Chicago Marathon Training: The Struggle is Real

I remembered that marathon training was hard, but I'd forgotten how, exactly. 

The struggle goes beyond just getting in 40+ miles of running a week (though that has its own challenges too). Here's a bit of the extra stuff involved in training for a marathon:

All the Hurts

• frequent arch/heel soreness after runs
• occasional hobbling/crawling around my house
• occasional sore lower back
• occasional hip tendon trouble
• tight shoulders/neck
• tight calves (even with stretching)

I've been doing just fine managing all of these things... until yesterday. At T-6 weeks (anyone know if that's the correct usage?), I hit my first bump in the road. While out on my run, my tight calves had a little twinge in them. I'd recently started managing them with compression sleeves in-run as well as post-run, but, this twinge was new. A little skiddish due to some previous calf strains (one that crippled my first marathon training and involved a boot), I made some time to go see my sports massage guy. 

I could tell they were bad when, for the first time I can remember, the massage actually hurt a little bit. He even had to get out this little metal tool that we haven't used since my strain two years ago to dig at a knot. Eek. I haven't been doing any rolling (though I have been diligent about stretching), and, combined with a really hilly run on Saturday, which ended in shuffling through two miles due to Run Lead obligations, I definitely haven't been treating my calves very nicely.

The night of my massage, everything was really tender/sore, and I started wondering whether I should run #10MileTuesday in the morning. Fortunately, I woke up with my legs pretty much recovered, and was able to cover the distance. I've had my sleeves on since then, but can already tell a HUGE improvement in muscle tension from yesterday.

All the Chafing
This is the first time I've run this long (duration and miles) in this humidity, and it is not working out too well for my upper body. No matter which sports bra I wear on my long run (and I've tried everything from my Nike Xback, seamless Lululemon, and a few different MovingComfort varieties), I wind up with awful chafing near the neckline and along the straps in the back (literally, it looks like I was whipped; I have raised welts along the X-back from last weekend). I'll be trying some Body Bag this weekend, since my normal BodyGlide isn't cutting it. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll go get fit at a sports bra shop. Maybe my bras are too big? 


All the Foods
I've also had to make a lot of modifications to my diet. I'm learning how to make healthier foods with less effort, and have easy, healthy snacks on-hand. 

every lunch now includes a fruit-- mini orange or apple

I've gotten much better about meal planning, both for baby's sake and my own nutrition. Now I'm a lot more diligent about ensuring each meal is balanced. It's nowhere near perfect, but it's a decided improvement over what we had before. Another thing I've started doing to help us is making my work from home Tuesday/Thursdays "crock pot days". It's really easy for me to throw some raw meat, veggies, and a carb in in the morning, and then Jerry can come home to a warm, cooked dinner that all three of us can eat. Holden's enjoyed garlic chicken/potatoes/green beans and a thyme-infused carrot/potato/chicken dish so far. 

This is not a crock pot meal, but it was delicious.
(cooked) frozen peas on spaghetti dinner before LSD Saturdays

I've also started trying to plan out my post-run/morning meals and snacks. I'm eating LOTS of eggs (omelets with spinach, cheese, and ham = T/Th breakfast), oatmeal, and, to make sure I get enough salt in these hot/humid temps, CHEX MIX.

ALL THE CHEX MIX
(batches 3 and 4 of this marathon training cycle)

All the Sleep
On T/Th, when I work from home, I'm usually fed and showered post-run by 6:55am. Instead of using the 7-8am hour to blog, clean house, etc., I've started using it to nap. 

I also find myself resentful of any activity that infringes on my desired 8pm bedtime. I'm going to a conference in a few weeks, and lament that all fun activities begin around 7:30pm. How am I supposed to get up and get my 8mi of speedwork in on Thursday when there's a welcome reception with "endless food, bottomless champagne, open bar and unforgettable entertainment" Wednesday night?

All the Sickness
This probably goes hand-in-hand with the sleep issue, but I've been sick more this fall than ever before. Certainly this is due to the combination of: 1) having an infant who goes to daycare in the house and 2) low sleep + high activity.

