Seawheeze Half Marathon :Training Check-In

I can't believe it (and it kind of freaks me out to say) but training is halfway over for the Seawheeze Half Marathon!  Miles have been run, rooms have been booked, planes have been scheduled, and now this race is feeling very real.  Today, I'm going to be sharing a check-in so that you (and I!) can see how I'm doing so far.

Training By The Numbers

114.2 - Total Miles

I'm happy with where my overall numbers are, but I would like my long run to be longer!  I was hoping to hit 10 miles by this point, but that will be my goal for this weekend.

63 - Current songs on my workout playlist

I usually only listen to music during speed workouts, or the second half of long runs!  I only use Spotify, and you can find my playlist here!

21 - Podcasts in my rotation (current favorite is Young House Love Has A Podcast)

Most of the time I listen to podcasts on 1.5 speed, and I've been listening to so many lately.  It seems like most of the blogs that I follow are also coming out with podcasts!

5 - Weeks to go!

How did that happen...

4 - Yoga classes

Sadly none of them were in Belize, like the picture above!  I joined a new gym and found one class that I really like!

3 - Races completed (Riverview 5k, Peace Love Run 5k, Butler 5 Miler)

Somehow I ran the same exact time in both of the 5ks.  The 5 miler was a bit tougher, but I made it through three races in a row!

2 - Shoes I rotated between (Brooks Pureflow 4 and New Balance Boracay)

These are both older shoes but are holding up really well.  I wear my New Balances for shorter runs and speed workouts, and my Brooks for anything over 5 miles.

1 - Injury scare (hamstring)

It's already feeling better, but this weekend was agony!

Diet Changes

I started my second round of Whole30 when training started, and I maintained it really well (except for the occasional glass of wine!).  During the Fourth of July weekend, I went away and didn't restrict anything that I ate, and could definitely feel the effects.  I discovered (thanks to reintroduction) that dairy and gluten bother me the most, so I've cut them out completely.

About a week ago, I also decided to switch to a vegan diet.  This is a lot easier for me to maintain than staying perfectly Whole30-compliant, and my body responds fine to whole grains and legumes.  So far it's going really well, and I'm hoping to share some tips and recipes soon!

Recovery Favorites

Except for my cranky hamstring that always gives me issues, I've been lucky to have relatively few aches and pains during training.  Here are a few products that I've been using that seem to help:

Spand-Ice Recovery Wrap - I get some soreness in my lower back and hips from running (and sitting at a desk all day), so this wrap is perfect.  I love how I can just strap it on and go about my day!  Most of the time I wear it with the ice pack, but it can also be warmed up as well.

Dr. Teal's Epsom Salts - I never used to be a bath girl, but soaking in a warm bath at the end of a hard week of workouts is amazing!  These salts help to ease muscle soreness, and I love the scents.  I've only tried the lavender kind, but I'm getting more! 

Trigger Point Foam Roller -  Foam rollers are runners' best and worst friend.  They help you recover so well, but they hurt so bad!  I try to foam roll every day, and luckily my gym has tons of rollers to use.  I keep telling myself it's 5 minutes of pain to prevent injury!

Tart Cherry Juice - My mom got me hooked on tart cherry juice a few years ago, and now I swear by it.  She prefers the concentrated form and mixing it with water, while I prefer it ready to drink (I find it at Trader Joes).  This is great for recovery and helps ease muscle soreness!

What Now?

I'm pretty happy with the first half of my training!  I have a good foundation and fitness level, and I've been cross training consistently.  The areas that I need to improve are my long runs, and more race pace workouts.  I also want to stay injury-free for the final 5 weeks and make it to the starting line healthy!

Now I need help....What should I do while I'm in Vancouver?!

Who else is training for a race?  How's it going so far?

Have you ever run an international race?