Hi there! I’m back! I have to say after a few days off of blogging it has really helped me to get my things back in order. I’ve caught up on a lot of necessary work! I think this 3-4 posts per week is going to be good for me!
I really enjoy my weekly recap posts mostly because they allow me to really look back at my week and evaluate my training. Before we get started, here is a run down of week 7 of my Hanson’s Marathon Method training:
Monday (9/1)
6 miles easy
Tuesday (9/2)
1.5 mile warm up
3 x 1600 (6:58 pace)
1.5 mile cool down
7 miles total
Wednesday (9/3)
6 miles easy
Thursday (9/4)
1 mile warm up
8 mile tempo run
1 mile cool down
10 miles total
Friday (9/5)
Rest day
Saturday (9/6)
11 miles easy
Sunday (9/7)
10 miles easy
The difference between last week’s training and this week is night and day. My body felt so much better and I was able to relax so much more. I guess it goes to prove that some weeks just aren’t your week.
Saturday’s longer run was a bit different this week. Wes was on call at the hospital starting at 8:00 AM and had to be there for rounds. He had set his alarm for 5:00 AM and once it went off I decided I might as well just get up and make it happen!
The first couple miles were slow to help get my legs woken up. After I got into it I stayed on the roads pretty close to our house until the sun came up. It was really relaxing running as the sun was rising. My training plan called for anywhere from a 9:01 – 9:40 pace depending on how I felt.
I ended up averaging a 9:09. Early morning running is always tricky with pacing. I can’t seem to “feel” the pace as easily, but it worked out perfectly!
Compared to two weeks ago when I went out for practically the same run and completely died, this one was so much better! Plus, I ran it with no music since it was early and it made it so much easier to relax! I am so glad to feel like my old self again.
Best Run
This week my best run was actually the run that I thought would be the worst. I’ve mentioned before how often I stress about my tempo runs. The week before my 8 mile tempo had been hard, really hard.
I felt off the whole time and I just wasn’t mentally into it. That had set me up to really stress about doing another 8 mile tempo.
This week I said “no more treadmill” for tempo and headed outside early to run the tempo on a road that is about .60 miles from our house. It allows me to get in a 1 mile warm up and then start the tempo.
This tempo run couldn’t have gone any better! After a mile I got into a rhythm and could really feel the pace as I was running. 8 miles and I averaged at 7:59! Perfect pacing and a great confidence boost!
Tempo runs are scary, sometimes difficult, but when you hit it they give you a huge boost of confidence.
Toughest Run
I have to say this week there really wasn’t a HARD run. I ran pretty much every run first thing in the morning and aside from the first mile that takes a while to get into, they each went well. I didn’t ever feel like I was completely drained when I finished it.
That has to do somewhat with the fact that my mileage stepped back. I think it allowed me a little more recovery.
There aren’t many weeks where every run goes well, so I will be thankful! I needed a week like this after a couple tough weeks.
How Am I Feeling?
This is a tough question that probably could be answered a million different ways depending on the day or week you ask me. I’ll be doing a post soon on my marathon selection, but as of right now I am feeling happy with my progress.
As you may remember from my goals, I would love a BQ but my primary goal is a PR and that I feel very confident that I can make happen. It will all end up coming down to how I feel the day of. That’s something thats fun and terrifying about marathons. They are always so up in the air no matter how prepared you are.
I take it one day a time and do my best to prepare and get my body to where it needs to be. The rest is up to the marathon gods I guess! Ha!
Tell me, how are you feeling?
How is your training going?
It sounds like your paces are right on target! I am 3 weeks into my training and there are definitely ups and downs. And while my body has been doing the runs that I need it to do, my mind is still doubting what I am capable of. Its frustrating and I am still working to build more confidence! But like you said, so much about the marathon is based on what happens that day!
I can totally relate Lisa! I think that is the problem on my longer runs. This is the first training plan that I actually have to push my longer runs a little quicker, and I am used to relaxing and going slow. I think I mentally defeat myself before I even get out there sometimes. I am really trying to get better at that!
Glad you had a good week of training! It sounds like getting a good balance and recovery has made a big difference.
Due to the continued extreme heat and humidity of north Texas last week, all my runs were early morning except for my Tuesday speed work. This is normally fine, but running the Thursday tempo in the dark was just difficult (again) to get my speed up and pacing correctly. After struggling the first couple of miles, I just stopped trying to hit my pace and ran by feel. It was slower than it should have been, but it helped to make the run more enjoyable.
-Run with joy!
I can totally relate Greg! This was at the first week I did my tempo run early outside and it took me a while to get my pace moving. I eventually got into the swing of things, but it was hard in the beginning. It looks like I will be doing most of my runs really early in the morning again this week, so we will see how that goes! I am trying to do more outside, but it has been difficult because it’s so dark and I am a wimp when it comes to it. It helps when my husband is out there as well on some mornings!
Hope you have a great week of training coming up! 🙂
You’ve got a tough training plan and it looks like you’re nailing it!
My training is going well too. I have a much lower mileage plan than you but what I lack in miles I make up for in endurance training. I didn’t know how it would all work out, but I’ve been really happy with my results so far. Today I ran 14 and even tho I didn’t feel great, I had negative splits and an average pace of 9:17. It’s a little faster than my goal marathon pace but I’ll take it!
Negative splits are GREAT! Good job on your 14 miles! I have 16 coming up next weekend and that will be my longest so far. It makes me nervous but I am determined to have a good long run this week. It probably doesn’t help that the training leading up to it is pretty tough. Hopefully my body will recover properly!
Sarah what safety precautions do you take when running in the dark?
Hey Heidi! I’ve struggled with this a lot because no matter how many times I do it I am always on very high alert running so early in the morning. Here are a few things I try to do:
1. I never run with music in the early hours of the morning. I always make sure I completely know what is going on around me.
2. Whenever possible my husband is out there at the same time, so he is at least nearby. Sometimes he can’t be and I will still go out or I will opt for the treadmill.
3. I always stick to lit areas. We have a road near our house that is completely lit because it has a 24 hour operating plant on it. I will run 8-10 miles on it just back and forth because it was lit. I also drive around and find other lit areas.
4. I never go TOO far from home. This is more just a mental comfort than anything else.
5. I always run facing towards traffic so that I know that if they can’t see me I can still see them!
6. I always try to wear reflective clothing or brighter colors.
Those are the main things I do to run in the dark. Hope that helps! If you have any other questions feel free to email me! 🙂
To add to this list, I would also suggest wearing a light, or two. I recently bought 2 arm bands (by Light Beams) that help your visibility while running on the roads in the dark. Part of my morning route takes me on a river trail that also has people riding bikes. In the past two weeks the lights have saved me twice from collisions with cyclists without any lights. I also carry a hand light to help with tripping on uneven roads 🙁
Thanks Greg 🙂 Great suggestions!
Great week!
Thanks Matt!
Glad the new posting schedule is working out well for you! Cute pink sneakers. 🙂