.

Thursday-Sick day

I woke up on Thursday morning not feeling 100%. Pretty sure it was a bad cold. I left work early that day and spent the rest of the day in bed. I did lose the short run, but my body wanted the rest more.

Friday-REST

I took an extra rest day this week as I wanted to make sure I was really good to go for the weekend.

Saturday-Ride and Team Training

My normal long run day is Saturday (so I can take spin with the gym bestie on Sundays...lol). Since I had work on Saturday morning for a few hours, I decided to go to the gym for spin and interval training after and made Sunday the long run day. Not too shabby.

Sunday-6 miles

First long run of the cycle! This was the longest I ran since May and I was able to go OUTSIDE! I hate running on treadmills. I get bored too easily, plus it's just not the same as running outside. It was chilly and tough, but I did it!

Total Run Mileage:10

Total Spin Classes: 2

Total Weight Training: 1 hour

Total Mind-Body Work: None

Other Workouts: 30 minute interval training class

Not too bad for the first week! I did lose one run do to sickness, and I need to work on getting in the gym for a mind-body class, but I feel like I'm off to a good start!

RunAPalooza 2018: My First Half Marathon!

Hello? Hello? Is this thing still on?

I know it's been a long time since I blogged, and a lot has happened since then (new nephew, adventures at work, changes in position at work, and ALL the races), but I am back!

The title of this post gives it away, and if you follow me on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, you know the news:

I'M TRAINING FOR A HALF MARATHON!

Say wha?!

Yup, on April 21, I will be racing 13.1 miles in Asbury Park at RunAPalooza!

I was toying around with the idea of a half on and off for a few years. After my 10K last May which didn't go as well as I hoped (I finished, but it wasn't pretty), I swore I would never do anything longer than that again.

Fast forward six months, and the beginning of November, which was one of the biggest race weekends nationwide: NYC Marathon, Rock 'n Roll Savannah, Disney World's Wine and Dine, and the Indy Monumental. That weekend left me wondering if I could do a half. Yup, still thinking about it.

The first I looked at was the New Jersey Half on April 29. After I saw the $100 registration fee, I immediately said, "No way." Plus it is a HUGE event with a full marathon and marathon relay the same day. With everything starting at Monmouth Park. Uh, no.

So then I checked out the Asbury Park Half at RunAPalooza on April 21. I knew it was a much smaller event than the NJ Marathon weekend, with a 5K and marathon relay that morning too. The kicker is that the relay starts in Seaside Heights. That alone made that race seem more appealing. 

I also asked the Old Bridge Road Runners which they would recommend. Well, a few said the Brooklyn Half. Uh, no thanks. I didn't want to go that far for my first, plus that day is the same day as a local 5K that I've been doing since I started racing in 2012. That aside, the majority seemed to like RunAPalooza. Yup, still not signed up.

One Wednesday night, I was taking Ride and Power with my friends Carol and Jen (like I always do). I mentioned to both of them that I was thinking about a half marathon. Both of them told me that I can totally do this, and as Jen put it, "There's no way you're not finishing that."

You can say that was pretty much the final push I needed. 

About 24 hours later, I took the plunge and signed up!

13.1, here I come!

I actually found a training plan that only has three days a week of running: Hal Higdon's Half Marathon 3. Three days of running (a "normal" run, a long run, and a third run that rotates between pace, tempo, and normal) and two days of cross-training. I hate running consecutive days since my run streak in 2016, and I wanted to be able to have my gym time too. I adjusted it to have an extra two weeks of training (it's normally a 12 week plan-I made it 14 to give myself a third double digit run and a taper week).

I'm on my THIRD week of training already! Crazy! I will be using this to recap my training week by week up to the race. 

Here's to the craziest, biggest race adventure yet!