Pretty sure I'm getting sick again... Had sneezing and itchy throat today at the office. Joy.

six more weeks

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 14/20

Weekly Summary
Miles: 47.24  (L2= 42, L3= 47) 
Switched out the L3 16PRO long run for a L2 18LSD, but kept the other L3 workouts
Days Run: 5
XT: 1 (from now on, I'm counting strength training)
Rest: 1
Intermittent Injuries: tight/sore right hip flexor/groin-- happened last week, but I didn't mention it; tight calves on Monday; PF after 10MiTuesday; left lower back sore/strain on Wed/Thurs night but fine in morning after sleep; tight-ish calves on Friday morning; sore lower lower abs/publc bone tendons post-LSD
Feelings: elated, proud, happy, strong, proud, excited, proud (notice a theme?)


Monday
Scheduled: 5-6
Did: 5.09 @ 10:26/mi avg
Came down with a sore throat AGAIN last night. Got another 9 hours of sleep (thanks, Jerry, you're amazing!), Still had a sore throat in the morning. Since that was the only thing, I got up and went running anyways.

It was a disgustingly slow recovery run, but it happened, and that's the point of these "garbage miles" days, right?


Tuesday
Scheduled: 10 ONB
Did: 10.02 @ 9:39/mi avg, 15min weight-lifting, 5mi abs
Y'all. #10KTuesday just became #10MileTuesday. I am now running ten miles on a weekday as part of my "normal training schedule" from now until taper week. What. The. Nugget.

I think I'm finally not sick again. I woke up sans alarm at 3:55 and was out the door in time for my 4:20am start with Brandi. It's recently dawned on me that the "go to bed at 7pm so you can get up to take the 1am-6am shift" schedule that I started when baby boy was only a few months old hasn't ever gone away. It's a good thing I got on that schedule when I did, or these early running mornings would never happen. It's going to be so weird when marathon training is over and I have 2-3 hours of time to spend with my husband after the baby's gone to bed at night.

Brandi and had plans for 20min out, 20min back. We took it easy, but had to keep ourselves in check when our pace approached 9:30 in the second mile. This was an ONB, which mean the first half should be easy, and the second half should be pushed. There would be plenty of time for pushing later. We met up with the #10KTuesday crew and enjoyed a mile and a half with Birgit before cranking up to our "back" pace.

Splits on the 4.5mi of "out": 10:40, 10:15, 9:58, 10:16, 10:20

I felt great on the backhalf of the course. It felt good to "work", and got me thinking about how incredible marathon training is. If I could just go out and run a marathon, even a sub-4:00 marathon, it wouldn't be much of an accomplishment. It's because of all the training, the sacrifices, and the dedication that crossing that finish line is such a big accomplishment. 

"A marathon is hundreds of miles. The finish is the last 26.2."

Splits on the 5.0 of "back": 9:10, 9:01, 9:19, 8:58, 8:49 (all still conversational!!!)

I'm sure the cooler weather helped today's pace. I had a few amazing moments after I stopped at the halfway point and the end of the run where this zephyr came over me and actually made me a little cold since I was covered in sweat. Can't wait for Run-tober!!! 

I really wish Garmin would let me adjust the graph axes...

Wednesday

Scheduled: xt/rest
Did: 2.3mi lunch walk, 16 flights of stairs, 100 wall/tricep push-ups, 3x10x15# chest press, 3x10x5# three-way arm raises, 10,000 steps
If I had a stationary bike or an elliptical at home, XT would happen. Since that won't change before October, let's make a new plan: XT days can just be strength and walk days.

Commitment:
3x10 chest press
3x10 three-way arm raises
3x10 push-ups, on a ball or on the floor
3x10 tricep dips
3x10 bicep curls
3x10 plank row 

Once a week, from now until Chicago. I have free weights at home. I can make time for this. It might not be much, but it's better than nothing.  Plus, really, my arms need some work :P

I got half of the free-weight stuff in. It's really hard to have weights in your hands and still watch your child. Not only was I worried about needing to catch him from falling while he scaled his pillow mountain, but I had had to be aware of where he was relative to the giant weights I was swinging around... Gonna have to rethink this free-weights + baby thing. 

