Patience: Chicago Marathon Training

I'm now at the point in my training where I am antsy to do more. I feel like I am back in running shape and I want to run ALL the miles. Instead I remind myself of a mantra I read about a few weeks ago: Preparation, Patience, Perseverance. Although the mantra came from one of the greatest soccer managers and was about strategy for soccer games, I believe it also works for running. 

I've been focused on preparing myself for the rigors of marathon training--the strengthening, the pre-hab, good nutrition, sleep. Now I have to work on patience. The miles will come--I'm building up to 55 miles per week. I don't need to add more than what my coach plans for me. Perseverance will come into play when I am at peak mileage and oh-so-tired and not in the mood to run more. I know those days will come, BTDT. 

My brain was screaming at me to stop during the
 last mile of this week's tempo run (Spoiler: I didn't!)

The mantra also works for racing. Preparation is important. Not only training, but know the course and developing a race plan. Patience is not going out to fast or making a move too soon. Perseverance is sticking with it even when your feet and legs hurt, when your brain is screaming at you to stop. 

Base-Building Week 4

Monday: Easy 4 miles (4.7 miles, 9:29/mi). Post run I did Jasyoga's Quick 5-min Calf Reset because my calves were feeling tight. After work, I did a minute Yoga: Core video and Beachbody's Upper Fix Extreme video.

Tuesday: Oh, gosh. Progressive Tempo today. 2 miles easy, 1 mile at 8:20, 1 mile at 8:15, 1 mile at 8:10, 1 mile easy. Before my run I did Jasyoga's Workout Day Warm-Up. I hit my paces despite hills (8:18/mi, 8:14/mi, 8:10/mi). That last mile was HARD. The first half was uphill until it flattened out. I slowed down going up the hill and spent the second half "catching up" to hit my pace. OMG. Afterwards I asked my coach if this was the right thing to do and she said: "You did the right thing playing catch up.  I know it is tough, but you are stronger for it!" (6.0 miles, 9:10/mi). After work, I did a 10-min Ab Fix video and a Yoga: Stretch video.

Wednesday: Off/XT. 30 min Abs, Butt and Cardio video (Beachbody's ABC Extreme) and Yoga: Balance. In the afternoon, I took the train to Los Angeles for a work event.

Thursday: Downtown LA running! Easy 4 miles+strides/drills (4.2 miles, 9:13/mi). Jasyoga: Pre-Run Warm Up. Long day. Train ride back home.

Friday: Easy 5 miles (5.1 miles, 9:28/mi). 30 minute Tabata class before run. After my run, I did 50 minutes of Yoga: Flow and Beachbody's Dirty 30 Extreme video.

Saturday: Long run, 8-10 miles (10.1 miles, 9:24/mi). Before my run, I did Jasyoga's How to Warm-Up and after my run the Comprehensive Hip/Hamstring Reset. Later that night I did the Yoga: Relax video.

Sunday: Off. 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes of body weight exercises. 

Total Weekly Miles: 30.1 miles (4 hours, 41 minutes)
Total Cross-Training/Pre-hab: 6 hours, 26 minutes* 
2017 Miles: 466.4 miles

*I never explained. I'm keeping track of these activities because I heard that it's good to aim for the same amount of time spent running.

Now that I'm back to training, I've rejoined the training link up on Eat Pray Run DC. See the link up HERE. Courtney just started training for the Berlin Marathon. :) 

Week 3: Chicago Marathon Base-Building

It was a very HOT and busy week. It was also a great weekend to spend at the beach as temperatures soared to high-90's F at home. In addition to training and fun, I traveled all over for work. On Monday, I took the train to Los Angeles for an all-day meeting. On Tuesday, I flew to Sacramento for a conference and was there until Wednesday evening. Thursday, I was in the office for most of the day. I left early to drive to Occidental College in Los Angeles (90 minute drive) for the USTAF Middle Distance Classic. This was my first ever attendance at a track meet and I had a lot of fun hanging out with SoCal Oiselle Volée and watching the races. I was off work Friday (I have every-other Friday off work) and that evening we drove to Oceanside for the Beach Soccer USA Championship Tournament. Two of Paul's teams were participating in the event. 

Oiselle runners swept the 3000m Steeple.
1st, 2nd, 3rd. Last hurdle before final 100m.

Overall my training week went well. I feel like I am back in running shape and ready to add distance and intensity (as appropriate! My fave quote I heard over the week: "You can't out-Prehab training errors".)

