21 days till the Boston Freakin' Marathon.
But who's counting? :)
Coach's notes ---> a big week of training!!
Well, this is it! The last hard week of training before the taper. Lot's of sleep, good food and mental focus to give it all I've got.
We had such a fun Easter yesterday!
So much love. So many things to be thankful for, which is exactly how I feel about my running.
My loves
I had an awesome weekend of running - 30 miles in two days, a two hour massage (anyone had a 2 hour massage before?! It was my first time and let me say ---> heaven.)
Let's catch up on the last 2 weeks of Boston training, shall we?
Monday March 14th - This was an optional rest day or 4-5 miles easy. I decided to run easy on the treadmill in the evening. Ran from my house to the gym - it was closed for a meeting.
1/2 mile for today and I guess it was in the cards to rest!
Tuesday March 15th - 7 miles
Wednesday March 16th - 10 miles total. 2 miles to ease into it - then 8 miles at 7:25-7:35 pace. My coach did NOT want me to go faster than this pace.
My splits: 7:22, 7:17, 7:25, 7:31, 7:32, 7:31, 7:32, 7:23. Actual pace ---> 7:27
Thursday March 17th - 8 miles on a sunny St. Patrick's Day!
Friday March 18th - 6 miles
Saturday March 19th - 4 miles
Sunday March 20th - Oakland Half Marathon - 1:33 PR!! (my recap is HERE). 19.5 total miles for the day
Total Miles: 55
Monday March 21st - 4 miles
Tuesday March 22nd - 5 miles
Wednesday March 23rd - 8 miles
Thursday March 24th - 10 miles with 10 x :30 second pick ups
Friday March 25th - REST. I was so tired today. It was my 10th straight day of running. Was supposed to run 8 miles today and take Sunday off. Decided to get a massage and rest. My body was grateful.
Saturday March 26th - 22 miles at 7:39 pace!!! YES! Longest run of the cycle and last long run before Boston. First mile 7:49 and last mile 7:39
Splits: 7:49, 7:36, 7:47, 7:39, 7:15, 7:25, 8:02, 7:26, 7:33, 7:40, 7:37, 7:39, 7:30, 7:35, 7:37, 7:39, 7:42, 7:46, 7:31, 7:43, 7:40, 7:39
Fuel before: 2 pieces of toast with almond butter, a banana and a cup of coffee.
Let's talk about the coffee for a minute. Last week, I talked about that I don't drink coffee, but wanted to try it during training. I decided today that I will not have it for Boston. I experienced some side effects on Saturday's 22 miler that were concerning:
slight dizziness, stomach ache, headache and a little bit of nausea. I am so glad I tried it on this run and discovered these side effects. I had a cup of coffee before Oakland and didn't experience any of these effects.
Let's talk about the coffee for a minute. Last week, I talked about that I don't drink coffee, but wanted to try it during training. I decided today that I will not have it for Boston. I experienced some side effects on Saturday's 22 miler that were concerning:
slight dizziness, stomach ache, headache and a little bit of nausea. I am so glad I tried it on this run and discovered these side effects. I had a cup of coffee before Oakland and didn't experience any of these effects.
Fuel during: Water with Enduropacks Electrolyte spray every 30 minutes or so. GU at mile 16.
I focused on being comfortable and relaxed on this run. Let my body do what it knows how to do - run these paces smoothly. A great run with gas still left in the tank at the end. I will remember this run during Boston when I am running faster and have 4.2 miles left to race!
One tip that was so helpful for me ---> run the mile you are in. When you get to mile 10 and you have 12 miles left to run AND you are running alone, that can be a little daunting. I just said to myself "Let's get to 11, then let's get to the half marathon mark. After 13.1, each mile was it's own special mile. Hooray for mile 14! And so on. When I got to mile 20, I knew that two more miles would be a piece of cake (relatively speaking), but I calmly ran to 21 and then smiled all the way to 22!!
I hope this will help you in your next long run :)
The race last weekend and this run gives me confidence going into this last week of hard training.
I can do hard things.
Sunday March 27th - Happy Easter!! 8 miles on a beautiful day.
Total Miles: 57
As always - strength training, PT exercises, dynamic stretching routine, light yoga, core, rolling and compression socks are always part of my week.
I hope you have a great start to your week!
Do you drink coffee before a long run? How does it effect you?
What are you thoughts during a super long run? Music or not?
(I don't listen to music, but at the end it would have been nice to have a friend to chat with!)
What are you thoughts during a super long run? Music or not?
(I don't listen to music, but at the end it would have been nice to have a friend to chat with!)
Happiness Is Running Life!
xo,
Natalie
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