Thursday
Scheduled: 1WU, 2x3mi/800, 1CD
Did: 1WU @ 10:49, 2x3mi (24:51, 24:23), 1 CD @ 9:50
What do you do when your training partner needs to be done by 6am and your workout is nine miles long? 

Meet at the river at 4:30am with your handheld mace and flashy disco light vests!

Reasons I was NOT looking forward to this run:

• 3:55am alarm. Getting up at 4:15 = reasonable. Getting up before 4am = ugh
• The longest "repeat" I've ever done is one mile. Today I had TWO three-mile repeats.
• That's almost like two back-to-back 25:00 5Ks (which, real talk: was this year's annual 5K goal--- until Braves I'd never done a 25:00 5K)
• Total mileage for today's workout was 9mi. I just ran 10mi two days ago, and I have 18 to do in two days. Whaaaaaaaaat.

Reasons this run was awesome:

• Brandi and I did it together. Having a true training partner is literally the best.
• Sliiiightly cooler temps by the river.
• First repeat = 8:17/mi. Second repeat = 8:08/mi. A pace of  7:56/mi equates to a 3:41 marathon per our indicator chart. I think it's safe to say I'm totally winning on this training cycle. Really excited to see how my LSD paces shake out in late September.  
• If you don't count the little bit of walking we did at the start of each 800m recovery, I just ran a 9mi training run at a sub-9 pace. Brandi paused her watch on the walks and ended up with 9:00 at 8:53/mi, and I was faster than her on the last mile of our second repeat. (!!!)

Friday
Scheduled: 6
Did: 5.04 @ 9:38/mi
Oops. I really thought I had 5-6 on the schedule, so I ran the short end. Nothing terribly exciting about this run. Met up with Brandi and Kathleen for the first 5 of their 20mi at the river. We ran a lot of the same path as yesterday, but it felt completely different with a different purpose/pace for the workout. 

runnin' by the river

Saturday
Scheduled: 18
Did: 18.11 @ 9:52/mi avg
None of the other Chicago/early marathoners had the same distance/time plans as me, so I started my extra miles solo. Since I knew we had a hillacious course for the group run AND I didn't really feel 100% safe running my 4mi bonus mileage route solo, I just stuck to loops of Armour. It was kind of nice running the opposite direction and passing a few other early mileage people. 

I was our 9 sweep for the main group run this week, and, unlike weeks past, we actually had a good crowd of high-9s. At first I thought it might've just been the fact that we now have half marathoners joining us, but they all ended up being full trainees. Hooray! 

I ended up running in the back quarter of the 9s for the first bit, rather than actually sweeping, since we had four RLs who were trying to run in the back of the pack with about three participants and there was a chunk of about a dozen participants just head without a run lead. 

Overall, the run went really well for me. It was one of the first days where I felt like I was truly at a "very easy pace" for myself. Towards the end, I had to stop to adjust my sock, and then pick up the pace to catch my participants. I hit a 9:12 for that split. An easy 9:12 on mile 16 of a hilly run, in the sun, in the heat. Oh, and I couldn't have had to push for more than half a mile, so there's a good bit of slower pace averaged into that split. So awesome.

I feel like the course map looks like a middle finger. Kind of fitting once you see the elevation chart... haha

The last two miles were rough, though. My participants were starting to feel it, and that meant I had to be on high alert, both from an encouragement/support standpoint, and also a "does anyone NEED to stop?" standpoint. Our pace for these was closer to an 11, which made it physically hard for me. Especially after already running so many miles, having to modify my stride to keep that pace was rough, but we got through it and finished together.

After the run, I didn't really get much recovery time. I ate the post-run sammich I'd made for myself the night before and packed in a lunch box, hit up the ATC Mizuno Warehouse sale (walking), and then a handful of the ATC runners training for Chicago did brunch together. It was really great to start building a sense of team with them. 

After brunch, it was straight home for a shower, and then pretty much right back out to support ATC's NY marathon charity runners at a Field Day at a local brewery. I think I'm most proud of the fact that I was up since 3:45am (baby cried out an woke me up... though he went right back to sleep), going non-stop, and still felt pretty good all day long. I'm getting MUCH better at this recovery thing!

