Hot Chocolate 15K Countdown: RACE WEEK!

It’s here! The Hot Chocolate 15K Dallas is this Saturday!

Thank you Lifelong Endurance for coaching me to the Start line and beyond. It’s not just race day that counts – it’s the journey to the Start line. All the days you put in work even when you may not feel like it. The amazing group runs, fun runs with friends, tough track workouts, sweaty runs, runs where you freeze your butt off at 6:00 am just to get it done. It’s the journey that counts.

So let’s see how my journey went last week!

Monday

Plan: 4 miles easy + functional strength workout

Ran: 4.01 miles/38:18/9:33 min/mile

This one felt nice! The weather was just perfect. I felt a bit sluggish but enjoyed the beautiful outdoors. Can’t complain!

Tuesday

Plan: Speed – 7 miles – 2 miles easy, 6 x 800m with 2:00 rest in between, 2 miles easy

Ran: 7.00 miles/59:09/8:27 min/mile {splits: 9:09, 9:21, 7:33, 7:08, 7:20, 9:12, 9:25}

It felt good! Seriously PERFECT weather! My 800 meter repeats were in the 7’s and I even looked down at my watch a few times to see a 6:xx pace! My toe/foot is feeling fine (YAY) in my Asics – not great shoes for speed (my workhorse shoes) – but I think the culprit of my hurt foot may have been transitioning to shoes too quickly that weren’t a great match for me. So, playing it safe and sticking with what works. I will be adding in the New Balance 1400’s for my speed-work shoe once I feel confident that my foot is 100%.

Wednesday

Plan: 5 miles easy

Ran: 5.01 miles/46:22/9:15 min/mile

Another feel-good run! Perfect weather (again!) and foot still feels fine! This one felt nice and easy as it should. Happy runner here!

Thursday

Plan: 5 miles easy with 5x100m strides + Cross-training

Ran: 5.35 miles/51:20/9:35 min/mile + spin class

I did an early morning run and got my 5 miles in before 7:00 am! It felt good! It was cold but felt really nice to accomplish something before anyone else was even awake! 🙂

Friday

Plan: Tempo – 7 miles – 2 miles easy, 24:00 progression 8:00-7:45, 2 miles easy

Ran: 7.01 miles/59:37/8:31 min/mile {splits: 9:12, 9:01, 7:46, 7:45, 7:32, 8:57, 9:21}

YAY!!! My foot (still!) doesn’t hurt at ALL!!! This one was NOT easy but I got it done! AND I discovered an actual literal physical Struggle Bus that lives in my neighborhood! So there’s that!

Saturday

Plan: 8 miles – 6 miles easy, 2 miles hard

Ran: 8.01 miles/1:12:40/9:04 min/mile {splits: 9:31, 9:30, 9:35, 9:39, 9:50, 9:31, 7:31, 7:29}

TOUGH! I had to stop a few times and just collect myself. I think a lot of it was mental – I decided to “sleep in” (until 7:00 am) and do this run on my own rather than run with my usual Saturday group. This was my first solo “long” run in… forever. I figured since it was a short-long one, I’d be fine. It was tough but my toe felt fine and I got it done!