Half Marathon Training: Week Three

Total Miles This Week: 19.75
Total Miles Overall: 51 Miles

Workouts Completed:
Tuesday: 4.75 Miles (4 miles steady- 10:20 avg pace, with faster intervals for last 0.75 miles- I don't have the pace, but it was sprinting for 20 seconds and running slow for 2 minutes times 4)
Thursday: 4 Miles (1 mile slow-10:20 avg pace, 2 miles fast-9:35 avg pace, 1 mile slow- 10:40 avg pace)
Saturday: 4 Miles (slow- 10:30 avg pace)
Sunday: 7 Miles (steady- 10:20 avg pace)

This week was definitely more challenging for running. For one, my legs seem to be entering a state of permanent tiredness. I am doing lots of stretching and icing, but they feel sluggish and so my times are slower. I feel like this is completely normal and in line with my experiences with most new workout routines. Hopefully I will be over this hump soon! The other reason for the sluggishness is the HEAT. This past weekend was sooo humid and hot.

92% humidity- CN Tower was hazy

Both days I got up around 7:00am to try and beat the heat, but the heat beat me!! Saturday morning the humidity was 92% and the temperature was 30ish with the humidex. It was like running through soup! Thankfully it was foggy for the first half of my run, which made it feel cooler out. Sunday was a little less humid, but I felt the sun was much hotter as it was beating straight down on me! Thankfully on Saturday afternoon had I finally gone out and bought a lightweight waterbottle with a hand strap- it was soooo handy! I got the Ultimate Direction Jurek Grip bottle. I actually drank TWO of these on my Sunday morning run (thank you water fountain 5km out!).

FYI- I used to just drink at water fountains if I needed some on my runs, but now that I am running 10K+ so much I decided to get a water bottle. Plus I've had a few issues with dehydration this summer so I am being much more conscious of drinking water.

I got one of those fancy new "chipped" style manicures for this pic...

I have also started wearing a gear belt when I run. I bought this thing ages ago, but kept running with my cell phone (for GPS tracking with RunKeeper and music/podcasts/audiobooks for entertainment) in my hand. But now since I am carrying water I need my hands free. Plus my keys kept rubbing a spot on my hip raw in the running shorts' pocket before. I got this belt at Winners I think. It is really comfortable!

Oh- also, the Pan Am games are going on here in Toronto and on Saturday was the women's marathon. Of the 17 runners, FIVE did not finish and 1 didn't even start. This heat is no joke. On Sunday I ran by women's 20km race walking event, and those women were walking faster than I run, and they looked HOT. But it was fun to watch the event as I ran alongside it! I think this may be the only event I see, as I never ended up buying tickets to anything. Oops

Let's hope this heat breaks a bit soon! At least, let it be cooler in the mornings :)

CN Tower- 7:20am on Sunday...those clouds abandoned me :(