I hope you are reading this feeling refreshed and ready to start another week- and month! Can you believe it'll be December by Friday?
It's my absolute favorite time of the year for so many reasons: time with family and friends, time away from work, gifts, colder weather, Christmas lights, peppermint mocha everything- I could keep listing things but that's another post entirely! Basically, I adore the month of December and am looking forward to another fun-filled holiday season.
Training
Tuesday- Treadmill 5k, 38:23, 12:23 overall pace
Thursday- 7.06 miles, 1:30:36, 12:50 overall pace
Friday- 16.01 miles, 3:32:01, 13:15 overall pace. Last four mile splits: 13:03/11:52/11:31/11:42
Sunday- 30 minutes on the stationary bike, light strength workout, foam-rolling, light yoga/stretching
26.17 total miles
Y'all, that 16 miler on Friday was no joke. Matthew and I ran the first 12 together and it felt like a struggle- I was over dressed, dehydrated, hungry, and just grumpy. I ran the last four by myself (after grabbing some Belvita breakfast biscuits and a bottle of water- which was incredibly helpful) and was shocked to see the paces I was able to keep. 11:31?! After running 13 miles?! Who am I?!
Though the first part absolutely sucked, the 16 miles on Friday was my best run of the week. Each run teaches you something- this one reinforced for me the importance of staying hydrated and fueled properly. I'm grateful for the crappy runs; they help me appreciate the great ones.
Bravo Moment
I hit every single workout I wanted to this week and I feel great! I have very little muscle soreness overall- even though foam-rolling yesterday was rough- and I feel like I'm getting stronger, mentally and physically, during this training cycle.
Quote of the Week
In a season full of happy distractions, it can be hard to stay focused on what you really want. What I really want is to get to the start lines of the WDW Half Marathon and WDW Marathon healthy, happy, confident, and strong. So I have to keep myself on track, laser-focused, and taking steps each day towards my goal.
In just 50 short days (fingers crossed!), I will toe the line for my third 26.2 mile race, the 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon! Though I've been detailing my progress each week on my Accountability Monday posts, I wanted to dedicate a whole post to my marathon training plan. Please note, I am not a doctor and anything written here is simply my opinion and what works for me. If you're considering training for a marathon, please consult with your physician before starting any new fitness program.
For my very first half marathon- and for every half and full marathon since- I have used Jeff Galloway's training plans. This training cycle is no different. On runDisney's website, you can find training plans for each of their races, based on fitness level and time goal. For the 2017 marathon, I chose the "Experienced Runner" plan with the goal to "Finish in the Upright Position." There is also a "Time Improvement" option but my goal for this marathon is simply to finish and have enough energy to enjoy the Disney cruise we are taking the day after the race! 😄
What I love about Galloway's training plans:
You only run three days a week.
The two mid-week runs are by time; not distance, just 30 minutes of easy effort.
Weekend long runs are spaced out with two weeks of lighter mileage in between so your body has adequate time to rest and recover.
Plan includes helpful hints about pacing, walk/run ratios, and race-day strategies.
What I don't love about Galloway's training plans:
Nada.
What I don't use in Galloway's training plans:
Magic Mile. This is a time trial designed to help you figure out what your pace will be on race day. I have never felt the need to use this tool to predict my finish times.
A sample of the week-by-week mileage as part of the runDisney/Galloway training plan.
As you may know, this training cycle has been a little wonky for me due to some injuries- tendinitis behind my left knee and unexplained pain in my left foot. Luckily, this training plan is pretty flexible and it builds slowly. There are a total of 28 weeks in the plan- more than six months of training! Because of the slow build up, missing out on a few training runs isn't as big of a deal as it might be with shorter training plans or plans that don't allow for a lot of rest between long runs.
I have probably missed 20-30% of the scheduled training runs but still feel very solid about my training. On the advice of my Physical Therapist, I scaled back the first eight weeks of the plan by cutting off a mile or two of each long run until the tendinitis cleared up and I'd worked back up to that level. I still did the twice-weekly 30 minute conditioning runs though I walked some of them during the times my tendinitis was flaring up.
In the last six weeks of training, I have not missed a long run and I'm hopeful I'll be able to get in the last two, 20+ mile long runs before the marathon. Though the 13 miler felt like absolute crap, the 15, 17, and 20 all felt pretty great.
Garmin screenshot proof of said long runs 😊
After the 13 miler, I stepped up my strength training/PT rehab routine. I added more hip and core strengthening exercises and do those two to three times a week on the days I don't run. My post-run hip pain has significantly decreased since I've added in more strength training.
Some folks add other cardio in during marathon training. I typically do not. I prefer to add things like strength training, yoga, and extra stretching to my weekly running. Since I am injury-prone and already have weak, wonky feet, I try to be good to them and only do low-impact activities when I'm not running. I could probably add swimming to this training plan but it's not something I really enjoy so I find it hard to motivate myself to actually get to a pool to train.
Looking forward to earning a Mickey medal.
Besides just the weekly mileage, there are two other key parts of my marathon training plan: fueling and sleeping! My nutrition plan for the marathon is pretty consistent with my non-marathon training diet; eat healthy, balanced meals the majority of the time. The only real difference is the last two weeks before the race. In those 14 days, I will drink an obscene amount of water; limit alcoholic drinks, and avoid fried and overly salty foods. I like to head into a race week without feeling bloated.
