Week 13 of marathon training has come and gone. The good news is that I achieved a "beer week" in my mileage game and hit the highest mileage week to date. The better news is that I'm still not injured (knock on wood!).
Day 85 (September 21): Rest day! After my 18.6 miles on Sunday I was crazy tired and really couldn't motivate myself to do anything. It seems that the day after my long run is when I experience the most tiredness and hunger and general "meh"ness.
Day 86 (September 22): 7 miles in the great outdoors. I ran down to Williamsburg and back. I felt reasonably good for the first few miles but started to slow down in mile 6. I think that I need to get my runs done when it is less hot/sunny out. I felt so crappy after this run that I actually made a doctor's appointment to make sure that everything is okay with my body. I wanted to get some basic blood work done to make sure that I'm not iron deficient or anemic because I follow a mostly vegan diet and don't really use supplements in the way that I probably should. The doctor also did a EKG and everything was a-okay on that front. I've never had any cardiac issues before so I wasn't expecting any problems. I guess his approach is "better safe than sorry".
Day 87 (September 23): 10 mile "hill" run in which I ran from my apartment, over the Williamsburg bridge into Manhattan and back. My GPS always goes wacky on the Williamsburg bridge which frustrates me a bit. I guess I need to get used to it because I'm sure that my GPS will crap out on the Queensboro bridge as well. I need to get into the habit of manually hitting the lap button at each mile so that I can have somewhat accurate splits. The last mile of this run was really not very pleasant.
Day 88 (September 24): Back to the trusty treadmill for 7.2 miles. Honestly I used to hate running on the treadmill with a passion, but it has grown on me over the course of marathon training. I think that the ability to zone out and not worry about the climate, the need for potty breaks, and the danger of cars is kind of nice. The treadmill also pounds my fragile joints a bit less than the pavement and potholes that come along with running in NYC.
Day 89 (September 25): 2 mile streak run in my new Saucony Kinvara 5s. These shoes felt really nice and I wore them without my inserts. They are so much less klunky than the Ride 6s but I think that I'll probably still stick with the Ride 6s for the marathon because I've trained more in them and I am used to them by now.
Day 90 (September 26): 7 miles on the treadmill. I put off getting out for my run for too long because I was really exhausted and kind of grumpy in the morning. Ed had his friend over in the evening, so running on the treadmill allowed me to escape the boy nerdery.
Day 91 (September 27): Long run! Outdoors in the oh so wonderful Central Park. Ed dropped me off at the subway with the dog who seemed confused that I was the one leaving her at the station :-) I made it to the park around 10am and went for my run. The weather was beautiful and I was motivated by all of the other runners in the park. I saw many people running back from the Bronx 10 mile race and it was just a very enjoyable run. I listened to This American Life, a Runner's Connect Podcast, a Running Academy podcast, and some music. I did 14.8 miles and then Ed met me at one of my favorite vegan restaurants with a change of clothes :-) I got to eat some of my favorite vegan foods and then get the weekly Trader Joe's shopping trip out of the way.
Also, I realized I really should take some more pictures during my training. I see a lot of cool things on my run and usually have my phone on me, so I resolve to take some more pictures.
There are only two more weeks of hard training left until taper time. I'm starting to get really anxious about all of this!
Week 13 Summary:
Miles: 48
Pace: 11:37 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: For the most part, yes :-) My long run could have been longer but I'm trying to listen to my body and not overdo it. My primary goal is to get to the start (and finish) healthy!
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Weeks 11 & 12: Update your blog... but I am le tired
I think that this will be my shortest update of all time... because I am le tired ;-)
Anyway, week 11 was about me getting back on track, which I did for the most part.
Day 71 (September 7): The 7th was labor day. I did a nice easy streak run outdoors with the hubby. He always runs at easy pace so this worked out well.
Day 72 (September 8): 5 miles on the treadmill - avoiding the heat and humidity because I am a wimp. Also streaming things on hulu has made the treadmill much more bearable.
Day 73 (September 9): 9 miles on the treadmill - wimp mode again
Day 74 (September 10): 6.6 miles on the treadmill -- are you noticing a pattern here?
Day 75 (September 11): Super short streak run outdoors!
