Thursday, May 24, 2012    

Marathon Training Week 7

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Had a great week last week of running…for two reasons. First, it was a recovery week so I only ran a total of 13 miles. Second, I had a great 5K race on Saturday…the anniversary of my very first race ever. It was good for the soul to see the improvement over that year and helps give me some hope for my marathon training, which has not got well of late.

This week I pick it back up and end the week with a 16 mile run (another “longest run”). I look forward to this long run with a little apprehension given how my last long run (14 miles) ended. I really need a decent long run to get some of my confidence back and strike out some of the doubt lingering in my mind about finishing this marathon.

So my plan is to be more careful with my diet and hydration this week. We’ll see how that work out…still another 9 week of training after this one!

Week 7 Training Plan:

  1. Monday: 2 miles @ 9:50 — Ran it this morning, took it nice and easy.
  2. Wednesday: 5 mile tempo @ 8:18 pace for 3 miles
  3. Saturday: 16 miles @ 9:50
  4. Total = 23 Miles

Must improve my diet and am hoping life settles down a little and allows for some more cross-training, but not holding my breath. Onward & upward!

01.08.2011 Hobbies, Marathon Training, Running No Comments

Marathon Training Weeks 5 & 6

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

The last two weeks of training (now that week six is almost done) have been a  mixed bag. Below is my schedule over the past couple of weeks with commentary on how each run went. The 14 miler was BRUTAL, but I’m hoping that was just a wall that I’ll blow through (eventually).

My diet hasn’t gotten too much better so I’m not sure why expect anything to go any better than it has. This week has been a recovery week and I’m finishing it off with a 5K…the one year anniversary from my first race last year. We’ve come a long way baby!

Last week’s training plan (week 5):

  1. Monday: 2 miles @ 9:54 — Easy, Breezy
  2. Wednesday: 4 mile tempo run (2 @ 8:21) — the start of the bad…had to stop 4 times on this run (can’t remember the last time I had to do that on a run this short)
  3. Saturday: 14 miles @ 9:52 — U-G-L-Y…got dehydrated after running out of H2O at mile 12 and not properly preparing for this run in the heat. Must learn a lesson from this one!
  4. Total = 20 Miles

This week’s training plan (week 6):

  1. Monday: 4 miles @ 9:54 — Felt good, even though my muscles were sore.
  2. Wednesday: 6 miles@ 9:54 — Ran this morning and it felt good! Hoping this is a positive sign for things to come.
  3. Saturday: 5K race — TBD, but expecting to run a PR (in the 8:00 pace or better range)
  4. Total = 13.1 Miles

Still no cross-training…who has the time?!?!?

27.07.2011 Hobbies, Marathon Training, Running No Comments

Marathon Training Week 4

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Last week’s training wasn’t too bad…aside from that 10 mile run! It was brutal mainly because it’s been so long since I’ve run that distance. And this week certainly doesn’t get any easier with a 12 miler on the horizon. ;o)

I’ve noticed that my diet (which hasn’t been great lately) seriously affects my running..so I’ll be paying closer attention to that this week.

Here’s the training plan for this week:

  1. Monday: 3 miles @ 9:54
  2. Wednesday: 4 mile speed run (2 @ 7:51)
  3. Saturday: 12 miles @ 9:54
  4. Total = 19 Miles

Cross training has been absolutely zilch since I started my training…just finding it hard to fit anything more into the schedule. We’ll see how that goes moving forward.

Not even going to talk about weight loss right now (since it’s going in the wrong direction!!). Sigh…

13.07.2011 Hobbies, Marathon Training, Running, Sports No Comments

Marathon Training Weeks 2-3

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

The first two weeks of my marathon training have been rough. For the previous month I’ve been taking a little breather so it’s been hard ramping my mileage back up. I also learned a key lesson (one I already knew, but had to learn the hard way apparently): Do NOT run immediately after a big meal. I did it. I regretted it. Ugh!

Last week I had two runs that needed to be done during Scout Camp. The elevation at camp was over 7.000 feet and it was hilly. Got the runs in and they felt good. Over the past two weeks I also finished an 8 and 9 mile run (from the church to the house). That’s been the hardest part…getting the long runs back into my routine.