Base-Building Week 3 Recap

Monday: Off. 50 minutes of Cycle Class in the morning and a 30-minute Yoga: Core video in the evening.

Tuesday: Easy 4 miles (4.0 miles, 10:08/mi) with Dani and Dana. Followed run with a one hour personal training session. My trainer killed my upper body! Jasyoga Workout Day Warm-up before run. I traveled to Sacramento for work. In my hotel room I did a 30 minute Dirty Dozen video and a 30-minute Yoga: Stretch video.

Wednesday: Easy 4 miles (4.7 miles, 9:15/mi) + strides/drills. After my run I did a 30-minute Yoga: Balance video.

Thursday: 2 miles easy, 2 miles =(6 x 1 min strides, 2 min jog), 2 miles easy. My goal was to run the work segments with 7:00/mi pace. Oh boy, this was harder than it looked on paper. My six segments: 7:06/mi, 7:06/mi, 7:01/mi, 6:56/mi, 6:38/mi, 6:50/mi. Total for the run (6.0 miles, 9:23/mi). Before my run I did a 30-minute Yoga: Flow video. 

Friday: Off. 30 minute Tabata class, a 20-minute Yoga: Flow video, a 30-minute Barre Leg video and a 1-hour TRX class. (Friday off work :) )

Saturday: 8-9 miles long run (10.0 miles, 9:19/mi). We were at the beach all weekend and it was so nice to run long next to the ocean. Before my run I did Jasyoga's Align Your Stride and after I did Quick Post-LR Reset. Right before nap time I did a Yoga: Relax video.

Sunday: Easy 4 miles (4.5 miles, 9:11/mi). My legs were tired from the day before (In addition to long run miles, we walked a lot. Beach Soccer tournament was a little over a mile away from our hotel). I also did 30 minutes of Yoga videos. 

Total Weekly Miles: 29.2 miles (4 hours, 35 minutes)

Total Cross-Training/Pre-hab: 6 hours, 50 minutes

2017 Miles: 436.3 miles

Now that I'm back to training, I've rejoined the training link up on Eat Pray Run DC. See the link up HERE

Getting the Work Done: Chicago Marathon Base-Building Week 2

Although waking up at 4:45 am is tough, I sometimes think it helps me get through hard workouts. You see, I'm still half-asleep and maybe don't realize what I'm doing and tempo runs scare me. When I see them on a training schedule my brain starts spinning ways for me to attack it. I think about location or routes. I live in an area with lots of hills. Hills are great to build strength but not so good for training for a flat marathon and tempo runs. I prefer intervals. Give me intervals any day, any length (love mile repeats). 

This week's tempo was an alternating pace tempo which means exactly like it sounds. Instead of staying within one pace or pace range, e.g. sub-lactate threshold, the pace changes. Alternating pace tempos train your body to clear lactate while still running fast. They are also great for teaching you to handle race day situations, i.e. going out to fast or getting caught up in a surge and then returning to pace. The fast portion of my tempo was 10k pace. The "recover" portion was marathon pace. Oh boy. Since it is early in my training, it was only 3 miles of work. 

I debated between running on the track or running on the streets. I ended up doing the work portion on a mile length of a fairly flat street in my town with stop signs and other markers conveniently placed at 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile and 3/4 mile. This helped me know how much I had left without constantly checking my watch. 

Coach Becki wanted me to run the tempo at: 8:10/mi, 9:00/mi, 8:10mi. I nailed the paces! I ran: 8:10/mi, 8:57/mi, 8:10/mi! This workout was a big boost for me. Last week I was doubting whether I would be able to hit my goal for Chicago or get back into running shape. 

Now I can start thinking about my next tempo run. This time it's a progressive tempo! Eek!

Base-Building Week 2 Recap (May 8-14):

Monday: Easy 4 miles (4.5 miles, 9:17/mi) + strides/drills with Dana and Dani pre-work. After work I did Beachbody's body weight video, Power Strength and 10-min Hard Core video.

Tuesday: Easy 3 miles (3.0 miles, 9:26/mi) + strides/drill in the morning. Pre-run I did Jasyoga's Pre-run Warm Up and post-run I did the 5-min Quad Reset and 5-min Calf Reset. In the evening I did Beachbody's Upper Fix for some upper body work.

Wednesday: Workout day! I woke up extra early so I would have time to do Jasyoga's Align Your Stride before meeting Dani. Details are above, but overall it was 5.2 miles (9:08/mi). In the evening I did a 30 minute Pilates video. 

