Hartford Marathon Training Week 10

Last week – was a tough week. As I mentioned in my previous recap (yawn anyone still reading? I swear a “real” post will be coming your way any day now!) last Tuesday our network finally “launched” LIVE NEWS now! Survived it all! 

But – that also meant I shuffled a lot around last week and honestly, was just brutally beat. 

By Thursday I felt like crap and was never more ready for a weekend that wasn’t going to be consumed by work.

Work is still busy now, but it appears a lot more normalcy can return.

Main goals this week are to get back to my normal eating patterns (assisted by a major Fresh Direct haul on Saturday morning!), complete workouts on prescribed days instead of scrambling them (since you know, they are laid out that way for a reason) and trying to get more sleep (haha…wish me luck!).

But here is Week 10:

Monday: 20 mins xtrain / 4 miles / 20 mins strength

Tuesday: 7 mile progression run

Wednesday: Rest day – was “beat” aka slightly hungover after Launch Festivities. Oops.

Thursday: 1.5 mile repeats for 11.5 total miles. These hurt.

Friday: 6 mile tempo – my legs took forever to warm up – instead of .5 w/u 5 tempo .5 c/d I tempo’d 3 miles.

Saturday: 90 mins xtrain + strength

Sunday: 18 miles. I don’t even want to talk about these miles. My head was out of it the second I stepped outside. I thought of every excuse to pause, shoe laces, stretch you name it I used it. But when running was running ~10:00 or under.

So there we have it.

My biggest focus is getting that long run in on Saturday since my goal race is on a Saturday. 

So I need to prepare for that.

It is scary though when I look at how few weeks between now and taper. My stomach is in knots.

And I am kind of having a love/hate affair with marathoning, but that is a different story.

And it’s Labor Day already this weekend? Holy moly.

On another front..I can’t wait to share how the fall is shaping up for me.

How is everyone elses training going? Anyone else have a love/hate relationship with marathon training? It feels eternal yet also I feel like I need so much more time.

Hartford Marathon Training Week 9

So this is going to be a quick one but I wanted to get it in before it was the next week!!

If you follow me at all on social media, you probably know that my life has been pure chaos. 

But proud to say that this week - labor of the past several months has come to fruition. 

Al Jazeera America is officially LIVE!  It is crazy to think that it is finally a live news station. This has consumed my life for the past 6 months (in the most awesome way) but in reality now that we are live and official the real work is just beginning.

Oh and I am famous. Kind of ;-)

They did a promo spot for the first hour - a documentary - and I had a lovely interview. First time on air FTW! Next up News Anchor? 

So any ways - here is how last week shook out...among 12+ hour days, no days off (I am seriously BEAT I have worked I think 20 days straight at this point or something?) and a minor catastrophe that struck on Friday in the office 4 days before launch. I am shocked I actually get training in some days (not to toot my own horn but some days I do not know how I got out of bed at 4 dark thirty in the morning). 

This has definitely been a challenge of keeping goals in focus.

Monday: Cross train 60 mins in the morning + lifting / 3 mile shake out at night

Tuesday: 7 miles with miles 4/5 at MRP + 10 mins core

Wednesday: Morning 5 mile progression / Evening 6 @ 8:55 avg pace

Thursday: REST baby!

Friday: 5 mile tempo - .5 warmup 8:57, 8:53, 8:45, 8:38, .5 cool down

Saturday: unexpected rest - worked until 8pm and stupidly had gone to work thinking I would be there for 2 hours - FAIL

Sunday: 14 miles - no Garmin I just ran a route (needed to decompress + oh yeah Garmin was dead. oops).

Total mileage = 40

Last week was a step back week - and still getting in 40 miles = pretty awesome. 

And my legs were feeling good all week long which makes me happy. Anywhere from 35-50 is happy mileage for me it seems. 

So this week has been crazy but maybe, just maybe next week I will get some days off and sleep.

One can wish :)

Hartford Marathon Training Week 8

Week 8?!?! Hey now.

Another week down. 

Would life please slow down? Where has summer gone? 

So here is how it all shook out. 

Monday: 5 miles with 6  x 1 min striders + core - legs were heavy on this run - I did it about 12 hours after my 15

Tuesday: 75 mins xtrain + 20 mins weights

Wednesday: SPEED DAY! 

True story I love to hate Wednesdays. Always a tough workout but boy do I finish feeling so accomplished. 

Thursday: 6 miles: 1 easy/1 @ MGP + core

Friday: REST DAY. And damn deserved. 

Saturday: again switched out my long run day I was doing work all damn day 

40 mins xtrain + 3 miles @ 9:15

Sunday: 17 miles: 2:48:36

Splits: 9:44, 8:50, 10:07, 10:17, 10:22, 9:54, 10:02, 9:53, 9:57, 9:49, 9:47, 10:04, 10:09, 10:01, 9:49, 9:45, 9:51

This run. Man. I try to ignore pace and figure out what is super easy based on feel. If we look at mile 2 we see what can accidentally happen. Trying to differentiate between normal "easy" and marathon easy. 