Here’s the training plan for this week:

  1. Monday: 3 miles @ 9:56
  2. Wednesday: 5 mile tempo run (3 @ 8:23)
  3. Saturday: 10 miles @ 9:56
  4. Total = 18 Miles

Aside from some serious hiking during summer camp, I haven’t done much cross training so I still need to get that into my routine. I’m also having a tough time mentally picturing finishing 26.2 miles…9 miles has been hard enough and that’s only about a third of the distance! Trusting the training and taking it little by little.

Weight Loss Goal: 20 lbs lost (185 target)
Weight Loss Update: Lost 2 pounds in the last two weeks…197 right now.

03.07.2011 Hobbies, Marathon Training, Recreation, Running No Comments

Marathon Training Week 1

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Here we go! Today marks the first day (and week) of my 16 weeks of marathon training (I’m already tired just thinking about it). I still don’t have my mind fully wrapped around running 26.2 miles, but I haven’t had my mind wrapped around any distance I’ve attempted so far…so I’ll just trust my training and hope for the best.

Here’s what this week has in store for me (I’m following the FIRST Training Program that focuses on three runs per week plus cross-training):

  1. Monday: 3 miles @ 9:58
  2. Wednesday: 5 mile tempo run (3 @ 8:26)
  3. Saturday: 8 miles @ 9:59
  4. Total = 16 Miles

I also plan on two cross-training days including at least one day of TRX training (love that thing, but it hurts!)

Weight Loss Goal: 20 lbs lost (185 target)
Weight Loss Update: Lost 5 lbs last week (great start, expect things to slow down from here)

I’m sure that’s more than anyone really wants to know…but here we go anyway…

20.06.2011 Hobbies, Marathon Training, Recreation, Running No Comments

Bolder Boulder 2011

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

It’s a little late, but I’m finally getting around to posting about my last run…the best of the past 12 months: 2011 Bolder Boulder. I decided late last year I was going to run this historic race for no other reason than to say I did it. I expected it to be over-crowded and walk away with the experience but never wanting to do it again.

I could not have been more wrong! This was the best race of the year because it is run so well. There are a LOT of people, but they manage them perfectly. No over-crowding. No running shoulder to shoulder for the first two miles. I will be back next year (and so on) for as long as I can make it.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that I ran a PR for a 10K either. My original goal was to run it in a 8:00 per mile pace, but my training wasn’t going as well as I’d hoped so I changed that to around 8:45 by the time race day came around. I finished with a very encouraging  50:32:96 (8:08 pace). If it hadn’t been for a BRUTAL mile 3 I might have hit my original goal…but still very happy!

The atmosphere surrounding this event is second to none. Running through the neighborhood streets in Boulder is nothing short of fun. You never know what you’re going to see: from slip & slides, to BBQs, to music0filled parties, to men dressed as female belly dancers (that one made me pick up the pace!). I can’t wait for next year’s race already.

Here are a few pics from the event…

Me at mile 5

Plugging Along...

The Home Stretch!

Crossing the finish line (Yep, that's me in the red circle)

 

 

16.06.2011 Hobbies, Running, Sports 2 Comments

Marathon Training Preview

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Next week I begin a journey that just over a year ago I said I’d never take (famous last words). I begin my 16 weeks of marathon training…leading up to the Denver Rock-n-Roll Marathon on October 9th (yes, I am officially signed up). I still haven’t really wrapped my mind around running for 26.2 miles, but that’s pretty much been the case for every distance I’ve faced in the past year. As Anita said last night: “That’s what the training is for.”

As part of my training, I plan to record my progress…but not on quite the same regularity as when I was doing the Couch to 5K program last year. My plan is to have one blog post per week with a review of the past week’s training and a preview of what’s coming up for the week. I hope to keep a record of my progress (or lack of) as well as keep myself accountable.

To get that started, here are my goals as I begin preparing for my training:

  1. Start the marathon: I know, sounds obvious…but this really means no injuries so that I can actually run the race.
  2. Finish the marathon: Since this is my first marathon this is really the ultimate goal…but I can’t just leave it there…
  3. Finish in under 4 hours: This is my stretch goal and what I’m training for…big goal, but you gotta have goals right?
  4. Lose 20 lbs between now and the race: This one has two purposes…first, I need to lose the weight and second, that will be 20 lbs I won’t need to carry with me for 26 miles.

I’m still fine-tuning my training program, but I know for sure that it begins next week. So stay tuned for more…26.2 here we come!

13.06.2011 Hobbies, Marathon Training, Running No Comments