Successful 16

Yesterday morning I had a 16 mile long run scheduled, that I deemed my redemption run. Having a bad run is hard enough, but having a horrific long run can be enough to kill your confidence and leave you questioning everything. Even though I was excited to try another long run, I was nervous about what it would mean if it was as much of a disaster as the last one. I tried not to think about it too much, which didn't work all too well unfortunately.

The biggest problem during my long runs seems to be my mind, so I asked my dad to ride his bike alongside while I ran. He happily obliged. I wanted to get in a decent chunk of miles on my own before he got there so I could use him when things got tough.

I was really tired when my alarm went off at 5:15 so instead of getting up to eat well before running I continued to sleep. I snoozed until about 6:30 when I absolutely had to get up. I ate a big bowl of oatmeal and was quickly on my way out the door. For my long runs I have decided to drive to a great paved trail about 35 minutes north of my apartment. I left around 7:00 and luckily hit minimal traffic.

I started the run off feeling great. I was actually surprised how good my legs felt since I hadn't run much in the past two weeks. It was pretty chilly during the first few miles of the run, especially since the trail is shaded, but it was a gorgeous fall morning. I decided to switch my garmin out of autolap so I wasn't constantly reminded of my pace and consequently trying to run faster. I also left it on the main screen so I couldn't check how far I had left.

After the first 4 miles I started to feel a little defeated. I had 4 miles back to the car and then had to do another 8 mile out-and-back with my dad. When negative thoughts creeped into my mind I tried to focus on the present and only think about the 4 miles left to the car.

It was really nice to get a quick stretching break once I got to the car. I switched my water bottle and we were on our way. I wasn't really sure how it was going to go with my dad riding along side me but it was incredibly helpful. We chatted the entire time and the miles flew by. I was in shock with how fast it seemed like we made it to the turn around point.

The last four miles were definitely hard but so much better than if I was on my own. My dad kept me laughing despite how much pain I was in. I had run out of water, unfortunately, with about 2 miles left so those 2 miles were pretty brutal. The sun was coming out and I was really thirsty. Despite all this being with my dad didn't let me dwell on those things. We just kept talking and before I knew it the run was over.

16 miles 2:54:20 (10:52 pace)

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that my pace was under 11:00 min/mile. I have been trying to keep my long runs evenly paced and not go out too fast. I hit the lap button after every 4 miles and my pace ranged from 10:49-10:57 average. This was really a run I needed. I'm starting to feel ready for this marathon (I still have a lot of work though) and more importantly confident. I know I can do my remaining 18 and 20 mile long runs.

One Month

It is weird to be writing this since November 4th has always seemed so far away. But yet it is now only one month away. My decision to sign up for the NYC Marathon was kind of out of the blue, meaning it was not something that I spent a lot of time thinking about. I got the idea to run a marathon and then signed up a few days later. Since April I have had this race on my mind, but it was more in the back of my mind. I had other races to train for over the summer and so I focused on them. I worked on building a base throughout my triathlon training so that when it was time to jump head first into marathon training I was ready.

As always, things have not gone exactly as planned. I loved my training when I was also focused on training for triathlons and when I had no other responsibilities to worry about. Being in school is the thing that has really affected my training. I don't have beautiful trails to run on for days and can't go out for a run whenever I choose. The added stress of assignments has constantly left me pushing off runs in order to get things done in time. I have tried not to pay attention to all the countdowns about how little time is left before race day.

Today was when it really hit me though. In one month from today, although on a Sunday and not on a Thursday, I will be toeing the line of my first marathon. Despite struggles with my training the race is finally starting to feel real. I can finally imagine being in New York being a part of something that has inspired and driven me so many times. I spent the first half of today scared shitless about the dwindling about of time I have left to prepare for such a big task. But after going out for a run, even though it was a pretty terrible one, I became excited again about finishing this journey that I have started.

I am not ready to call myself a marathoner, but hopefully in a few weeks when all of my long training runs are behind me I will feel confident and ready. I also went from being terrifyingly nervous for tomorrow's 16 mile long run to excited and anxious. Instead of dreading these remaining long runs I am ready to embrace them, since they are the key to me being marathon ready. Sometimes it is hard to forget that I am a beginner and this is my first marathon. I should not be training the same as someone who is running their 20th marathon. I am doing this because I want to prove to myself that I can. No added pressure necessary.

