Oh this infamous peak week is here. Ok, well it’s probably going to be the next two weeks but after a really strong week last week, I’m going into this one pretty tired.
Even when you know it’s coming it’s still not real until it gets here. The week itself doesn’t look too bad for me right now, because my miles stay pretty consistent but Saturday’s run has me wanting to run the other direction. Ha!
I have a big one on the schedule – 22 miles. I have never run 22 miles during training and since I’ve struggled with my long runs it’s easy to be intimated by the number. I am really trying to do as my husband has always said is so important for marathon training – take one day at a time.
When I began this training cycle I really imagined that with the lower miles that it wouldn’t be as difficult. I don’t know if it is because my body is adjusting but it is still just as tired as it normally is during peak week. It is always the most mentally challenging week for me because even though my body is tired, I have to keep pushing even harder. However, I know that these are the weeks that really help you when it comes to race day.
So, want to know the truth about peak week?
It’s exhausting. It’s completely normal to be exhausted by this point in the training cycle. No matter what workouts you are doing, how many miles you have planned, you can still be feeling completely drained when peak week gets here.
It’s intimidating: Ok, maybe not for some but it sure is for me. I’ve had some rough weeks with fewer miles, and it’s easy to sit here and think how the heck am I going to get through the miles. It will happen, but only one day at a time. Just like each run happens one mile at a time.
Recover. Recover. Recover. Recovery is always important during training, but when your miles and intensity increase it becomes an even bigger deal. If you don’t spend the time recovering then it is going to hurt you further down the road. Trust me when I say, it can catch up to you.
Easy means EASY. Going along with recovery, your easy days needs to be especially easy during this week if you want your body to be ready for your next workout. My easy days are much shorter, and even though I am still tempted at times to pick it up when I feel good I still make sure to keep it slow and my heart rate down.
You may say things you don’t mean. Ha! Ok, well at least I know this is true for me. During my Chicago peak week I wanted to quit so many times, but I knew I didn’t really mean it I just was tired and worn down. I’ve said a couple times I’ll be so happy when race day is here, but mostly that is just because I’m tired (and super excited!)
Diet is important. I’ve always had a problem when my mileage goes up the quality of my food goes down. During this time period it’s even more important that you are getting good and nutritious filled foods in your diet. Live a little, don’t withhold everything, but make sure you are focusing on the quality of your nutrition as well.
It’s one of these times where I just have to focus on one day at of a time and think about how amazing it will feel crossing a finish line I once thought I never could.
On a completely different note, I’ve joined SnapChat!
To be honest, I’ve had it for a little while but I was hesitant to use it. For starters, I didn’t want to be overwhelmed by another type of social media and I really didn’t understand it. Maybe it’s because I am turning 30 in a few weeks, but it took me a while to really understand. However, I finally got it together and try to post on their daily. It’s not near as formal as other types of social media, and my posts are rather random but if you want to follow along, you can find me by searing for RunningWife.
How far along are you into your training?