Week 3 got off to a good start with a 4 miler, 6.2 miler, and 5.9 miler Monday - Thursday, but unfortunately that ended up being it for the week. I moved apartments on Friday and after that marathon session (no joke) spent all day Saturday cleaning, unpacking, and setting up and Sunday was a deserved day at the beach. So much for a big training week- I only got 16.1 miles in over 3 runs! As a side note, moving is tough work, but a great quad exercise!
Week 4 I got myself back on track. The heat and humidity were killer last week and I was NOT used to this after having spent the summer in Seattle (unlike my NYC teammates who are more than accustomed to working out in the oppressive conditions). That said, Monday I got in a 5.6 mile run and then Tuesday did my first bike ride in over a month. Wow, have I lost a lot of biking fitness! It's amazing how the two sports are so different and fitness (other than cardio) really doesn't translate that well. But I was happy to be on the bike so that was a good day.
Wednesday and Thursday were two harder 7.7 and 5 mile runs. Friday was a planned off day then Saturday morning I set out for my 11 mile run. 7.7 miles was the longest I had run since mid-July so I didn't want to push it. I ran an out and back along the Hudson River path and the first 5.5 miles were at a super easy pace. When I got to the turn around I felt great, but didn't want to be out there forever. I picked up the pace about 1:15/mile and just ran home. End time: 90 minutes for 11.2 miles. I was very happy to have finished so easily, with no residual soreness or fatigue.
I had planned on running an easy 5 miler on Sunday but I woke up late, did stuff around the apartment, and had to run out the door for brunch. But that's okay because I had hit my goal of 30 miles for the week so now I am back on track!
Goals for the coming week:
Last first week of classes ever! I get back on a routine so this should help my training. My plan is 35 miles over 5 runs with the long run of 13 miles. With classes not starting until 2:15pm 3 days a week (and Fridays off!) there should be no excuses...
Showing posts with label Marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marathon training. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Marathon Training: the plan
I have the dubious luck of being able to focus solely on my running now because I hurt my arm in a bike accident (see previous posts) and am unable to bike or swim. So this gives me 12 weeks of continuous, uninterrupted run training to prepare for the marathon. I have no interim races planned (though I may add a few shorter running races in just to mix it up) so this should be a very dedicated training block.
Until recently I didn't really have a goal for the marathon. I have already qualified for Boston (from NYC Marathon last year) and there is no major time threshold that I am near. I consider myself a competitive runner, but I am nowhere near elite and so going for a top place isn't remotely realistic, even within my age group (I was 196th in F25-29 last year). But to train without a goal is hard for me, so here it is: run a 7:45 pace (3:23 finish time), negative split (run the 2nd half faster than the first), and feel GOOD doing it. I also have a not-so-secret wish to take the Team Sports Bistro crown at the marathon distance. 6 of us are competing for it this fall!
So let it be known that I am in full-on marathon training mode. I will check in here weekly, if only to keep me honest. I'll also be experimenting with some different sports nutrition so I'll review that as well. I'm starting fresh (I had 2 weeks exercise-free in recovery from my accident) and am still building mileage and speed, but I know it will come quickly enough. I want to run 18, 19, 20 milers, get up to 50 miles per week, and complete a few trials of Yasso 800s. Let's see how I do!
Plan for this week: 21 miles, including a long run of 8 (hey, I said I'm still building up!)
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