(not my) Marathon Training: Week 11/18

Week-beginning Thoughts:

It's so absurdly hot and humid right now... uggggh, Hotlanta life.

Monday

Scheduled: rest

Did: nada

So hungry on rest days... 

Tuesday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 12x[400m up @ 10K pace, 45s rest, 400m down @ MP, 90s rest], 2mi CD

Did: As scheduled. 10.72mi @ 10:32/mi avg (with rest), 8:48/mi avg (moving avg only)

That's a lot of 400s... Loved being able to mentally break this looooong workout down into bite-sized chunks. I opted to take less rest in the first half to save time, but still couldn't take the cool-down quite as easily as I'd hoped due to schedule constraints. 

up should've been around 7:45/mi

down should've been around 8:30/mi

took awhile, but I got there

Wednesday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 5mi @ 10:20/mi avg

fun run with friends

Thursday

Scheduled: 5-7mi solid

Did: 6.29mi @ 8:49/mi avg

Weee.

Friday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 4.15mi @ 10:07/mi/avg

These "easy miles" are getting easier and easier to make 10+ min/mi... 

Saturday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 10mi @ MP (progression: 8:50-8:15), 2mi CD

Did: as scheduled = 14.08mi @ 8:58/mi avg, Big 5

When this run started, I thought, "there's no way I'm going to be able to execute". After our first mile of MP clocked in sub-9, though, I thought, "well, maybe?"

...but then I couldn't progress at all for the next few miles. I got stuck around 8;45 and couldn't push myself any faster. 

"Alright," I thought, maybe we'll do 5K at 8:45ish, 5K @ 8:30ish, and then go for it on the last bit. 

Surprise, surprise, it actually worked!

8:51

8:43

8:41

8:43

8:30

8:33

8:25

8:28

8:18

8:07

SO proud of this execution!!! 

Sunday

Scheduled: 9-11mi easy
Did: as scheduled = 10.07mi @ 10:32/mi avg, Big 5

This run didn't really go as planned... I'd planned to meet my husband and kids 4mi in, join them for 6, and then enjoy some coffee together. Two miles in, on the greenway, I came across a man pushing a mountain bike with two bum wheels (there are mountain bike trails adjacent to/intertwined with the greenway we run). When I stopped to ask if he was alright, it was very apparent that he was not. I ended up walking his bike back to his car for him, while we talked about the very high probability he'd broken his collarbone...

I was glad to have been able to help him out, and pay forward a similar kindness to what we've received, especially since he was on vacation with his family, celebrating his birthday with a solo ride before his kids woke up... Ugh, what a birthday. :( 

Once I got him set up, I resumed my run, and enjoyed some seriously easy miles today, eventually meeting up with my family and (pleasant surprise coming:) kept my husband at the same crazy easy pace with me for six miles... and then dropped them at coffeeshop and continued to run solo for another couple. I wasn't sure what I was at mileage-wise for the week, but hoped ten would be enough to get me to 50... 

Total Weekly Mileage: 50.4 (yesssss)

Week-ending Thoughts:

• This feels GOOD. So grateful to have my health back again. 

(not my) Marathon Training: Week 10/18

Week-beginning Thoughts:

It's so absurdly hot and humid right now... uggggh, Hotlanta life.

Monday

Scheduled: rest

Did: nada

So hungry on rest days... 

Tuesday

Scheduled: 2mi WU,4x(1mi @ 10K/3min jog), 3x(400m@ 5K/1min jog),2mi CD

Did: As scheduled. 10.54mi @ 9:02/mi avg, Big 5

Glutes = so painful this morning. Made it through the run, though, and felt super strong. I aimed for just under 8:00 on the 10K pace and closer to 7:45 on the 5K pace.

Mile repeats: 7:43, 7:40, 7:41, 7:40

400s: 1:44, 1:43, 1:43, 1:40

Weeeeee, TenMileTuesday. 

Wednesday

Scheduled: 4-5mi easy

Did: 5mi @ 10:01/mi avg, 30min yoga

Ugggh, my glutes hurt so much during this run. It was a good reminder stretching is a vital part of marathon training... so I took my yoga mat to my kiddo's swim lesson, setup some Beachbody on Demand on my iPad, and did yoga poolside while the other parents probably cast some side eyes from their lounge chairs and phones. 

