Half marathon training
Week 23, run 1/3
Today I ran along #bicipolitana n.3, 8 and 9. I came to a field track and did two loops of the external park alley.
The whole route wasn't flat, there were a couple of underpasses and bridges, but I didn't have to cross the road even once.
It was a very needed physical movement after yesterday's dinner with so much delicious food inside my belly 
Half marathon training
Week 22, run 1/3
I had no juice after the 18 km run on Sunday and yesterday's workout. So I kept it easy, including the 5x20s sprints part.
Today we received good news: our eldest son has passed the admission test for the English international class at his future middle school 
.
It's a class in French public schools where one subject per semester is taught in English, typically science, history or geography.
Mobility 20'
x4:
Lat pulldown x6 @ 35, 40, 45, 50 kg
Lying chest press x6 @ 7.5, 15, 22.5, 30 kg
Leg press x6 @ 37.5, 45, 52.5, 60 kg
Cable machine squat x6 @ 20, 25, 30, 35 kg
Hanging knee raise x6 
V-up x6
I could only manage 3 reps in ex with 50 kg. I thought it would be the same for the other exercises but instead I didn't hit failure in any other.
Especially for I don't think 60 kg are my 6-rep max. I am a bit afraid of it though.
Half marathon training
Week 19, run 3/3
11°C and I had to wear a jacket, but the run was quite enjoyable in spite of the wind and a few rain drops.
What's your strategy to pass runners slightly slower than you? People who have a similar pace to yours but still you could go faster if you were in front.
Do you sprint when you're just behind their back or do you accelerate well before and risk that they see you huffing and puffing once in front?
Half marathon training
Week 17, run 2/3
Workout completed today despite occasional bursts of 1-2s knee pain when I land my foot the wrong way.
What I did:
Switch from midfoot to forefoot stride Short stride Very slow pace Heating patches ensuring a proper warm-up and reducing the intensity of the pain
At 30' from the end I could switch again to a more natural midfoot stride, but it lasted only 10', then I had to switch back to forefoot.
mobility 20'
x4: Scapular pull-up x10 Backward lunge & twist @ 8 kg x8/side Turkish get-up @ 4 kg x2/side Push-up x4 Elevated calf raise @ 16 kg x10/side Step up @ 35 cm, 8 kg x10/side
My calf is slightly better but it's not totally healed yet. Anyway I hope tomorrow I can finally go for a run. With regular shoes 
, I've decided to use the barefoot shoes for walking at the moment.
Half marathon training
Week 16, run 1/3
Knee problem is gone and I went out for an easy run with my new and first pair of #barefoot #running shoes: the #Xero Aqua X Sport.
From the first strides some differences are striking: overstriding hurts the heel and there's no energy returned because there's no cushioning.
Therefore even being light on your feet is enforced and core engagement is crucial.
I got the hang of it after 20'.
The day didn't go as planned. It's spring school break and the kids are taking each a #swimming class in the morning.
So I played for 1h with my eldest in the small pool while the youngest was taking his class.
At 18 I went #running, but I immediately felt a pain in my left knee that didn't ease up with further strides.
So I gave up, walked back home and applied a heating patch.
I hope everything will be ok for my next run on Thursday 
Half marathon training
Week 15, run 3/3
Lovely weather again 
and I completed all of my workouts this week 
Sadly though I got back home and found out that the boys only left me a tiny piece of the tiramisù I made yesterday. I guess I should be thankful they didn't eat the whole thing
Half marathon training
Week 14, run 3/3
This morning I couldn't get to 2 hours of running.
My breathing is still not at full capacity and the last 30 min I started getting migraine.
Every step was like a hammer beating on the back of my head. I tried to slow down and could keep it for a while but at 13' left I couldn't bear it anymore.
I guess it's still better then laying on the couch.
Let's hope next week I can complete all of my workouts
Half marathon training
Week 13, run 1/3
Today the tech failed me. The Cooper's test was on the menu: 10' running warm-up, then 12' at fast pace and 10' cool-down
Unfortunately the app stopped tracking after 6' at a fast pace interval. I noticed it only at 10' because I didn't receive any remaining time notification 
. That's when I stopped and fell short of 2' for the test. Then I finished with 12' of easy run.
No stats for today 
!
Half marathon training
Week 12, run 3/3
Another PB in distance: 18 km
Lovely weather, a bit too cold at the beginning but under the sunshine everything feels good 
Today I experimented with real food as fuel.
- 200g of roasted potatoes 
34g of carbs, 
0,20 €
- 50g of dried apricots 
(rehydrated the night before) 31g of carbs, 0,25 €
- half a tab of electrolytes in 250ml of water 0 carbs, 0,25 €
Expensive gels are not mandatory
Half marathon training
Week 12, run 1/3
This was a complete disaster 
.
It was supposed to be a tempo run with 10' at slow pace, 3x10' at 6:16 (+ 3' recovery) and 10' slow pace .
First 10' interval at 6:01/km, but I was struggling mentally. Then 5' into the second interval (at 6:13/km) I felt a sudden nausea and I stopped. I walked back home (2,5 km) feeling ok, I ate and unfortunately spent the rest of the day vomiting in the bathroom 
.
Half-marathon training
Week 11, run 3/3
A night run. This time I was well equipped with lights and, being a Sunday evening, there were less runners than usual.
Still I prefer running in daylight because at night I am prioritising safety rather than performance.
Also last night my youngest vomited 4 times, so I didn't sleep much. I'm just happy I did the job.
Half-marathon training
Week 10, run 3/31 km walk + 5' mobility
1:52:42 long run (16,6 km)
1 km walk
Many good things happened today: It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and I could get plenty of vitamin D into my system I ran the longest distance to date I ran 201.5 km so far in 2025
Now the half marathon distance seems an achievable goal.
Half marathon training
Week 10, run 2/31 km walk + 5' mobility 57' easy run1 km walking
Slow and steady. I repeated sentences in #Korean the whole time and adapted my pace accordingly.
The focus in my easy session is not running but language learning. That's how I don't find it boring and I don't end up going faster.
Half marathon training
Week 8, run 3/32 km5' 01:32:10 long run
Nice weather today. Sunny, then cloudy with a bit of wind and not cold.
I tried the 2:2 breathing technique: inhale for 2 strides, exhale for 2 strides.
This keeps the pace slow and I was also reminded of prepartum classes. So I tried to breathe with my belly instead of my chest and that even brings to a 3:3 pattern, but it's hard to maintain.
My new 
feel great!
Half marathon training
Week 7, run 3/320' mobility2 km walking 1:23:53 long run
Today I tried fueling for the first time.
After 1h of #running I ate a dried fruit bar and drank 125 ml of water with electrolytes and carbs. It took me 6' to introduce those 30 g of carbs. Chewing while running definitely needs practice. Small bites and a slow pace.
And I had enough energy to continue when my timer stopped. Now I get why this is important.
Half marathon training
Week 7, run 2/32,5 km5'51' easy run
I guess I went from embarking to debarking 
I did it with this carving axe, whetstone and a lot of arm juice, which is now empty and may be also empty still tomorrow.
Almost certainly not the best way to do it, but stubbornness prevailed.