NYCM Peak Training

I can't believe I am entering my final three week build of marathon training, which also means I am entering peak training. It seems like yesterday that I started training for this race yet at the same time it feels like so long ago. I wouldn't be honest if I said that marathon training hasn't been hard. In fact, it's been really hard. I've had a lot of ups and downs emotionally that resulted in an anxiety induced breakdown last week. Last week was not supposed to be a rest week but all I did was rest. I only ran once, which I'm sure was a really stupid thing to do but I needed that break mentally. After last week's catastrophic fail of a training week I finally feel ready to tackle the rest of my training.

What I have come to learn is that to be successful at training for a marathon you really need to do a lot of planning ahead. There is more to training than just running. Insert foam rolling, stretching, extra sleep, meal planning and cooking, etc. Add homework and studying for tests and it's enough to make me want to hide under my comforter until Christmas break. I spent some time over the weekend planning out my week in a lot of detail. I hate having everything planned out but if I'm not careful I'll end up with a scheduled 8 mile run and a paper to write at the same time. And when I have a lot of schoolwork looming over my head I struggle to take the time to go out for a run. Luckily I don't have a very busy week and can hopefully get ahead on some schoolwork since I have three exams next week.

Here's what on the plan for this week:
Monday: 4 miles easy
Tuesday: 45 min cycling
Wednesday: 2 miles easy, 45 min swim
Thursday: 6 miles easy
Friday: 16 miles long, 1 hour yoga
Saturday: REST
Sunday: 4 miles easy

Week total: 36 miles

Enjoying My Rest Week

I wasn't originally planning on making this week a rest week but between all of the terrible runs I had last week and how tired I was at the beginning of the week I switched moved my rest week up a week. Now that the week is more than half way over I am sure I made the right decision. So far I have enjoyed two rest days and have slept in almost every morning. All runs have been easy and in general I have been more relaxed this week. I am taking advantage of my extra time to take care of tasks around the apartment that I have been putting off for weeks. I have also knocked out all of my homework and have gotten a head start on next week's work.

Tomorrow I am running 10 miles and for the first time in weeks I am not stressed or anxious about that number. I know I can run 10 miles and I am actually looking forward to the run. Last week's 14 mile long run gave me so much anxiety that the idea of running 16 this week completely overwhelmed me. After a few days of rest and relaxation, though, I am getting excited about tackling my long runs again.

I am also looking forward to a weekend without traveling anywhere. Every weekend since I started school at the end of August I have been going home to deal with random things. For the first time this semester I am just staying at my apartment and hanging out. I am going to finish cleaning up my apartment and do simple things like make pancakes for breakfast and watch a movie. I feel like I have been go-go-go for so long lately that all I want to do is sit on the couch with a chai tea latte and watch a good movie.

It can be really easy to get caught up in training and to get the mentality to always do more. I constantly feel like I am not running enough so the thought of taking a rest week daunted me a little bit but it is proving to be exactly what I need. What I am most surprised by is how much stress can affect training. I started the week so stressed I thought I was going to have a breakdown, especially after last week, but now I feel ready to tackle my three weeks of peak training.

6 Weeks To Go

I was emailing my super fast marathoning cousin last night and realized that the New York City Marathon is only six weeks away. At first I started freaking out that I would never be ready in time. The longest run I have done so far was 14 miles while most people have already knocked out at least one 20 miler. My mind was plagued with thoughts of how I will never have enough time to build up enough endurance. And last weekend's long run certainly didn't help. Instead of filling me with confidence it left me questioning everything.

But I have been an athlete long enough to know that a lot can happen in only six weeks. I went from walking my bike up the hills on the Keystone State Triathlon course to hammering up them and actually passing people in six weeks. Back in high school I recovered from surgery and qualified for nationals after only being in the pool for six weeks.

I had some really great training runs in August that gave me a tremendous amount of confidence heading into both the Keystone State Triathlon and the RNR Philadelphia Half Marathon. I only ran three or four times a week but my training also consisted of cycling, yoga, strength training, and swimming. I did weekly track workouts that increased my love for running and boosted my confidence. I increased my long runs and actually enjoyed doing all of them.

