I am going rogue today for the Friday 5 Link Up.
The topic is Food & Drink, but I just don't have anything to say about Food & Drink today. (But as I write this post, I am stuffing my face with a turkey sausage.)
Instead, I am going to tell you 5 Things About My Marathon Pace Run. You are reading this on Friday, which means the run was yesterday. But as I write this, the run ended two and a half hours ago.
1. The workout: 1 mile w/u & c/d, 8 miles @ 7:49 pace. Due to the fact that I lost my freaking Garmin, I was forced to do this workout on the treadmill at Planet Fitness. Honestly, I don't know how I could have done it outside anyway considering it was 95 degrees. However, it wasn't much cooler in the gym...
2. Yo Planet Fitness, can you turn the a/c up!? I was already really hot by the time my warm up was over. During my second MP mile I developed a slight side stitch. By my fifth MP mile I was soaked to the bone with sweat. I looked like I had jumped in a pool.
3. I needed a break to cool off. After 6 MP miles, I did a couple walking laps around the gym and splashed some cold water on my face. I simply had to cool down or things weren't going to be good.
4. A lot was riding on this workout. My first month of Hansons training went really well. Then I got PF and was out for about a week. I spent the next 2-3 weeks after that just trying to catch up without making the PF come back.
Fair or not, I established that if I couldn't do this run, I wasn't going to do the marathon. I'm just running out of time here and my performance on this week's and next week's SOS workouts are very, very important in determining whether I can actually do this freaking race.
5. I wanted to quit after the first MP mile. How did I push through? I told myself, okay, you have two options:
A. One hour from now you will have completed a very difficult workout.
B. One hour from now you will no longer be marathon training.
I can endure anything for an hour, right? My mind and heart can, but I don't know if my body can. Which brings me to my last point...
6. I feel great that I made it through the workout without quitting, but the real test is tomorrow. Is my PF going to come back? What about the PIMA? How is my knee going to feel? If I wake up tomorrow and feel like I got hit by a train, I'll have some thinking to do...
Have you ever given up on a race halfway through the training plan?
I hope you wake up today feeling great! I couldn't imagine doing that workout on a treadmill, especially in that heat! Yesterday was brutal so Im sure it would have been rough anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa. :) I feel pretty good, about to go run and that will be interesting as it is sooooo hot out again! Oh well, that's what I get for sleeping in. :)
DeleteWay to hang in there and get 'er done! Impressive. Have I told you that you are a bad ass?!? Sadly, I don't do hard workouts so I don't often have to dig deep. Sometimes runs feel more difficult and the heat/humidity is what gets me the most. Luckily, those are the times I am running in Mexico and I am only doing 2-3 miles so I make it happen. But what I am really keeping my fingers crossed for is that your foot, your booty and your knee all are OK with what went down yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! I feel pretty good today, but I haven't run yet! :)
DeleteMarathon training in the summer is tough! This summer feels especially brutal. I guess that's the silver lining to being injured for me, right?
ReplyDeleteIt sucks you have to find a silver lining, but yes, this heat wave is a good time to take a break if ya have to take a break!
DeleteI think all of us have had that feeling during training of "how am I gonna get through this (insert race distance here) thought! The good thing for you is that you know that you are ABLE to do a marathon because you've done it several times before. And you know regardless of how you feel physically or mentally, you will "get through it". But I know your goal is not to "just get through it" but to possible PR or BQ. So in that case if you feel you training is lacking and you don't see either of those things in your future than I don't blame you for not wanting to run another marathon to "just get through it" and collect another medal. But then again, even if your not "feeling it" you could run it any way and see how you do. You might surprise yourself! I obviously think you should still run the race cus you are awesome and I know you will do great no mater what. You're a fighter. You've got this Megan!
ReplyDeleteOK, sorry for the book!
Aw thank you so much. You make so many good points. I love my big goal and not sure I want to put my body through the pounding of training and running the race just to do another marathon. I am just not sure what I want right now. I'm not even sure I'm HAPPY right now. Actually, if I'm not sure whether I'm happy or not, it probably means I'm not happy. :)
DeleteYou make a valid point. When we have to question if something makes us happy, it probably doesn't. Cus if it did, we would never stop and question our selves. Marathon training is no joke and definitely takes a toll on your body regardless of how well you train. Did you already register for the race? If so, is there another distance you can do instead?
DeleteI did already register. I forget if there are other distances. Not ready to think about that yet.
DeleteThe first mile of a treadmill workout is always a liar. I did a 35 minute tempo on it Wednesday night at just below my goal half marathon pace (My half isn't until November). The first 10 minutes after the warmup was so hard but I ended up pushing it from 30 to 35 because I felt good at the end. It is hard on the treadmill because you're not going anywhere but you're running! Also I try to position myself just under the huge fan at our Planet Fitness which helps big time and I watch TV while I run, that helps too.
ReplyDeleteI personally think you will do a great job in the marathon. Your training has not been perfect but you are taking it seriously and doing it even if you have to modify. If you don't want to train for it, though, don't. Life is too short to train for and run something your heart isn't in.
Exactly! I am not sure my heart is in it. The goal just seems too big. I wonder if others get this way halfway through training? I mean I can't believe I am halfway through. I feel worse than I did when I started. :(
DeleteI wouldn't say I gave up on a race, but I started training for one way too soon and got burnt out. I had to take a break from all the training, and I was so happy when that race was done.
ReplyDeleteWell I am glad you made it through that race!
DeleteOne mile at a time. I just tell myself one more mile...
ReplyDeleteOoh girl I did that yesterday too!
DeleteGreat job pushing through! I've never quit a plan halfway through, but I have changed my goals and even dropped distances!
ReplyDeleteYah those are two things I may think about!
DeleteI sometimes wonder if gyms don't keep it colder because maybe blasting AC on working muscles isn't good for you or something? I'm probably making this up but I feel like cold air + hot muscles = cramps haha!
ReplyDeleteI love that you got yourself through that hard run. It reminds me of when I did my 20 miler before A1A...I told myself, "if you skip this run, you're definitely not doing the full. That's it. It's over. If you do the run, you can still choose to do the full if you want." Sometimes you just have to remind yourself that you mean business and that there IS a make-it-or-break-it point!
YES!!! I can totally understand how telling yourself that motivated you to just freaking get it done. The whole "an hour from now" thing was very compelling to me as well!
DeleteYeah the heat was ridic yesterday. Not sure what was going on. I didn't ask. Well there are 3 hard for me workouts a week and the rest are easy peasy. Today was easy peasy and knee and feet felt great thank goodness. I have a PIMA but I think it will go away.
ReplyDeleteStuffing your face with turkey sausage is an obvious choice for a Friday. I hope you were wearing your laciest undies.
ReplyDeleteMy butt itched just thinking about lacy undies! :)
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