I haven't been very good at updating the blog but that doesn't mean that I haven't kept up with my training. I had a week at the beginning of July where I skipped a run or two due to travelling but other than that I've been pretty faithful to my schedule.
This week is my 6th week. I did a 3.1-mile run on Tuesday morning. I'm scheduled to do a 6-mile pace this evening, 3-miler tomorrow and a 9-miler on the weekend. Hubby and I are planning on doing a day trip to Martha's Vineyard on Sat so I may need to do the long run on Sunday. I prefer doing the long runs on Saturday just to get them out of the way before Sunday but all the plans this weekend we'll see how I can fit it in this weekend.
My longest run to date is 12 miles last weekend. It was extremely hot and humid so I ended up doing the run on the treadmill. As I'm looking at my training calendar I'm already dreading the long, long runs that are yet to come. A local running store is organizing three long runs on three Saturday mornings for marathon trainers. I signed up for two runs (16 and 20 miles) simply because it's nicer to run in a group and they also provide all drinks, gels etc. during the run and a breakfast after the run. And it's all free!
Now that the long runs are going over 2 hours I really need to start reading up on fueling during long runs. It was a total surprise to me that you are actually supposed to eat calories during the runs depending on your speed. I will need to start experimenting with this so that will have all the science down on the marathon day.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
How can it be that I'm only on my first week and I'm already making excuses for why I just can't go run. Yesterday was no exception. When the alarm went off at 5.15 am, I was barely able to get out of bed. I went to the bathroom and spent eternity just staring into the distance as there was no brain activity going on whatsoever. I felt beyond exhausted and I knew that there was just no way I would manage to put my running gear on and go for a run. I was trying to figure out whether to take the morning off completely when my 5-year-old came to the bathroom announcing that he'd peed in his bed. That finally fired up some electrons in my brain and I went into the mommy mode. My first thought went to the hot chocolate he'd drunk right before bed time and already in my head I swore that I'd never let him drink it again that late at night.
I told my son to get into the shower and then get back to bed. He insted that he wanted to take a bath. Seriously, who wants to take a bath at 5.25 in the morning?! While the bath water was running I went to check the damage in Mr. A's bed. The bed was completely dry and so was his underwear that he had conveniently just dropped on the floor. I went back to the bathroom and asked him where he thought he had peed. He just looked back at me like I was growing two heads. After a quick bath I told Mr. A to get back to bed but that he could go sleep next to his dad. I even went and tucked him in but after a few minutes I found him glue to my hip because he "was scared". Seriously?!! By that time I'd decided that rather than taking the day off, I'd do IT Band exercises so off to the basement I went with my son still glued to my hip. I was unlucky enough to injure my IT band the last time I was training for a marathon and while I finished the race I could barely walk for over a week and it took me months to get back to running. I went for a couple of PT sessions and got some exercise tips. I lost them at some point but when I was browsing the internet recently I came accross this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ydcy3dPf__M), which reminded me of the exercises that my PT suggested. So I've tried to do these 2-3 times a week. I also got a foam roller. I'm hoping the foam roller, strenght training and IT Band exercises will save me from any injuries this time around.
I debated all day at work whether I would actually go for a run after I got home. On the way home I almost fell asleep on the train and I basically made up my mind that I wouldn't go. I got home and while I was cutting up and putting in containers the endless amount of chicken that I had cooked the previous night I made up my mind that I just can't not go. This is my first week, for Pete's sake!
The agenda for the day was a 5-mile pace run. Basically it means running that distance at a pace you expect to run your race. My goal is to run the marathon in under 4 hours (3:59:59 to be exact) so that puts me at about 9:07 min/mile. Now, while I've been training in the past, I've never managed to push myself to actually run any of my runs at a race pace but I decided to give it a try. I started fast and by about a mile my pace tapered off to about 8 min/mile and then it was hill after hill and I knew I couldn't keep up the pace but at the same time I was nice to know that I could slow down considerably and still make my time. My average pace ended up being about 8.48 min/mile, which made me happy. I finished the run in 43:31.
I told my son to get into the shower and then get back to bed. He insted that he wanted to take a bath. Seriously, who wants to take a bath at 5.25 in the morning?! While the bath water was running I went to check the damage in Mr. A's bed. The bed was completely dry and so was his underwear that he had conveniently just dropped on the floor. I went back to the bathroom and asked him where he thought he had peed. He just looked back at me like I was growing two heads. After a quick bath I told Mr. A to get back to bed but that he could go sleep next to his dad. I even went and tucked him in but after a few minutes I found him glue to my hip because he "was scared". Seriously?!! By that time I'd decided that rather than taking the day off, I'd do IT Band exercises so off to the basement I went with my son still glued to my hip. I was unlucky enough to injure my IT band the last time I was training for a marathon and while I finished the race I could barely walk for over a week and it took me months to get back to running. I went for a couple of PT sessions and got some exercise tips. I lost them at some point but when I was browsing the internet recently I came accross this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ydcy3dPf__M), which reminded me of the exercises that my PT suggested. So I've tried to do these 2-3 times a week. I also got a foam roller. I'm hoping the foam roller, strenght training and IT Band exercises will save me from any injuries this time around.