I am writing this post to remind myself not to get too stressed out and just to take everything one day at a time. Don't get worked up about the long runs and find my love of running through track workouts. I am doing the best I can and that is all that matters. I will run 26.2 miles on November 4th and I will enjoy every mile. I signed up to train for and run this marathon because I love running and I want to challenge myself. I don't ever want running and training to become something that causes me anxiety.

NYCM Training Week 4

Monday:
After the Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sunday I was in need of a rest day. I debated swimming or biking for a little but all I wanted to do was sleep so I opted for a total rest day instead.

Tuesday:
I set out early Tuesday morning for an easy recovery run from Sunday's race but my leg pain came back and was still there a mile into the run. I turned around and ran/walked back to my apartment. Once I got back I did 15 minute of ab work followed by 15 minutes of stretching and foam rolling. Not happy with the failed run in the morning, I hopped on my trainer for a 45 minute easy ride while watching Friends. By the end of the day my leg was feeling much better, giving me hope for the rest of the week.

Wednesday:
I took advantage of my big break again on Wednesday and got in a quick swim. I only got in 1,000 yards before the pool was evacuated for vacuuming. I had no leg discomfort or pain during the swim, which is improvement from the last time I went swimming.

Thursday:
I wanted to get in a track workout this week but also wanted to sleep in on Thursday. I thought it would be a good idea to go to the track after class, at 2:30. The only problem was that it was very sunny and there was a lacrosse game about to start. I did my mile warm up and then tried a mile for time. I finished in a slow for me 7:53 and felt crappy the entire time. As I was starting my second mile I was told to leave the track because of the game, so I ended up running back to my car for 4 miles total for the day.

Friday:
I went out for an easy run on the trail near my house but felt pretty bad the entire time. I was really struggling to breathe and just couldn't get into any kind of groove. This run was a real sign about the long run I had scheduled Saturday. I was able to get in 6 really slow miles though.

Saturday:
I had planned on doing 16 miles on Saturday but only made it to 14 miles. This was literally one of the worst runs of my life. I just couldn't get going. I felt tired the whole time and ended up taking walking breaks. I considered stopping at 8 miles but pushed on. Hopefully next week's run will go better than this one.

Sunday:
I closed out the week with a 2 mile recovery run on the treadmill followed up with 30 minutes of strength and core work.

Weekly totals

• Running: 28 miles
• Swimming: 1,000 yards
• Biking: 45 min
• Strength & core: 45 min
• Total hours: 7 hrs 22 min

NYCM Training Week 3

Monday:
I started the week off once again with a track workout. It was not my best track session but it was still a good run. I forgot water and was running directly in the sunlight so I'm sure that affected my slightly slower than normal splits. Regardless, I love starting each week with a killer workout. It makes me motivated to make the rest of the week just as strong. I had planned on doing 6 miles but cut my warm down short to make it 5 miles due to how hot and thirsty I was. In the evening after class I went to yoga. I am used to yoga being mostly stretching based but this class was definitely more strength based. It was still a really good class that I plan on attending weekly.

Tuesday:
I woke up Tuesday to sore arms and legs from yoga. I knew I needed an easy day to recover from two hard workouts yesterday so I hopped on my bike trainer for 35 minutes of easy riding. I followed up with a few minutes of ab work before getting back to work on homework and studying.

Wednesday:
One of my favorite things about my schedule this semester is that I have a huge break on Wednesday to swim and still have to time to eat lunch and study before my next class. I took advantage of the beautiful weather on Wednesday and got in a quick 1800 yards before heading off to a meeting.

Thursday:
Thursday was another gorgeous day so I persuaded my dad to go kayaking with me after work. We didn't go very fast but it was so peaceful out on the water. We even did some kayaking in the dark!

Friday:
I spent literally the entire day Friday doing homework. I was planning on doing 6 miles and resting on Saturday but I was mentally too tired to do 6. Instead I did an easy 3 miles throughout my neighborhood.