Day 76 (September 12): Hubby wanted to play frisbee with friends in Prospect Park and I needed to get my long run done. So I ran from my apartment to Prospect Park and then did three loops of it. I did a total of 17.3 miles at a decent pace given the super swampy humidity. Hubby brought me a clean pair of clothes in his bag which was 1000% necessary given the swampy conditions.
Day 77 (September 13): Mmmm... Sunday bagel days are the best. I ran to and from the bagel place again because... bagels. This time I opted for a mini bagel which is more like a normal sized bagel any place else in the world.
Week 11 Summary:
Miles: 46.6
Pace: 11:51 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: Close enough for government work? ;-)
Week 12 started out pretty well but I wound up ending my running streak and taking a rest day... because I was le tired ;-)
Day 78 (September 14): Easy as pie streak run.
Day 79 (September 15): 7.2 miles, out to Roosevelt Island and back.
Day 80 (September 16): 6.2 miles while the dog was getting groomed. This run was a terrible awful idea because it was really hot out. My dog was getting groomed at noon and so I had some time to kill. I decided to build in my run during this time and it was just awful. 84 degrees and sunny is not ideal running weather.
Day 81 (September 17): That run in the heat (and carrying my dog around the city) really took it out of me. I took an unscheduled rest day because I didn't really want to mess around with my back, my joints, etc. Honestly I was just so completely bummy this day. Sometimes I guess it just happens.
Day 82 (September 18): 5 miles on the treadmill because there was an air quality alert. To stay on plan I should have done more but I was feeling run down.
Day 83 (September 19): I woke up in the morning with my sinuses completely clogged. I felt like I was getting sick so I drank so emergen c and took Claritin. I decided to shorten my run because I wanted to make sure I'd be successful on my long run. I did 3 miles easy on the treadmill.
Day 84 (September 20): The 18 mile tuneup! The 18 mile race was tough on me. The course is three counter clockwise loops of central park starting near 102nd street. Going up both Harlem Hill and Cat Hill 3 times was brutal. When I got to the race the portapotty lines were insane, so I wound up starting the race late. It is chip timed so it really doesn't matter when you pass through the start as long as it is still up. The starts are generally left up for about 20 minutes during NYRR races. The leader of the race passed me when I was at about mile 3.5 - he was at mile 9.5 at that point. Granted I didn't pass the start line until 13 minutes after the gun, but still NYRR racers are really fast! I wound up running 18.6 miles because of urgent potty problems which required me to run to the bathrooms near the start of the course after I'd completed the first loop (which was probably .1-.2 miles away from the actual course route). After completing my second loop, I started getting stomach/side cramps around mile 12.5 which lasted until mile 17. Kristin caught up to me around mile 14 or so and we chatted for a bit before she stopped to use the portapotty. I kept on trucking because I think if I'd stopped at that point I'd have DNFed. I saw her again at the finish and we hung out as we relaxed and ate our bagels. Overall it was a hard long run, but I made it through it. I'm hopeful that I won't have such issues during the marathon itself because the start (for my wave) is so late that I should have dealt with all of the potty business beforehand.
After the tuneup I relaxed in the park for a bit before heading home. I wasn't too sore after the race. I was tired but couldn't sleep sadly :-(
Week 12 Summary:
Miles: 41
Pace: 11:57 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: Nope, but I was successful during my long run. Some minor joint issues and feeling a bit ill/rundown threw me off of the plan.
Anyway, week 11 was about me getting back on track, which I did for the most part.
Day 71 (September 7): The 7th was labor day. I did a nice easy streak run outdoors with the hubby. He always runs at easy pace so this worked out well.
Day 72 (September 8): 5 miles on the treadmill - avoiding the heat and humidity because I am a wimp. Also streaming things on hulu has made the treadmill much more bearable.
Day 73 (September 9): 9 miles on the treadmill - wimp mode again
Day 74 (September 10): 6.6 miles on the treadmill -- are you noticing a pattern here?
Day 75 (September 11): Super short streak run outdoors!
Day 76 (September 12): Hubby wanted to play frisbee with friends in Prospect Park and I needed to get my long run done. So I ran from my apartment to Prospect Park and then did three loops of it. I did a total of 17.3 miles at a decent pace given the super swampy humidity. Hubby brought me a clean pair of clothes in his bag which was 1000% necessary given the swampy conditions.
Day 77 (September 13): Mmmm... Sunday bagel days are the best. I ran to and from the bagel place again because... bagels. This time I opted for a mini bagel which is more like a normal sized bagel any place else in the world.
