Marathon Training Weeks 13 and 14

Before I post my training logs from the past 2 weeks, I will include a quote from an article that someone sent me: 

"A study published in the current edition of Missouri Medicine found that 50 men who had run at least one marathon a year for 25 years had higher levels of coronary-artery plaque than a control group of sedentary men. A British Medical Journal study published this year compared the carotid arteries of 42 Boston Marathon qualifiers with their much-less active spouses. "We hypothesized that the runners would have a more favorable atherosclerotic risk profile," says the article. As it turned out, that hypothesis was wrong.

A small body of research suggests that heart problems may arise not in spite of extreme-endurance exercise but because of it. That has led some cardiologists to theorize that, beyond a certain point, exercise stops preventing and starts causing heart disease."
 This quote came from an article published in the Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579461381883678174

Faced with this evidence and the fact that I am  already registered for marathons numbers 8 and 9, I had to consider if what I am doing will end up causing me permanent harm. The research seems to imply that I am putting myself at an increased risk for health issues; so why would I continue to run? I have always known that running doesn't give me a free pass to eat and drink whatever I want. I admit that I will reward myself on occasion after long runs with fast food and beer, but usually I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, meat, and grains (fuel for workouts) to help me recover and stay healthy. I could reflect on the question of should I continue running for a long time but it really boils down to one simple fact: I love running and how I feel while running. Running has given me a new outlook on life and has helped me to meet many awesome people that I would never have otherwise if I didn't run. I run when I am happy, I run when I am stressed, I run when I want some company, and I run when I need to escape. If I wasn't able to run, my life would not be what it is. There is one of those cliched sayings about how It isn't about the years of your life but the life in your years. I may not run as many marathons as I get older, but running has provided me many life experiences both good and bad, and I don't regret any of them even the bad ones.

Okay enough pontificating. Here are the last 2 weeks of training logs. The marathon is only 24 days away. 

Week 13

Monday – Easy Run

5 miles + Sprint workout

This was my first attempt to include some sprint training into my workouts. I completed the sprints on the artificial turf inside the track and discovered that my sprinting is not very good. I was tired after only 3 50 yard sprints with some pushups and squats included between each sprint. My blister felt a little sore on the track but okay on the grass and my knee isn't hurting as long as I wear the compression sleeve. 

Total Distance - 5.25 miles

Tuesday – Interval Workout

3x2 mile with 800 recovery

This was a challenging workout at the track but overall it went well. My 2 mile splits were all relatively close and for all 3 I kept relatively even splits between the first and second miles. The interval times were 13:20, 13:29, and 13:26. I think a rest day will be much needed tomorrow.

Total Distance - 8 miles

Wednesday
Rest day - HOORAY

Thursday – Tempo Run

9 miles at 7:48 pace

 This workout was at the Y on a treadmill. I've found it helps me to lock in the pace and keep it consistent during these long tempo runs. The run wasn't too strenuous but I definitely felt fatigued towards the end of the run. I've decided to swap out 1 of my easy runs each week with a cross training session. Let's see how tomorrow goes. 

Total Distance - 10 miles

 

Friday – Cross Training and Back Day

2 miles elliptical plus 6 miles on the bike

I spent time at the gym and got in a nice workout. The stationary bike is boring but I was able to bike without my knee sleeve and it was nice to get in some recovery time. Tomorrow's going to be a long run kind of day.

Saturday – Long Run

17.5 miles 

I completed this run in in 2:41:20 which is about a 9 minute per mile pace. It was hot and my toe got another blister. My left shin splints also made a return but hopefully that won't be a lingering issue. It was a good week of training and my 2nd 16+ mile run went much better than the first one at Croft.

Total Distance 17.5 miles

Sunday – Rest day

Blisters and shin splints

Total Running Distance 40.25

Notes- Take care of blisters and double layer my socks for certain pairs of shoes in the future. I also need to evaluate if the running shoes I plan to wear for the marathon will actually work since my feet were pretty torn up at only 16 miles.

Week 14 Training Log

Monday – Easy Run + Sprints

2 miles at the track plus 4x60 yard sprints with some extra exercises in between each sprint.

This workout wasn't nearly as tough with the sprints but I had to stop due to darkness and the track closing.

Total distance – 2.5 miles  

Tuesday – Cross Training

11 mile bike ride in about 36 minutes.

Today became my cross training day because of the nasty blister that hasn't quite healed yet. The bike was not awful and it fit in perfectly with the time I had to exercise today. 

 

Wednesday Interval Run

2x3 mile with intervals of 20:22, 20:38

The goal workout was 3 mile intervals with a mile jog in between. I was only able to run about 3 laps of recovery due to the incoming night and the track closing when the sun goes down. Each interval was pretty steady but the last 2 miles of the 2nd interval were getting slower each lap. I ran the 1st interval too fast. Live and learn I guess.

Total – 8.5 miles

Thursday – Rest Day

There was a graduation and plenty to do at work so today became my rest day for the week. Too bad since it was cooler than the weekend is supposed to be.

