Marathon Training Week 11

My plan for the week was cross-train, run 5, 8, and 5 miles, rest, 8 mile run, and 18 mile long run. Highest mileage week is here again.

Sunday - yoga class (during the New England Patriots playoff game ... Pats were winning when class started and, judging by my Facebook feed when I got home, it was way more relaxing in the class than watching the game ... Pats won!), plus calf raises and lunges.

Monday - 5.6 mile run. My winter running route was clear, and it wasn't even that cold. Yayz. Did planks and pushups in the evening with the company of the DVR.

Tuesday - 8.7 mile run. It was 50 degrees at first thing in the morning. In January! Thanks, Mother Nature, for a gift of a decent day. No cold weather gear necessary. Most of the snow had melted or got washed away by overnight rain.

Wednesday - 5.6 mile run on the treadmill, plus upper body strength training and squats. I need to start getting up earlier so that I have enough time to get my run in and do strength training. Just when I figured out how much time I needed, there goes another bump up in mileage. Did abs and lower back in the evening.

Thursday - Rest. Needed more sleep badly this week.

Friday - 8.3 mile run. Mostly caught a break between rain showers. I almost turned around and went to the gym about 2 miles in because I was cold, but I didn't have my iPod and therefore couldn't record my distance inside. So I kept going. My quads were very cold, but it got warmer as I went on. Got heavily rained on at the very end. I could have used cold weather tights, but I made it through. It wasn't super pleasant but it wasn't that bad either. Spent a good part of the day going on a treasure hunt in my attic. In other words, carrying boxes and furniture down 2 flights of stairs to get ready to move in a few weeks. I forgot I had a toaster oven and a set of wooden folding tables.

Saturday - 19.2 mile run. EPIC. Epic I tell you. Comfortable weather. I started out a little too fast but realized this and reeled it in. I planned a route on the bike path and a loop in a state park. I was pleased to find a port-a-pottie in the state park around mile 7. Nice views of Narragansett Bay. I really like running near Narragansett Bay. Hal Higdon suggests converting your long run into a 3-1 run ever 3 weeks or so. Run the first 3/4 at your normal pace, then drop the last 1/4 to goal race pace if you are feeling OK. I was feeling OK when I stopped at mile 13 to have a snack and fill up my water bottles. So I continued on for another 2 miles, turned on my iPod at mile 15, and dropped the pace for the last 4 miles. I was comfortably under goal marathon pace, including doing the last mile at 30 seconds under goal marathon pace. What! Who does that?? Especially at the end of a 19 mile run?? Even I was surprised at that. It didn't feel unreasonably difficult. It was good practice for trying to pick up the pace at the end. I got to practice positive self-talk. Winning.

Total Miles: Scheduled - 44 Actual - 47.4