Preface
Ok! Enough of this pity party with these “road to recovery” posts. 😉 The die has been cast, and I have officially registered for Run Rock n Roll Washington D.C. Half Marathon (RnR D.C. Half).
General Updates:
Quick 2024 km in 2024 check in
We are getting into nitty gritty with 12 days remaining until Rock n Roll Washington DC Half Marathon. I'm kind of excited to run my first half marathon since last March. Also, now I can begin the tapering process, although a lot my training was not super hard.
During the past training week, I had a "DUH, Kwame" moment. There is a high school near my job, and something hit me to see if the high school has a track that is available to the public. It turns out the high school has one, which is great for incorporating speed workouts into my training.
I guess that Tuesdays or Thursdays (my in-office days) will incorporate some sort of speed training.
Although I started my taper for this week's long run, I decided to make this week's long run a little tough. I ran from my Planet Fitness in Silver Spring to Rock Creek park and back (about 7.5 miles).
I'm really glad that I randomly found this spot, because there was a pretty steep decline to enter the park, which I would have to climb to exit the park (left picture). Reason #2 while randomly stumbling on this was perfect: my upcoming half marathon also has a steep incline around Mile 7 (right picture).
This workout gave me another opportunity to prepare for my upcoming by fitting in another hill workout.
Random thought about running in this area: The folks here are way friendly compared to those in NYC. Note: I do not mean that NYC runners are unfriendly or mean. What I mean by friendly? Folks will actually (and somewhat) go out of their way to say "Hello" or "Good Morning" when passing. In NYC, folks would acknowledge you, but not actually say anything. Wait, I wonder if this is a safety technique that hikers use. For instance, by saying hello to folks along a trail, it's more likely that someone might remember you if you were to go missing. Hmmm.
Upcoming Races:
Perhaps, I'm speaking too soon. Since the main goal for this upcoming half marathon is simply to finish, I would like to register for another one sometime in May or June. This way, I will have an opportunity to continue training and hopefully become a faster (and healthier) runner. In terms of local races in May/June, I have a few options.
Marine Corps Historic Half (May 19, 2024): I think this is a no-go because the race is in Fredericksburg, Va. Doing this one would require staying overnight in FRedericksburg because the half starts at SIX AM!! I wonder if this half is really small one because the organizers state that you must start the race no later than 6:15 am.
The Maryland Half Marathon & 5K (June 1, 2024): It looks like the goal for this race is to raise money for the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hmm, I don't think one have to raise THAT much money for this one, because $1,155 was the top fundraise from last year.
Frederick Running Festival (May 4-5, 2024): I have a feeling this might be the one I'll end up doing because the logistics for this one look a little easier to manage.
Strength Training:
Strength training has been going pretty well. By well, I guess I mean that I have been hitting the weights on a consistent basis. Also, I have been getting a bit better with preparing my materials and waking early to hit the gym by 4/5 am.
It has taken me a while, but I've finally started incorporating exercises from this book.
While the exercise are "easy", I think easy exercises are great because they can help you focus on figuring out things with your body. For instance, I've realized that it's way more difficult for me to balance on my left side than on my right site.
Dieting/Proper Eating:
Since I have been consistent with strength training, I'm going to start focusing on proper eating in March. While I'm already doing intermittent fasting, I'm going to incorporate portion control and eating out less. Well, I kind of failed with intermittent fasting this past week because I was craving waffles during a 5 am workout. This craving led me to my local IHoP.
Goals for the week:
-Develop some plans for better eating habits to begin in March.
-Look into adding swimming to my fitness routine. It just so happened that a new (I think) pool opened up in the area.
-Actually figure out what's my BODi (formerly Beachbody on Demand) subscription provides. I have been doing using BODi's streaming workouts for sometime. However, the company has made all of these changes (e.g., adding workout blocks, new accountability groups, and other random sh*t). It might be nice to see what I'm actually paying for and to take advantage of my subscription's "perks". As the current moment, I normally bounce back and forth between a couple of workout programs like the ones below:
Long run playlist:
Last week's long run was powered by Aladdin - Original Broadway Cast Recording. Fortunately, I had a chance to "see" this show on Broadway. Unfortunately, I slept thought 99% of the show. So I might have had a few drinks before the show and had only 3-4 hrs of sleep the night before. In general, I tend to fall asleep in theaters because there's something about being in a cool, dark room with melodious music playing that knocks me out. At least, I woke up and managed to see Aladdin and Jasmine fly across the stage on the magic flying carpet for the last musical number of the show