Thursday

Scheduled: 4-5mi easy

Did: 20min leg/glute strength training, 30min stretching

Opted out of running this morning to condition instead with squats, lunges, stretches, and deadlifts. I haven't lifted in... ten weeks? Definitely had to lighten the weights (and just go bodyweight on a few) to focus on form. 

Did more poolside yoga, too. 

Friday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 2x3mi @ HMP/3min jog, 2mi CD

Did: as scheduled = 10.32mi @ 9:04/mi avg, Big 5

Stretching = working. No pain or struggles on today's run. I love feeling so accomplished on a Friday, too. It makes the work day so much better when I can just enjoy the end of the week, and look forward to Saturday as a chill day, instead of thinking "just gotta get through that long workout tomorrow". 

I'd hoped to stay around an 8:00-8:15 for the HMP, but faltered in the middle of round 2:

8:12/8:01/8:09

8:01/8:27/8:12

Oh well. 

Saturday

Scheduled: 4-5mi easy

Did: 4.74mi @ 10:25/mi avg with double stroller

Today was a dream. With easy miles on the schedule, I parked near the farmer's market, and then ran the kids up through town to a park we haven't been to in forever, played a bit, and then ran back down for pretzels at the market. It was the perfect morning of slow, easy, and FUN.

Sunday

Scheduled: Surge Practice/Focus Shift
60min easy, 6x(3min @ HP/2min @ MP), 20min easy
Did: as scheduled = 11.74mi @ 9:23/mi avg

It felt nice to have a short long run this weekend. Funny that anything less than 2-hrs now qualifies as "short"... 

We had an easy warm-up as a trio, and then just two of us continued for the workout. I decided to try to hit 7:45ish for the HMP (but accept anything under 8) and 8:30ish for the MP, though I didn't look at or adjust my pace at all during the workout. 

Here's how they shook out:

Not too bad! :) 

Total Weekly Mileage: 42.4

Week-ending Thoughts:

Solid week.

Also, it's crazy that I had THREE runs over ten miles this week. I'm loving this high mileage plan.

(not my) Marathon Training: Week 9/18

Week-beginning Thoughts:

I JUST WANT TO BE HEALTHY AGAIN...

Monday

Scheduled: rest

Did: nada

Stuffy nose and balloon-feeling head, but otherwise pretty okay today.

Tuesday

Scheduled: 2mi WU,10x400m/400m hill repeats, 2mi CD

Did: 6.36mi easy @ 9:44/mi avg

Sickness all around = swapping hard workout for easy one today. Just grateful to be able to run with friends again... 

Wednesday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 2.23mi WU @ 10ish, 6x400m up/400m down hill repeats, 2.15mi CD = 7.56mi total @ 9:35/mi avg, Big 5

Hallelujah. I just had my first complete night of sleep in awhile. Woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Training partner opted to do her Tuesday workout today. I didn't want to do a full ten miles or go that hard since I'm coming off a rough patch, but wanted to support her and do something. I opted for 6 instead of 10 repeats, and lowered the intensity from 10K pace up/MP down to "comfortable push" up/"easy jog" down. 

400m splits:

1) 2:07/2:29

2) 2:09/2:24

3) 2:05/2:25

4) 2:01/2:26

5) 2:04/2:24

6) 1:57/2:30

Thursday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 5.01mi @ 9:53/mi avg

So. Moist. Ugh. This humidity is just repulsive... 

Friday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 3mi @ HMP, 3min jog, 2mi @ HMP, 2min jog, 1mi @ 10K pace, 2mi CD=  10.5ishmi

Did: as scheduled

Grateful for today's good run, but sooooo disgustingly humid. 

2mi WU = 10:15/mi avg

3mi = 8:04/7:59/8:03

3min @ 12:11/mi

2mi= 8:12/8:23 (felt hard so I let myself give in a little)

2min @ 11:45

1mi @ 7:55

2mi @ 10:05/mi 

Saturday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 4.04mi with double stroller @ 10:36/mi avg

Littlest had a 102 degree fever and complained of ear pain last night, so all plans went out the door this morning. I was still able to fit in a run with the double stroller between a pediatrician appointment and grocery+med pick-up, though. 

