Once again posting for 2 weeks...
Week 15
5 Runs
54 Miles
20 Mile Long Run
1 5K Race - 2nd - 16:55
This was a pretty solid last week of real training before starting the taper. This week finally set up closer to the way I should set up my Marathon training. I had an early week mid-long run, this week almost 12 miles (goal was making sure to be over 80 mins) followed by a couple of faster workouts - 8 mile tempo on Wednesday and a fun fast run with the Hash on Thursday. I decided last minute to push my long run to Sunday and fit in a 5K on Saturday morning. It ended up being a good decision as I finally got below 17 on the same course I had run a 17:33 on last time - evidence that this marathon training has done something for my fitness level.
I followed the Saturday race up with a solid 20 mile on Sunday with the last 8 at Marathon Pace. The marathon pace miles didn't feel like I was really pushing, though I was tired from a short night sleep. The only worrisome thing is that I've started having issues with my right hamstring - I seemed to have done something to it a week or two ago (it may have been in Ithaca or just before...) and it just won't leave me alone. It seemed to be fine for most of the long run, but reared it's head about 13 miles in and made the decision not to push pretty easy.
Week 16
2 Runs
10 Miles
The nagging hamstring and a business trip to AZ lead to the decision to take most of the week off. I just put in a couple of short runs on the resort golf course to try to loosen up the legs after the 20 miler, but didn't really test the hamstring too much.
It's annoying and a little worrisome that I'm having this issue now, but 2 more weeks of light training, 1 little marathon, and I'm allowed to rest it completely for a couple of weeks before beginning the build up for the ING in January. I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous about Chicago, and excited about a little downtime and a little fun running before getting back on the schedule. The regimen and discipline of staying on the schedule was perhaps the most difficult part of this (my first) training cycle and the part I struggled with most. Hopefully I'll be more disciplined on the next cycle and I will be more experienced making the next schedule.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Chicago Marathon Training Week 11, 12, 13 & 14
Opps, so maybe I've fallen a little behind in updating the blog... So I'll play catch up in one quick entry - luckily several of these weeks deserve very little if any recognition...
Week 11
5 Runs
48.5 Miles
20 Mile long run
I got a little behind on my millage this week due to a short notice trip to Mexico to deal with some issues there. I still managed 5 runs and my longest run ever - a 20 miler with 7 miles at marathon pace or faster during the last part of the run. I've been taking some longer water breaks during training (watch stopped) because of the killer heat and humidity. Some runs (like this 20 miler in 84 degree heat) they'll be around 20-30 seconds and other runs might see some last up towards a minute. I'm hoping that cooler weather in Chicago will offset these breaks in my training.
Week 12
4 Runs
38.8 Miles
13.8 Mile long run
This was my scheduled down week (39 planned) so I don't feel too bad about the low millage except that I've been way off schedule and scrapped the planned workout for the week. Veronica and I flew out to Ithaca NY on Friday morning to visit my parents and grandparents and spend a week on the lake, so the preceding week was a little weird. I was supposed to travel to Colombia but canceled my trip as Irene threatened to hit Miami and my schedule was a little thrown off as I prepped to go off the grid for a week. I did focus on getting a few 70+ min runs in and started a week of hilly runs in NY with a 9.5 miler with V up to Taughannock falls on Friday and a 13.8 miler route around the Taughannock gorge the next day. Running in sub 80 degree temps and sun is FANTASTIC by the way...
Week 13
6 Runs
56.2 Miles
15 Mile long run & Trail Half Marathon
I pretty much rewrote this week of training to take advantage of a trail half marathon on Sunday and the beautiful running to do in Ithaca. V and I moved our planned 23 miler to Wednesday and ended up changing it to a 7 miler after V twisted her ankle on the first 20 feet of trail and we discovered 23 miles of road running was not comparable to 23 miles of rough, hilly trails. We had planned on making up some miles in the evening on the road but that got nixed when V's ankle swelled up and it turned out she had run 7 miles on a probably sprained ankle. I did add a 15 miler on Friday to make sure my millage for the week was respectable, and with the half marathon on Sunday I had 4 runs of 80+ min for the week (2 of them were at a decent pace too!). Most of my running was done in 60-70 degree weather which was an amazing change from Miami and the only downside to the week (aside from V's ankle) was that I managed to tweak my hamstring during one of the runs and it's been lingering since.
The Monster Half Marathon in Virgil NY on Sunday was a beast to say the least. Miami running doesn't prepare you for 2780 feet of up hill on mostly single track trails. It was a handicapped start, so I went out with the last un-handicapped group (being a male in the prime of my life...) despite probably needing a major handicap to compete. I managed to stick with the leaders for the first mile of dirt road (6:30 first mile) but lost them quickly when we hit the trail and I started power hiking up the steep hill. I can honestly say I have never walked so much during a race before and the half marathon ended up taking me just over 2 hours. I saw all the marathoners heading out for their second lap and quickly decided no one could have paid me to turn around and head back out. I did manage to finish a semi-respectable 13 out of 89 and 5th in my age group (37 and under - the un-handicapped!)