Also a fueling fail. I ran down through Jersey City and to Liberty State Park and not a SINGLE water fountain was on! 

Thankful for these views to take my mind off rampant thirst: 

I have issues with fueling in general upsetting my stomach but without water oyyyy I found a magical vending machine at miles 12/13 and was SO DAMN HAPPY 

Hi new friend! But then I was so thirsty I chugged the bottle in about 2 seconds so was left with water sloshing around for the remainder. And by this time was too late and was feeling nauseous. 

Also in the name of recovery (I started this run at about 4:30pm) I took my first ice bath in a really long time. 

Overall pretty satisfied with how this week went. Especially since I am in the office 10-12 hours a day...and emails never end. It does feel like it is coming together but I still have my moments of holy crap it is so close am I really going to do it?!

HALF WAY!!!!!

How's everyone else's training going? Any big races/goals for this fall?

Hartford Marathon Training Week 7

Wow.

What a difference a week can make. Weeks 5 & 6 were really brutal and killed my confidence immensely. I started to doubt any ability, my goals and why I run in the first place.

Motivation was lacking and I got to the point where I was dreading workouts. Pretty much every run felt HARD. It wasn't that enjoyable.

My coach was great, I let her know just how down I was and she gave me a bunch of questions and helped me analyze it. So anyway. I tried to start off this week with a different mental attitude. It was going to be a higher mileage week and I knew I had to be focused.

What I think about when it comes to marathon training.

Without further ado:

Monday: Cross train: 60 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minute full body strength circuit

Tuesday: 8 miles - Splits: 9:40, 8:57, 8:49, 9:20, 9:05, 8:57, 8:49, 8:57

Wednesday: Speedwork! 11 miles total: w/u 2.5 miles @ 9:45 6 x 1 Mile: 8:34, 8:34, 8:30, 8:27, 8:23, 8:23 c/d 2.5 miles @ 10:00

Thursday: DAY OF REST. Woo to the Hoo.

Friday: 6 Miles - 1 mile easy, 1 mile at MGP Splits: 9:50, 9:05, 9:40, 9:05, 9:40, 8:57

Saturday: I was mentally exhausted and knew my long run would be torture so I swapped out my Saturday and Sunday workouts: Cross train 90 minutes + 20 minutes of lifting.

Sunday: Long run - 15 Miles + Core work - Splits: 9:56, 9:49, 10:04, 10:02, 10:03, 9:56, 10:00, 9:46, 9:43, 9:41, 9:28, 9:38, 9:19, 9:20, 9:12

Here's looking at you NYC.

 

This. Run. Amazing.

Even though I only ran 4 days this week - I still hit 40 miles.

Basically, every workout this week was executed perfectly. Running once again didn't feel impossible. And the workouts that were supposed to be hard, yes were HARD, but in a good way. Hard as in get out of your comfort zone. I am going to make a cognizant effort to stop running what feels comfortable and push myself a little bit more.

After that first run that went well this week, it was all I needed for a confidence boost and to readjust my attitude.

So another week down, and here we are coming up on the half way point.

Please slow down time, PLEASE!

Hartford Marathon Training Week 6

I have about 4 posts that I have started on other things going on in my life at the moment but unable to complete because of lack of time to sincerely focus on them. 

So in the meantime before the week is over a brief recap of last week!

Monday: Cross train 75 minutes (60 elliptical/15 bike) + 25 minute total body lifting circuit - cross training really does reinforce just how much I prefer running. This felt like agony at times.

Tuesday: 7 Miles with 10 x 30 hard into run + Core - this run went really well - I warmed up at 9:30 then paced around 9:00 - "hard intervals" were run at 7:30/7:45 and then finished off around 8:45 pace.

Wednesday: Speedwork day: Hill repeats - warmed up with the Fleet Feet fun run that my coach hosts and by the time we hit hills I was at 4 miles...idea was 5 800 up hill 800 recover - I managed 3 x 800 (4:27, 4:20, 4:05) and 1 x 400 (2:03) my glute was killing me and I felt it wasn't worth it to do it - then cooled down with 2.5 miles for 10 miles total. Love midweek mileage. Don't love random butt pains that I can't figure out how to stretch. 

Thursday: 4 easy miles + lifting - I was told to cross train if I felt in a lot of pain and I honestly couldn't stand the thought of it: 4 miles:  9:35, 9:17, 8:55, 8:38 + 25 minute circuit without any lower body work. Still feeling twinges of pain. How does one stretch the butt right damnit?

Friday: REST and how how I reveled in this rest day!

Saturday: Long Run - 12 garmin less miles of ecstasy. And by ecstasy I mean I am just happy I didn't have the Garmin to stress. Probably around 2 hours total.

Sunday: 5 miles with mile 3 in 8:30: 9:35, 9:05, 8:20, 8:45, 9:22 - this run felt tough. And I still have a shit ton of problems figuring out how to pace 8:30ish and below. I just go out too fast start to die and have to reign it in. I will learn. I hope.