Saturday:
I had to wake up pretty early Saturday in order to get my run in before catching the train to Philly for the weekend. I felt a little weird during the run but overall felt pretty good. I ended up doing the other 3 miles from Friday's planned six.

Sunday:
Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon! Race report to come! I did an easy mile before the run to loosen things up and make my long run a tad longer. Longest run ever- 14 miles!

Weekly Totals

• Running: 25.3 miles
• Yoga: 55 min
• Biking: 35 min
• Swimming: 1800 yards
• Kayaking: 50 min
• Total hours: 7 hours 5 min

NYCM Training Goals

Now that the New York City Marathon is only eight weeks it's time to really get serious about training. I have been working hard to establish a solid base since from here on it all of my long runs will be PDR's and just about every week will be a new weekly high for me. I have spent the past month and a half learning what does and doesn't work for my body so I can move forward with training.

At the beginning of each training cycle I like to set some goals for myself that are related only to my training. That way I can race as prepared and confident as possible.

1. Do the little things right
So often in training we only pay attention to the obvious, like our runs. But training for a marathon is so much more than just running. I was taught from a young age to make decisions whether or not they will help me become a better athlete. Of course there are times to kick back and break some rules, but know that if you go out to the club until 3 am Friday night that your long run Saturday morning will be a sufferfest. Sometimes all it takes is planning ahead for everything to work out. Either way, it is the little things that can make or break training sometimes.

2. Stretch & foam roll consistently
I have had some minor tastes of injury in the last couple of weeks that have reminded me not to skimp on really taking care of my body. Lately I have been starting runs with a dynamic warm up, and following runs up by stretching, foam rolling, and icing if necessary. I have been one of those people who didn't ever stretch but I am learning the hard way that stretching after every single run is absolutely necessary.

3. Get serious about nutrition
Besides stretching, nutrition is the thing that I often forget about. I love food and sometimes I forget how much I have already eaten. Marathon training is not an excuse to eat everything in sight and there is no need to carb load every night of the week. I want to pay attention to what I am eating so that my body is fueled in the best way possible to have a successful training cycle. As a vegetarian I need to pay extra attention to how much protein I am getting especially. I also require a higher amount of sodium.

4. Pay attention to energy levels
Sometimes it is easy to stay up until 2 in the morning watching tv or studying for a test. And this is only a problem when I have to be up in a few hours to go for a run before a full day of classes. When I am tired the first thing to suffer is my training. I need 8-10 hours of sleep a night on average or I am pretty much useless. I have some really long days this semester and getting enough sleep really makes a difference in how productive I am each day.

5. Enjoy training as much as possible
The reason I fell in love with the sport of triathlon before ever having completed my first triathlon was because of how much I enjoyed the training. I looked forward to training instead of dreading it. So far I am loving marathon training as well but I want to make sure it stays that way. Of course there will be days when I don't want to go for a run but when it becomes multiple days that I am avoiding running that we have a problem. Should that happen I will reassess my training and figure out what changes I can make so that training is fun and enjoyable.

NYCM Training Week 2

Monday:
I started the week off the best way I know how with a 5 mile track run. It was a glorious run in a torrential downpour where I set some personal records. It was nice to do a shorter track run and be able to push harder on each interval. I normally plan on lifting after my track runs but took the week off from lifting because of some weird pain I was having in my left hip/hamstring/back.

Tuesday:
Tuesday was when things started going downhill though. I was tired and opted to sleep in instead of go for my run. I figured I would just do it in the afternoon but before I knew it I was busy and didn't run at all. Unfortunately Tuesday was a rest day.

Wednesday:
I finally got my bike set up on the trainer so I was able to squeeze in a short ride after class. It was such a difference to be stuck inside on a trainer then being outside riding out on the road in nature. I was hoping to ride for an hour but I got bored and called it a day after riding for 40 minutes.

Thursday:
I was lazy again Thursday morning and chose sleeping in over running. I ended up going for a run in the middle of the day when it was 90 degrees out. I didn't realize it was so hot out and didn't bring water with me. Needless to say it was a pretty miserable 4.5 mile run.

Friday:
I went home Friday morning so I was able to run on my favorite trail near my house. I went out for a 4 mile run but only made it three miles before I had some major GI issues. I resorted to walking very slowly for the last mile but regardless it was a pretty good run.