I debated all day at work whether I would actually go for a run after I got home. On the way home I almost fell asleep on the train and I basically made up my mind that I wouldn't go. I got home and while I was cutting up and putting in containers the endless amount of chicken that I had cooked the previous night I made up my mind that I just can't not go. This is my first week, for Pete's sake!
The agenda for the day was a 5-mile pace run. Basically it means running that distance at a pace you expect to run your race. My goal is to run the marathon in under 4 hours (3:59:59 to be exact) so that puts me at about 9:07 min/mile. Now, while I've been training in the past, I've never managed to push myself to actually run any of my runs at a race pace but I decided to give it a try. I started fast and by about a mile my pace tapered off to about 8 min/mile and then it was hill after hill and I knew I couldn't keep up the pace but at the same time I was nice to know that I could slow down considerably and still make my time. My average pace ended up being about 8.48 min/mile, which made me happy. I finished the run in 43:31.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Week 1 / Day 1
Today was the day; the start of my marathon training. This is my 3rd full marathon so I should know at least in theory what awaits me in the next 18 weeks. If nothing else is certain, one thing is; I'll be kicking myself many, many times for this decision while questioning my sanity at the time I giddily clicked "Register".
Anyhow, I took up morning running some years ago and I'm going to try it at least for the short runs to see how that goes. For today, my plan was to hit the pavement by 6 am so I set my alarm for 5.15 am to give me enough time to wake up before my run. I left my phone in the kitchen last night (on purpose I might add) so that when the alarm goes off I just woudln't be able to just hit snooze and doze off but I would actually have to get up to turn it off. I must have been exceptionally tired as I didn't hear the alarm until it was on its last breath. I suppose it's the knowledge that I *must* go running at least 3 times a week for the next 18 weeks that I didn't feel too excited about today's run. I actually managed to fold a load of laundry and start another load before finally dragging myself out the door.
Fortunately the weather was quite nice; in the 60s and I could actually see the sun and hear the birds. Today's goal was 3.1 miles (5 km). I started out at an easy pace (just under 10min/mi) and I was going to take it easy all the way but after about 5 mins I saw an elderly man coming from the opposite direction, running, of course. I was about to make a right turn and I was secretly hoping that the man would just go straight but that was not to be. Soon after I made the turn I hear him coming behind me and was he going fast. The competitor in me just couldn't let him run past me without putting up a fight and I picked up my pace trying to keep up. After about a mile I just had to hand it to him and admit that I was no match. I did get my revenge, however, when I passed a walker about 1/2 mile before the end of my run. So there.
Overall, it was a good run and I better enjoy these last nice runs before the humidity kicks in.
Today was the day; the start of my marathon training. This is my 3rd full marathon so I should know at least in theory what awaits me in the next 18 weeks. If nothing else is certain, one thing is; I'll be kicking myself many, many times for this decision while questioning my sanity at the time I giddily clicked "Register".
Anyhow, I took up morning running some years ago and I'm going to try it at least for the short runs to see how that goes. For today, my plan was to hit the pavement by 6 am so I set my alarm for 5.15 am to give me enough time to wake up before my run. I left my phone in the kitchen last night (on purpose I might add) so that when the alarm goes off I just woudln't be able to just hit snooze and doze off but I would actually have to get up to turn it off. I must have been exceptionally tired as I didn't hear the alarm until it was on its last breath. I suppose it's the knowledge that I *must* go running at least 3 times a week for the next 18 weeks that I didn't feel too excited about today's run. I actually managed to fold a load of laundry and start another load before finally dragging myself out the door.
Fortunately the weather was quite nice; in the 60s and I could actually see the sun and hear the birds. Today's goal was 3.1 miles (5 km). I started out at an easy pace (just under 10min/mi) and I was going to take it easy all the way but after about 5 mins I saw an elderly man coming from the opposite direction, running, of course. I was about to make a right turn and I was secretly hoping that the man would just go straight but that was not to be. Soon after I made the turn I hear him coming behind me and was he going fast. The competitor in me just couldn't let him run past me without putting up a fight and I picked up my pace trying to keep up. After about a mile I just had to hand it to him and admit that I was no match. I did get my revenge, however, when I passed a walker about 1/2 mile before the end of my run. So there.
Overall, it was a good run and I better enjoy these last nice runs before the humidity kicks in.
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