Tara at Running N Reading hosts a Weekend Update Link-Up where people can share their weekend fun and successes with each other, as well as introduce each other to new things: races, workouts, books, food, gear, etc.
Since running and reading are my two favorite “try to retain some semblance of myself” while being a stay-at-home Mom activities, I’m excited to participate in this link-up!
Current Reading
I’m still (yes, still! It’s 1,100 pages!) reading Edge of Eternity, the third and final installment of Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy, this time focusing on the Cold War era. I’m now up to Vietnam and the hippie movement and I’m loving it a little less than I was. I really enjoyed the focus on living behind the Iron Curtain (both in East Berlin and the USSR), but feel like the Vietnam and hippie movement is being portrayed in a cliché way. We’ll see how the last quarter turns out…
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I’m still listening to The Good Girl by Mary Kubica (it takes me awhile to get through an audiobook because I only listen to it while running!). It’s a Stockholm-syndrome type kidnapping thriller and it’s pretty good so far. I know how the story ends, but the mystery is how they get to that ending. We’re getting closer and there have already been a couple surprises. I think I’ll be finished by next week’s update…
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“On Deck” Reading
Last week, I was choosing between reading my next book based on mood or publication date. Well, I just got approved on NetGalley for a book that I’m really excited about and it fits both criteria…so a change of plans are in order!
Next up for me on the Kindle is Reunion by Hannah Pittard. It’s a short one and will be a nice change of pace after the 1,100 page Edge of Eternity. It’s about an estranged family gathering for a funeral and I’m hoping it will be the next This is Where I Leave You.
As a result of my Top Ten Authors I Need to Read More From post, I was told that I MUST listen to David Sedaris on audio, rather than read his books. Apparently, he narrates them all himself and is hilarious. So, my next audiobook will be Me Talk Pretty One Day, which, believe it or not, I still haven’t read!
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Running
Week 11 of Hal Higdon’s Intermediate Half Marathon Training Program down…and now it’s taper time! Last week, I started to feel pain in my big toe after my 11 mile long run, so I was worried about how this week would go. Luckily, a few days rest, ice, and Advil seemed to do the trick. I made it through this whole week without any toe pain and was able to do all my miles! Thanks so much to everyone who gave me suggestions last week!
- My last long run this week was 12 miles and it went well. I went out a tad faster than usual ([9:45]-[9:50] miles rather than [9:55]) and I still felt OK on the back stretch (around [9:30] for miles 9-11 and [9:10] for mile 12).
- I ran in the rain for the first time for my 5M recovery run on Saturday. It was just misting a bit when I started, but really started coming down about halfway through. But, it was actually kind of fun and I’m glad I got at least one rain run under my belt before race day (just in case…).
- Let’s talk elevation and race strategy for a minute. I (stupidly) did not check the course elevation before signing up for next weekend’s Westchester Medical Center Running Festival’s Half Marathon. I checked it out for the first time last week (the top graph is the half marathon):
The course has a total elevation gain/loss of 756 feet and my long training runs averaged around a 350 foot gain/loss. Am I totally in for it?! Not to mention that very unfortunate U-shaped graph. Of course, the climb has to be the back half of the race, right?!
So, all you seasoned runners out there, how should I aim to split this race?
I usually negative split my training runs and like to run races that way, but I have a feeling that may not be an appropriate goal here.
Should I take things out a little faster since I’ll be able to get some faster miles under my belt with a lot less effort in the downhill section?
Or, do I need to hold back even more to save it for what will undoubtedly be a brutal back half?
Taper week, here I come!!
What did you get up to this weekend?
Oh, good!! Your’e going to listen to David Sedaris… that isn’t one that I’ve listened to, but I’m sure it will be wonderful.
Edge of Eternity – 1,100 pages is long! I’m sure you want to read it sense it is the final book in a trilogy. I don’t usually like to get into series books. It can be frustrating waiting to find out the conclusion.
Sarah, I can’t wait to hear more about The Good Girl; in addition, I’m so happy to hear you’ll be reading Reunion; it looks like a great one, and is already getting some media attention. Now, on to the running! Yeah, that elevation map is hilarious – sorry! 🙂 I’m certainly no expert, but my advice would be to make up some time where you can (downhills and, moderately, though that middle section) so that you don’t feel as compelled to kill yourself getting up that incline toward the end. When I can cover a little more ground early on, it gives me the ability to look at my time and say, “Okay, so I just need to make it through these hills at about X pace and I’ll still be able to hit my goal time.” I hope you’ll get some additional feedback. Can you believe it’s almost here already?!? Wow! You’ve done a great job in your training, and you will have a great race; what hills?!? 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up again this week!
yikes, that’s quite a course elevation. my advice would be to focus on effort, not pace and try to run conservatively during the front half and give those hills all you’ve got!
I want to get to that last in the Follett trilogy but that means I have to read the first two again because it’s been too long and I’m completely OCD about that stuff, lol.
Congrats and good luck on the whole running thing 😉 I admire runners. I don’t know that I’ll ever do it myself…unless I’m being chased by a monster, ha!
I will have to try Sedaris on audio!
I think it is pretty cool that you’re listening to a book while running. It is a good time to multitask 🙂 Plus it sounds like a good read anyway.