 

Friday – Tempo Run 9 miles at 7:53 pace or faster

This workout was tough but easier than the 9 miles completed last week. I kept the incline at 1.5% or higher for the entire workout since I've been told the marathon route has some rolling hills. I used a different pair of shoes and the blister isn't bothering me quite so much. The shin splints in my left leg are definitely getting worse though. 

 Total distance - 10 miles

Saturday – Easy Run 

Just an easy out and back twice at the rail trail. The goal was just to get the legs moving and some soreness out before the long run tomorrow. Mission accomplished.

Total Distance - 7.6 miles

Sunday – Long Run 

I ran a 3.1 mile loop around Duncan Park 3 times with an extra mile at the beginning and end. It is a good simulation of the marathon course with practice uphills and downhills. I used a different pair of shoes and they worked great. Overall I feel great and my shin splints seem to be better despite running almost 28 miles the past 3 days. 

Total Distance -11 miles in 1:37:39 or about 8:45 pace

Total Running Distance - 39.6 miles.

Notes - Next week is my last long run and I will attempt to keep the pace between 8 and 8:15 per mile to keep myself close to goal pace and really get that pace ingrained in my head.

 If you can't run, jog, if you can't jog, walk. If you can't walk, crawl or bike; just get moving.

Week 12

Before I begin this entry, I wanted to say that many people probably read this and assume I am bragging about my running and showing off what I do each week. I wanted to say that my reasons for this blog are not meant to be that superficial (hopefully). First, my motivation to run every day isn’t always high, especially during marathon training, and updating this blog with accurate accounts of my runs helps me continue to follow the training plan by keeping me accountable to my friends and family. Secondly this blog allows me time to reflect on my running and have a better view of my progress. I can’t make goals and expect to meet them if the data doesn’t support them. I want to thank anyone who reads and follows my blog because you help me to remain motivated. Now on to the review from Week 12.

Monday – Recovery Day

I am still recovering from the long run on Saturday that went longer than planned. I hope to run tomorrow but I won’t force a run if I am not feeling up to it.

Tuesday – Rest day

Maybe tomorrow

Wednesday – AM Easy Run, PM Interval Workout

AM – 4 miles easy on the treadmill. I felt good when I woke up and decided to go for a morning easy run before the scheduled track workout after work. The run was at a nice pace and I was able to watch some Fraggle Rock during the run.

PM – I ran 4 1.5 mile intervals with an 800 recovery jog in between each interval. Times for the intervals were 10:22, 10:24, 10:34, and 10:19. Total distance 8.75 miles including warm-up and cool down. This run didn’t quite go as planned due to darkness and I wasn’t able to cool down as much as I should have. I also felt some tenderness on the top of my left foot. I think my shoe was too tight during the run.

Total Mileage 12.75 miles

Thursday – Easy run

2.25 miles barefoot due to tendonitis on the top of my foot at a local track. I hope it is tendonitis and not a stress fracture since I could barely handle wearing a shoe during the day. I also developed a nice sized blister on my right foot during the run. Hopefully my feet will heal up and I will be able to get back to full strength soon.

Total Mileage 2.25 miles

Friday – Tempo run

9 miles at 7:53 pace or faster at the Y. I completed this workout on the treadmill and maintained an incline of 1.5 or higher during the run. I had to adjust my shoes so I could avoid the sore spot on my left foot and it seemed to work well enough to allow me to run. As a bonus my heart rate never got above 160 during the run whereas about a month ago it was closer to 175 during the tempo workouts.   

Total mileage 10.5 miles

Saturday – Long Run

Today was a planned 5k race day and then I figured I would complete some more easy miles at the Rail Trail afterwards. That part was planned; what wasn’t planned was the blister on my foot popping midway through the 5k and then running even farther on it after the race. I finished the race in 21:18 and in 7^th place overall. My minutes per mile pace was about 6:58. It is about 2 minutes slower than my 5k PB but much better than my last few attempts at the distance. The course was very rolling and the last mile was mostly uphill. After that I enjoyed some post-race food and then drove to the rail trail for more miles. That decision wasn’t one of my better decisions even though I finished a little more than 6 miles at about a 9:20 pace. My feet were both hurting after this workout but the rest of me felt fine.

 Total mileage 9.5 miles

Sunday – Cross Training

3 miles on elliptical, 3 miles on stationary bike in 8:58

Took the day due to blister on my toe and lingering top of foot pain. I figured more running today wouldn’t really help my feet to get better so I got a nice workout in without any more pounding on my feet. The plan is to get back on track Monday and begin incorporating some alternative workouts to just running.

Total Weekly Running Mileage – 35 miles

Total Mileage – 41 miles including time on the bike and elliptical

Goals for next week – Aside from running regularly, I want to cross train at least 2x per week, include at least 1 sprint workout, and 1 plyometric workout. I hope to keep those going up until the taper for the marathon begins. Next week’s goal mileage is hopefully going to be in the 45-50 mile range again.
Countdown to Marathon – 41 days

Lastly, run, jog, walk, swim, bike, whatever just get out and get moving especially at this time of year but make sure to stay hydrated.

