This was essentially my biggest week in training for the marathon in Idaho on June 27. Of course, this big week coincided with record setting heat in Minneapolis!
As much as I love summer running, it can be pretty challenging and draining to run in the heat and definitely challenging to do workouts (kudos to all you Florida runners who do this year-round!)
I did my best, made some adjustments, and got comfortable with slower runs overall. I put in the miles, just at a heat-adjusted pace!
Here’s how things worked out this week:
Monday: I often run solo on Mondays, but with the Memorial Day holiday, I had company! 10 miles, 9:10 min/mile average. We were all very excited to find out a few of the public water fountains around the lakes are turned back on. Can you tell how happy we are? Ha!
Dinner at Hai Hai over the long weekend- a very fun patio spot in Northeast Minneapolis!
Tuesday: Workout Tuesday! 3 miles easy, 20 minutes @ 8:30, 3 min jog, 5x(3 minutes at 8, 90 sec recovery) 3 minute jog, 15 minutes at 8:15, 1 mile cool-down for 11 miles total, 8:55 min/mile average. Barre class at the Bar Method after work.
Wednesday: 7 recovery miles, 9:27 min/mile average. Happy Global Running Day!
3rd bocce game that evening- and we finally won! There were some close rounds; (we were the green team in the below pic- close one!)
Thursday: 6.2 miles with my friend Isabelle before work, 9:10 min/mile average, steamy patio drinks with friends after work.
Friday: 8 miles with my friends Vicki and Julie before work. It was already in the mid-70’s at 6:30 am! We set a record in Minneapolis, I believe. Took things nice and easy, 9:40 min/mile average.
I did try out a “Strength for Runners” class on the Peloton app with Becs Gentry. It was an intermediate class and didn’t seem super challenging during, but I was more sore than expected from it, so it must have been good! I have taken a few of their stretching classes as well; that’s about as far as I have ventured into the Peloton world.
Saturday: Ugh…with a forecasted high of nearly 100 degrees, I knew I had to start early to try to get in my 20 mile long run. I managed 14 miles outside with Isabelle and Julie before calling it quits in that heat.
I came home, changed into dry clothes, and hopped on the treadmill for the final 6 miles. It was mentally tough to be on the treadmill, but physically safer than completely melting down outside!
So stinking hot! The pups were not fans of walking in that weather. Lots of napping in the air conditioned house (for the dogs AND for me!)
We had a few friends over for drinks on the deck after it cooled down a little bit. Tilda was happy to see her boyfriend Odin!
Sunday: 4 miles with Dustin, 8:55 min/mile average. Another steamy one! He kept going for another 4, but I was done.
Summary: 66 miles for the week; somewhat tempted to run another 4 in the evening to hit that elusive 70 (I’ve done that a few times in marathon training, but not many.) We’ll see… 1 barre class, and some other random strength thrown in there.
That’s a wrap! I’m linking up with Running on the Fly and Confessions of a Mother Runner ; check out their blogs to connect with other fitness bloggers for workout ideas and inspiration!
Kudos on continuing to run on the treadmill after it got too hot to safely run outside. Mentally, that had to be tough! I hope your weather cools down for this coming week’s training.
It was tough, but I was already feeling so drained outside. I’m not a strong hot weather runner!
Great job with all those miles in the heat! It got hot here too and I was glad that my long run was only 9 miles. Not sure I would have been able to do 6 on the treadmill after 14 outside!
The 6 inside were much more bearable than another 6 outside in the heat! Mentally challenging though.
Wow! When I trained for my 18 mile race, I went up to 17 miles and it was hot & humid. Definitely had to get out there early.
I am laughing at a 7 mile recovery run! Mine are 2 miles. I’ve thought about 1 mile . . .
Sometimes you can’t get out early enough, ha!
Only one month until the marathon? Time is flying by!
I’m always amazed at how much you’re able to fit into a week of training. I don’t blame you at all for doing the final 6 of your long run on the treadmill. Sometimes it’s just better to take it inside than to continue to struggle with the heat and humidity.
Totally. I am not sure I would have done all 20 if I didn’t have the treadmill option.
So many miles, wow! I hate hot running but luckily it’s not a massive feature of UK life. I got to run in drizzle today (but after gardening yesterday made me seriously creaky and stiff!!).
