A Good Run & A Good Read {Marathon Update 3}

Eighteen miles...yes I rocked it...18.1 miles in 2 hours and 51 minutes.  I'm tired, I'm achy...I lost a toe nail...but I did it.  In addition, I did short tempo runs 4 days this week.  With that I was able to hit a few new records: farthest run, longest running time, and most miles in one week.  How did I do it?  I have to say, being more conscious of my diet really helped.  I focused in on more fruits and less processed food this week.  The night before my run, my hunnie and I enjoyed homemade hamburgers (with a slice of melted havarti on top) and a salad made with greens from our own garden...and a homemade cupcake for dessert.  My pre-run breakfast included homemade cranberry bread with peanut butter on top and low-fat yogurt with blackberries and raw walnuts on top.  I set my run on a "Figure 8" route.  I did 9 miles out-and-back to my car in one direction, and then 9 miles out-and-back in the opposite direction.  This worked out great...halfway through the run, I made a quick stop to the car where I finished off an energy gel, ate a few grapefruit slices, and gargled down some water before I ventured out for the latter half of the run.  Also along the run I munched on a few cubes of Clif Bar.  With this, I physically felt a lot more energized throughout the run.  On the last couple distance runs, I spent at least 60% of the time thinking about how far I had to go and how tired I was.  So yesterday I decided I needed something to conquer the mental challenges of running 18 miles.  To clear my head and keep my motivation up, I let myself escape into the snowy world of "Ethan Frome". 

"Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton, is a sad romance, set in Victorian New England.  It was one of the reads from high school that I remember actually enjoying.  Its a pretty quick read, so after almost 3 hours of running, I had made it through Chapter 7.  This tactic worked out perfectly...I was so focused on the narrative, and the end of each chapter left me desperate for more that before I knew it, I was nearing the 14 mile mark.  Running for 2+ hours leaves you feeling as though your missing out on the day, but being able to enjoy a good read at the same time made me feel like I was able to accomplish a lot more than just an 18 mile run.  Now I wonder what would be a good read to enjoy during my marathon?

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2012 Run-through {Marathon Update 2}

With 2012 done and gone, I've been looking back on one of the big parts of this last year for me...running.  In 2012 I completed three half marathons (in January, April, & November), two mud runs (one with my hunnie and one with my girls), and a 200-mile (33 hour) relay across the state with 11 of my coworkers.  I was even able to finish the year off strong, with a 16.25 mile run  in 2 hours and 28 minutes last Friday (this puts me right on track for my marathon goal time of 4 hours).  2013 should be another epic year for me, as I run another 200 mile relay and my first full marathon, BOTH in the month of February.

My marathon is on February 2nd...that's one month away people!  I have to admit, I went into my 15+ mile distance runs thinking they'd be pretty easy.  I mean, it's only tacking a few miles onto my half marathon performance, right?  But 14 miles seems to be my wall, and getting past that wall has been tough.  I was able to successfully complete my last two long distance runs, but I felt very fatigued during both of them.  I've determined that I'm probably not carb loading correctly and that in general I'm not taking in enough calories prior to these 15+ mile runs.  This last month of training is going to focus in on finding the right fuel balance to ensure energy to get out and run 4 days a week (including distance runs).  Based on some research, I've found that I need to focus on taking in carbohydrates with low glycemic index ratings: apples, dried dates, pears, bananas, oranges, carrots, 1% milk, and whole grain breads and cereals.  I'll have to make sure that one quarter of my daily food intake is protein: peanuts, black beans, and lean meats.  Things that I'm largely removing from my diet: Christmas cookies (sadly), non-fat mochas, and liquor.  I don't intend to cut cookies and G&Ts out of my diet completely, but they will be considered treats to enjoy one or two days a week in moderation.  During my distance runs (this Saturday is an 18.5 miler) I plan bring 2 energy gels and a few small chunks of a granola bar.  After the runs I need to make sure I'm hydrating quickly and heating/icing any aches and pains.  Also, to lessen the next-day tightness, I will make a point to REALLY stretch out after runs.  I am hopeful that a better runner's diet and more conscientious post-run habits will be just the kick I need to power through this next month.  Luckily I have my running buddy, Georgia Dog, (who always has a smile on her face) to keep me motivated.

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Holiday Challenge {Marathon Update 1}

With a thesis and a graduation done and Christmas around the corner (more on those later), it has been really difficult to focus on my next big challenge: My 1st Full Marathon.  I've got the hotel reservation, now all I need to do is make it through some serious mileage.  While my thesis kept me from sustaining my training, I was still able to get in some good runs and a hike with the family.  So for this week's training I'm skipping over any build-up (assuming I can at this stage still run a half-marathon) and am heading straight into full throttle marathon training.

Some of my personal goals for a successful week of training:

1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep
2. Ice any soreness for 10-15 minutes after a run
3. Drink at least 4 glasses of water before AND after workouts

I'm excited to get 'er done.

 

 

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Total
Hills/6 mi	Bikram Yoga	Tempo 5 mi	15 mi	Rest	26 mi

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