Julie’s January Training

Thursday, 1/31

25 minutes around Findlay. Really cold and windy, in the low teens, if that, with the wind chill. Looking forward to leaving town with the hope that it’s better somewhere else.


Wednesday, 1/30

55 minutes in Findlay with 6×30 second strides with a one minute rest. Legs feeling better from the race but still missing that spring.


Tuesday, 1/29

55 minutes in Findlay with 4×30 second strides with a one minute rest. Really windy outside, with half the run into the wind. Legs felt terrible.


Monday, 1/28

41 minutes around Findlay, barely shuffling. Slick, icy sidewalks and dead legs. Toenails really hurt and just trying to shake out the soreness.


Sunday, 1/27

Off. Rest day from the marathon and drove from Indy to Findlay.


Saturday, 1/26

Race! Trail marathon in Indy in the snow, 4:16, good for first place for the women. Race recap here.


Friday, 1/25

53 minutes with two loops in Stanbery Park in Cincinnati. Felt springy and ready for the race. Snowy trails and crappy outside.


Thursday, 1/24

Day off. Just didn’t feel like running or slogging through the snow and ice. Freaking cold here in the low 20’s.


Wednesday, 1/23

Tried to do a 20 minute tempo and felt terrible. 2 mile warm up, then did 2 miles around 7:30 pace, but just felt terrible and barely held on. Bagged the workout and finished with a 2 mile cool down.


Tuesday, 1/22

Ran an hour alone on the Loveland bike path. Good to run my own pace for a change, on flat trails.


Monday, 1/21
37 minutes easy with one loop on the Stanbery Park trail. Cold and unmotivated to run, but got in the minimum for an easy run.


Sunday, 1/20
2 hour run on the trails in Mt. Airy. The first hour went slow because I was just grumpy, but then the next hour went fast because Matt and I talked about why I was grumpy. Trails were pretty technical, so the pace was slow, but we still put in the time on our feet, especially in some cold weather with a cold wind.


Saturday, 1/19
Workout! Went to the Loveland bike trail again with Matt and our friend, Chris. Did a 2 mile warm up with them, very slow at 9 minute pace, then did 8 miles at marathon pace, then a 40 minute cool down until we hit the 2 hour mark. Felt really good the entire time and was consistent except for a couple of miles. Left hamstring tweaked a little during the 7th mile of my paced run and was very tight afterwards.
Times for marathon pace miles: 7:47, 7:53, 7:46, 7:49, 7:45, 7:42, 7:46, 7:35


Friday, 1/18
54 minute easy run with Matt, about half on the sidewalks and half on trails near my mom’s house. We ran a short loop trail at Stanbery Park and I was both shocked to see that I remembered where it was and that it still existed. The trail was much more technical than I remembered, but good practice with a big hill at the end of the loop, which we ran two times. Cold outside but at least sunny. Felt like it was 30 in the shade but 40 in the sun.


Thursday, 1/17
Off. Scheduled day off and well worth it. Stayed busy all day spending time at my grandparents, running errands, folding laundry, and sweeping floors.


Wednesday, 1/16
Workout on the Loveland bike trail, a 55 mile trail with markers every half mile. Not the best place for a workout, but there aren’t great track options nearby and the bike path is flat and doesn’t cross that many roads. 2 mile warm up with Matt, then 4 mile repeats with 1 minute rest, then 2 mile cool down. Was planning on running the miles around 7:30 to 7:45 and found the pace to be really easy at 7:28, 7:33, 7:23, and 7:29. Weather was overcast, around 34, and breezy, but the trail had trees to block out the wind.


Tuesday, 1/15
54 minute run with Matt on a loop around Mt. Washington, here in Cincinnati. Boring loop full of sidewalks and stoplights, but we got some good hills in and we even ran past my old high school, my first childhood house, and a few other random highlights. Cold day, around 33, but dry.


Monday 1/14
Just needed to get in the minimum and grinded out a 39 minute run on the loop around the reservoir in Findlay, before heading to Cincinnati. It was cooooold and windy, around 18, and my face hurt from the wind. Quite possibly the most uncomfortable run I’ve had in a long time.


