Weekly Workouts and Updates: Spring Has Sprung, 3/7-3/13

I don’t want to jinx it, but after this week, it seems like spring has sprung in New York City and I couldn’t be happier with the sunshine. It wasn’t a particularly cold winter. In fact, most of it was rather mild, save the arctic freeze over Valentine’s Day weekend. But there’s something about the arrival of spring, a season when the world is in bloom and everything is reborn, that’s particularly conducive to lazy weekend mornings, long runs in the not-yet-hot sun, fresh foods, and a general feeling that now is the time when new hopes and dreams can come alive.

 

 

 

 

My workouts this week weren’t particularly intense. After my pre-Florida 10-miler, and last weekend’s back to back longish runs, I’ve been tapering before the New York City Half Marathon on March 20th. Although since I haven’t been training according to any particular plan, even my own, I don’t know if you could really call it a taper. More just scaling back slightly before the day.

 

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: 5 miles

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: 4 miles

Friday: “Rest” day (I walked 15 miles this day!)

Saturday: 8 miles @ 10:05/mile pace

Sunday: 6-mile morning walk 

 

I decided on Saturday that I shouldn’t push it when I realized that I was running around 9:50/mile for the first 5 miles, but slowed down more than half a minute after a water break and felt my legs tiring. I was enjoying the sunshine in the park so much that I wanted to continue, but I probably should have stopped after mile 6 and know that running only 3 days was for the best this week. 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though my running mileage was lower, I ended up walking even more than usual because it was so nice out, in the 70s on Wednesday and Thursday and high 60s on Friday. I spent my lunch breaks in Central Park, and I ended up meandering through the park after waking up a bit earlier with the sunrise on the way to work and strolling through on the way home. It was strange to see kids playing hockey at Wollman Rink while I was in summer clothes! And on Friday, once I got home we walked more to get ice cream for dinner. Chocolate Peanut Butter with sprinkles to start the weekend. 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday after my run, I took some time to bake a few new recipes I’ve been working on and photograph them in the afternoon light. I’ve been baking throughout the winter, but a lack of time to photograph the recipes or think of anything interesting to say means it’s been awhile since I posted a recipe on this blog, and I’d like to get back in the habit. I’m starting this week, so look out for Friday’s post featuring my Buckwheat & Quinoa Banana Muffins.

 

 

 

 

 

I kept it pretty low-key on Sunday, with Daylight Savings time meaning a lost hour of sleep. A long morning walk in the park and some more blogging and baking. I may have over-indulged in the treats I was busy photographing, but it’s all fuel for the NYC Half. This time next week, my three-peat will be complete!

 

 

 

 

 

Do you taper before races when you run close to that distance on a regular basis?

 

Have you been enjoying the arrival of spring?

 

Tips for marathon blog recipe shoots?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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