Sunday, August 30, 2015

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon: Week 5

I just want to start off this post by saying how thrilled I am with how this week went! I changed things up a little bit, which I'll get to in a second, but I ran 36 miles - and I feel great! I haven't run that kind of mileage since May. I was a little concerned how my body would react, but once again, I'm eating a ton, sleeping a ton, and nothing hurts.

I did end up cutting out weight-lifting this week. I could not get up Monday to run and regretted it all week. My whole week felt off, and I didn't want to cram in my gym sessions, so I ended up skipping them. However, NROLFW recommends taking a week off between stages anyway. I changed up my training plan to now include these break weeks, and I will finish a stage up right before taper starts, so I'm pretty sure it was a sign from the universe to cut myself a little slack! 

I also had an amazing time with my friend this weekend. I'm really glad I won't have to go another eight months (!!) without seeing her again. 

Sunday, August 23
rest

Monday, August 24
4 mi easy (11:03 min/mile)

We finally had a day without humidity, and this run felt awesome!

Tuesday, August 25
7 mi easy (10:55 min/mile)

The neighboring town (where I actually do almost of all of my running) finally finished some major repaving projects, so another country road was finally available to me. It was a little hillier than I expected, but not too bad. I felt awesome this whole run, and I was really pleased to see I got under 11 min/miles!

Wednesday, August 26
3.8 mi hills

I was really nervous to up my hill sets from two to four this week, but I'm really proud of how I did. Two honestly felt pretty easy, so I knew I was ready for a bigger challenge. I was wiped at three, but I was able to stay strong and hold my form through all four sets. It totally kicked my butt, and I know it will be great preparation for race day.

Thursday, August 27
rest

I left work a few hours early, got my allergy shot, and then my friend came! It was a great evening of ice cream and catching up.

Friday, August 28
1 mi WU, 5 mi @ 9:54 min/mile, 1 mi CD

I left around 9:30 to do this run (since I took the day off work), and it was only 57. However, I forgot that the areas that are normally shaded when I run in the evening would be exposed in the morning. It was still in the 60's when I finished the run, but the humidity combined with the full sun really took a toll on me. I had to use a bunch of mind games to get through all five tempo miles, and I'm proud of myself for not giving in.

Saturday, August 29
14 mi long w/ FF (10 mi @ 11:23 min/mile, 4 mi @ 9:54 min/mile)

I was really nervous almost the whole week about this run because of the fast finish. Once I actually started running, I focused on trying to relax and keep my heart rate low for the first 10 miles. During the tenth mile, the skies opened up and poured rain, to the point I could barely look up to see if there was any oncoming traffic to avoid and couldn't hear my iPod over the wind. I got really worried about how I would manage the fast finish in these conditions (but I didn't want to just give up since you never know what can happen on race day!), but luckily it cleared up when I was almost done with my slow section. It actually turned out really nice - all the salt and sweat was washed off me, so my brain seemed to think I was starting an entirely new run. I won't pretend like the last four miles were easy, and once again I used some mind games to get through them, and I never felt defeated. It took a special focus to stay on pace and my legs were pretty slow to turn over, but it was still doable!

Run Miles: 35.8 mi
Total Time: 6:26

Again, I'm so excited about what a great week I had! I'm also really, really excited for a step-back week this coming week, plus getting back in the gym. The break from weight-lifting was nice, but I do really miss it. And I'm glad I know skipping my Monday morning run will throw me out of wack - even if I feel very sleepy tomorrow - I will be dragging myself out of bed!

This week also gives me a few things to look forward to - Big Ten football starts Thursday, my birthday is Friday, and I'm making next weekend into a four day weekend! It doesn't get much better than that. 

4 comments:

  1. Great week! Way to knock it out and move into the 30 mile weeks. I'm glad to hear it's going so well for you! I'm trying to get back it to lifting. It's not my favorite part of training, but it's so essential.

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    1. I know 30+ mile weeks aren't much for a lot of people, but I was really happy to get it done and feel good at the end of it. Lifting makes a huge difference for me, but it is a lot of extra time. If only we could stay strong just by running!

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  2. Awesome week, and way to jump into 30 miles! It looks like you killed every single workout. Your hard work is definitely going to pay off come marathon time! You inspired me to start NROLFW. I'm loving the book and have done the first two workouts. I'm sore already but am excited to keep going!

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    1. Yay! I am glad you're enjoying NROLFW. I think it's a great program.

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