Half Marathon Training: Week 9 (AKA I ran a Half Marathon!!!)

Total Miles This Week: 29.75
Total Miles Overall: 197.75 Miles

Workouts Completed:
Tuesday: 4.75 Miles (4 miles slow- 10:51 avg pace, with faster intervals for last 0.75 miles- 10:05 avg pace)
Friday: 7 Miles (1 mile slow- 11:11 avg pace, 5 miles fast- 9:59 avg pace, 1 mile slow- 10:36 avg pace)
Saturday: 5 Miles (11:03 avg pace)
Sunday: 13.1 Miles (7 miles steady- 10:17 avg pace, 4 miles fast- 9:13 avg pace, 2 miles steady- 10:46 avg pace...I wasn't actually supposed to do the last 0.1 mile, but I had to!!)

I ran 13.1 miles on Sunday!!!!!!! And my time was only 2:11!!!!!! Though, I think my GPS might have glitched a bit in mile 8 as it said I ran a 7:48 mile. I don't recall boarding a jet in that mile so I have to imagine my real pace was somewhere in the mid 9s. However, the rest of miles all looked correct so I am still going to say this was a sub 2:15 half marathon.

I felt REALLY good on Sunday, despite running both Friday and Saturday. I actually went out late afternoon, due to morning plans, and it was hot and sunny. I expected to just run slow, and honestly the first few miles were rough, but around 10km in (6miles), I really found my stride and I was running on a new path, which was fun. I ran my usual way westward on the Martin Goodman Trail, but then looped north at the Humber River. This is the path I use whenever I have biked to work so I knew it, but it recently got repaved and was so comfortably underfoot. 

I also packed some Gatorade for extra calories on this long run, which is something I started recently. I actually don't like sports drinks usually, but around 10km in that stuff becomes the nectar of the gods. My bottle tends to empty before I am done and I refill it with water to finish off. If there was only some way of doing water first, and then Gatorade, I'd be set, but the city seems reluctant to install Gatorade fountains. Anyway, I know there are many ways of keeping energy, salts, and calories up on a long run, but for now I like sports drinks.

I know you are probably wondering why I have already run a half marathon distance when my race is still 7 weeks away, but I am actually training for time, not distance. My training plan is actually for a sub 2:30 half, but clearly that was an inappropriate choice. My goal was always 2:18, but now I am reconsidering that. Should I aim for another sub 2:15? Should I got for 2:10?? I think I might see where September runs take me and then decide. All I know is that October 18th can't come fast enough!!