Via Marathon Training: Week 8

Wow, it is so much more fun to write this training log when I actually feel like I trained! That being said, I don't feel prepared at ALL to run a marathon. Luckily I have 10 weeks left. But still. It sounds so soon. And I'm not even in shape to PR in the half at this point let alone a full.

So the goal for this week was to run around 30-35 miles without my PF coming back. I ended up with 37 and all is well in the foot area. (Knock on wood.) I shaved off some mileage here and there so I didn't have too much of a dramatic change in mileage from last week (only 23 miles) to this week.

Here is how it all panned out...

Monday- 6 miles (8:52). Paul and I had our first disc golf/running date of the summer at Middlesex Park. It was hard. The humidity was crazy, there were hills, and my knee was bothering me. My reward for just making it through the run was to cool off in the park's splash pad. This park may be my new favorite disc golf/running date location due to the splash pad! Yes, there were kids playing in it. Yes, I was the only adult cooling off. No, I didn't care.

Tuesday- Speed work: 4x1200 with 400 recoveries. A one mile warm up and cool down brought me to 6 miles total. I hadn't done speed work since Week 4. I carefully read the workouts I missed and what I was technically supposed to do today and decided I should do Week 5's workout. I shortened the warm up and cool down in my efforts to shave down my mileage for this week. What made this workout hard was having only 1/4 mile to recover! It was not enough for me to recover! My pace was to be 6:51-7:10. I was pleased that my first interval was a 7:00 (due to a hill right at the end) and the last three intervals were all 6:52. I know 7:10 would have technically been acceptable, but in my mind, it wasn't acceptable. I was running my speed work in the low 6:50s before this PF shit, and I was determined to prove I hadn't lost any fitness in the interim. I don't know if I proved I didn't lose fitness, but I did prove I could endure those paces on that day!

Wednesday- REST. Lifting chest @ Planet Fitness. I was feeling a little mopey today because I was convinced at some point my feet were going to start hurting from my speed work the day before but they didn't. I broke the rules and this was not a complete rest day, but it was rest for my legs and feet. I am not perfect. (Not that you thought I was!)

Chest Press- 1x10x25lb, 3x10x30lb!!! ***There is no reason I shouldn't be doing all of my chest presses at 30lb right now!***

Shoulder Press- 5x10x25lb

Push Ups- 5x15 ***Omg normally I do these before shoulder press and it is so much easier!***

Tricep Push Downs- 5x10x40lb ***Paul just informed me just because I was on Plate 4 doesn't mean it's 40lb. So I have no clue how many pounds it is.***

Stability Ball Knee Tuck- 5x15
Captain's Chair- 5x20
Planks- 4x30sec, 2x60sec

Hip/Glute exercises
Lots of stretching!

I wanted to try 35lb chest press and asked Paul to spot me, but I realized I would need two spotters. I don't think I would be able to lean back and get into position holding the dumbbells on my own. I think I need to lay down and then have someone hand me the dumbbells... but probably I need to be handed them both at the same time so that means two people. It's so complicated. Who wants to come to Planet Fitness with me and Paul sometime and hand me a 35lb dumbbell???

Thursday- 7 miles w/ 5 @ race pace (7:49). The workout was supposed to be 10 miles w/ 7 @ race pace, so here is another example how I am modifying the mileage for now. This is only my fifth tempo run and it is still very hard for me to find a 7:49 pace. I am all out of whack. I'll be in the 7:10s, then the 8:20s, then the 6:50s... it is not even at all. But by the end of the five miles I averaged a 7:47. I really hope I soon fall into the groove where I can just cruise in the 7:40s without looking at my watch. Also, this workout was my first run that felt EASY in a very, very long time. For instance, on Monday, trying to run 6 miles at a nine minute pace was very hard. But today, I felt GREAT! I think it helped that I got this run done early and it wasn't humid at all. Boy does that make a difference!

Friday- 6 miles (8:54). Another disc golf/running date! Paul played at a course near the apartment complex in which I used to live. I ran the exact running route I used to run every. damn. day. Oh, the memories! Oh, the hills! Yeah, the neighborhood was way more hilly than I thought! My legs were quite tired the whole run.

Saturday- 8 miles (8:56). The plan called for 10 miles but here is another example of where I shaved a couple miles off. My knee felt a little weak but my feet felt fine. Unfortunately I got my period that morning so this whole run was sucky. Any run I do on Day #1 of my period always sucks!

Sunday- 4 miles(8:15). A little too fast. I was supposed to do 10 miles but shaved some off. Part of this run I did on the road and part I did at the gym. Then I lifted upper body, did all my stretching and hip/glute stuff. I did minimal core. I was tired! Running and lifting on the same day is just not my cup of tea but I don't have much of an option right now!

Chest Press- 3x10x25lb, 2x10x30lb
Asst. Pull Ups- 3x8x16lb asst, 2x10x22lb asst.
Inverted Row- 5x10
Push Ups- 5x15
Bicycles- 5x40
Capt. Chair- 1x20
Shoulder Press- 5x10x20lb (should have done 22.5)
Cable Row- 5x50lb
Bicep Curls- 5x10x15lb
Tricep Dips- 5x15

Training Goals:

1. Rest days = complete rest! Well, since there's only one rest day and I lifted instead of rested, that's an automatic F!
2. Walk 1 min per mile run. B
3. Stretch after each run. A
4. Foam roll when needed. A
5. Glute/hip exercises 5 days per week. B
6. Stick to the prescribed paces. A
7. Practice proper hydration and fueling. Read as much as I can on the topic. F
8. Alter training if I feel potential for injury. A

How were your workouts this week?