Hope you guys had a great weekend! I was so psyched to be home this weekend and had grand plans to go apple picking, get our pumpkin and enjoy some workouts in this perfect fall weather. Then Friday night came and BAM…sick. Much of the weekend was therefore spent on the couch with a box of tissues, not quite what I had in mind. Here’s what you missed if you were outdoors enjoying this amazing time of year.

********

As you might imagine, being sick kind of threw week 6 of training off a bit. Combine that with a really long day of work on Tuesday and a 6am 6 hour flight on Wednesday and you’ve got one c-r-a-p-p-y week of workouts. At least this was designed as a fall back week mileage wise, I just ended up falling back on pretty much everything instead of just mileage.

Previous training recaps:

The plan:

Philadelphia Half Marathon Training: Week 6

Reality:

Philadelphia Half Marathon Training: Week 6

Eeeek, that’s embarrassing to look at!

Monday:

Instead of moving on to 10 miles this week, I knew I’d be traveling and not have that sort of time, so I made this a fall back week for my long run. I ran a 9:03 average pace from my hotel all along the Bay Trail with views like this.

San Francisco bay trail

The weather was beautiful in San Francisco last week and this was a hot run because of it but I’m not complaining.

Tuesday:

Unintended rest day.

I had intentions to try and fit NROLFW in before the conference started but it didn’t happen. A long work day and knowing I had to be awake at 3:30am for my flight home the next day meant it didn’t happen after work either.

Wednesday:

Unintended rest day.

Got home from the airport at 6pm after 6 days away from home…yeah, workout not happening.

Thursday:

Pretty good 5 mile tempo run. A slight change in scenery from Monday to this.

bike trail 5 mile run

Mile splits:

  • Mile 1: 8:40
  • Mile 2: 8:24
  • Mile 3: 8:24
  • Mile 4: 8:30
  • Mile 5: 9:14

While the splits look good, this run got me worried. It was tough to keep that pace in the middle of this run and all I kept thinking was how the heck I’m going to do that for 13 miles when it felt so hard for 3! My only goal for Philly is to beat my previous PR (1:57:16) and now I’m starting to freak out about it a bit because that course was completely FLAT. The only increase in elevation was the speed bumps we ran over in the residential communities. I know this is not the case in Philly and I don’t feel much faster than last year. I’m not sure if I should mentally just accept that and lower my expectations or if I should work even harder to get faster in these next 4 weeks. Thoughts?

Friday:

Planned rest day turned low key cross training in the form of Yoga Meltdown.

yoga meltdown

I haven’t done this DVD in probably 6 months or so and my arms let me know that the next day after all those chaturanga pushups!

Saturday:

Unintended rest day.

Felt like death, no question at all to take the day off.

Sunday:

Unintended rest day.

I was supposed to run 4 miles at “pace.” This was a tough decision because I probably could’ve pushed myself and run but I decided it was better to rest up in hopes that I’ll feel well enough to get my long run in today. I did take a nice 3 mile walk instead to enjoy some fresh air and it reaffirmed the fact that I shouldn’t have run because I was out of breath just walking up a hill! <—not normal!

Obviously, this week was super unimpressive. I guess it’s better to be sick now than in 4 weeks though so I’m just going to try and forget it and look forward.

Total Weekly Round-up:

  • Run: 10 miles
  • Bike: 0 miles
  • Strength training sessions: 1 (I’m counting Yoga Meltdown)

Do you workout when you’re sick?

What are your thoughts on the PR situation?

What was your best workout last week?

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

18 Comments

  1. I don’t usually workout when I am sick. I try to give myself unconditional permission to rest and recover. You did great this week, especially considering how exhausting travel can be.

  2. I am bad when it comes to working out and being sick – i love running and yoga so much that I often ignore a bad state of health. Often I am too ambitious or tell myself its not so bad, you can always run or do an intense yoga workout, but i definitely have improved and have learned to pace myself and listen to my body more.

  3. Both of those trails look beautiful to run in! I take time off when I’m sick to let myself fully recover. It can be hard when you’re training, but it is always worth it to come back feeling better!

  4. I think that since you’re being smart and letting your body get better after being sick, you’re probably better set for getting a PR than otherwise. Just think, you’ll be itching to run by the time the race comes, so you’ll be a speed racer. Plus there will be huge crowds in Philly to keep you motivated.

    When I’m sick, I’m stupid and run. Unless I’m throwing up. I don’t mess around when I’m vomiting.

  5. SO jealous of those views. Spectacular!

    I’ve had two unintended rest days in a row too :( Hopefully tomorrow we’ll both feel well enough!

  6. I workout only if it’s a total headcold. If it’s in my chest or my body is achy, then I rest it out.

    I’m sure that getting sick on Saturday impacted Thursday’s run. Your body incubates those germs for a few days before it manifests itself physically. I wouldn’t worry too much about it right now. I PR’d my last half with a 1:56 with a avg pace of 8:53. Maybe if you slow down a little more it wouldn’t be so hard to maintain throughout? Just my 2 cents.