Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon: Week One

Week one of training is in the books! 

I guess I didn't realize how half-hearted my previous training cycles have been, because I forgot how much time and energy goes into truly preparing myself to race 26.2 miles. I also forgot how crazy runger is - I've been mowing down food at a record pace. 

There were some setbacks this week, as there always will be, but I didn't let them derail me. We ended up having to make a noise complaint this weekend when our neighbors left their dogs outside for a second night in a row and they barked and barked and barked. I guess the silver lining is that the police here don't have much to do, so they actually respond to and resolve problems! I am a little low on sleep after being up late with that issue last night, so I foresee a nap in my future this afternoon.

Monday, July 27

AM - 3 mi easy (11:25 min/mile)

PM - 10 min spin WU, NROLFW Stage 2A-1

I'm glad I got up early to get my run in, as I got pretty sweaty and gross, even at 7 AM. I also got stuck behind a garbage truck, which was even grosser. It was also exciting to start a new stage of NROLFW in the evening. This stage incorporates lots of lunge variations, so I think the added strength in a few weeks will make a difference in my running!

Tuesday, July 28

AM - 640 yd swim

PM - 5 mi easy (11:37 min/mile)

My normal commute home from work takes about one hour. Tuesday it took over two hours due to two disabled semis right at my exit. The last thing I wanted to do after I finally got home at 7:15 (after leaving my desk at 4:50!) was run, but I got it done. 

An important aside about our community pool - it is actually only 40 yards to a lap, instead of 50. I've decided to just count laps for each set as if it were 50 yards, but then adjust my total to the real number of yards. Fortunately, we'll be voting in November to expand and renovate the community center, which would include a completely new natatorium with a real lap pool. I figure since I just swim for fun, there's no reason to lose sleep about doing fewer yards for now.

Wednesday, July 29

PM - 2.8 mi hills, NROLFW Stage 1-B

This hill workout was tough! It involved two sets of running on various inclines at MP. I focused really hard on keeping my form as I fatigued, rather than letting my limbs just flail around all over the place. I think this extra speedwork is really going to build my mental strength, not just my physical strength.

Thursday, July 30

AM - 600 yd swim

I had to try splitting a lane this morning, which was hard considering there are no lane lines down. I did fairly well keeping my line straight. I only got nicked by my neighbor's fins once, so I'll call that a win.

Friday, July 31

AM - 5 mi tempo (1 mi WU, 3 mi @ 9:54 min/mile, 1 mi CD)

I had to be at work by 8 for a doctor's appointment at 8:30, which meant a wake-up call at 5 to get my tempo run in. It was incredibly painful to drag myself out of bed that early, but I sweated out a few pounds of water and was drenched by the end, so I'm glad I didn't wait until later to do it. Other than the heat and humidity, the pace felt fairly comfortable.

Saturday, August 1

PM - 10 mi long (11:23 min/mile)

My intention was to get up in the morning to get this done, but I desperately needed to catch up on sleep. We had an appointment to see a wedding venue in the early afternoon (and we picked it! Check that off the list.), and I didn't have enough time to run and shower beforehand when I finally woke up. 

I waited until about 7 PM to set out. The humidity was way down, and I was in shade for most of the run - truly beautiful weather. I had quite a few wildlife sightings too - a red-tailed hawk, a muskrat, and a bunch of bats. This was a perfect long run to kick off the training cycle with.

Run Miles: 25.8 mi

Bike Miles: 2.5 mi

Swim Miles: .7 mi

Lifting Time: 1:14

Total Time: 6:49

Overall, I'm very happy with how this week went. I hit all my workouts and all my paces. We're finally supposed to have some cooler weather this week, so I'm hoping it won't be quite as tiring as last week. And unlike like last week, I don't have any days I have to be at work early, and the barking dog problem should be sorted now, so I'm hoping I will be much better on the sleep front this week. I'm very excited to keep working towards my goal!