Journey to the Half - Week 4
Whew! Week 4 of my half marathon training program is completed. Not much excitement this week, which is a good thing. I had really good short runs and a long run that I could tell was adequate for current fitness level. I have noticed my 5K time is much better than what it was four weeks ago, almost back to where it was pre-injury. My long run pace has also improved from an average of 12 minutes per mile down to 11 minutes per mile.
Since there wasn't a ton of exciting things happening this week, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about run safety in the dark. If you find that the best times for you to run are in the early mornings or late evenings, you need to take precautions to make sure you are visible to others. That's key. Visibility is your friend. You may not like brightly colored clothing, but if you are on the road you need to dress as brightly as possibly. Bright yellows, pinks or oranges are great colors to be noticed.
Something else you may consider wearing on your dark runs is a head lamp. I know it may feel a bit bulky if you aren't used to wearing one, but using one, even in a brightly lit neighborhood, could be the difference between you safely running or becoming a new hood ornament for a pickup. Additionally, you could wear a light belt. Nothing more than a strip of cloth with LEDs sewn into it, a light belt would add another layer of visibility to your run.
Whether you run during the day or at night, be smart and do whatever you can to stay safe.
As always, #GetOut and #DoMore and remember your #SquatchWatchGear!
Weekly Totals
Days ran: 4 days
Total miles: 12.23 miles
Longest run: 5.50 miles
Journey to the Half - Week 3 | Journey to the Half - Week 5