I thought I saw some posts from some London runners about the heat there this past week! Are you pretty far away from London?
We’re 125 miles from London and it’s typically a degree or two cooler (plus it’s hotter in the city than the suburbs so depending on where they are). Also I have the luxury of being able to run early and I did that mostly last week. Yesterday it was about 64 and drizzling when I was out so that was good. And we don’t typically get sustained periods of very hot weather, though summer 2016 was warm for my first marathon’s training!
Got it, that makes sense! Thanks Liz!
Well done in all that heat! I admire your grit to get on the treadmill after being outside. Even if I needed those miles (for training), I’d probably white flag it before firing up Milly LOL Excellent job!!
When I came inside to the nice AC, I really want to just be done. It was a mental battle to get on the mill!
Yeah, we Florida runners are pretty tough, ha ha. Honestly I’d rather have the heat than have to run up north in the winter. Sounds like you had a great week! The only thing I can say about long runs in the heat is, start while it’s dark if you can. If you can get an hour in while it’s still dark, that helps a lot. Of course if you’re running 20 miles it will still get too hot. I can only imagine how much you didn’t feel like running those six miles on the treadmill, but you did it!… Read more »
You are very tough!
Great advice on starting in the dark. I should have started even earlier Saturday. I hope you are doing Kim and Zenaida’s Tuesday Topics linkup, I’d love to hear your tips for running in the heat!
wow that is quite a week of training for you! Way to power through w the heat. Sometimes, I feel like the Peloton strength classes are not that hard and then I am surprisingly sore the next day. I guess that is good!
It was a big week! The heat tried its best to challenge me, ha!
Look at all those miles you got in this week, in spite of the heat! I’m impressed that you finished your 20 miler on the TM. I’m not really training for anything right now, although I do have a trail 10k in Devil’s Lake next month. I just want to keep a strong base going into the fall.
Have a great week and stay cool!
I was grateful to have the treadmill as an option. This heat is a lot! Whew.
Good luck at the Devil’s Lake 10k Wendy!
Kudos to you. 20 miles in this heat!!!!
I struggled through 8 yesterday. Definitely need to get out earlier.
Agreed. I need to follow Jenny’s advice and start in the dark 🙂
I have no idea how anyone runs in FL! It’s hard enough up north. I have a feeling that I’ll be finishing up my long run on the ‘mill this summer.
No shame in finishing things indoors in the AC 🙂
Way to get that 20 miler done! And congrats on getting the big miles in this week too – so close to 70. That is exciting that the water fountains are turned back on! I think ours were closed for COVID so they should be working too.
The 20 miler was probably one of my hardest. But glad the treadmill was an option!
Good call on finishing your run on the ‘mill. No need to get run down from the heat. LOL at needing to put on dry clothes first. I totally get that.
The Strength for Runners classes are a mixed of bag of challenging vs. focusing on balance and PT-type exercises. Whether you need weights and the difficulty rating are good clues.
Ha, yes, a whole new outfit for the treadmill was necessary, I was so sweaty.
I love the mix of PT-type exercises. Thanks for the tips Coco!
Team nap in AC too!
COngratulations on a super solid week, curious if you got in the last four and going to look at Strava
I love Core/Strength for Runners, but don’t always love Becs. The stretching classes are great
I did get to 70 with a short jog with Ruth! Good to know that Becs isn’t your favorite. I like the stretching classes and it keeps me honest (I can’t skip it when I get bored.)
Becs is an acquired taste. I’ll get there… eventually.
Andy has some good strength for runners and I think Rebecca Kennedy does too.
I can’t believe it’s four weeks!
And it’s so hot. This is such a tough time of year to train. I DREAD getting up and out ini the mornings – it’s just that miserable!
The pups definitely deserve naps in the A/C.
I can’t imagine how you keep getting out there Jenn, kudos to you!
Great job getting your miles done in this heat! I admire your commitment to finish your 20-miler on the mill.
Thanks Michelle!
I cannot believe your marathon is in 4 weeks. Great job this week. I didn’t realized how hot it got in Minneapolis on Saturday. It was in the 70s here in the morning but I guess that and the sun knocked me out. Took me a few hours to recover.
It sure does get hot here! And humid…yowsa. It takes a lot out of you!