Sunday
Scheduled: rest
Did: strength workout
Woke up to pretty weak lower lower abs, sore around pubic bone... all this postpartum crap just reminds me that I haven't been doing anything to strengthen my core the way I should, and that, whenever we decide to have another baby, my body is probably not going to handle it nearly as well as it did the first time around. Ugh.

Thought about biking, but, again, it just requires too much time/effort. So, I settled for a short strength workout instead:

3x10x15# chest press
3x10x5# three-way arm raises
3x10 push-ups, on a ball or on the floor
3x10 tricep dips
3x10x10# bicep curls
3x10x5# plank row 
3x10 hand to foot crunches each side

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 13/20

Weekly Summary
Miles: 38.6 (L2 39, L3 50)
Days Run: 4
XT: eh... no
Rest: 1 day full rest
Injuries: two days sick with sore throat and ugh feeling; weird pain/soreness on top inside of right foot, near ankle early in the week; ab weakness/core instability on 19mi and after
Feelings: checked out, autopilot mode, capable, excited

Monday
Scheduled: 5-6
Did: 5.13 @ 9:59/mi avg
I have seven more weeks of this? Oof. Today was a bit of a mental challenge. I've crested one hill of training and am starting up the next one: accepting that, for the next seven weeks, my life revolves around training. 

I got home from retreat yesterday, and, instead of staying up and watching the Olympics/cuddling/hanging out with my husband, I went to bed after dinner, because I needed to get up at 4:30 for miles. Instead of helping my baby wake up then getting him ready for the day, I was pounding the pavement, then hurrying to get showered, dressed, packed, and out the door for work. This is my life five days a week for the next two months. I chose it. I'm owning it. I love what I'm going to get out of it, but, man, I will be really happy when it's late October and I have a few days a week where I get some more time with my family. 

Run went well. Even though it had been just over 48 hours since my last run, it felt like forever. I guess that's because so much happened between my Saturday run at Unicoi and this morning. *shrug* 

B and I ran our typical unintentional progression style M/F. My L2 program has stepped up from 4mi to 5mi on these days, so we went a little further than usual. All in all, a great way to start the day. 


Tuesday
Scheduled: 2WU, 5 tempo @ 9:00, 2CD
Did: 2.25WU, 5 tempo @ <9:00, 1.75CD (9.03 @ 9:17/mi avg)
I felt really good about this run. After being fit-shamed by an acquaintance yesterday, it was really great to be around people who always build each other up instead of tearing one another down... in all facets of our lives. 

Brandi and I started at 4:30, did an easy warm-up, then met up with the rest of the gang for our tempo miles. We ended up out in front with Brad, one of the much faster runners I used to run with before MizunoMondays last training cycle. It was really nice to have someone else running our pace with us, and I'm certain his presence helped us get through it. 

My goal for the tempo miles was a 9:00, faster than a 4:00 marathon pace. 

Goal for Laps 4-8= 9:00
Oops... way too fast

I suffered from a lot of the "faster you run, faster you're done" mentality on this run. Why run a 9:00 when it would just "prolong the suffering"? If I could run a little faster, we'd be through with it sooner. Whelp, because that doesn't train your body to run your goal pace or be able to hold a pace. >_< 

The fact that I could carry that pace for five miles proves that I can run that fast ALL the time on #10KTuesdays. I wasn't ever out of breath, so running that pace for me is 100% mental. Again, this was a good reminder that I do belong in the 9min group for ATC Training, and a confidence booster. 

I felt amazing on our last mile, and had to make a conscious effort NOT to push hard to the end, because that's not what this workout was supposed to be. That said, as soon as my watch beeped the end of the fifth tempo mile, I checked out. Brandi and Brad continued up around a 9:30 (maybe faster?) for their cool-down, and I chilled back closer to a 10. I'd put in my time, and now I was done. 

learning to fuel/recover better: I made myself an omelet 

Also, inspired by yesterday's body composition test, I did 15min of weight lifting during my lunch break and 30 push-ups, 15 jackknives, and 3min (not all at once!) of planking at chorus rehearsal.