It was mad humid, mad hot, and that stroller was mad heavy... but we got it done. Yay, easy miles. 

 

Sunday

Scheduled: Course Simulation: 8mi easy, 6-8mi @ MP, 2mi CD

Did: as scheduled (6mi @ MP) = 16.31mi total @ 9:33/mi avg

OMG, I finally did a full week of marathon training as scheduled... that hasn't happened since... idk... week 5?

Littlest had another rough night, and I was up/down until about 2am when I finally went back to my bed, put earplugs in, and hoped my husband would recognize I was "tagging out" for a few hours. 

It was another repulsively humid morning, where I was dripping before mile 2. I slugged through the warm-up with only two miles under a 10:00, and wondered how I was supposed to go faster for the next segment. 

Mentally, breaking these long runs into segments has helped me SO much. It's obvious, but thinking of an 8mi run, a 10K, and then 2 easy cool-down miles is so much more palatable than a "sixteen mile run". 

Marathon Pace for my training partner has been an 8:30. I didn't want to hit that this morning, and also didn't know if I could. She's in MUCH better shape than I am, not having had illness and such derail her past four weeks of training. So, I did the smart thing: I didn't try to keep up with her.

I set a reasonable goal for myself (9:00 MP miles), and let myself do 6. 

8:56, 8:56, 8:46, 8:52, 8:38, 8:27

And then two more miles at a high-9. 

I felt so proud to be done with that. After a brief stretch, I went home, showered, and then did a hike with my family, brunch, showered again, and then passed out on the couch while my husband took care of the household. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 49.7

Man. If I'd have known I was that close.... 

Week-ending Thoughts:

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY, marathon training.

...even if my watch thinks I'm overtraining. lol

(not my) Marathon Training: Week 8/18

Week-beginning Thoughts:

I've gotten to experience life with an inescapable health condition for the past week or so with this skin rash thing. It's been absolutely awful. I can't wear clothes, much less form-fitting or supportive running clothes without incredible discomfort, and, clothed or not, suffered from uncontrollable itchiness, despite having four different providers look, diagnose, and prescribe treatments... 

It's terrible and has made me really reconsider how I view people who truly have chronic conditions that impact their quality of life... Damn. I put a lot of emphasis on gratitude for my health in general, but that's only going to be more a part of my thoughts and life once I'm through this rough patch. 

I've spent so much time worried about if I'm losing fitness and will be able to come back and re-join the marathon training this cycle, but, beyond just the basic "how do I ramp back up?" question, I'm also stressing on "how will running affect this skin rash". What if it makes it worse? :( 

Monday

Scheduled: rest

Did: nada... unless scratching counts

Tuesday

Scheduled: 2mi WU,6x1200m @ 10K pace/2:30s rest, 2mi CD

Did: nada

Wednesday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: nada

Thursday

Scheduled: 5-7mi solid

Did: 1.59mi @ 10:09/mi avg, 2.5mi walk

One of my training buddies rolled her ankle, cutting our run short this morning. We walked for the rest of the time. It just felt good to be out and about with people again.

Friday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 5.01mi @ 9:50/mi avg

So glad to finally be able to wear a sports bra and shorts without irritation for a run. Today felt good, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to keep going. 

Saturday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 3x(3-4mi @ MP/2mi easy) = EEK

Did: 2mi WU, 4mi @ 8:50/mi, 2.26mi @ 9:52/mi, 3.63mi @ 8:44/mi, 2.29mi @ 9:55/mi = 14.19mi @ 9:20/mi avg 

Ooh, this one felt GOOD. I opted to scale the workout down since I haven't run much in the past two weeks, choosing to skip the third repeat (and limit my distance to 15) and reducing the intensity to "sub-9" instead of an 8:30ish MP. That was the right call. I felt good during all of this, and am just so stinking grateful to be out and running again. 

 

Sunday

Scheduled: 10-12mi easy

Did: nada

OMG, I just want my health back already... Woke up this morning with a sore throat and stuffy nose, and knew running was a bad idea. I've already slept an extra four hours since I woke up at 6;30... and it's only 1:30 in the afternoon.

Total Weekly Mileage: 20.8

Week-ending Thoughts:

I hate being sick. I hate having family members who are sick. I just want to be able to live my life again. Saturday was SO wonderful to be able to go places, do things, and wear CLOTHES... Sunday was just an absolute letdown on all fronts. Ugggghhhh. Did I mention that I've used 50.5 hours of PTO for sickness so far this year, and it's only the middle of JULY? 

