It would be an understatement to say that I've been running a lot lately. I'm at the height of my training for the Myrtle Beach marathon and things are pretty intense. I'm happy to report that I continue to have plenty of energy with a good amount of pep in my legs. I attribute this to:
- Fueling my hard workouts with Generation UCAN
- Getting plenty of restful sleep
- Foam rolling almost every day
- Staying hydrated (I even got a new smart water bottle)
- Regularly doing my hip strengthening exercises (3-4 times per week)
- Staying mentally relaxed and not obsessing about my running
- Keeping my easy runs easy and not over-running the workouts
- Getting massages every two weeks
In addition to all the running I did this week, I also spoke at a local marketing conference about marketing technology. It was a great opportunity to share my experience and network with other marketers. Even though my mileage is at an all-time high, I'm still very focused on my work and I find that having a work/running balance is really important in staying sane. Running clears my mind from work stuff. Focusing on work ensures I don't spend too much time thinking (or obsessing about) running.
Monday: Easy
8.1 miles @ 8:39 average. It was insanely windy and rainy. And also dark. This run simply wasn't enjoyable but I got it done. I'd rather deal with wind than ice on the ground so I can't complain too much for late January.
Tuesday: Progression
11.7 miles @ 7:44 average. The plan called for a 90-minute progression run with the first 30 minutes easy, the middle 30 minutes medium, and the last 30 minutes hard. I've done this workout quite a few times now, so I know how each section should feel. Just six weeks ago I actually ran this same workout at an average Pace of 7:51, so it was nice to see some progress. 30 mins easy @ 8:36 (3.49 miles), 30 mins medium @ 7:37 (3.94 miles), 30 mins hard @ 7:05 (4.23 miles). I struggled during miles 9-10 because they were uphill and into a headwind. Instead of worrying about my pace, I kept the effort strong and got the benefit of the workout.
Wednesday: Easy
8.1 miles @ 8:40 average. Just an easy run!
Thursday: Tempo + intervals
11.8 miles. This included a really long workout: 4 mile tempo run @ 6:56 pace. Half mile recovery
jog. 2 x 90 seconds with 90 second recovery jogs: (6:32, 6:24). 4 x 60 seconds with 60 second recovery jogs: (6:18, 6:17, 6:11, 6:10). 4 x 45 seconds with 45 second recovery jogs: (6:15, 6:13, 6:03, 6:02). 4 x 30 seconds with 30 second recovery jogs: (6:03, 5:55, 6:01, 5:58). 6 x 15 seconds with 15 second recovery jogs (6:18, 6:01, 6:18, 5:51, 6:19, 5:52). Including warmup and cool down I ran 11.8 miles total. This was a landmark run for me because it's the first tempo run I've done at a sub-7:00 pace. My coach gave me this workout five weeks out from Boston and my tempo pace was 7:02. I was also able to run the shorter intervals faster than I was last spring. At 50 degrees, I almost felt too warm at times!
Friday: Easy
7.1 miles @ 8:32 average. I was pleasantly surprised at how peppy my legs felt given the beating that they took on Thursday.
Saturday: Long Run
21.2 miles @ 8:18 average. Similar to last weekend, Greg parked his car at the W&OD trail and ran the first part of the run with me. He ran back to the car, I ran home. We started this run at a pace of around 8:27. I kept trying to get us to slow down, but we naturally kept logging fast miles. The
slightly faster paces just felt natural and easy. It was also quite cold, so I think trying to keep warm was partially why these paces felt comfortable. It seems like my body is naturally inclined toward negative splits; the longer I run, the better I feel and the more energy I have. I definitely could have continued on at this pace or faster for another five miles, and BQ'ed the training run. I need a 3:40 to BQ, but I'll be looking to run somewhere around 3:20. I finished this run with plenty of energy and there is no residual soreness in my legs.
Sunday: Recovery Jog
3.4 miles @ 8:42 average. Everything felt good and I'm looking forward to another hard week!
Total mileage for the week: 71.4
As the marathon gets closer, I have started to think about my strategy and goals. All of my workouts make me think that marathon pace of 7:30-7:40 is realistic on a good day, but there's still a lot of work to be done. I have a 10K tuneup race next weekend which I will not taper for. It will be interesting to see how much speed I can get on tired legs. Regardless of how I run in the marathon, I am really enjoying the challenges of this training cycle and the progress I have made in terms of handling the heavy load.
I'm running higher weekly mileage than I did when I trained for Boston, but my overall training cycle will end up being about one month shorter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that February doesn't bring any severe weather-- we were definitely spoiled in January with mild temperatures and no storms.
Wednesday: Easy
8.1 miles @ 8:40 average. Just an easy run!
Thursday: Tempo + intervals
11.8 miles. This included a really long workout: 4 mile tempo run @ 6:56 pace. Half mile recovery
| Thursday, January 26 |
Friday: Easy
7.1 miles @ 8:32 average. I was pleasantly surprised at how peppy my legs felt given the beating that they took on Thursday.
Saturday: Long Run
21.2 miles @ 8:18 average. Similar to last weekend, Greg parked his car at the W&OD trail and ran the first part of the run with me. He ran back to the car, I ran home. We started this run at a pace of around 8:27. I kept trying to get us to slow down, but we naturally kept logging fast miles. The
| Saturday, January 28 |
Sunday: Recovery Jog
3.4 miles @ 8:42 average. Everything felt good and I'm looking forward to another hard week!
Total mileage for the week: 71.4
As the marathon gets closer, I have started to think about my strategy and goals. All of my workouts make me think that marathon pace of 7:30-7:40 is realistic on a good day, but there's still a lot of work to be done. I have a 10K tuneup race next weekend which I will not taper for. It will be interesting to see how much speed I can get on tired legs. Regardless of how I run in the marathon, I am really enjoying the challenges of this training cycle and the progress I have made in terms of handling the heavy load.
I'm running higher weekly mileage than I did when I trained for Boston, but my overall training cycle will end up being about one month shorter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that February doesn't bring any severe weather-- we were definitely spoiled in January with mild temperatures and no storms.