Wednesday
Scheduled: rest
Did: 2mi power-walk to/from PT, 25 modified push-ups, 25 wall/tricep push-ups
PT went well. My pelvis was aligned properly, and I got told not to come back for two weeks. 

Bad news: I'm sick. I had a dry, sore-ish throat and some stuffy ears early in the day, and it just got worse as the afternoon wore on. Probably going to have to bail out on speedwork tomorrow morning.

Thursday
Scheduled: 1WU, 2x2mi/800m, 1CD
Did: Nope.
By Wednesday night, I knew I was definitely sick. It was really hard to accept that and trust that skipping my 4:15am alarm was the right thing to do. I figured that, if I felt better, I could do the workout later in the day, maybe on a treadmill, or at least half of it. 

Nope. By the time I finished my essential tasks for my work deadline, it was 2pm. I didn't wake up from my nap until 4:30, and then had to get baby boy from daycare. Instead of trying to force it into my day, I let it go. After I allowed myself to be okay missing a workout (first time it's happened pretty much all year), it felt really good to just relax and not pressured to do anything. 

Makes me look forward to being done with Chicago and getting to spend more time with my family :) 


Friday
Scheduled: 5-6 easy
Did: 5.34 @ 9:28/mi avg plus 50 modified (knee) push-ups and 50 wall/tricep pushups
I felt well enough last night to plan on running with Brandi this morning. We started a bit later than usual so I could get more sleep, and also, for the first time ever, I drove up to run near her place. I figured a new course might motivate me more, and it did.

It felt really strange to put on running clothes this morning. Even though it's only been two days since my last run (and only one of those was a truly missed workout), it seemed like FOREVER.


Saturday
Scheduled: 19.
Did: 19.09 @ 9:38/mi
Oh, lawd. We did it. 

This run was amazing. We had to work around a 5K race and hostessing a baby shower this afternoon...at my house, but Brandi and I still got 19+ miles in by breaking it down. Normally, when you split miles, you should add extra ones, but, since 19mi (I dropped a mile off this week's 20mi L3 workout) is already well beyond the L2 mileage, and I really fit more with the L2 plan, I didn't care. 

How it went down:

1) 4:15am We ran our typical #10KTuesday route for 6.3 @ 9:39/mi. The air felt stagnant, and we were both definitely ready to be done when we returned to my house. After a quick clothing change, and glass of chocolate milk for me, we were off. 

2) 6:15am After getting our race bibs, we met up with Brad, who accompanied us on our 6mi out and back up Peachtree @ 9:27/mi. It was great to have another runner with us, both for safety reasons and motivation. We were definitely going faster than my predicted 10:00/mi that I'd used for scheduling purposes. On the return trip, I had my first bit of trouble- some soreness/tiredness in my RIGHT hip flexor (it's been the left one that's sent me to PT). Brandi pointed out that I was shuffling, and I corrected myself. We finished early and even had time to go back to my car to stash lights and refill water bottles. 

3) 7:30am Atlanta's Finest 5K @ 9:24/mi average. I had plans of just slogging through these miles, but then I saw one of my W5K trainees in our corral. She had wanted to break 30 back this spring, but being sick the week before the race + rain at the race + a very PR-unfriendly course meant that didn't happen. So, I asked her if she wanted to break 30 today. Not only would pacing her make me feel all warm and fuzzy, but it would also give me something else to focus on besides the fact that I would be running miles 12.5-15.5 during the race. It went sooooooo well. She broke 29. 

I felt awesome after this race... but we stayed still a little too long (Brandi had some tummy trouble). When we resumed, everything hurt. So stiff. So sore. So "OOF". 