Thursday: Off. 10 minutes on the row machine then heavy weight-lifting with Paul. Squats and Deadlifts. I felt my glutes all day! After work I did Beachbody's ABC Extreme video (which is all abs and butt). 

Friday: 30 minute Tabata class (all body weight) followed by an easy 2 miles (2.0 miles, 9:23/mi). In the afternoon, I went for a 1 hour massage followed by 30 minutes of ART with my sports chiropractor. In the evening I did a 30 minute upper body video. 

Saturday: Easy 4 miles (4.3 miles, 9:15/mi) +Strides/drills. I was supposed to do 4 x100m strides at the end of my run but I lost count and ended up doing 5. I did Jasyoga Run Your Core before my run and Jasyoga Full Body Recovery after my run.

Sunday: Long Run, 6-7 miles (7.1 miles, 9:50/mi). Before my run I did Jasyoga How to Warm Up and after my run I took a 1 hour yoga class.

Total Weekly Miles: 26.2 miles (4 hours, 7 minutes)
Total Cross-Training/Pre-hab: 6 hours, 45 minutes
2017 Miles: 407.0 miles


Now that I'm back to training, I've rejoined the training link up on Eat Pray Run DC. See the link up HERE

A Return to Running on the Regular: Chicago Marathon Base-Building Week 1

After approximately one month off running (to recharge, not because of injury), I'm back to running on the regular. Other than feeling a bit out of shape and hungry for all the food all the time, my first week of training went well. I completed all my runs, I hit all my paces (all runs were "easy") and even got in some good cross-training and pre-hab work. 

When I started the week, it was 159 days until the Chicago Marathon or about 23 weeks until October 8. I thought, oh heck no, there is no possible way I can run a 3hr:48min marathon. My easy runs did not feel easy. However, by week's end I started to believe. 

I started training extra early to build a strong base after my running break and because I'm using a modified 9-day training week. I will still run 5-6 days a week and peak at about 50-60 miles per week. The 9-day training week allows for more rest or recovery between hard efforts (speed, tempo, long).

As stated above, it's a modified 9-day because I have a job which would make mid-week super long runs difficult. From Coach Becki Spellman: 

This is essentially a 3 week cycle that restarts every 4th week in terms of the pattern. It allows for the volume needed, but separates workouts enough to help with injury prevention.

I'm excited to start my journey and curious to find out my potential. 

Base-Building Week 1 Recap:

Monday: Easy 3 miles (3.1 miles, 9:50/mi) followed by a one hour personal training session (late for work!). In the evening I did Jasyoga's Running Efficiency Boost.

Tuesday: Easy 4 miles (4.1 miles, 9:45/mi). This run did not feel easy. I went up hills I've been avoiding. Making myself stronger! Post run I did Jasyoga 5-min Calf Reset. In the evening I did Beachbody's Upper Fix Extreme video + 10 min Ab Fix. 

Wednesday: Off. 30 minutes heavy weights (squats, deadlifts) with Paul. After work, I did Beachbody's Lower Fix video.

Thursday: Easy 4 miles (4.5 miles, 9:57/mi) with Dana and Dani. Jasyoga 5-min Hip Flexor Reset. After work, I did Pilates Fix + Relax Yoga (60 minutes total).

Friday: 30 minute Tabata class followed by easy 3 mile (super easy, slightly downhill the whole way 3.1 miles, 8:22/mi) and 1 hour TRX class. I taught a 1-hour cycle class in the evening. My Friday's off work tend to be very active!

Saturday: Long Run, 6 miles (6.0, 9:32/mi). Pre-run I did Jasyoga's How to Activate Your Glutes and after I did Post-Run Hip Reset. 

Sunday: Rest Day. One hour yoga at Ritual Brewing with Paul and Dani.

Total Weekly Miles: 20.8 miles (3 hours, 18 minutes)
Total Cross-Training/Pre-hab: 8 hours, 20 minutes
2017 Miles: 380.5 miles

Now that I'm back to training, I've rejoined the training link up on Eat Pray Run DC. See the link up HERE. 

Training for Chicago Marathon starts today!

Today the base-building phase for the Chicago Marathon started. For the first time, I'm training using a 9-day training week with 3-week cycles. I will still run 5-6 days a week and build to 50-60 miles per week. This allows more time between my hard runs and helps with injury prevention. I'm very excited to see how I progress.