Week 14
4 Runs
38.1 Miles
15 Mile MP long run
Laziness is the only thing I can blame this week on as I had trouble rolling out of bed at 5 after a whole week of sleeping in, and then when I ran in the evenings my stomach fell apart. I've now put in over 3 times as many miles this year as I have in any of the last 8 so I'm into new territory as far as motivation is concerned. It's been a while since I put in a competitive race and running on my own consistently is starting to get old. Not what I want to be happening at this point in training, but it did. Now I just have to refocus and get some solid work done in my final hard week before I begin my Marathon taper. I did manage a halfway decent run on Sunday - 15 miles with the last 13 at race pace (6:44 or under). It wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it should have been - not a good sign for the marathon, but I'm hoping it was more a factor of the temperature (84) than any issues with my fitness.
Week 11
5 Runs
48.5 Miles
20 Mile long run
I got a little behind on my millage this week due to a short notice trip to Mexico to deal with some issues there. I still managed 5 runs and my longest run ever - a 20 miler with 7 miles at marathon pace or faster during the last part of the run. I've been taking some longer water breaks during training (watch stopped) because of the killer heat and humidity. Some runs (like this 20 miler in 84 degree heat) they'll be around 20-30 seconds and other runs might see some last up towards a minute. I'm hoping that cooler weather in Chicago will offset these breaks in my training.
Week 12
4 Runs
38.8 Miles
13.8 Mile long run
This was my scheduled down week (39 planned) so I don't feel too bad about the low millage except that I've been way off schedule and scrapped the planned workout for the week. Veronica and I flew out to Ithaca NY on Friday morning to visit my parents and grandparents and spend a week on the lake, so the preceding week was a little weird. I was supposed to travel to Colombia but canceled my trip as Irene threatened to hit Miami and my schedule was a little thrown off as I prepped to go off the grid for a week. I did focus on getting a few 70+ min runs in and started a week of hilly runs in NY with a 9.5 miler with V up to Taughannock falls on Friday and a 13.8 miler route around the Taughannock gorge the next day. Running in sub 80 degree temps and sun is FANTASTIC by the way...
Week 13
6 Runs
56.2 Miles
15 Mile long run & Trail Half Marathon
I pretty much rewrote this week of training to take advantage of a trail half marathon on Sunday and the beautiful running to do in Ithaca. V and I moved our planned 23 miler to Wednesday and ended up changing it to a 7 miler after V twisted her ankle on the first 20 feet of trail and we discovered 23 miles of road running was not comparable to 23 miles of rough, hilly trails. We had planned on making up some miles in the evening on the road but that got nixed when V's ankle swelled up and it turned out she had run 7 miles on a probably sprained ankle. I did add a 15 miler on Friday to make sure my millage for the week was respectable, and with the half marathon on Sunday I had 4 runs of 80+ min for the week (2 of them were at a decent pace too!). Most of my running was done in 60-70 degree weather which was an amazing change from Miami and the only downside to the week (aside from V's ankle) was that I managed to tweak my hamstring during one of the runs and it's been lingering since.
The Monster Half Marathon in Virgil NY on Sunday was a beast to say the least. Miami running doesn't prepare you for 2780 feet of up hill on mostly single track trails. It was a handicapped start, so I went out with the last un-handicapped group (being a male in the prime of my life...) despite probably needing a major handicap to compete. I managed to stick with the leaders for the first mile of dirt road (6:30 first mile) but lost them quickly when we hit the trail and I started power hiking up the steep hill. I can honestly say I have never walked so much during a race before and the half marathon ended up taking me just over 2 hours. I saw all the marathoners heading out for their second lap and quickly decided no one could have paid me to turn around and head back out. I did manage to finish a semi-respectable 13 out of 89 and 5th in my age group (37 and under - the un-handicapped!)
Week 14
4 Runs
38.1 Miles
15 Mile MP long run
Laziness is the only thing I can blame this week on as I had trouble rolling out of bed at 5 after a whole week of sleeping in, and then when I ran in the evenings my stomach fell apart. I've now put in over 3 times as many miles this year as I have in any of the last 8 so I'm into new territory as far as motivation is concerned. It's been a while since I put in a competitive race and running on my own consistently is starting to get old. Not what I want to be happening at this point in training, but it did. Now I just have to refocus and get some solid work done in my final hard week before I begin my Marathon taper. I did manage a halfway decent run on Sunday - 15 miles with the last 13 at race pace (6:44 or under). It wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it should have been - not a good sign for the marathon, but I'm hoping it was more a factor of the temperature (84) than any issues with my fitness.
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