Week 11 Summary:
Miles: 46.6
Pace: 11:51 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: Close enough for government work? ;-)
Week 12 started out pretty well but I wound up ending my running streak and taking a rest day... because I was le tired ;-)
Day 78 (September 14): Easy as pie streak run.
Day 79 (September 15): 7.2 miles, out to Roosevelt Island and back.
Day 80 (September 16): 6.2 miles while the dog was getting groomed. This run was a terrible awful idea because it was really hot out. My dog was getting groomed at noon and so I had some time to kill. I decided to build in my run during this time and it was just awful. 84 degrees and sunny is not ideal running weather.
Day 81 (September 17): That run in the heat (and carrying my dog around the city) really took it out of me. I took an unscheduled rest day because I didn't really want to mess around with my back, my joints, etc. Honestly I was just so completely bummy this day. Sometimes I guess it just happens.
Day 82 (September 18): 5 miles on the treadmill because there was an air quality alert. To stay on plan I should have done more but I was feeling run down.
Day 83 (September 19): I woke up in the morning with my sinuses completely clogged. I felt like I was getting sick so I drank so emergen c and took Claritin. I decided to shorten my run because I wanted to make sure I'd be successful on my long run. I did 3 miles easy on the treadmill.
Day 84 (September 20): The 18 mile tuneup! The 18 mile race was tough on me. The course is three counter clockwise loops of central park starting near 102nd street. Going up both Harlem Hill and Cat Hill 3 times was brutal. When I got to the race the portapotty lines were insane, so I wound up starting the race late. It is chip timed so it really doesn't matter when you pass through the start as long as it is still up. The starts are generally left up for about 20 minutes during NYRR races. The leader of the race passed me when I was at about mile 3.5 - he was at mile 9.5 at that point. Granted I didn't pass the start line until 13 minutes after the gun, but still NYRR racers are really fast! I wound up running 18.6 miles because of urgent potty problems which required me to run to the bathrooms near the start of the course after I'd completed the first loop (which was probably .1-.2 miles away from the actual course route). After completing my second loop, I started getting stomach/side cramps around mile 12.5 which lasted until mile 17. Kristin caught up to me around mile 14 or so and we chatted for a bit before she stopped to use the portapotty. I kept on trucking because I think if I'd stopped at that point I'd have DNFed. I saw her again at the finish and we hung out as we relaxed and ate our bagels. Overall it was a hard long run, but I made it through it. I'm hopeful that I won't have such issues during the marathon itself because the start (for my wave) is so late that I should have dealt with all of the potty business beforehand.
After the tuneup I relaxed in the park for a bit before heading home. I wasn't too sore after the race. I was tired but couldn't sleep sadly :-(
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| With Kristin after the tuneup |
Week 12 Summary:
Miles: 41
Pace: 11:57 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: Nope, but I was successful during my long run. Some minor joint issues and feeling a bit ill/rundown threw me off of the plan.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Week 10: Streaking and Getting Back in Action
Tummy hell seems to have (mostly) subsided so I'm climbing back onto marathon training. For week 10 I've decided to take 2 miles off of each of my planned runs. I've also decided to start streaking (running at least 1 mile per day) because I felt really incredible during the holiday run streak. I'm not sure that I'll streak all the way through the marathon, but I am going to try to streak through September for the very least.
Day 64 (August 31): I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. I did it mostly at a very easy pace and just tried to enjoy myself.
Day 65 (September 1): Streak day! I did 1.1 miles on the treadmill.
Day 66 (September 2): 8 miles! on the treadmill. This took a whole lot of motivation. First I watched an episode of the BBC show "secret eaters" before turning over to my favorite treadmill show, the biggest loser. The first 5 miles went really fine but the last 3 or so were a struggle. I felt really weak/terrible immediately after I finished, but by the time I took a shower and ate some food I felt much, much better. I'm not sure why I felt so bad but at least if I really needed to bail I was in my building instead of in some random outdoors place.
Day 67 (September 3): 5 miles on the treadmill. The wifi was down and I was unable to stream video over my data connection on my cellphone. So I turned on songza and made a game with myself in which I changed the speed of the treadmill every time there was a song change. 4 days in a row on the treadmill is really hard to deal with mentally, but when the weather is absolutely so terrible, you've gotta do what you've gotta do!
