Training for my First Marathon: Week 14

I'M LOVING THIS TAPER SCHEDULE!!

Only 27 miles this past week... I'm spending more time planning the rest of my Nashville vacation than I am out on the pavement - and its been a looooong time since I could say something like that!

I have been focusing I have my packing list done, my race day list done, have been focusing on hydrating, had my tattoo consultation to commemorate my first marathon, and am already planning my post-marathon races.   

Thank goodness we have vacation planning and packing to think of this week, because if I was running a local race and didn't have all those other "to-do"s I think I would go bonkers with nervous excitement.

All there is left to do is run it.... and memorize the elevation chart... which looks like THIS:

One word to describe this chart... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!

It will take everything in me this Sunday to NOT over-train on the hills.  It is my last hills run and because of the pent up energy (on account of the tapering) all I want to do is pour my guts into the hills to 'prepare'.  But my mind knows better...

Pour my guts all over Nashville - not Windsor Ontario.

I still have never forgotten my dear friend Aymee's comment at the beginning of this training: "just wait till the end of the schedule when you're SO HAPPY your long run is ONLY 13 miles"!!  I thought she was nuts - but she was certainly right! 


This weekend its just a simple 10k followed by 5 miles on the hills.  I am only running one day next week and resting my legs after that.  With the race in 8 days, the last thing I want to do is wear myself out.


For the first time I feel like I'm at a loss for words... I am ready.  I am comfortable.  I am getting my race shirt (and Alison's too) printed with MARATHON ROOKIE this weekend.  All plans are set and all details ironed out.  I won't bother posting a blog next week and will instead provide you with as detailed a blog as I can the following week - chronicling my adventures during my very first full.


Thank you to EVERYONE that has emailed, facebooked, tweeted, and commented on here wishing me well.  Thanks for the feedback and the advice - I have truly taken it all in.  It will be very interesting when this is all said and done to go back and read this blog from week one - see me "scared" to run 15 miles.  Those feelings were - and always will be - valid.  Now they just seem like a lifetime ago.


After this marathon I will likely take a break from blogging for a couple of weeks but not TOO long because I have yet another challenge ahead of me... 

First thing's first though... 

Country Music Marathon

Run Rock N Roll Nasvhille 

7Days 15Hours 32Min 53Sec

Training for my First Marathon: Week 13

The week of the 20 miler...... dun dun DUNNNNN...

I had some pretty solid mid-week runs and I'm pretty sure I'm still on a runner's high so I wasn't all that concerned about running the dreaded 20-miler >> until of course Saturday morning when the day actually came!

My 4 year old woke me at a decent time - 8am-ish, and him and I had a nice breakfast and relaxed with a movie on the couch before my noon run date with my mom.  I started to feel sleepy at 10:30am and worried if my low iron would keep me from having the kind of run that I needed in order to feel confident for Nashville.


I did my best to get rest even if it wasn't sleep, and hoped that my nerves would turn into excitement and give me the boost of energy I needed to start the longest journey of my running life...


I had the whole run planned out... my mom would meet me at noonish for a 10 mile run, and as we headed out the door I would text my friend Steph who would meet us approx. 1h40min later at my house and join me for the second 10 miles.  My goal was to get 20 miles in and if I could do that with company I knew it would be SO much easier!  The weather was great. The sun was bright but the wind was chilly, which made for a gorgeous day for a run.  Mom and I did a 10mile out-n-back.  I 'gu'd at 7 miles.  When we got back, Steph was only 2 minutes away and was ready for our 2nd 10 miles! Mom stayed with us for the first bit but had to turn around as she was out of time to run.  Steph reminded me to 'gu' at 14 miles, and she also kept reminding me that I WAS DOING GREAT and if I needed to slow down or walk it was PERFECTLY OK. 


Neither one of us could believe the miles were ticking off as easily or as quickly as they did! With 2.5 miles left in the run and approx. 3 miles left to my house I felt it necessary to quickly run in to a convenience store and grab some gatorade - I knew as soon as my GPS read "20 miles" I would NEED fluid.  Steph and I each carried a bottle... I refused to stop and fill my fuelbelt bottles - I didn't want to stop for any long amount of time and seize up with such a short and critical distance to go!


Boy was it a miracle to get to 20 miles... my legs felt FANTASTIC but my arms and shoulders? DEAD from carrying a measly gatorade bottle!!! I guess after 18 miles of running my body didn't want ANY added weight or stress.


To my amazement my GPS read: 

20.0 miles in 3:33:45 >> A FREAKIN 10:41 PACE ON A TRAINING RUN!!!

And by some miracle, I wasn't that sore the next day and even made it out for a 4 mile hill training run! 
 
Between my Around the Bay race and my 20 miler man oh man do I ever feel unstoppable! I KNOW I KNOW... the race is NOT 20 miles its 26.2 and that last 6.2 is likely the hardest thing I'll ever do in life other than natural childbirth (and yes, been there done that).  And my training has been FLAT and Nashville is NOT... but I truly feel I can handle anything that course throws at me.  I will not finish first, but I WILL FINISH.  And that has been my goal all along.


And now?! TAPER TIME!! >> the gun goes off in just 16D14H1M38S!
 

Training for my First Marathon: Week 12

I'm pretty sure THIS is what a runner's high feels like.... I certainly don't remember ever having quite this feeling before.  Here I am, on week 12 of a 16 wk marathon training program and a week after my first 30k race and I'm just as excited as ever to lace up my NB860s.  I was able to log 30 miles in my post-race training week and even completed my long 18 mile run on the weekend.  I would have been happy with any tapering necessary to let my legs recover from the race, but for some reason it just wasn't necessary.

I even managed to make it to hill training the day after my 18 miler! I headed to malden park to support some dear friends that ran the Miracle 5k and 10mile race, and cheered them on before taking the hills on myself.  Although I only got 5k of hills complete before I tapped out, I was glad that I had taken the time to volunteer and cheer for my friends, because they were the inspiration I needed to complete my own workout that day.

More than looking behind and reviewing the past week of training I can't help but look ahead.  The finish line is in sight.  Our travel and post-run vacation plans have been booked, my post-race tattoo consultation has been booked, and I only see ONE MORE hurdle on my training schedule: this week's 20-miler.
 
I am working hard on my nutrition for the last 4 weeks of training... I figure any 'dead' weight I can drop before the Marathon will make those last miles that much easier.  I even bought a picnic basket and filled it with fruits and veggies and put it at my desk for the week.  I will do this every week from now until the race.  If I can keep my nutrition in check and eat whatever quantities I need (as long as its healthy) I will feel that much better about making it to 26.2.

I can't thank my friends and family enough - the support, the encouragement, the kind words - they have all made such a difference.  This once daunting 16 week schedule is almost completely checked off... and I must admit, its kinda bittersweet. 


Countdown to Nashville: 22Days 18Hours 59Minutes 23Seconds