ESC Wisconsin Week 5-7 Training Recap

I am now only 54 days away from my race! My second block of training is complete! (ECS Wisconsin Weeks 5-7)   The focus for this 3-week block has been elevation and mixing speed work into my long runs. I’ve also added in doubles on Wednesday which I have been enjoying.

 

 

 

Week 5 – Build 

 

Mon 7/3 Tues 7/4 Weds 7/5 Thurs 7/6 Fri 7/7 Sat 7/8 Sun 7/9 Total
5 EZ

6.15 + 8 mi bike commute

9 speed +   NP pop-up

8.75 mi – 4 Becca Loops + NP

6 EZ am + strength + 4 EZ pm

6am, 4pm + 4 mi bike 

 

Yoga

Great class today

 

6 (10x hills) + NP

7.1

 

20

19 at Scuppernog, WI

15 (30 min tempo)

16, no tempo

65

67.1

 

ECS Wisconsin Week 5 highlights 
  • On Tuesday (4th of July), I introduced the November Project Track Tuesday group to Becca Loops!  They all nailed the workout, and then we went to a pop-up workout at North Ave with the rest of the NP group.  Breakfast at Le Pain followed.

 

ECS Wisconsin Week 5-7

  • Wednesday was my first double day.  I ran before strength class then biked to work.  In the afternoon I ran back to EDGE.  It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be! I actually like having the double because it forces me to have good nutrition habits throughout the day to ensure that I can run home in the afternoon.

 

 

  • On Saturday I drove up to Wisconsin to run at the Scuppernog trail head, which will be part of the course.  I cut it short at 19 miles so I could head to Milwaukee and see Jess for brunch.  I was SO happy to get a chance to see her; the last time I had seen her was when she cheered my on at the Ice Age 50 mile race in May!

 

ECS Wisconsin Weeks 5-7 Brunch
Brunch with Jess!

 

  • Sunday I did not do the tempo portion of the run.  Instead I just did straight easy miles, and did 16 to make up for the one I missed yesterday.

 

Week 6 – Build

 

Mon 7/10 Tues 7/11 Weds 7/12 Thurs 7/13 Fri 7/14 Sat 7/15 Sun 7/16 Total
5

5 on the treadmill, 8.5 mi bike commute

8 speed

8 on the treadmill

6 EZ am + strength + 4 EZ pm

6.25 am, 3.75 pm

Yoga

Yoga + Upton’s 

6 + NP

8 mi + 4mi bike commute

24

24,  Swallow Cliff

15

14, LFT + 17mi bike ride

66

70

 

ECS Wisconsin Week 6 highlights 

 

  • On Tuesday I did a GREAT hill/speed workout on the treadmill.  After a 2 mile warmup, I worked inclines with speed work:  .25 mi walk @6%, .5 mi tempo @1%, .25mi walk @ 8%, .5 mi tempo, .25 walk @10%, .5 tempo, .25 walk @ 12%, .5 run.  I felt great afterwards!
  • Wednesday I worked from home so I did 6 after strength class and it felt WONDERFUL!  I was able to do a progressive cut down, starting at 7:55 and knocking off 10 seconds per mile until finishing at a 7:25 pace.  I felt like I was flying!  In the afternoon I went for an easy jog on dead legs.

  • Thursday I was so happy for a rest day (just did yoga).  I was also happy because it was Upton’s Birthday Bash – they were giving away free jackfruit sandwiches.  It was my first time having jackfruit and it was DELICIOUS.  Definitely a good rest day treat.

 

Lunch at Uptons Breakroom

 

  • On Saturday I mixed in a tempo with hill repeats at Swallow Cliff.  I would do 1 mile of stair repeats (about 120 feet of elevation change) followed immediately with 1 mile at a faster race pace.  I repeated that sequence 5 times and felt strong the whole way through.
  • Sunday I stayed local so I could cheer on the Rock n Roll runners and have enough time to recover before the Chicago Vegan Ice Cream Bike Tour!

 

 

 

 

Week 7 – Cutback

 

Mon 7/17 Tues 7/18 Weds 7/19 Thurs 7/20 Fri 7/21 Sat 7/22 Sun 7/23 Total
Rest

4.1 mi, 8.5 mi bike

8 speed

10.1 Cricket Hill

6 EZ am + strength + 4 EZ pm

6.14 am, 3.5 mi bike, 4 pm

Yoga

Nothing

6 + NP

7.25 + 3.5 bike

15

15 

Treadmill + 606

15

15, Swallow Cliff

58

62.5

 

 

 

ECS Week 7 highlights
  • Unfortunately, it’s really hard for me to take a total rest day.  Monday was supposed to be one, but the thought of that made me anxious.  So I ran 4 slow easy miles, and my legs felt pretty junky.
  • I did a hill/tempo combo workout at Cricket Hill.  It was HUMID!  I did 4x Cricket Hill then a 2 mile tempo (7:08, 7:05), then 4 more repeats and finally another mile with the goal being 10 seconds faster than the first set (nailed it, 6:57 pace).  Confidence boost that I haven’t lost all my speed!

 

ECS Wisconsin Weeks 5-7 Track Tuesday Week 7
Photo cred: Emily R.
  • Strength class was outside on Wednesday at Walsh Park.  Buggy and sweaty but I worked my abs a lot (they were sore the next day!)
  • Thursday was rainy and I was mentally tired. Decided to actually take that total rest day that I neglected on Monday – probably because I had been nagging myself all week about it.  Went to therapy and then tested out a new loaded berry pancake recipe that turned into a pancake scramble because my flipping skills are not the best.

 

Pancake fail
  • On Saturday, it was pouring rain again, so instead of going to the trails I went to EDGE and did a mix of elevation and speed work.  It was a doozy but I felt SO GOOD and so confident after.  Treadmill: 1 mi WU, .25 walk at 6% speed 4.5, .25 run at 1% speed 8.5, .5 walk 8%, .5 run, .75 walk 10%, .75 run, 1 mi walk 12%, 1 mi run, 1 mi 14%.  Then I went outside and did 2×2 miles, first at 7:50 then at 7:35.  Zoom zoom!

 

 

That wraps up ECS Wisconsin Weeks 5-7!  If you’re interested in joining in on the fun, you can visit this website to register for any distance from the 5k to the 50 mile.  Use the code ECSAMBBM15 for 15% off any distance.

 

 

For this next chunk of ECS Wisconsin training, I have a continued focus on elevation with trips to the suburbs and Wisconsin.  I really am liking the treadmill workouts, so those will continue too!  The only drawback is that if I do the treadmill, I don’t get to check in with the athletes I coach on Tuesday morning at the track.  I’m going to try flipping it to be every other week and see how that goes, or maybe flipping around my schedule to just have an easy run on Tuesday.   Stay tuned!

 

 

What are you training for? Leave a comment below so I can give you some training Tuesday love! 

 

 

Happy Running,

Becca

 

 


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