A picture of me running in a group during the April Half Marathon I finished.

Week 11

Here is my training log for week 11/18 of my marathon training program. My goal is to finish as close to 3 hours 30 minutes as possible and break my previous best time of 3 hours 51 minutes.

Monday - Interval Workout 6x1 mile intervals with a 400 jog in between.
Total Distance - 9 miles
The times for the miles were as follows 7:05, 6:53, 6:47, 6:55, 6:53, 6:48. 5 of the miles were run at the local track and the last mile was completed on the treadmill because the track closed. I also ran a 1 mile warm up and walked a half mile to cool down. The first mile was slow and I struggled to find my pace consistently during the 4 laps. The remaining miles were tough and all were run in either lanes 4 or 5 on the track so some may have actually been a little faster than the time shown for a 1600. It was humid and after I was finished there were several people who asked me how far I was planning to run. The track at the high school is great for running.

Tuesday - Scheduled rest day

Wednesday - Unscheduled rest day 
I didn't run today due to fatigue and some foot issues in my left foot. It feels like pressure whenever I run so I made sure to ice it twice and decided to go ahead with the planned tempo run tomorrow

Thursday - Tempo run 8 miles at 7:53 pace or faster
Total Distance - 9.25 miles
This run was definitely tough but I managed to keep the correct pace. I had to take a brief break between miles 7 and 8 to fix my shoe, but I finished well. The run was tiring but it felt good to hold a sub-8 pace for 9 miles. 2 months ago I ran  a 51 minute 10k race and today I kept a pace faster than that for a workout. 

Friday - Easy run 5 miles
Total Distance - 5 miles
I finished this run at a local rail trail. The run went well and I feel good in preparation of my first long run of more than 13 miles in more than a year tomorrow. All injuries feel okay and I am glad I took that extra day of rest.

Saturday - Long run 16 miles (goal)
Total Distance - ??? maybe 18 miles
I decided to complete my first long run of the training cycle at Croft State Park. I've run there a lot in the past and have spent many hours trail running, so I thought I knew the mileage around the park. As I entered hour 3 of the run, I realized that I had misjudged how long my run was. I had run farther than planned and was still 2-3 miles from the car. I also used different socks and finished with 2 amazingly tender blisters on the big toes of both feet. I finished the run in about 3 hours and 31 minutes. My quads were definitely sore from the downhills and I need to work more on downhills before the marathon. I am most likely not running tomorrow because of the extra miles run today. 

Weekly Distance and Reflection - 41.25 miles
This week went well despite misjudging the distance in Croft and earning 2 blisters on my feet. I handled the long run pretty well but I forgot to take some food with me and ended up running without anything but water. I also ended up running out of water with about 2 miles to go so that kind of was horrible too. I want to try this run again and see how it goes again before the marathon like a fitness test. The other runs went well and next week I up the tempo run to 9 miles but step back with a long run of only 10 miles. The goal mileage for the week will be about 50 and I will see how my legs feel. Right now my lower left leg is very tender on a spot just above my shin and I want to make sure it isn't anything too serious. 

It's summer so get out there and run, walk, bike, whatever you choose but get moving.

Going Dopey

Why do I run? It is a question I am asked often but more often I get why do I want to run and complete multiple marathons.  People tell me that running a marathon is something on their bucket list or something they want to complete one time at some point. I usually give some sort of answer about how running allows me to relieve stress from work or running is a great time to work out my problems, or even that I like being able to eat whatever I want because I just burned 2000 calories during my long run that morning. These answers usually seem to be enough for most people and they leave it alone. The truth though if I really think about it, is that running is my escape. I run to escape from life, stress, and that list goes on and on. I’ve run to get time alone. I’ve used running as an excuse to avoid or be late situations that make me uncomfortable (those of you who know me know how extensive that list is). I’ve also run just to get out the door and go with no one telling me how far or how long I will run for. Running grants me freedom and a release from the many constant thoughts and ideas rolling around in my head. Running literally helps me to find a peace of mind because I am only able to think about 1 thing at a time when I run. I first ran a marathon because a friend and I decided to run one together. All of the marathons that have followed have been because the longer I run and the more I train, the more time I am able to escape from myself. 

I recently registered for the Dopey Challenge in January of 2015. The challenge includes running a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon on consecutive days. I’ve always loved to test my limits running and see if I can get through something so daunting in relatively good health. I also saw it as a chance to continue having an excuse to give other people for why I am running so much. It will be a great feeling to accomplish running all of those races especially if I stay healthy, but even more importantly; it will give me my escape. I apologize that these paragraphs are most likely filled with grammatical errors, poor sentence structure, and repetitive word usage but I wrote this down exactly as it appeared in my head and those thoughts weren’t exactly linear. I can’t say if running will always be that release for me but for as long as it is; if I am with you and mention I need to go for a run. It may be because I am working through a training program, but more likely it is because I need time to be get a break. The training results of last week and the reflection will be posted later this evening.