4) 8:18am Last bit of 3.66mi @ 10:09/mi. Can you tell how miserable this was from the change in pace? Yeah. We started out with plans of running the course backwards, which worked out well... until less than a mile in when we hit the sag wagon, who was picking up all the cones. Brad, Brandi, nor I knew the course without cones marking the way, but we knew that there wasn't sidewalk the whole way, which mean we needed a new, impromptu route. Fortunately, I've run in this area from my office before. I led us up through GT's campus and then back down Peachtree. The whole time, I was calling up to Brandi how much further we had to go, doing mental math to determine EXACTLY how far we had to go to make sure we hit our 19. "Six more 800s", "one more mile", "0.3 to go; we'll need to add bonus miles past the parking garage so prepare yourself", etc. It wasn't pretty, but we finished, and I'd never been more grateful for training partners. 

Great things about this run:
-sub 9:40/mi pace, even with the "breaks" between mileage, this is a confidence-booster for Chicago
-average HR was under 160 (and the graphs look believable)
-Jerry made me a delicious omelet when I came home and poured me a glass of chocolate milk :) 
-great time with Brandi 

Recovery went well enough. I was exhausted after the baby shower and appreciated my parents still having the baby so I could sleep as long as my body wanted (7pm to 5:30am). Legs felt fine on Sunday, but were definitely tight/fragile on Saturday. I spent most of the afternoon in compression sleeves, moving gingerly due to fear of straining a muscle (probably unwarranted, but I'm a little paranoid). Apart from that, my only issue is still my lower abs/hip flexors. They were sore during the run and felt super weak Saturday night, trying to sit up after laying on the couch. The longer the run, the more I seem to feel that. Guess I should start trying to work them now so the 26.2 isn't OMGAwful. ;) 


Sunday
Scheduled: 30XT
Did: 1mi walk, 50 modified push-ups, 50 tricep/wall push-ups, hip PT
Thought about making up Thursday's run, then decided against it. One sick day isn't going to derail my training, and, after a long yesterday, it seemed like a good idea to keep today as an XT day. I had tentative plans to bike, but, without a real plan, it didn't happen. Baby boy was still sick when he came home from Grandma and Grandpa's, so I spent most of the day trying to comfort him instead of getting out for a ride. It's days like this that I wish I had an elliptical or means of mounting my bike and turning it into a stationary trainer; if I had that, I know I would've used it. 

(I didn't leave him. Jerry was taking the pic)

Body Composition Test

A group from ATC is charity running the NYC Marathon. Their latest fundraiser was an opportunity to learn your body fat percentage (and other composition stats) by getting "tanked", which refers to a hydrostatic body composition test. I've done the Tanita scale and handheld versions, but never something like this, and decided it was worthwhile use of my funds. 

Being a runner, I naively assumed I was pretty healthy, and would blow this test out of the water. 

The printout has a chart showing age-graded percentage and percentiles, categorized as:
Essential Fat
Healthy Range
Optimum Health
Good
Fair
Poor
Very Poor

I'm not even in the "good" range. I'm on the bad side of "fair", closer to "poor". 

Yeah, total wake-up call. Just because you're one of the faster people in the training program, running 40+ miles a week, and can fit into a certain size clothing does NOT mean you're healthy. 

Biggest shocker: I'm in the 35th percentile.

That means 65% of people my age have a lower body fat percentage than I do. 

Of course, I felt a bit bad about myself after learning that. I mean, it's hard to be told "there's something sub-optimal about you" in any setting, especially something as personal as your own body, and especially when you have this illusion that you ARE healthy, or at least better than more than 35% of people your age.

So, I took a step back and decided to look back on where I've been this past year:

January 2016, 7 Weeks Postpartum (Tanita Scale)
Weight: 150.6lb
Body Fat: 28.6%

March 2016, 4mo Postpartum
Weight: 144.2lb
Body Fat: 25.9%

August 2016, 8mo Postpartum
Weight: 139.2lb
Body Fat: 24.3%


That made me feel better. I may still be overweight and over-body fat, but I've made remarkable progress this year. Also, I did have a baby less than a year ago, and I know that changed my fat content a LOT. Back in 2013, I was at 21% (which, for reference, would have only put me in the "good" classification). So, I've got a ways to go to get back there, but this also isn't the season/time to focus on that.

Right now, my focus is the Chicago Marathon. Marathon training isn't a good way to lose weight, and it certainly isn't a good way to build muscle... especially the way I do it, with minimal (if any) strength training. 

