Half Marathon Training - week 7

I've been training for a half marathon for the past 6 weeks. 

It has been hard to stick to a schedule of running Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. Sometimes I have to change it up, but I'm just trying to get two 30 minute runs during the week, and one long (or whatever is on the schedule) run on the weekend. 

Two weeks ago, I had a 6.5 mile run on the schedule. I've never done more than 5 miles, so I was nervous for 6.5. Ben and I ran it together. Well, we started out running together. We ran around our neighborhood towards a park close by that has a 2 mile loop. I felt fine until about mile 3.5 where the hills started.... And then my hips were killing. And then my knee started to bother me. But I was determined to finish!! 

Ben was so sweet and waited for me at certain points through the park. I think I started off running too fast to stay with him, and it killed me for the rest of the run. By the time we made it back home, we had gone 7.02 miles. I couldn't move the rest of the night. I haven't run outside in months, and then to run 7 miles, with hills.... IT HURT!!!!

Last week, I had an easy weekend run. Just a 3 miler. 

But this weekend, we had 8 miles on the schedule. I figured I would run out at Keeneland near the actual half marathon course. 

I work up from a nice Sunday afternoon nap around 2pm and Ben wanted to be out the door by 2pm so he could watch football. He ended up just running around our neighborhood again. I took my time getting ready and stretching, and then headed towards Keeneland. 

While I was looking up the map of course online, I saw they had scheduled training runs out at Keeneland today! They started at 2 pm, so I obviously missed them, but I was hoping to see some people out there. 

It really is a beautiful course!!!! I stopped to take pictures along the way and loved seeing the horses, farms and beautiful houses out there!

Around mile 6, it started to rain. I decided to take the next road back towards Keeneland and head towards the car even though I wouldn't finish all 8 miles. I was having a GREAT run and nothing was bothering me too bad, so I figured I better end on a good run than push myself in the rain. And, I was worried about having my iPhone in the armband with the rain! Haha. 

I ended up seeing two different groups of runners along the course. Everyone was so friendly!! When it started it rain, a lady who I'm guessing organized the training run, was driving around to make sure everyone was ok. She even checked on my even though I hadn't gone out with the crowd :)

The hills were NOT that bad! They were nothing like the ones I did 2 weeks ago. I think the hills today were longer, so it wasn't such a shock to my body. They were different, and I liked that, ha!

I ended up finishing at 7.5 miles. Which I was completely fine with. I was going to try and run the last 0.5 miles when I got home, but after the car ride, my muscles were so tight by the time I got out of my car. I would much rather end on a good run, injury free, than to push myself to complete 0.5 more and risk injury!

I came home and stretched. Perry even helped me stretch :) I'm going to ice my knees and then hopefully do a Pure Barre dvd later tonight. I love the PB dvd's because of the stretching we do after each muscle group. 

Today's run has me so excited for the half in March! Only 10 weeks away.....