(not my) Marathon Training: Week 7/18... or not

This week sucked. I ran once on Monday, felt like crap afterwards, ended up getting sick with RSV (which my littlest had last week), and being down for the count all week with that and then a weird recurrence/expansion of the rash I had last week. 

(not my) Marathon Training: Week 6/18

Week-beginning Thoughts:

Um, yeah, marathon training is just kind of a background part of life right now. Between an ER trip for my older kid yesterday and processing the impact of the Surfside, FL condo collapse on public perception of the structural engineering profession, I've got a lot of distractions. It's Peachtree week, but even that doesn't feel "real". Grateful for my health, and ability to run through it all. 

Monday

Scheduled: rest

Did: nada

Woke up with an itchy rash on my legs... maybe from not showering until 12 hours after my crazy moist run yesterday? Heat rash? IDK, but it's awful... 

Tuesday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 4x1200m/2min, 2mi CD

Did: as scheduled = 7.61mi @ 9:33/mi avg, Big 5

Legs were still itchy this morning, so I opted for longer shorts to avoid irritating the chafing. Felt kind of excited to get back on the track-- it's been awhile! I botched the first 1200-- thought it was supposed to be HMP instead of 10K pace, which was "just under 8:00" in my head. 

Then I tried to pick it up and aimed for 5:45s for the rest... but when I had a 5:40 third one, I didn't want to get slower for the fourth... but overdid it and finished in 5:30. 

Soooo, yay for having energy and being able to run that pace and feel relatively easy. Boo for terrible execution on consistency. 

Wednesday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 5.1mi @ 10:02/mi avg, Big 5

Well, I could feel some tightness in my chest due to congestion, but this run happened, and I wasn't any worse for wear afterwards. Success? t 

Thursday

Scheduled: 4-6mi easy

Did: 4.00mi on treadmill @ 9:51/mi, Big 5

Tried to be a good co-parent this morning and ran on the treadmill so I could get any early wake-ups and let my husband sleep. Had a few interruptions, but got the run done. 

Went for a walk at lunch, and came back with instant itchy red bumps on the back of my knees... which sent me to the doctor after work because I wanted to figure out WTH was happening and if it was going to affect my runs/Peachtree. Doc wasn't sure what it was, but suspected some sort of reaction to "something". Got some meds and am hoping for improvement soon... 

Friday

Scheduled: 60min WU, 8x2min @ 10K/ 2min @ MP, 20min CD

Did: as scheduled: 11.65mi @ 9:33/mi avg

Itchy rash has improved... just in time for our family's next health issue of the week. My little one was up pretty much all night with a cough and discomfort, which meant I was up pretty much all night. I was so close to texting my training partner that I wasn't going to make it this morning when the little one finally was able to drift off to a comfortable sleep. 

Warm-up felt good and necessary, and I was ready to go into the 2min intervals when they came. I figured I'd try to keep the 10K pace just under 8:00 (a bit slower than it ought to be, but I'm "racing" tomorrow?) and the MP pace around 8:45 (high end). I was all over the place. I struggled regulating myself up hills, and also felt like the second round just wiped me out. I also wasn't motivated to hit my paces since I knew I had some mitigating factors (i.e. not sleeping overnight, wanting to have some energy to manage a sick baby today, hoping for a decent performance at tomorrow's Ptree), so I let it go. 

10K 7:48

MP 8:49

10K 7:48

MP 8:16

10K 7:30

MP 8:51

10K 7:44

MP 9:08

10K 8:36

MP 8:43

10K 8:05

MP 8:35

10K 7:36

MP 8:56

10K 7:37

MP 8:37

Took my oldest to Ptree Junior in the morning, got a couple miles of walking in, and spent the rest of the day with the little one, at a doc appt, and trying to keep him comfortable and minimize germ spread to me and the rest of the family... sigh. 