Sounds like I've got a great motivational springboard for my post-Chicago fitness goals, though. 2017 will be the the year of strength training and shorter distance running. :D

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 12/20

Weekly Summary
Miles: 40.7 (L2=36, L3=40)
Days Run: 5
XT: 1 (45min barre class)
Rest: 1 
Injuries: none
Feelings: confident, capable, proud


Monday
Scheduled: 4-6 
Did: 4.08 @ 10:13/mi avg, 2mi walk to/from PT
Oof. Hot. Humid. Oof.

Also had PT session #3 (didn't merit its own entry): hip slid back out of alignment, so now we're focusing on relaxing the muscles around it


Tuesday
Scheduled: 9ONB
Did: 9ONB @ 10:34/mi avg first half, 9:09/mi avg second half
I got up at 4am to run 9 miles before a full day of work, one hour quartet practice, and three-hour chorus practice. Of all the things I've gotten from running, the mental fortitude to do things like this is the one I value most. 

Wish I could adjust the elevation y-axis scale...
Pace looks like a really decent ONB
HR looks accurate (two breaks, plus a really slow "out") 

Wednesday
Scheduled: 30XT
Did: 45XT- barre class
This is the second of my "new guest" trial classes at the place down the street from my office. I chose the barre class because it was on the right day, at the right time. I thought it would be a breeze. After all, I'm an athlete. I run three hours on the weekends for fun. I'm a strong woman.

Holy. Stromboli. This is the first workout in a long time that I haven't been able to do. I was certainly the worst one in the class, and am grateful that I'm no longer the sort of person who cares about that stuff. I modified almost every single exercise, and felt zero shame... only a little disappointment that I couldn't keep up with the rest of the class, which comprised exactly the sort of people you'd expect to see at a midtown luxury hotel day spa fitness class. 

I had a lot of years of dance class growing up,
but "barre" class wasn't anything like what we did in ballet/pointe

I've had a few people ask me if I'd go back. While I liked the compressed 45min format, the blend of strength and cardio, and the variety, without a doubt, no, I won't be going back. Why not? Two main reasons:

1. The class is way too heavy on legs for me (and after a 9ONB I didn't want to work my already fatigued muscles anymore). You're using your calves almost the entire time, while the instructor tells you to keep your heels up so you can build calf muscle. Um, have you seen my calves? They're freaking huge, strong chunks of muscle. I do not need to build any more calf muscle. I want any cross-training/strength-training I do to complement running, and this felt like more of an all-inclusive workout. 

2. More importantly, I won't pay $25/class. 

Still, glad I went and tried something new. I have mad respect for anyone who does these workouts regularly. My glutes and lower back are definitely a bit sore today. 

no, that isn't me, but thanks for asking

Thursday
Scheduled: 1WU, 4x1600/400, 1CD
Did: 1WU, 4x1600/400, 1CD @ 8:33/mi avg
I love mile repeats. They're my favorite workout. :)

Since I'm going out of town this weekend for show chorus retreat, I have to do my long run (16) tomorrow. I didn't want to skip out on mile repeats, so I decided to just back off my goal splits a bit so I'd be in better shape for the LSD. 

I've been doing speedwork based on my 5K PR, which specs a 7:36/mile (and also has a projected full marathon time of 3:41). All I want out of Chicago is a 4:30, but I figured whatever I can do to push on speedwork will only make that easier. 

I decided to make today's goal sub-8 miles, which is the speed that accompanies a 3:55(ish) marathon. They felt amazingly easy, especially when you consider that my 400 recoveries were all sub-10 pace (never happens). I can't even get sub-9 running to feel that easy on non-speedwork days. >_<

lookin' and feelin' good

Splits: 
7:48
7:48
7:48
... and
...wait for it
7:30 (intentionally pushed the last 400m: 1:39) 

I've never run such even splits in my life. Crazy! 

