This is week 10 of half marathon training for the Honor Run Half Marathon in Florence, KY on November 11, 2018 – 2 weeks left! I’m using Hal Higdon’s Advanced program for this one. If you want to register for this race, use this link, and try using code “BIBRAVE15” for $15 off, courtesy of the fine people of and affiliated with BibRave (note that the link IS an affiliate link, the BibRave code is just one I’ve seen on Twitter).
Monday: Intervals 6 x 0.5 mi @ 10k pace. It was 45(ish) in the morning, I was running late, and not feeling 100% (which factored into a pitstop between intervals 3 and 4). Regardless, got it done, loop around the Bengal’s practice field and then through the park. Goal for splits was between 3:43 and 3:50, actual splits were 3:47, 3:40, 3:39, 3:42, 3:33, 3:42… so the first one wasn’t too fast. I felt fine at the end, even like I could have done more (and that’s a good thing!). Overall, 7.25 miles in 59:38 (8:13 min/mi pace).
Tuesday: Recovery Run. Ran an easy 3 miles and 7 strides across the Purple People Bridge and back across the Suspension Bridge. Saw a fellow runner that I talked to a little at a recent race passing me along Mehring Way. Kept it easy to recover from yesterday’s intervals and not screw over tomorrow’s tempo run or Thursday’s HM pace run. Overall, 4.1 miles in 35:02 (8:33 min/mile).
Wednesday: 60 Minute Tempo Run. Ran through Friendship Park and out to the loop around the Bengal’s Practice Field twice and then back into Friendship Park and ending in Sawyer Point where it began. It was warmer than the past few weeks – the weather has mostly been in the high-30s/low-40s for the past few weeks, today it was 61, but with a strong wind from the west that pushed against me for a while (which later pushed rain into the area on Halloween night… fuck off, Mother Nature!). Cooled down in the grass a little. The tempo portion was 7.54 miles (7:57 min/mile pace); overall 9.04 miles in 1:13:19 (8:07 min/mile pace).
Thursday: 3 Mile HM Pace Run. Woke up early because I have to get hours in at work. Heard HARD rain at 2 and 3 AM, and not much better at 5 AM when I got up. Kept the distance in the parks, Friendship-Sawyer Point-Yeatman’s Cove-Smale-turnaround at Paul Brown Stadium and back through finishing at Sawyer Point. Lots of rain, found several deep puddles, and lots of wind that was pushing against me as I headed east. The HM portion was just over 23 minutes for a 7:40 min/mile pace, overall was 4.5 miles in 36:23 (8:05 min/mile pace).
Friday: 2:00 Long Run. I flew into Portland, Oregon for a weekend meeting, so I flew out of Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport at the crack of dawn and connected in Seattle to get to Portland, where I landed at noon or so local time. After checking into the hotel, I ran out and got lost a little in a crummy industrial area just south of I-84. I turned back and made my way to the Willamette River to use the Eastbank Esplanade and continued down to the Springwater Path where I continued down to the Sellwater Bridge to cross and then proceed north on the paths along the west side of the river. A good half of the paths ended abruptly, so in a fit of anger I crossed back over Tilikum Crossing to get back to the Eastbank Esplanade. 13.9 miles in 2 hours (8:38 min/mile pace).
Saturday: Recovery Run. Ran north for a bit to cross the N Steel Bridge, which is a double-deck raise/lower bridge where the lower deck is pedestrians and cyclists only. Took that to the west side of the Willamette and stayed on the paths until the watch clicked around 1.5 miles and then turned back and went back the way I came. Slower today, my quads were sore (and they still are 24 hours later!). 3.39 miles in 31:11 (9:11 min/mile pace).
That’s it for the week. Ran 42 miles this week and mostly felt great. Also signed up for another race, the Hungry Turkey Half Marathon on November 24 (affiliate link), so 13 days past the Honor Run. I don’t expect to PR the HTHM unless I flub the Honor Run Half – it’s the goal race for this season.
Next week is an easier week to save the legs and taper down for the Honor Run on 11/11.