Saturday:
Saturday was supposed to be long run day but I had this weird pain on my inner thigh when I started running so I bagged the run. I went home and did the recumbent bike for an hour. I decided once my leg started hurting to just go ahead and make this week a rest week. Most of my runs this week were cut short or eliminated in general so I figured to refigure my training plan.

Sunday:
I thought about doing a trainer ride on Sunday but ended up making it another rest day. I think rest weeks are really important mentally but I didn't get the mental rest this week so I took advantage of that on Sunday.

Weekly Totals

• Running: 12.2 miles
• Biking: 1 hr 40 min
• Yoga: 55 min
• Total hours: 4 hours 36 mn

My NYCM Training Plan

It is weird to be writing a post now about NYC Marathon training since almost everyone has already been training for well over a month now. Technically I have too, I just wasn't calling it marathon training. I guess it was pre-training. Anyway, I'm not here to give you a detailed day-to-day training plan because if you've been reading my blog for even a few days you have probably figured out I suck at sticking to what the plan says. I generally decide what workouts I want to do each week and then schedule accordingly. I do have my long runs pre-scheduled but they are subject to change should there be any setbacks with my training.

Running four days a week
I have run more and I have run less and neither seem to work for me. Four days is my happy medium that will allow me to improve my running without risking injury (too much). I will run five times a week if I am crunched for time and need to shorten a run, as long as my weekly mileage does not increase. Of my scheduled four runs I will do a long run, a track run, and two easy or recovery runs. I want to be as flexible as possible and will either do my recovery run after my track run or after my long run, just depends of how I am feeling that week.

Cross training
Over the summer when I was training for a triathlon is when I saw the most improvement with my running. I think swimming and biking over extra days of running will keep my body happy and injury free, and will help with the monotony of running all the time. As of now I am planning on swimming once a week and riding my bike on the trainer 1-2 times a week. I don't know the source but I have always heard that cycling has a direct correlation to improvement in running, which is another reason why I want to continue cycling. Other reasons for incorporating cross training include low impact exercise and maintaining a base for triathlon season next year.

Yoga and strength training
I started strength training a little over a month ago and can already see some major improvement in my leg muscles. Of course I want to tone up and look good but I also want to give my legs and body the strength it needs to run 26.2 miles. In addition to lifting twice a week I am going to go to yoga once a week. My legs actually crave a yoga class after a hard run now. Luckily my school has a few free yoga classes available throughout the week.

Rest, recovery & everything else
I am well aware of the stress that marathon training puts on the body and know how important proper recovery is. If I don't get an average of 8 hours of sleep a night I can hardly function. But sleep isn't the only part of recovery. I am going to take one full rest day a week to do absolutely nothing. I think I need this more mentally than physically but either way it is important. I have also noticed lately that eating enough protein, potassium, and salt are critical for me. If I am not on track nutritionally I feel sluggish and weak, which is not how I want to feel during marathon training. I will also be spending a decent amount of time doing injury prevention, including foam rolling, compression socks and sleeves, stretching after runs, and ice baths after hard runs.

NYCM Training Week 1

Monday:
I wasn't too sore when I woke up but I was still generally tired from such a long weekend. I decided to go to the gym for one last strength session before leaving for school though. Unfortunately my left shoulder was feeling a little funny so I cut out almost all of my upper body exercises. It wasn't a long workout but I still felt strong.

Tuesday:
I made sure to head to my Tuesday morning yoga class before heading down to school to move back in to my apartment. My legs were still pretty tight from Sunday's triathlon so the stretching felt fantastic. I'm pretty sad about not being able to go to yoga class anymore but I think I learned enough to get in some solid stretching on my own.

Wednesday:
Wednesday was my first day of classes so I knew things would be chaotic. I didn't have class until 2:30 but really didn't want to wake up at 7:00 to beat the Baltimore heat. Instead I ran in the evening after class. I didn't have much motivation but I knew I needed to run. I accidentally left my Garmin at home so I just ran for 55 minutes and then mapped out how far I went. I was so surprised during the run with how great I felt. That same run would have kicked my butt last year but felt like a piece of cake on Wednesday.