A few other notes on this run:

• I've started making SpeedworkThursday SportsBraThursday. It's hot. I'm running fast. It's dark. I have a base level of physical attractiveness. Therefore, as soon as we hit the track, the shirt comes off. I now understand why the elites run in crop tops. OMG, it feels so good to have the wind hit your stomach and cool you down! 
• I had to rush off to the office today (not working from home since I'm totally off tomorrow for chorus). I got to my car at 6:20am, was home by 6:35, showered and out the door by 6:55, at the train station by 7:20, and in the office by 7:56. WIN. (also, man, I'm so glad I don't have to do THAT twice a week)

Friday

Scheduled: 16 PRO

Did: 16 @ 10:08/mi avg
I was fortunate enough to be able to do all my miles today with Kathleen, a #10KTuesday newcomer who lives in the neighborhood next door to me and is training for a marathon a few weeks before mine, but break them into chunks of different routes/landmarks, and include a meet-up with the Friday Riverside crew for miles 7-12ish. I'm so grateful to have so many people who run approximately the same pace and distance as me, at the same times, in the same area.

I was not excited about running 16 miles, but appreciated that I could subdivide the route into more manageable "chunks":

• from neighborhood out and back to the right
• from neighborhood to the left up to the main road
• down the giant hill to the park
• easy and flat five with the Riverside crew
• back up the giant hill from the park
• easy <2 rolling hills home

Lessons Learned: 

• I changed up my usual "vest" reflective Pink Elephants on Parade relay tank + best running flashlight ever to handle the pre-dawn hour without weighing me down for the other two (I was even able to tuck the flashlight into the waistband pocket of my Lululemon shorts on the way back!). This was a total win.
• With longer, wetter (thanks, humidty) runs, I'm dealing with a lot more skin issues, including blisters on the tips of my toes and under some of my middle toenails (looks like I'm going to have to start wearing socks for summer runs) and awkward sports bra chafing (around the neckline-- WTF?) 
• stashing a cold Gatorade on-course is a BRILLIANT idea (totally gave me a second wind at m14)
• for runs where I'm not coming home to a Jerry, I need to have an easy-to-eat meal prepared ahead-of-time

Generally, the run went well. I knew from the moment I mapped out the route that it wouldn't be a progression run, and I was fine with that. I felt well enough for the first 7 miles, but then hit a rough patch. Around miles 8-10, I felt miserable and stuck with the slower crew along the river (that meant letting my 8mo pregnant friend easily hold a 9:30 in front of me). It wasn't my legs. It wasn't my cardio. It wasn't really my hips. I just felt blergh and mentally checked out. 

Fortunately, I was able to press a mental reset button when we got back to the park. We stopped, had some Stingers, refilled my water, and stretched for a bit before continuing. I was able to mentally push through by breaking up the run in my head, and reminding myself I "only had four miles left", or "just get up the hills, then it's less than 2mi home". I may have gone slowly up those hills, but I'm really proud that I didn't walk.

Splits:

10:49, 10:19, 10:05, 9:43, 9:58, 10:06, 10:00, 10:08, 10:12, 10:24, 9:54, 9:59, 10:27, 9:50, 10:00

Saturday

Scheduled: 4-6 easy

Did: 4.3 @ 10:20/mi avg (Elevation gain: 464ft), plus lots of dancing
Slept like crap at SOA retreat, but still got myself up for a short run. Why? 
1. I needed a shake out after yesterday. 
2. I wanted to be able to #CTSO. 
3. Because I CAN. I've got a few friends who are injured/recovering from injuries right now, and unable to run all out. I refuse to take my health for granted. 

Since I'd had my LSD yesterday, I reminded myself that pace didn't count for this run. All I needed to do was log at least 4 miles. I geared up and got out at 6:45am... then promptly returned to the hotel room to dump my lights because the sun was already up (so weird). 

I don't do trails, so I ran along the main state park road through the hills

My body was tired, stiff, and slooooooow (like, 10:58/mi slow) to start. I was grateful that none of my chorusmates took me up on my open "come run with me" invitation so I didn't have to hold any sort of pace. ;) 

The run got better as it went along, just like a shakeout run is supposed to, and I finished out just under a sub-10 pace. 

...and then spent the rest of the weekend singing and dancing with my Song of Atlanta and Boss. girls. <3 

Sunday

Scheduled: Rest

Did: Rest