Training update

Training Update:

It is less than 5 weeks until Big Sur Marathon Day!

I’ve been building up my run mileage and couldn’t be happier about where I am with that.  I’ve been getting 50+ miles/week and getting in all of my long runs.  This is the first year where I haven’t been nearly balancing my training at all with bike/swim.  I have swam ONCE this year now.  (however it was last week and I am back- committed to going once/week for the next month, then possibly building to 2x in May).  Biking I have been doing usually 3-4x / week, but not nearly the intensity or duration of my typical winter bike progression of when I have Eagleman looming over me.

So, my focus is on running, and mostly running HEALTHY and without reinjuring my hamstring/hip.

I’ve been able to get back into hill workouts as they are necessary for Big Sur, but my intensity on them isn’t what I used to be able to push. I’ve had 2 pretty good long runs, a 20 and a 22.  Yesterday, I went out for another 22 (full of hill repeats) and it CRUSHED me in so many ways.  I’m not sure why and need to really spend more time on thinking why because I hope to NOT feel this way during my race!

*I was away all weekend/ not eating good food/ doing lots of sitting (although I ran a hard 6 mile interval run the day before—so maybe my legs were actually tired from that, even though I thought of it as an “off” type weekend).  I’m wondering if sitting so much, not great food, being in car for 4 hours/day didn’t lead to my body feeling great.

*I mentally may have been rushed/not focused on the “HOW” of the big picture- I like to break my run up into segments and I might have been a little too open ended about how to get the miles done with a bunch of hill repeats in.  For me, knowing the plan (example:  first 7 miles is 3 warming up into 4 miles of hill repeats.  Then 3 getting to next hill, then 3 miles of hill repeats there, then 5 on a moderately hilly loop, then 3 more miles of hill repeats, then finish.)  This type of sectioning of my hours works really well for me, and I didn’t have the whole details calculated.  My daughter was also home sick, so I felt kind of bad being gone for that long and was too focused on the FINISHING and not enjoying the beautiful morning that I was able to spend running!

*It was a rather warm morning and I wore shorts.  I could feel my quads “moving” and sorry for TMI but it was like jiggling, maybe it was muscles, but sure didn’t feel good and I was annoyed at feeling this.  Plus m y muscles just felt really sore right away (maybe that interval work the day prior) (but then again maybe that was a good thing!)

*either way----it is a success in my book:  I had intended to do 22 and I finished 21.5 miles.  The last 5 I was honestly just DONE. Done done done.  I ended up taking those last 5 miles and doing .1 mile walk into the rest of the mile running and the running ended up being maybe .1-.2 easy but then I found myself having energy to build a decent pace because I was so looking forward to walking again.  So basically my mile times here were not any worse than what it would have been by not walking… something to keep in mind and consider. But also to keep in mind that it will only be helpful in that way if I can get myself to push the non walking times--- if all I can muster is a slow run, then it won’t help to walk part of it.  It is a strategy I may end up using.  I know people do this all the time.  I have always avoided it because I haven’t needed to do it.  BUT… it is nice knowing that if needed, I’ve practiced it (by default!)

From this run, I need to:

*look to see what I did the weekend before as well- was that a Long run?or maybe I missed a weekend of long runs and maybe this is why this weekend felt hard.

*need to figure out what to WEAR for Big Sur. Maybe feeling my legs was just from being first time outdoors in shorts this year?

*need to plan mental break down of marathon miles.  I’m thinking so far first 11 miles as a big chunk.  Then mile 11-14 is a big hill.  Next chunk is 14-20 (may want to break this into 1 mile “recovery” from the hills then 5 more at race pace).  Then 20-26, need to look at this more in depth.  I do not want to feel like I did this past long run!

After my long run, for about 3 hours, I felt like I was getting the flu.  My body, eyes, everything hurt, ached, I felt TERRIBLE.  I drank cherry juice, ate pineapple (vitamin C), a yogurt for recovery.  Having coffee began to help after about 2 hours- maybe warming me up and giving me some caffeine.  (I did have diet soda right after the long run…. Because I am who I am… ughhh cannot give that up for the life of me).

Marathon training is no joke.  Super hard.  I’m so glad to be doing one again! It has been a long time since my last !(Boston 2011!)

April 28 will be here before I know it!