Overall, when I look at it a good week of training. But in general I am having some tough weeks mentally. My head and heart are not in the same place right now. Probably due to personal life and work like being so.damn.busy. I am having oodles of self doubt as I have mentioned and I just need to figure it out.

More on that later. 

For now...holy shit balls another week down!

Hartford Marathon Training Weeks 4 & 5

Well just realized when I went to finish recapping this week, that I forgot to publish Week 4's training.

So here it is, two weeks in one!

Week 4: This was a phenomenal week of greatly executed workouts! Really felt progression

Monday: 6 miles - miles 3/5 under 8:50 pace - 5.11 miles - 9:34, 9:10, 8:30, 8:51, 8:31, 8:05(.11 mile)

Tuesday: 3.5 miles + lifting - 3.5 miles - 9:40, 9:11, 8:50, 8:24

Wednesday: Speedwork - Became rest day since I was at work god awful late.

Thursday: Rest - 8 x 800 repeats - goal pace 2-2:15 - 2.5 miles warm up @ 10:25
800's  4:14, 4:10, 4:06, 4:00, 4:00, 3:57, 3:57, 3:51 - 2.5 miles cool down @ 10:27 - AMAZING workout

Friday: 4 miles + 4 x 1 min stride - 4.5 miles - Garmin died

Saturday: 2 mile warm up - Belmar 5 at MGP - 3 mile cool down - all as planned 2 miles @ 9:43 race: 8:50, 8:56, 9:18, 8:59, 8:55, 7:36 (.07) cool down 3.2 miles @ 9:50

Sunday: Cross train day: biking + swimming

Week 5: This week = the most sucktastic week of training in like a year. This week has me questioning if my goals are too lofty.

Monday: 3 miles + strides / 3.4 miles: 9:25, 9:20, 9:11, 9:06 I also wanted to die in the humidity in this run. I hate it.

Tuesday: Speedwork (5K trial) - 1.5 mile warm up @9:15 / 5K: 8:08, 8:58, 9:41, 8:08 2.5 mile /cool down @ 9:20 - hit pace and then shit just blew up, got hard and I gave up. I straight up walked at points.

Wednesday: Rest day - Elliptical 45 + strength. I needed to get my head together and woke up early (stupid body clock) so decided to gym it.

Thursday: 7 miles with 10 x 30 sec hard - 3.5 miles of suckiness. Head 100% out of the game and dehydration killing me in the  heat and humidity.

Friday: Cross train - Bike 30, Elliptical 45 legs still beat the hell up

Saturday: 4 miles + strides - 4.5 miles that were still effing hard. hating running at this point and questioning everything.

Sunday: 10-11 miles - 12 miles. On the treadmill. It actually wasn't awful. Would do the first 1/2 mile on an incline @ 10:00, then second half speed up to 9:30

Overall - that amazing week of training and hitting paces and building confidence - was 100% killed by this past week. I need to get it out of my head and move forward with the next week because right now all I can think is that no way in hell I am going sub 4, and now doubting if I can run a marathon. Sigh. Must move forward.

Overcoming a Fear: Sports Bra Run

So today I finally checked off something that has intimidated me for the longest time: I ran sports bra only.

Now, I may have done this not only at 5am but also at the beach where I am pretty unlikely to run into people I know. But I did it. And man was it liberating. I also did it in my tiniest short shorts. Doesn't get more naked than this. Go big or go home....errr something like that perhaps more me being a fan of matching.  

Pre-run: Exhibit A

I by no means have abs (unless in a certain light combined with a certain degree of dehydration - then I have some baby abs ;) or any sort of mid section that is enviable but this fear was spurred into action this weekend for just that reason. I do not think I am fat (although I jokingly make fatty comments about my never ending runger) but I do know my short comings. 

Each week running along the beach there are hoards of men and women of all shapes, sizes and degrees of being ripped and I find myself not JUDGING them rather wishful that I too was rocking a run sans sweaty shirt weighing me down. So if I am envious of them I should stop worrying that people are judging my physique and just get on with it. 

And couldn't be happier. This is not to say I will be heading out sports bra only for all my runs now. There was a definite level of self consciousness that I will need to get over that I can't have when trying to hit an important run. 

But this mornings run was an easy shake out with strides in race prep for tomorrow so I know it was a perfect time to test it out. 

Although I would like to say "easy" was how the run was supposed to be. This was one of the shittiest runs in a while. 95% humidity at 5am I felt like I was running underwater, through quicksand with dead legs. Not an exaggeration. 

But isn't it so pretty? FALSE ADVERTISEMENT. Stay inside. 

I digress...the joy of not having a sweaty top stuck to me may just be in my mind next time I am debating an unhealthy treat. Since we all should know by now that you can do abs all you want but they won't be revealed until you lower your body fat percentage. 

Post Run: Exhibit B - I sweated ALL the sweat today

I would love to get to the point where I 100% don't care but for now...I've done it and survived and did not feel judged by anyone. I was actually more conscious of my breathing than what I was wearing. 

And overcoming a fear...THAT is a perfect way to kick off the week. 

Not to mention a little less laundry ;)

HAPPY MONDAY!!!