Week 10 Review

This week was much better than last. I took my weekday runs a bit easier and wasn't quite as sore as last time. I had the last of my 3 mile runs on Tuesday for awhile, so I definitely enjoyed a bit of a rest before pushing into September.

I also took an extra rest day on Saturday and did my 15 miles on Sunday morning. That run was largely uneventful. I ended up running around the Spanish Fort shopping center since Haley needed to study and Starbucks was open at 6:30 when I started. It was a nice run that didn't get too hot as the sun came up, so I was pleased. I probably won't repeat this run since there aren't many safe running roads once you get away from the shopping center, but it wasn't too bad for a single run.

Next week will have me pushing into September, the hardest month of training. I won't get much of a break until it's time to taper in early October before the race.

Thanks for reading!

Nick

Week 9 Review

This was a rest week fail. I was feeling good about running on Wednesday, so I slightly increased my pace over what I usually run. I finished the 7 miles in 1:17:49, which was one of my quicker paces at that distance. I felt fine after the run, but when coupled with my first Thursday 4 miler the next day I was more sore than usual.

On Saturday, I finished my most intense run yet in training. It was only a 10 mile run, but I did it on a hilly road; I'm accustomed to running on level ground. It was much harder than my longer runs the past two weekends. I remained sore until Tuesday, so just when I finally recovered I had to start running again.

I learned a lot from that run, though, and I'm glad I ran hills on a relatively short 10 miler. I found out that running up a steep hill for only a mile or so can take some time to recover from; it really seems to undermine the next few miles. Since the marathon will include two bridges, my race strategy will be to walk to the top and resume running on the downhill side. I think I can make up the time spent walking with fresher legs. 

I'm past the halfway point in training now with only 9 weeks to go! I'm planning to back off the pace a little on my weekday runs this week so as to recover a little more in preparation for 15 miles this coming weekend. I'm starting to flirt with hitting my wall, so it'll be interesting to see what it's like and what I should do to prepare for the race.

Thanks for reading!

Nick

Week 8 Review

My weekday runs were typical treadmill runs. It occurs to me that it's a good sign that I don't have much to say one way or the other about these runs. That tells me that it's now a routine to run during the week. It's just what I do now; I don't sit around thinking up excuses not to run, nor do I need to find new ways to motivate me to put in the miles.

Of course all this running comes at the expense of TV time. By the time I get done with running, dinner, and playing with the dogs, I don't have any time for watching the tube. I'd say it's a worthy tradeoff though. I don't miss it one bit. Of course football season will be different, but if I get my run in before noon I can have it all!

I ran my 13.1 mile long run in PSJ with my sister and her husband. It was our first half marathon, so we were all excited about it. We hit the road on Saturday afternoon, which made for a tough start. The heat was tough on everyone and we all ran slower than usual, finishing in a tick over 3 hours. Despite the difficult running conditions, though, I enjoyed running with them very much and am looking forward to our next long run together.

I'm looking forward to a rest week ahead and the halfway point of marathon training. Only 10 more weeks to go until the big day!

Thanks for reading!

Nick

Week 7 Review

Things started to settle down a little this week. My weekday runs were once again on the treadmill and once again uneventful. The mileage is starting to inch up, though; Wednesday's run was 6 miles. So far I'm having no issues with working these runs into my lifestyle. A 30-60 minute run after work just isn't a big deal anymore.

Saturday's run was my first long run on pavement since I injured myself back in Week 2, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I left the house bright and early to drive to Fairhope, AL, and was laced up and on the road by a little after 6:30. The run took around 2:27:00, so I was slower than I usually run but at least I wasn't too far off my usual pace.

It was nice to see some changing scenery and be around other people working out. There were tons of runners out that morning, and pretty much everyone waved at me. Fairhope has to be one of the friendliest towns I've been to.

I also saw some cyclists leaving about the same time I did, and they returned a few minutes after I finished my run. I figure they must've gone at least 40-50 miles in that time. My goal for next season is to get a road bike and work up to that level of fitness. Cycling just looks plain fun, plus you can see a lot more scenery than runners do.

Thanks for reading!

Nick

Week 6 Review

This was another busy week chock full of treadmill runs, but at least it was a rest week. The weekday runs were largely uneventful again, and at 7 miles my weekend long run isn't much to talk about either.

This was my last week with a sub-10 mile long run and sub-20 mile week for awhile, so I made the most of the down time. I've got a big push ahead with a 12 mile long run this weekend, and a half marathon the following weekend, so I don't want to burn out too early. Play time is over, though; training will have to be a lot more serious going forward.

Thanks for reading.

Nick

Week 5 Review

This was a busy week for me personally, so the only time I could fit runs in was on the treadmill. I also took them slow and easy so as not to risk injury. Training is starting to get intense, so now's not a good time to combine high mileage with high intensity. This is the first time I've had a double-digit long run, and the first 20+ mile week, so easy does it this time.

My weekday runs were straightforward once again. I'm getting comfortable at the 3 to 5 mile distance, so there's truly not much to say about it. If I wasn't training for a marathon I'd start doing some speedwork and interval training to improve my times, but that's a project for another day. Right now I'm just churning out miles.

That said, for the first time I ran before work on Wednesday and Thursday. It was tough to wake up so early and hit the treadmill, but I felt better for the rest of the day afterwards. I'll definitely have to start doing that more often; a morning run is really energizing to me.

I skipped the cross training on Saturday. My family was in town to visit and we went to see Haley perform in a musical, so I just didn't make training a priority. I ran my 10 miles on Sunday morning once everyone left. I ended up taking a brief walking break at around mile 7.5, but I finished my miles which is what counts. I won't always be able to finish the long runs without taking a walking break, so I'm not losing sleep over it.

The week ahead is a rest week, so I'm looking forward to the lower running volume.

Thanks for reading!

Nick

Week 4 Review

Sorry for the late post. Last week was busy around here.

At any rate, my weekday runs were fairly uneventful. Tuesday and Wednesday were treadmill run nights. I took it fairly easy since I'm still coming off an injury and didn't want to put myself even further behind.

I had some errands to do in Mobile on Thursday after work, so I decided to run my 3 miles at a local park. This was the first time I started to push the pace a little. I took the first mile at an easy pace, then kicked it up a little for the second mile and hit it hard the last mile. At 31:59 it's nothing to brag about, but I'm starting to feel better about my Achilles.

Saturday was an easy cross training day for me since I wanted to spend as much time with Haley as I could; I walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill. My long run was on Sunday; I ran my 9 miles in 1:42:14. I hit a groove and just cruised for 8.5 miles.

The last half mile was rough, though. It felt like my legs gained 20 pounds in a matter of seconds. I pushed through and kept my pace, but I can tell this is going to be a tough wall to break through in the future.

Thanks for reading!

Nick