Saturday

Scheduled: Peachtree

Did: 2mi WU @ 10:23/mi avg, 6.32mi @ 7:45/mi avg, 1.17mi CD @ 9:46/mi avg = 9.49mi @ 8:33/mi avg, plus 4.37mi stroller walk... and 2.71mi stroller walk

Race Report: Peachtree Road Race

...and then came home and walked baby in the stroller because he's sick and that's the only way he'll sleep comfortably. <3 

Sunday

Scheduled: rest day

Did: a couple ~2mi stroller walks

I don't think I slept more than two hours last night... With my husband racing this morning, I was on sick baby duty last night, which meant from 7:30pm until about 7am, I was cuddled up with my feverish sweatball, calming him down during coughing fits, getting sneezed and hacked on, encouraging him to drink water, and generally being exhausted and uncomfortable... i.e. parenting. 

Then we got up and did the same routine downstairs. 

Today's activity was limited to taking the baby for walks whenever he asked for them, and tagging out with my husband so we could each attempt to nap some... 

Total Weekly Mileage: 37.8

Week-ending Thoughts:

• Can my family please catch a health break? Uggghhhh

Race Report: Peachtree Road Race

 Previous PR: 47:53 (5/6/2017)

90% Goal: 8:30/mi (52:49)
50% Goal: 8:00/mi (49:43)
10% Goal: 7:45/mi (48:09)
Result: 48:58 official (though, by GPS watch distance, it was 7:45/mi)

Oh, look. I got an "A Wave" bib this year! :D 
(thanks, COVID)

Training:

I'm in the middle of training for a marathon I'm not running with my training partner. The plan we're doing is a custom one by Coach Betsy, and is probably the hardest/most intense plan I've done. We have three workouts a week (not new), and there's almost always a workout component to our long runs (this is new to me). Mileage has been in the high 40s, though I've had a few illnesses over the past few weeks that have taken me out a couple days.

I'm not doing any strength training or yoga while in this six-day-a-week plan, and that's been a bit of a change for me. I'd love to, but now that I'm back in the office full-time, and going to chorus rehearsals on Tuesday nights, and have two kids in daycare/school (read: Contagion Land), it's just tough. 

Coming into Peachtree, here's what my last ~10 days looked like:

Takeaway: there was no "taper" for this race. 

Before:

This was a weird Peachtree, namely because it's the first one I've ever done without my husband. Every year we've lived here, we've traveled to/from the race together, with our pre-race pump-you-up jams blasting while we brush our teeth in the morning and make the drive over to the MARTA station. This year, we opted to split our races between the two available days, hoping to take the kids down to cheer on the running parent (didn't end up happening to due to sick kid). 

Fortunately, my training partner and I ended up carpooling together, which made a huge difference for me. I was beyond grateful to not be heading down to the race "alone", and to have her to warm-up with, talk to, etc. until the start. 

Weee, start line!

Race: 

I wasn't sure how my body would do today, but was kind of hoping for around a 50:00 10K (~8:00). I was also hoping it would feel relatively easy. 

Nope. 

I checked my pace a couple times in the first mile, and was disappointed to see that I was just over an 8:00 pace. This was supposed to be the fast part of the race, the downhill part. If I couldn't get under 8:00 here, there was no way I was going to "make it up" on the latter, uphill half. 

The second and third miles were better, but I remember still feeling like I wanted it to be easier than it was. Every time I looked, I was still perilously close to the 8:00 mark. I desperately wished I were either well under (and could make it an "easy run") or well above (and could say, "eh, never mind"... and make it an easy run without the guilt). 

5K Split: 25:00

Daaaaaaangit. 

I was always just close enough that the sub-50 was within my grasp... if I didn't give up. 

Splits:

8:03

7:49

7:37

8:12

7:40

7:33

and then a kick to close in 48:58. 

so grateful for running friends

Post-Mile Reflections:

I remember when a sub-50 10K was a pipe dream. Today, I did it in the middle of marathon training, on a couple rough nights of sleep, without too much effort. For being as fit as I am now, though, it still felt harder than I wanted. Guess I need to give credit to those "extenuating circumstances". 

I'm proud of my run, happy to have had such a great experience, and also grateful that I did actually beat my Virtual Peachtree 2020 time of 49:37 (with a stroller... but also on flats). Weeeeee, running. 

Oh, and if my counting skills work, I think I might've come away with a "Top 1000" mug for the year, too... !!!! 

This picture represents SO much work over the past 10 years :)

So grateful for everything running has given me.