I did it! I ran a 50 mile week! Granted this was because I ran 19 on Sunday, 4.1 and 6.6 during the week, and 20 on Saturday. But hey, 50 is 50. (Don't you call me on the 49.7 because I will eat your face.)
The 19 I ran last Sunday was a 65 degree day in Boston along the Charles, at a 9:20 pace. It was AWESOME, though I got some weird calf cramps around mile 16 and had to keep stopping and stretching. Haven't felt it before or after that, so that's good.
I'm pretty sure my Heaven will have warm Mexican beaches, inebriated nights under a sparkling Eiffel Tower, and 65 degree runs along the Charles.
The 20 I ran this Saturday, which is the only time I have consecutive 20-ish milers from week to week in my schedule, was a 65-70 degree day along the Minuteman Rail Trail from Lexington to Arlington to Fresh Pond in Cambridge. The first 5 miles were blissful, and I was excited/pressured to get to an open house afterwards, and I sped down the path, taking it all in. And then I hit the wall at mile 15 like something WRETCHED. I swear I can feel when I run out of glycogen because my breathing changes and I can just imagine my muscles struggling to switch to fat burning mode. Plus I ran out of water and had to stop at Burger King to refill, which has never happened to me. It was HOT. Further, I knew I wasn't feeling great when I started, especially with the 19 miler still lingering within eyesight, but I did that stupid thing where I figure, "Eh, I'll just push through it," and then I die. I remember someone saying on the bus to Boston last year that for every 10 seconds you go out too fast, you lose 30s (or 1 minute?) per mile at the end. I started at a 9 minute pace, actually dipped below 9 for a few miles, and ended at a 9:45 pace. Ok ok. I won't do it again...
Regardless, one of the best things a runner can hope for in training for a marathon is weather that simulates race-day conditions. I don't know about you, but man does this year smell like 2012, and I'll take all the warm long runs I can get, lest it be 87 on race day...
And now on to the real point of this post: Maintenance.
1. Stretching a lot including power vinyasa yoga #obsessed #downdog #warriorpose
2. Cross training with spin.
3. Recovery runs
The key difference between training for this marathons and other ones is what I'm doing the week. For a variety of reasons in the last two Bostons, I've pretty much done my long runs (maybe skipped one), slogged a couple of 5 milers during the week, and squeaked by with a 4:09, which is a 9:30 pace.
This time, I'm running hard during the week and so far, keeping up with my Yasso's, and kind of keeping up with hills... AND also cross training by spinning. I'm being better about stretching fully after all my runs and spins. My legs are tired, and I'm working hard on tired legs, and I'm working harder than ever -- but NOT injured, dare I say. I feel tired but fine. Spinning and stretching help a lot.
However today was the first time I've done a recovery RUN after a 20 miler. I didn't get to stretch yesterday because I was late finishing up, and I was too lazy to go to spin at 8am on my last day of vacation, so I gave it a shot. Given that I could barely walk down the steps this morning, it wasn't surprising when those first few strides? stumbles? down Zion Hill were excruciating. But as I got warmed up, it felt good. Like, painful physical therapy after an injury that you know is good for you- good. I think the idea with a recovery run is that you stretch out the muscles that were previously overused, get some good healthy blood flow returning to them, and flush out some of the waste. I liked it. This may be my new favorite discovery.
Marathons are full of them.
Now to build in some speedwork to kick that 9:20 long run pace... got to get that closer to 9:00...
Happy running :)
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