Sunday 1/13
2 Hour run with Matt. Really didn’t want to get up and run this morning and started running within 20 minutes of getting up (aka: no coffee) and though the first half felt like I was sleep-walking, it got better as we went along. Matt led the way and took us on a running tour of Findlay and I just clung on until that 2 hour mark. Temps were in the high 40’s with misty rain, but at least the streets and sidewalks were clear of snow and ice.


Saturday 1/12
Workout! 14:38 warm up and then a 3 mile loop out on the country roads. Matt’s dad biked alongside me because I’m scared of dogs out on the country roads. I did two loops, for a total of 6 miles at marathon pace. My pace was supposed to be a very conservative 8:35, but I think we went faster than that on the warm up, so that pace was out the window. Times were the following and a little funky since the loop was a full mile, a half mile, another full mile, and then a half mile:
7:55, 3:56, 7:43, 3:52, 7:49, 3:51, 7:26, 3:46


Friday 1/11
35 minute run just to get in the time and do the 30 minute minimum. Ran alone and ran super slow. Totally didn’t want to do it because the weather was crappy, but got it done. Also did 42 minutes of P90X Yoga in the evening. It wasn’t pretty, but I was able to do Wheel for the first time ever, and slightly mastered Crane.


Thursday 1/10
Ran 50 minutes with Matt in whatever neighborhoods in Findlay didn’t have snow or ice on the streets. Also mixed in four 30 seconds strides. My butt is killing me from doing P90X Legs and Back. That’s what I get for not doing it since before the Colorado Trail, which I’m ashamed to say was way back in August. In the evening, we did P90X Core Synergistics. I put in a full effort and now am paying for that as well, as my shoulders are killing me from the push-ups and the plank stuff.


Wednesday 1/9
45 minutes alone in Findlay, slipping and sliding on icy patches. Really windy outside, so half the run was fighting the wind, but I ran pretty slow since Matt went ahead of me. Did P90X Legs and Back later in the day. Ugh, it was hard, but I was able to do about 15 pull ups (not in a row), which isn’t too shabby for me.


Tuesday 1/8
57 minutes in Findlay with Matt. Nothing super exciting, but at least the sun was out and a lot of the snow is melting. Still feeling pretty groggy from the drive to Ohio.


Monday 1/7
Super easy 40 minutes just to get outside and move our bodies after the 33 hour car ride. Tired and pooped but so glad to get outside and loosen everything up. Did Ab Ripper X for the first time in months and was incredibly weak.


Sunday 1/6
Day off sitting on my bum in the Honda Element while we drove from San Diego to Findlay. Felt pretty fat the whole drive because I ate constantly to keep myself awake while I drove. I don’t want to eat another apple or raw carrot or celery for a while, and definitely won’t be craving hummus or chips and salsa for some time.


Saturday 1/5
2 hour run in beautiful Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA (just North of San Diego). Did 90 minutes with Matt on the trails around the lagoon between Cardiff and Encinitas, and then picked up Matt’s second cousin, Chris, and did a half hour around town and on the beach. A fantastic day that started chilly, but clear in the morning, and then warmed up from there. It was the quintessential long run morning, followed by pancakes and coffee, and I loved every minute of it.


Friday 1/4
70 minute run with Matt in the Will Rogers State Park outside of Santa Monica. Got my butt kicked because it was mainly uphill on trails (thankfully not technical) for the first 40 minutes out, followed by a fast downhill for 30 minutes back to the car. It was sunny, hot, and felt awesome to sweat again on smooth trails. We had views of the city and the ocean the higher we climbed and it was one of the prettiest runs we’ve done in a long time. I was sad to leave the park.


Thursday and Wednesday 1/3 and 1/2
Basic out and back runs on the Embarcadero in San Francisco with Matt. 57 minutes on the 3rd and 50 minutes on the 2nd, with four 30 second strides mixed in on the 50 minute run. It was nice to just get outside on a beautiful, sunny day in the city. Kind of boring, but the runs were flat, easy and quite enjoyable in the warm temps.


Tuesday 1/1
Started the year off right with a 2:18 run around San Francisco with Matt. Started on the Embarcadero, fought our way through the Pier 39 crowds, ran along Crissy Field, and then crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge. There were a TON of people out, which made running a little bit tricky with all the dodging of people. After crossing the bridge, we turned right around and after running through Crissy Field, we made our way through the Italian District and through Chinatown (on the less crowded streets) to get back to our friend’s place. Quite possibly my best New Year’s Day run ever.

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