I’m finally starting to feel like I’m training for a marathon, both mentally and physically. I ran on some darn tired legs this week and got some major mental training in with a very cold and snowy 15 miler. I can see glimpses of my “old self” (pre stress fracture) when a 40 mile week was the baseline and I could easily tolerate a double digit run with tempo miles thrown in. I’m still a ways away from the training volume and intensity that I hit when training for my marathon last year, but I’m working my way back to that point with each mile. Rather than comparing then vs. now, I’ve tried to focus on my present training only, and seeing each mile as a deposit in the “bank”. With every mile and workout, I’m adding to the stash. And however much I save, it will be ENOUGH when it comes time to cash out and race Boston like a boss.
Monday – 9 miles (8:25 avg) – Tried a modified version of Chamomile’s 10/2 workout on the treadmill. (It was -8 degrees, so I was thankful for the treadmill.) Since I’m still cautiously building speed back into my workouts , I haven’t done any true lactate threshold work yet. Right now, tempo means marathon goal pace or a few seconds faster. But that will change in the next few weeks (I hope!). In the meantime, this workout was a good one. Very doable and didn’t feel worn out at the end. 1 x 10 minutes @ 8:00 , 1 x 10 minutes @ 7:53 , 1 x 10 minutes @ 7:47, 1×5 minutes @ 7:35, 2 minute walk break in between each interval.
Tuesday – 6.5 miles (9:10 avg) – Warmed up to 2 degrees, so I bundled up and ran outside. The new shoes were SO much better at keeping me from slipping. Definitely glad I upgraded those. Had a PT appointment after the run and ran an extra 1/2 mile for the gait analysis, so I tacked it on to the 6 miles I’d just done outside. He gave me a bunch of exercises to do, and has some ideas about how to help me make my gait more efficient as well as get my glutes to start firing correctly again.
Wednesday – Yoga – Wasn’t able to get to the gym so did my Yoga for Runners video and all my new PT exercises and stretches. Flat out physically exhausted (very poor/ little sleep last night, limited night prior) and couldn’t seem to shake it off, even with yoga. This was a good day to be off from any running. My body needed a break.
Thursday – 6 miles (8:39 avg) – Tried to focus on the things my PT told me to when running easy, but it was HARD! Focusing when running really takes it out of me. I’d much rather zone with bad form! But I’ll keep working at it. Followed up the run with 30 minutes of strength training, including all the new PT exercises. Thursday night went out for a “double” with my son on the skate skiing trails. I tried to keep up with him going up the hills and I found myself sweating in 15 degree weather. Nordic skiing is hard work! I only lasted 30 minutes before I needed to call it for the night. I was already sore and knew that I had a tough long run the next day.
Friday – 15 miles (9:40 avg) – This was a tough but triumphant run! I knew it was going to be slower than normal as we had 2-3 inches of fresh snow on the trail and it was only 8 degrees. From the beginning, I told myself not to worry about pace and to focus on how this was all about building strength and endurance. I started out on really sore legs, as my glutes were super sore (DOMS) from the work I’d done in PT. My quads were also pretty sore from the exercises I’d been given (single leg wall squats). But running on tired legs in snow is great training in toughness and endurance for a marathon! For much of the run there was a fat tire track on the trail, so I used that as my guide to try to narrow my stance and bring my feet closer together during the run. This wasn’t a confidence builder like last week’s run at the track….but it definitely built some toughness, and I know I had to work way harder than last week to get it done, even if the pace was much slower.
Saturday – off
Sunday – 9 miles (8:45 avg) – Bleh. I woke up not feeling it, and knew whether I ran outside or inside, this was going to be a tough one mentally. Opted for a boring, not-feeling-it treadmill run rather than a freeze my fingers off in sub-zero temps run. I did it because it was what the plan told me to do, but I just slogged through it.
Total – 45.5 miles, 30 minutes weights, 1 hour yoga, 30 minutes skiing
Posted by Basil. Check out more at Salty Running.