Marathon Training Week 10

My plan for the week was cross-train, run 4, 8, and 4 miles, rest, 8 mile pace run, and 17 mile long run. Ramp it up one more time.

I had to make some changes again to account for Sunday's half marathon. I moved the first 4 mile run to last week. So my plan was 13.1 mile race, rest or cross-train depending on how I felt, run 8 and 4 miles (or possibly switch those runs depending on how I felt), rest, 8 mile pace run, and 17 mile long run. I figured I'd keep it easy on the strength training this week too. When I hit this week the last time around, I didn't give myself enough recovery time after the half marathon. No bueno. I didn't want to make that mistake again.

Sunday - 13.1 mile virtual race on a treadmill (not counted in the weekly mileage since it took the place of last weekend's long run), which was 13.9 miles according to the treadmill and 13.1 miles according to Nike+. See the post here on the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon. I'm going to go with 1:42:02 or there abouts for a half marathon, assuming the treadmill was calibrated correctly and the pace was right. Not based on Nike+. Walked for nearly a half hour as a cooldown and foam rolled afterward.

Monday - I felt a little bit sore but mostly fine. Nowhere near as beat up as after Rock N Roll Providence. Yay. Must have been all that walking and foam rolling. Did two 20-minute yoga podcasts at home, plus abs and lower back exercises.

Tuesday - 8.6 mile run. First run in slushy snow. First measurable snowfall this winter (we had a freak October snowstorm, but that technically isn't winter). The snow and occasional slippery patches kept me from going too fast. At least it wasn't cold or raining. Each mile split was faster without trying to go faster, so that's a win. Did calf raises and lunges in the evening.

Wednesday - 4.6 mile run on the treadmill (Nike+ behaved this time and was reasonably close to the treadmill), plus upper body strength training. Skipped squats this week to give my legs some extra recovery time. My legs felt fine and I probably could have done squats, but I also knew to not push it. There were some difficult workouts coming up this week. Did planks and pushups in the evening while catching up with the DVR.

Thursday - Rest. More sleeeeeeeep. Goooooood.

Friday - 8.2 mile pace run on the treadmill, plus 9 minutes walking as a cooldown and about 1.5 miles total walking to and from the gym, plus snow shoveling. I was planning on running outside, but the less than 1 inch of snow we were supposed to get overnight was more like 3-4 inches. Fine for an everyday run but not a pace run. It was that light fluffy snow, too. Packed heavier snow is better for running. So I went to the gym. At first, I thought this run was going to be no big deal. The first 2 miles felt easy. I took my shirt off somewhere in mile 4. Yes, I have become that annoying person who goes to the gym in a sports bra. It was a fight to keep going after 5.5 miles. I probably should have brought some Gatorade in addition to plain water. I had to trick the treadmill into letting me run longer than 1 hour by running into the cooldown phase. So problematic. Every 1 minute, the pace dropped to 4.5 mph (I was running at 7.7 mph) and the incline reset to 0%. I had to keep bumping up the speed and the incline. It was harder than the half marathon at the exact same pace. Go figure. But I made it. Small victory.

Saturday - 18.2 mile run. In the snow. While it was snowing. Busted out the Yaktrax and my ski goggles. This one was tough. There is a road near me with a wide shoulder and bike lane in a 3ish mile loop. That road is my go-to route for winter long runs once there is snow on the ground. I had to stop about 5 miles in to get more clothes. I underestimated how cold and windy it was. Good thing I wasn't too far from home. I took my break (usually at 12 miles) early. I had a soft shell jacket to keep me dry which I never wear. One pair of cold weather tights and lightweight tights were not enough. I needed two pairs of cold weather tights and the lightweight tights, plus a fleece tied around my waist to keep my bum warm. I also picked up my highlighter yellow reflective vest so that I was visible. I figured most drivers wouldn't expect to see a runner on the road. The first 10-11 miles were fine. And then it started going downhill. My Gatorade froze, although my water didn't. My fleece neck gaiter froze. My nose was running out of control, so badly that I couldn't breathe through my nose. My feet were getting blisters. I didn't drink or eat as much fuel as I usually do. The roads got more and more slippery. I had to step off the road to avoid plows. My pace slowed down and I honestly didn't care. This was a run to just do it, not a run for time. However long it took was however long it took. At least I didn't overheat or get too cold, and I stayed reasonably dry, and the road I was on was continually plowed pretty much down to the pavement. It is still harder to run a half marathon in a nor'easter than to run 18 miles in the snow. I don't have much desire to run that far in the snow again, though.

Total Miles: Scheduled - 37 Actual - 39.2