Race Training Week 5 + Thoughts on a PR

March 29, 2016

PR Goals

A day late, but have no fear, I’m still following my training plan! Well, sort of. As much as I try to stick to my scheduled workouts, we all know things come up and get in the way. Because I’m not trying to win the race, heck, I’m not even sure if I’m trying to get a PR in this race (more on that below), I’m okay with a little change of schedule. Take this week for example. Every so often I’m invited to workout events, it’s a great opportunity to connect with brands, other bloggers and try out a new workout. This week happens to be a popular one and I’m scheduled to attend three workout events. On top of that, I’ve got my two cycling classes to cover, and I’m heading out of town for the weekend.

So…where do those runs fit in? That’s where I have to get a little creative. Fortunately, one event is at Mile High Run Club and that will serve as my speed workout for the week. On Monday after teaching a cycling class I hung around the gym a bit longer and did a quick 2 miles on the treadmill. I still have that pesky 8 mile long run to fit in. My weekend away is to Maryland for wedding planning so I’ll either scope out a running route there or make the ambitious goal to run those 8 miles before work on Friday (don’t hold me to that).

Now about that race PR I mentioned (PR=Personal Record). I love that so many of my blogging buds shout from the rooftops their running goals and aren’t afraid to fail. I admire these strong ladies and I too sometimes strive for a PR. I set goals for both marathons I ran and was very vocal about how I’d make it happen (1 time it did and 1 time it didn’t!). This time around, I’m just not sure. Truly, how committed to the goal am I? I feel like no matter how many races you run, you always are thinking about a PR.

I signed up for the Brooklyn Half thinking maybe I’d aim for a PR, but the more I train, the less I seem to care about it. If I’m being honest, part of not aiming for a PR is that I do think there’s a good chance I’ll fail. I ran my half marathon PR at a Rock ‘n Roll Race towards the end of training for my first full marathon, so 13 miles felt like a short run (crazy because I definitely do NOT feel that way now!). My finish time was 1:45:25, for me, quite fast! I’m confident that if I put my heart into training, beating this is possible. BUT, at the same time, I have so many things going on, that beating this PR isn’t at the top of my priority list and you know what, it doesn’t need to be. Maybe for another race I will feel like putting in the hard sweaty hours, but this time around, that’s not what it’s about.

I’m taking inspiration from Ashley who recently wrote about her training and racing experiences at the NYC Half and with many races on the horizon, her goal is to Run Happy. Instead of a PR, I too want to Run Happy. I want to enjoy the experience, the exercise, the great outdoors and the camaraderie with my fellow runners (so many friends running the BK half!).

And speaking of enjoying the experience, here’s a look at this week’s workout schedule:

  • Monday: Teach 6:30am cycling at Equinox East 33rd, 2 mile run
  • Tuesday: TrampoLEAN class with C9 (omg wish me luck, I’m terrified)
  • Wednesday: Mile High Run Club with Clif Bar (am) and Peloton Cycling with Specialized (pm)
  • Thursday: Teach 6:30am cycling at Equinox West 76th
  • Friday: 8 mile run
  • Saturday: Yoga or Barre
  • Sunday: Strength Class

Do you have a PR you’re working towards or another goal for your next race?

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