Thursday:
Since I don't have classes on Friday this semester and have off on Monday for Labor Day I decided to go home Thursday afternoon after class. I was planning on running 4 miles but decided to call it quits after 2 miles because of how terrible my legs felt. I could have pushed through but I wanted Friday's long run to go well and thought it wasn't worth using so much mental and physical energy.

Friday:
Long run day! I was all set to do my long run in the morning but my stomach wasn't cooperating and by the time it was it was already 90 degrees outside. I figured I could just run in the evening or move the run to Saturday. I wanted to do this long run with some half marathon goal pace miles to see where I am at before my half in a couple weeks. I did 3 miles warm up, 6 miles @ HMGP, 3 miles warm down. The first 9 miles of the run went really well but then my stomach started to hurt. At the same time I ran out of water. I decided to go back home and finish the last three miles after I could get more to drink. Those miles were brutal. I felt dizzy and exhausted but I needed to finish. After the run I ate all the salty things I could find and almost instantly felt better. I think I may need to start taking salt tabs with me on long runs because I am a really salty sweater.

Saturday:
I normally don't wait so long between my twice-weekly strength sessions but I wanted to wait until after my long run. I have been having some weird shoulder pain/ache for the past few days so I only did a few upper body exercises. I stopped as soon as I felt any pain or discomfort. Later in the day I met my boyfriend at a local lake. He was going mountain biking so I decided to bring my dog for a trail run, which turned into a trail run/hike. It was a really beautiful day but unfortunately my hip area started really hurting as the day progressed. By the time I went to bed I could barely walk up the stairs because of the pain. I am not sure what caused it or what it is but my guess is that it is from lifting.

Sunday:
I was supposed to do a recovery run on Sunday but decided to do a bike ride instead because of my hip/leg. It felt much better after when I woke up in the morning but I still wanted to be careful. I went for a 20 mile bike ride with my dad that really loosened up the area. The pain is definitely getting better but I'm going to be extra cautious next week not to do any more damage.

Weekly Totals

• Running: 21.83 miles
• Biking: 20 miles
• Yoga: 60 min
• Strength: 1 hour 17 min
• Total Hours: 7 hours 54 min

Double Digits!

This morning I did my first double digit training run of 10 miles. I probably should have done at least that much while training for my first two half marathons but it's too late to change that now. I am taking my long runs really seriously since they are the most important thing about training for a marathon and I don't want to get too far behind.

I had trouble falling asleep last night so when I woke up to an abnormally cool morning I decided to sleep in for an extra hour. After my extra sleep I got all my stuff ready, ate breakfast, and headed over to the trail. I tried to download an audiobook last night to listen to during the run but messed up and bought an ebook instead. Whoops. I didn't really want to listen to music either.

A few minutes after starting the run I decided to do some miles at marathon and half marathon goal pace since my track run on Tuesday got stormed out. I'm not sure if either marathon or half marathon goal pace are correct for me but they work for now so I'm sticking with them.

2.5 miles warm up,
2 miles @ MGP (9:28)
1 mile recovery
2 miles @ HMGP (9:01)
2.5 miles warm down

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:39:04.6	10.00	9:55
1	10:45.0	1.00	10:47
2	10:26.0	1.00	10:26
3	9:44.8	1.00	9:44
4	9:25.9	1.00	9:27
5	9:30.9	1.00	9:30
6	9:59.3	1.00	10:00
7	8:49.7	1.00	8:51
8	9:46.4	1.00	9:46
9	10:30.5	1.00	10:30
10	10:03.6	1.00	10:05
11	:02.4	0.00	10:08

Since I left my garmin on autolap my individual miles at my goal paces weren't recorded. I did make sure to do the math while I was running to make sure I was on pace and one full mile for each goal pace was accurate. The other miles include easy running since they started half way through the mile.

What surprised me the most during this run was how much easier it was than I anticipated. I did a similar run while I was at the beach that really sucked the wind out of me. It left me questioning everything. Today's run left me confident and eager to keep training. My half marathon goal pace felt like a comfortable-hard that I could have maintained for awhile longer. And I was able to keep my pace consistent instead of all over the place.