Week 8: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Run Intervals

The plan called for 4 x 1/2 mile intervals at moderate effort with 3 minute recovery but since I was on my lunch break and had limited time, three was all I could fit in. But as always I tend to run the first one way too fast then barely have enough energy for the remaining ones. I must do a better job at pacing as this is my weakness when it comes to running.

 

Tuesday - Rest Day

Rest day.

 

Wednesday - Lunch Spin Express + Evening easy run

Lunch Spin Express - We had a different instructor this week. Lots of hill intervals which meant a lot of standing. I'm not sure how this is going to translate when outdoor rides start up but I'm thinking about just staying seated for most of them from now on and just doing my own thing.

Evening Easy Run - Since Thursday's forecast was calling for a 75% chance of rain I just turned today into a two-a-day and did my easy run tonight. My goal was simple, start out super easy and aim for negative splits. I was able to finish strong and achieve my goal of negative splits and for the first time in months, my run was actually quite enjoyable.

 

Thursday - Group Run. Rest Day

Canceled because of rain. So glad I ran yesterday!

 

Friday - Lunch Swim

Kept it simple and focused solely on technique and drills.

 

Saturday - Long Run - 7 miles

I originally had plans to sign up and run the Foothills Drifter 6K trail race but when I went to register on Tuesday, the price had increased from $30 to $40. I read and re-read the description over and over wondering where the heck I missed reading about the price increase and never did find anything. Angry about the unexpected price increase, I said forget it, I'll just run at Southside Park/Croft instead. I have hiked at Southside but never have done any trail running there so it felt somewhat adventurous. There were some tricky and muddy sections and with the half marathon coming up, the last thing I wanted to do was twist an ankle or faceplant in the mud so I took it slow and easy and just enjoyed the solitude I had out in the woods. Overall it was a great run/hike and the time flew by so fast. I must get out there more!

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Entire body is sore today so this rest day is well deserved!

Product Review: Kiefer Team Backpack

I have had the Kiefer Team Backpack for about a month now and honestly I have to say, I'm not really a fan of it as an every day gym bag or even as a swim bag (which I will explain later) but as a triathlon bag, I absolutely love it! I also think it would make for a great weekend camping bag or overnight bag as well.

The reason why I say this doesn't make for a good swim bag for me is simply because my YMCA provides towels, kickboards, swim buoys (which also happen to be the Kiefer brand) and just about everything I would need for swim drills so all I have to really pack when I go swimming is my swimsuit, swim cap, googles and flip flops which makes this bag too big. But I used this bag for my indoor triathlon a week ago and was quite surprise how it held everything I needed and I'm sure it will come in handy this summer for triathlon racing.

Pockets & Compartments

This bag does have plenty of pockets and compartments which I really like. I hate digging around the bottom of a bag trying to find something. I also prefer backpacks over duffle bags because well duffle bags just don't fit in lockers very well unless you turn them sideways shifting all the contents inside. With this backpack, I found the side pockets very convenient as I could access them while the bag was hanging in the locker. I always hang it on the left side of the locker and use the left side pockets for all my necessities for getting ready to go back to work (comb, brush, hairspray, lotion and makeup). There are three internal pockets which I use one for my flip flops so I didn't have to dig around for those (in my other bag, they always ended up at the bottom) and various other things (socks, hat, visor, etc) for the others. As far as those straps on the front, well I have yet to find a use for them and why they are even there. I think it would of been better if another smaller pocket was added there instead or even bungee cords.

Comfort

This bag is quite comfortable even when full. The padded straps never dug into my shoulders and it never shifted around when I walked and while the backpack looked quite large on me, it sure didn't feel big.

Price & Quality

This bag is currently on sale for $24.95 at kiefer.com which I feel is a steal at this price. There are similar style bags on the market for a lot more. The quality seemed to be great as well. In my 1 month of putting it through some abuse (such as taking it in and out of a locker) this bag shows no signs of wear and still looks brand new. In fact the pictures shown below were taken after 1 month (or ~20 gym visits) of use.

[gallery columns="3" link="file" ids="1557,1554,1556,1558,1555"]

Product Description (from kiefer.com)

Store all your swim gear, wet and dry, in Kiefer's sturdy, standup backpack. Our backpack has all the right pockets and zippers to organize and transport swimwear, training gear, towel, electronics, personal care items, and street clothes.

Features include one large zip 8" x12" wet pocket, three roomy interior pockets to organize gear, and two 7" x 9" zip side pockets with mesh to provide easy access to smaller items. Hold your phone in the side zip pocket with ear phone port. Comfortable padded straps, and easy grip handle let you focus your strength and attention where it belongs - the swimming pool.

We've left plenty of room to add a team logo on the front flap.

Dimensions: 19" tall, 13" wide, and 10" deep.

Colors: Black and Navy.

 

Full disclosure: While I did receive this bag free of charge, it in no way affected the outcome of this review.

Week 7: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Rest Day

After Saturday's indoor triathlon and Sunday's 3 mile run, my body needed to rest!

 

Tuesday - Intervals

5 min warm up. 1 mile at 9:30 pace with 4 min recovery then 4 x 1/4 mile at 9:20 pace with 2 minute recovery. 5 min cool down. Hit the 1 mile right at 9:29 pace and the averaged 9:09 pace on the quarter miles.

 

Wednesday - Spin Express Class at the Y. Rest Day

Giving myself this week off from spinning now that the indoor triathlon is over.

 

Thursday - Group Run

Felt pretty good this evening. I now have a goal before daylight savings time...make it all the way up Hollywood Hill. Right now I can only  make it up about half way.

 

Friday - Swim. Rest Day

Giving myself this week off from swimming now that the indoor triathlon is over.

 

Saturday - Rest Day

Wanted to wait for it to warm up but it never did. Missed my window so I ran on Sunday instead.

 

Sunday - Long Run - 9 miles - 6 miles

Plans called for 9 miles today but I only managed 6.25 instead. When I left my house, it was 41 with very little wind so I dressed for low 40s thinking it would warm up. But about midway through my run, the winds really picked up (15+, gusting to 22+) and I started getting colder instead of warmer. I couldn't get my breathing under control and by the 5th mile, I was walking more than running so I cut my run short instead of suffering through another 3 miles. I'm so ready for spring and warmer temps!