Half marathon training – Week 4 – Locks run
I don’t want to jinx anything but I feel as though I broke through a bit of a wall last week. Up until Thursday most of my runs this training cycles had been decent but not great. I was getting the work outs in but I wasn’t feeling fabulous. The runner’s high was no where in sight. For example during Wednesday’s speedwork session I just could not get the leg turnover I needed to get my mile repeats done in less than 8 minutes. I felt as though I was putting in the right effort though so I rationalized that the training benefit was still there even if the splits were disappointing. Then on Thursday morning I did a short four miler and I felt like I was in running heaven. I was barely breathing hard and my legs felt great. I have no idea where it came from but it was the best run I’d had in at least a month.
Ballard Locks Outdoor Art
When Saturday morning rolled around I woke to sunny skies and 10C conditions. I was pumped for my run. I decided to do an out and back route to the Ballard Locks (officially the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks). These locks mark the barrier between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of Lake Union and Lake Washington. I wanted to tackle some hills so the route I picked took me up and over Phinney Ridge. I’ve posted the elevation chart from MapMyRun below. I think it adequately captures the magnitude of the climbs. The big climb on the way home reduced me to a 50/100 step walk/run sequence! The run was really great though. My legs only started protesting in the ninth and tenth miles but even then I was able to run through it without any real trouble.
Locks Run Elevation Chart
There are no average heart rate numbers in this week’s summary table because I left the heart rate monitor strap at home all week. I decided that ignorance was bliss and I just didn’t care to see my heart rate numbers for a while. So far it seems to be working!
| 04/05 | - | Rest day |
| 05/05 | 5.0 mi | Easy run: avg 10:13 min/mile |
| 06/05 | 6.0 mi | Speedwork: 3x1mi in 8:07/8:03/8:08 min |
| 07/05 | 4.0 mi | Easy run: avg 9:53 min/mile |
| 08/05 | - | Rest day |
| 09/05 | 10.0 mi | Long run: avg 10:29 min/mile |
| 10/05 | 4.0 mi | Recovery run: avg 10:16 min/mile |
| Total | 29.0 mi | YTD: 462.7 miles |