Month two of marathon training is officially in the books! As is the month of July, my highest mileage month to date with 111.49 miles! Annnnnd week 9 I finally stuck with the plan exactly, which gave me 34.92 miles! My first 30+ mile week! The icing on the cake is that I also hiked two mountains during week 9, but more on that later in the post.
Oh week 8 how I loved you/felt guilty about you. The beau and I returned from our mini vacation in the ADK on a Tuesday, and during those three days away, I didn’t have a single run on my log. I thought that was awesome but knew my coach would cram in the miles later in the week. Wednesday rolled around and I still had vacation on my mind, so I skipped my run. Four whole days without lacing up and I was kind of freaking out internally about that decision. So Thursday morning I met my favorite running gals and hit the streets. It was a gorgeous morning and I only had four miles planned, but decided to add-on a couple more (total of seven for the day) that I had skipped the previous day. Friday I ran a couple more easy miles with the same group…. and then nothing for the remainder of the weekend.
A total of ELEVEN miles for the week. A low I haven’t seen in months. Although I missed my Saturday speed work session and Sunday short-long run (only 7-9 miles), which I did feel bad about for a hot minute, I did get to see T-Swift. Week 8 reminded me that it is okay to have a life outside of running.
Week 9 I was fired up and ready to get back on track. And also determined to hit 30+ miles! For those of you who aren’t following along on DailyMile, this is what my week looked like:
Monday: Hiked Prospect Mountain in Lake George with Rocco, 3.22 miles
Tuesday: 4.75 mile run with Jen
Wednesday: 9.17 miles of speed work with Larissa/PFP team at the SUNY track
Thursday: 1 hour of strength work with Coach Nark
Friday: 5 miles with Caroline including 6 x 100m striders
Saturday: 16 miles with Kara
Sunday: Hiked Black Mountain in Lake George with Jen, 7.15 miles
Yeah.
That’s 45 total miles for the week, 35 of them running. Determined to say the least!
Nutrition wise my diet was spot on. I had a few treats – frozen banana slices dipped in dark chocolate are the BEST in 90+ degree weather – and haven’t had alcohol in two weeks. I’ve decided not to drink until I go on vacation later this month and will continue not to drink until after the marathon. I’m not one to drink a lot as is these days, but I’ve seen a big difference in my energy levels because I’m sleeping much better without having a drink (beer) after work. You better believe I’m going to have an ice-cold beer at the finish line!
Physically week 9 was the hardest for me to date. Because I skipped two weeks of strength work with my coach, Thursday left my legs sore to the touch. No matter how much foam rolling I did, it hurt to sit down (especially on the toilet, oiy!). I thought Friday’s striders would loosen me up, but my hamstrings were just as tight/heavy feeling on Saturday as ever. I was happy to slow down the pace Saturday because of this, but Sunday was just as bad. Hiking definitely helped me shake the sore out because today (Monday) as I type this, I feel much better.
Mentally this was an awesome week for me. I was a little nervous heading out for my long run because I had skipped the previous week’s run, and the one before that was a struggle to finish. The last two miles were the hardest this week because of the heat, but I convinced myself not to stop and get myself to Kara’s pool. We may have hopped the fence because the lifeguard was late… and I may have a big-ass bruise on my inner thigh, but it was 100% worth it! Jumping in wearing my shorts and sports bra felt like heaven on Earth! My spirits were definitely high wrapping up my running week.
From here on out it’s going to be a mental game for me. I know all but two long runs between now and marathon day, which includes two 18 milers and three 20 mile days. That mileage has shocked a couple of runner friends in my life because typical beginner marathon plans include one of each, but I have to trust that my coach knows me and what I’m physically capable of this training cycle. I do admit it is a little daunting seeing them on my schedule already (I say already because I can’t believe it’s August already) but I’m going to plan like hell to simulate the race on those runs so that I feel the best prepared.