Day 68 (September 4): I did a 1 mile streak run outdoors. It was nice to just get up and go and not worry about anything. I didn't bring my phone and even left my door unlocked. I figured the odds of someone trying to break into my apartment and rob me in the 12 minutes I'd be gone was unlikely =P I also cycled to and from my Chinese lesson for some cross training.
Day 69 (September 5): This was the day of my long run. I knew that I needed a place with lots of people and support because I wasn't sure about my tummy issues. I decided to run in central park and was joined by Susan from Runners United NYC. I got to the park at 7am and ran to the top of the park where I met Susan. She's also a newer runner and about my pace. I think that she's actually probably way speedier than I am, but she slowed down for me =D I had a really enjoyable time running with her because it is great to have a distraction during a long run. I think that runners are generally a really supportive bunch. I did 14.5 miles at a pace way faster than my normal long run pace, but I felt pretty good afterwards.
During this run we ran around the reservoir in Central Park which was a first for me. It was very pretty. The path around it is the same loose packed small pebbles that were in all of the parks in Paris.
When I got home hubby and I went to Bareburger for brunch. Yummy yummy. They had quinoa hash browns which were quite tasty.
Day 70 (September 6): Bagel run day! I ran from my apartment to Brooklyn Bagels in Astoria. The bagels in LIC just plain suck, so I ran the longer way to the bagel place and the short way back. It was 5.6 miles very easy because I didn't want to overdo it after my speedy (for me) long run.
Week 10 Summary:
Miles: 39.2
Pace: 11:47 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: Well, I stayed on my getting back on the plan plan so sorta.
Day 64 (August 31): I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. I did it mostly at a very easy pace and just tried to enjoy myself.
Day 65 (September 1): Streak day! I did 1.1 miles on the treadmill.
Day 66 (September 2): 8 miles! on the treadmill. This took a whole lot of motivation. First I watched an episode of the BBC show "secret eaters" before turning over to my favorite treadmill show, the biggest loser. The first 5 miles went really fine but the last 3 or so were a struggle. I felt really weak/terrible immediately after I finished, but by the time I took a shower and ate some food I felt much, much better. I'm not sure why I felt so bad but at least if I really needed to bail I was in my building instead of in some random outdoors place.
Day 67 (September 3): 5 miles on the treadmill. The wifi was down and I was unable to stream video over my data connection on my cellphone. So I turned on songza and made a game with myself in which I changed the speed of the treadmill every time there was a song change. 4 days in a row on the treadmill is really hard to deal with mentally, but when the weather is absolutely so terrible, you've gotta do what you've gotta do!
Day 68 (September 4): I did a 1 mile streak run outdoors. It was nice to just get up and go and not worry about anything. I didn't bring my phone and even left my door unlocked. I figured the odds of someone trying to break into my apartment and rob me in the 12 minutes I'd be gone was unlikely =P I also cycled to and from my Chinese lesson for some cross training.
Day 69 (September 5): This was the day of my long run. I knew that I needed a place with lots of people and support because I wasn't sure about my tummy issues. I decided to run in central park and was joined by Susan from Runners United NYC. I got to the park at 7am and ran to the top of the park where I met Susan. She's also a newer runner and about my pace. I think that she's actually probably way speedier than I am, but she slowed down for me =D I had a really enjoyable time running with her because it is great to have a distraction during a long run. I think that runners are generally a really supportive bunch. I did 14.5 miles at a pace way faster than my normal long run pace, but I felt pretty good afterwards.
During this run we ran around the reservoir in Central Park which was a first for me. It was very pretty. The path around it is the same loose packed small pebbles that were in all of the parks in Paris.
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| Central Park Reservoir |
When I got home hubby and I went to Bareburger for brunch. Yummy yummy. They had quinoa hash browns which were quite tasty.
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| Nom nom nom! |
Day 70 (September 6): Bagel run day! I ran from my apartment to Brooklyn Bagels in Astoria. The bagels in LIC just plain suck, so I ran the longer way to the bagel place and the short way back. It was 5.6 miles very easy because I didn't want to overdo it after my speedy (for me) long run.
Week 10 Summary:
Miles: 39.2
Pace: 11:47 min/mile
Stayed on Plan: Well, I stayed on my getting back on the plan plan so sorta.
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