So far this cycle, I have actually lost weight. During Dopey Challenge training in 2013, I gained about five pounds, mainly because I used my long runs as an excuse to eat absolute junk on the weekends. Now, I try to refuel with lean protein, high fiber foods within a half hour of my long run. I also feel like I have a better idea of how much I need to eat during the long run and no longer over-fuel.
Quality sleep is also important for me during training. Both before and after long runs, I try to get as much sleep as possible, usually about eight hours pre-run. Even outside of training, sleep is really the key to healthy living for me- I make better choices when I'm well rested. The older I get, the more sleep I need! Anyone else?!
All of the above.
The last part of my marathon training plan this round is self-care. As it becomes evident that I can no longer train without some kind of setback (usually in the form of an injury), taking care of myself mentally and physically is paramount. If I need to take a short break from running because I'm not mentally into it or something is hurting, I do it. If I need to take a bubble bath and relax with a good book instead of sneaking in an extra workout, so be it. In all my years of training, I think I've gotten much better at making sure that marathon training doesn't become priority over my mental or physical health. It is a significant part of my life, yes, but not so much that it takes over and adds another source of stress in my life. Marathon training should be fun. It should be challenging. But for me, it shouldn't be stressful. Listening to my body/mind is a huge part of marathon training.
So there you have it- my current marathon training plan that will hopefully lead me to another 26.2 mile victory in January! Please feel free to leave any questions that you have in the comments below.
How do you train for long distances? Do you have any questions about training for a marathon?
Training:
Tuesday- 2.39 miles, 12:39 pace
Thursday- 3.01 miles, 10:29 pace
Saturday- 20 miles, 13:27 pace
Sunday- PT workout + strength training
Total- 25.4 miles!
Y'all- we ran TWENTY DAMN MILES this weekend! And kept up the pace we've averaged for the last few long runs; right around 13:30. And to be honest, the miles FLEW by on Saturday and we felt great- for the most part. For almost all of the run, my left foot was bothering me, kinda like my shoes were tied too tight and the front part of where my ankle meets my foot was hurting. So I readjusted my laces several times but it was still a little wonky. Sunday and today, I've had a couple of sharp pains on the top of my left foot (about an inch back from my toes) that are reminiscent of the stress fracture I had in 2014. I am hoping that I'm overreacting but have an appointment with the ortho for tomorrow morning just in case.
7 of the 20 were on this GORGEOUS trail.
Food Find:
KIND Bars + Power Crunch Bars = long run fuel magic. These bars are 7 Smart Points a piece and are great for my stomach on the long run. I ate a Power Crunch Bar at mile 8 and then ate half a KIND Bar at mile 17 this weekend. No stomach issues and they gave me the energy to finish strong.
Well-fed runners are happy runners.
Scale Victory:
Only gained 1.6 pounds in Ireland. I'm calling that a win :-) Non-Scale Victory:
Since it rained on our wedding day, Matthew and I went back to our photographer for a "wedding attire" outdoor photo shoot last month. We absolutely LOVED the outcome! Why is this a non-scale victory? Because it's taken a long time for me to look at a picture of myself and not pick it apart with all the negative things I don't like about my body. It was refreshing to look at the proofs and just feel happy that our photographer captured our love beautifully instead of worrying about how "fat" I looked.
This is one of my favorites.
Have a wonderful week, friends! And don't forget to do your civic duty tomorrow if you live in the USA: VOTE! :-)
Today is a very special day- it's Matthew's birthday! Happy birthday to the best friend, best running partner, and best husband that I could have ever possibly asked for. Enjoy your day, boo! :-)
Thanks for always making me laugh- happy birthday, love!
Ok- so here's last week in a nutshell:
Training:
Monday- PT workout
Tuesday- 30 minute run, 2.5 miles, 12:33 pace
Wednesday- PT workout
Thursday- 30 minute run, 2.58 miles, 12:23 pace
Saturday- 7 miles on the trail, 1:33:38, 13:21 pace
Sunday- PT workout and Leslie Sanzone's "Walk Away the Pounds" 60 minute 4 mile walk
This week marked the first "long" run of this marathon training cycle. Technically, it should have been nine miles but since I'm still nursing this inflamed knee, I've cut back all my long runs by at least two miles.
While my knee was a bit cranky after the run, it felt fine the next day and feels ok today. It was a HUGE confidence boost to be able to run seven miles on Saturday- I'm looking forward to longer training runs in the upcoming weeks :-)
Food Find:
This weekend we visited my brother in Rehoboth Beach, DE so we ate out every meal- which is usually very challenging for me because it's harder to eat healthy when you are constantly eating in a restaurant. While I did overindulge a bit, I am very proud of my choice to get the "Light & Fit Breakfast" at Ihop Sunday morning. Little victories, right?
Don't worry, the hashbrowns were Matthew's :-)
Weight:
+1 from last week.
Lots of travel + out of my cooking routine = weight gain/maintenance
Non-Scale Victory:
I tracked all my food this weekend, including the two appetizers I had late-night at Applebee's- even though it was semi-ugly :-)
