Tag: #findawaynotanexcuse

Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #13

by LaurenLeave a Comment on Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #13

Marathon Day is 18 days away! Coursing through my body is a mixture of excited and nervous energy anytime I think about it.

Last Friday, Nick and I were talking about our plan for our long run on Saturday. I wanted to get a 21 mile run in. I was feeling nervous about it and asked him if he was nervous too and he said no. I was shocked that he didn’t feel nervous– maybe because he’s already run a marathon so 21 miles didn’t seem too bad. Every Friday is a little torturous for me because I know my long run is coming up. I’m always anxious about attempting to do something I’ve never done before. I think that’s pretty common to feel that way. But I try to focus on the feeling of accomplishment rather than the voice in my head that says you can’t run 21 miles. And then once it’s done, I feel so damn good about myself. And the next time I set out to run 21 miles it’s waaaaay less daunting because I know I’ve done it already!

Anyway, last week I rounded out the week with 40 miles which is the most miles I’ve ever run in a week! Wednesday- 7.2; Friday- 4.6; Saturday- 21 and Sunday- 7.2. I felt good on most of the runs; however, the 21 miler was rough. Every part of my body was hurting that day for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s just all the miles I’m putting in, the water backpack which adds weight and pressure to my back, or if my running sneakers are on their last legs. It was a mind over matter run. I wanted to run 21 miles and there was no way I wasn’t going to do it. Our mile splits were pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean we were consistently running 9:10-9:30 for most of the miles. And at mile 17, we busted out a mile in 8:38 (probably because we were on a track). We finished in 3 hours and 17 minutes. And you know what that means? That means that if I run exactly the same way on race day I’ll have 73 minutes to run the last 5.2 miles… which would be about 14 min/miles. Basically, what I’m saying is that I think I’ll be able to reach my goal of completing the marathon in 4 hours and 30 minutes!

21 mile run with splits

This week I’m starting to taper my miles off a bit. I plan to run about 32 miles this week with my long run being 15 miles. I need to let my body rest and recover with lots of foam rolling and stretching.

Until next week… 🏃🏽‍♀️💨 ✌🏻

Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #11

by LaurenLeave a Comment on Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #11

Less than seven weeks until Marathon Day!! I’m really glad I decided to document everything I’m doing. It’ll be fun to look back at all these blog posts one day– maybe 10 years from now when I’m crushing my 10th marathon. Even though I am planning out each step of my training, there’s been changes and pivots along the way.

this is obviously what I think of every time I say the word pivot

The next five weeks I’m focusing on increasing my total mileage per week. Last week I got 30 miles in over a four-day period. I don’t know if I’ll get to 35-40 miles per week on four days, but I’ll try. Here’s the breakdown of last week’s runs:

Wednesday- 5.3 miles on the treadmill; Friday- 3.2 miles outside (did some speed intervals); Saturday- 12.5 miles on the treadmill; and Sunday- 9.1 miles on the treadmill. I am really happy with my progress of being able to do back-to-back longer runs. Doing 12.5 and then 9.1 the following day is something I never even would’ve dreamed of attempting two months ago. It just goes to show that consistency pays off… but also, when you’re not given much of a choice of when you can do your mid-long runs, you make it work regardless. My body may try to tell me I can’t, but my mind is saying, “but you have to!!” And, of all the runs last week, my favorite was the 9.1 miles on the treadmill. I got in the zone, I was playing with the speed and I got through 9.1 feeling like I could’ve done another mile or two easily.

The next few weeks are going to be a little different because I am pivoting off my original plan of strength training 3 days and running 3 days. I’ve been dealing with a shoulder issues for many months that I keep ignoring. I figure if there’s ever a time to ease up on lifting weights, now is the time since I’m training for a marathon. That doesn’t mean I won’t do a full-body weight workout once a week until marathon day. It’s just not going to be a major part of my training right now. I’m focusing on running, stretching, and core work. Another thing I’m working on is starting slower. My runs have been a little faster than they probably should be- if I can slow it down to 9:30 pace for my long runs, that will help. I notice that my runs are always better when I give myself time to get into it. I’ve always been that way. I like to start slow, let my body warm up and then I’ll fall into a good pace. The goal is to finish- I’m not winning the marathon so the time is irrelevant. (However, if you’re a runner, you can’t help but have a goal in mind. And, if you’re wondering, mine hasn’t changed since my training started- I want to finish in 4:30:00- four hours and thirty minutes).

My goal for this week is 32-33 miles with a 16-17 mile run on Saturday. I am getting a little nervous because I only have four to five more long runs left before the big day. I’d like to do 16-17 miles once; 18-19 once and then 20-21 once. If I can make that happen over the course of the next four to five weeks I will feel really good going into race day. I’m hoping that giving myself more active rest days (i.e. stretching and ab work) it’ll give my legs a break and I’ll feel good on all my runs.

Other things I’m thinking about… 1) what am I wearing on race day? I think I know which leggings but I have to decide on my upper half. I will probably work out a couple of different options based on the weather. 2) How am I going to handle eating before the race? I usually don’t eat before I run but I’m typically not up for more than 45-60 minutes before I run. On race day, I will probably be waking up a good 2-3 hours before the race starts. I’m thinking a banana on the drive over and my pre-workout about 20-30 minutes prior to race time. That’s what I’ve done when I’ve run half marathons and it’s worked out OK. I’ll also be using the water backpack and the chews that I got on race day. I know there’s water stops along the way but I want to limit my stopping at least through the first 15 miles or so.

Wish me luck as I start ramping up my mileage!

Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #10

by LaurenLeave a Comment on Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #10

It’s hard to believe I just wrapped up week nine of training. I am happy with my progress so far, although I had a not-so-great long run this week. The plan was 3-4 miles on Thursday, 16-17 miles on Saturday, and 6.2 on Sunday. I ended the week with a total of 25.5 miles over those three days.

I really want to make it possible to train (successfully) for a marathon by running three days a week; however, I’m not so sure that’s enough. I’ve read tons of different plans and some suggest getting to 30-40 miles per week; while others suggest upwards of 50+ miles per week. Getting 30-40 miles of running in on three days is a serious challenge . I’m already been having some tenderness in my right shin after I run so I’m hesitant to run more but I might give it a try to increase my total mileage for the week. Here’s what my training schedule has looked like since day one. This week I’ll start planning the last seven weeks.

Back to last week: I did a short run on Thursday which was relatively uneventful. Saturday’s run was a different story. I started at 6:45 AM with the goal of 16-17 miles; however, my body had different plans. The first 7-8 miles I felt really good. I was just cruising along thinking about work and enjoying the run. Then mile 9 came and my entire body tensed up. My legs and back were aching. I just felt so tight and uncomfortable. It became a lot of work just to keep my legs moving. I forced myself to keep running even though all I wanted to do was stop and walk the rest of the way home. I kept myself moving and told myself that as long as I did a little more than the week prior, I’d be happy. When I got to 15.2 miles I called it a day. It wasn’t the best run but it was a completed run and for that, I’m happy.

Sunday, on the other hand, was magical. It was 48 degrees, my hands were not in gloves, and my legs felt great. Even though I’ve been hitting the treadmill on Sundays I couldn’t pass up a 48 degree day, especially on a Sunday. Sunday mornings will always be my favorite time to run. It’s so quiet and peaceful and you can hear your feet hit the ground and the sound of your breathing over your music, instead of cars whizzing by you constantly. I am hopeful that I can do more of my Sunday runs outside and that I can freeze my Planet Fitness membership soon!

On a gear and accessories note… This week I remembered to grab the chews that Nick gave me to try and I ate two of them at miles 8, 11 and 14. It definitely took my mind off running for the few minutes it took me to eat them. I bought a variety pack so I have them for all my long runs up until race day. On cold days, I use my thick vest and it has pockets with zippers so I put my phone in there. On more mild days I use a different vest and I’m forced to put my phone in the pocket of my leggings. I think the impact of me hitting the ground causes the music to skip though and that’s kind of frustrating me. I’m debating whether to use my arm band or find a lighter vest with a pocket for race day. I like the idea of having my phone in my pocket rather than on my arm because it’s more accessible. I know you’re dying to find out what I end up doing so don’t worry, I’ll keep you informed.

As for this week, I’m going to attempt to squeeze in a fourth day of running and see how I feel. On Saturday I’m going to attempt 17-18 miles so let’s hope for a mild weather day. Until next week… ✌🏻❤️ 🏃🏽‍♀️ 💨

Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #4

by Lauren2 Comments on Marathon Training Chronicles- Installment #4

Week 3 of training was my best week yet! I was able to run 3 days and all my other workouts were completed without any issue. I think I lacked in some stretching and foam rolling but overall my body feels pretty good. I’m going to make sure to get some extra stretching and foam rolling in this week.

Last Thursday was supposed to be my 5k speed interval day. It ended up just being a 5k. I’m perfectly fine with that, as right now it’s most important for me to just get miles under my belt, speed is not that important. That morning was actually a great teaching moment. I was driving my kids to school before my run and Ethan says, “momma, you can’t run, it’s raining out.” To which I replied, “oh yes, I can. And yes, I will.” He’s 6. He doesn’t know that when it comes to runners, we run. Regardless of the weather. But his thought process is the thought process of many people. They see a challenge or obstacle and make an excuse out of it. I saw the circumstances, said to myself “this sucks”, and did it anyway. That is the difference between someone who wants something bad enough versus someone who doesn’t. It’s as simple as that. Even though Ethan probably didn’t get the significance of that moment, I’m hoping that if he sees it enough over his young lifetime, he’ll start to understand it: when we want something, we find a way; when we don’t, we find an excuse.

Saturday was my long run day and it was fantastic- I felt great. I ran 9.1 miles in 17 degree weather. But it was sunny so it wasn’t terrible. I’m still figuring out the right clothes to wear– how much is too much, how much is too little, which gloves work best, should I tuck my shirt in, do I wear leggings or swishy pants, etc. So far I’ve got this down: always tuck the shirt closest to my body into my pants; leggings > swishy pants; puffy vest is best; face shield helps keep my neck warm even if it does nothing for my actual face.

Sunday I skipped the Winter Run Series Race because I just had a lot of stuff to do and I was getting anxiety about losing those 2 1/2-3 hours of my day (I know, I know, I’m a little crazy). But I still got my run in- I did 3.4 miles. My legs were tired from the day before so it kind of worked out that I didn’t race that day- it wouldn’t have been a great time.

This week it looks like I have to do some shifting around to make things work. I don’t think I’ll be able to get my long run in (10 miles was on the docket for this week) but that’s OK. My goal is to do 5-6 on Thursday and Friday and then the final race of the Winter Run Series on Sunday).

In other running news, Nick and I signed up for the Lt Michael T. Murphy Run Around the Lake in June. I’m excited to do that race because it was the first race Nick and I ran together last year! (It was also the start of race fever for me.) Last year’s race was a 15k (9.4 miles) but this year it’ll be a half marathon. Woop Woop!

Until next week… ✌🏻