Marathon Training By The Numbers

So the Marine Corps Marathon is less than two days away, and in terms of my preparation there is really not much left to do but pack and get myself down to D.C. With my training program completely over, I wanted to share some interesting (well, at least to me) statistics on the last 16 weeks:

• 0: Times I ran with someone else during my training program
• 1: Training runs I did on the weekends
• 3: Different types of race nutrition options I tried before settling on Clif Shot Bloks
• 4: Pairs of running shoes I purchased to train for the marathon (all of which were Sauconys)
• 10: 10+ mile runs I completed
• 16: Days the federal government was shut down, which resulted in the closures of national parks and almost led to the marathon being canceled
• 24: Marathon training related blog posts (including this one)
• 31: Songs on my iPod nano running playlist, which turned out to be woefully inadequate for my longer runs
• 85: Predictions on triathlon lifestyle website Slowtwitch of my final marathon time, including a low of 3:13:01 and a high of 3:59:59
• ~395: Miles I ran during my 16 week training program
• 2,182: Days since my last marathon
• $3,795: Amount I raised for Inheritance of Hope, a nonprofit that serves families with children who have a parent with a life-threatening illness

Well, this is it, the final pre-marathon blog post. The next time you hear from me I will be either celebrating my success or crying in my beer!

It's All Over But The Suffering

This morning was my final workout before the Marine Corps Marathon. I ran three miles around Hoboken in 7:17 per mile pace. I was aiming for something more along the lines of 7:30 per mile pace, but I just could not help myself from running faster--without feeling like I was pushing at all. I think this is a really good sign I have executed my taper perfectly--my body is just raring to go on Sunday!

I also had my final pre-marathon physical therapy session at Columbia University Medical Center. My therapist (who previously worked on Eli Manning--oh, did I just name drop?) stated my hips look much better than they did a few weeks ago, and I am all set to race! It is just crazy to me to think my marathon training is over. I have to say I really could not have prepared any better--I completed all my long runs, listened to my body, and will toe the starting line nearly 100% healthy. Now it is just a question of executing...

Carbs, Carbs, And More Carbs

Today is Day Two of "Marathon Week," and my preparations continue to progress quite well. I banged out my second to last training run on the treadmill, an easy four miles at 7:30 per mile pace. After desperately searching in vain for a pink running top to wear during the marathon in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to honor my late sister, I was able to find a pair of hot pink cycling socks on Amazon.com. Clearly actual running socks would have been preferable, but I am sure these will work perfectly fine (hopefully these do not turn out to be famous last words). In addition, my wife bought me a new white Under Armour running top (did I mention how awesome she is?), on which she is going to write "Do It For Bea" in pink lettering, so I should be all set! Finally, I have been carbo loading like a fiend the last couple of days. I think I may have started a bit early, but I figure it certainly can't hurt!

Welcome To Marathon Week!

So today is the official beginning of what my better half referred to as "Marathon Week" (which I thought was awesome), my final few days of preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon. The next six days will be less about training and more about getting myself logistically and mentally prepared for the big day. That said, I still do have a few more runs to get in, and so this morning I did a five mile out-and-back in Hoboken and Jersey City at 7:17 per mile pace. The run was fairly uneventful, although I did bang out the last mile in 6:49, reasoning that will be my last "hard" mile before Sunday. I plan to run four miles tomorrow and then another three on Thursday before completely resting my body on Friday and Saturday.

I am also focusing on carbo loading (including an English muffin this morning and bread and pasta for lunch) and hydrating, as well as continuing to work on strengthening my hips (including one final phsyical therapy session on Thursday). Hopefully I am not jinxing myself as I write this, but I honestly could not feel any better right now--all of the nagging injuries I dealt with over the last several weeks appear to be gone, and my confidence is extremely high (particularly based on Friday's run). We will see how the rest of Marathon Week goes, but so far, so great!

Acing The Final Test

This morning was the final test of my preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon next Sunday. I decided to do the final long run of my marathon training program outdoors, after completing all of my other long runs on the treadmill. I was definitely beginning to get a bit nervous that my body has gotten too used to the treadmill (but maybe that is just typical pre-race nerves kicking in), so I was very interested to see how this run would go, particularly in terms of pace and perceived effort level. Honestly, it could not have gone better--if this workout was a test, I give myself an A+ (and I am a notoriously hard self grader)!

I started out with my obligatory slow first mile (7:38) before settling into six straight miles ranging from 7:22 to 7:28. I then knocked out the last mile in 6:55 for a total time of 59:03, or 7:23 per mile pace. I was extremely happy with the way this run went for several reasons, including:

• It just didn't feel that hard--I literally barely broke a sweat until I picked up my pace the last mile, and wasn't even remotely fatigued afterward.
• I was really excited about my ability to keep a nice, even pace during miles 2-7.
• I completed the run sans music, hydration, or nutrition.
• For once I didn't have to make a "pit stop" during an outdoors run (let's just leave it at that).

Right now my confidence is sky high for next Sunday--BRING IT ON!

The Textbook Taper

I am approaching the end of my second taper week in preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon next Sunday, and I must say I am really happy with how it is progressing. My legs feel as good as they have in months, and so far I am not nearly as nervous/anxious as I was expecting. Tomorrow is my last remotely long run before the marathon (eight miles), and next week I am just planning to do three short runs and rest, rest, and rest. I have started carbo loading and hydrating and completed a pretty intense physical therapy session on Tuesday with another scheduled for tomorrow (it turns out my leg issues are due to weakness in my hips, not because my IT bands are too tight). That is about all I have to report right now--I can't believe the race is just 10 days away!

One Final Double Digit Run

The first week of my Marine Corps Marathon taper went off without a hitch. On Monday I ran four miles, did the StairMaster on Tuesday, ran five miles on Wednesday, and four miles yesterday before my weekly long run this morning. My marathon training program called for nine miles, but I decided to add an extra one and stretch it to ten for one reason--I can now say I completed an even ten double digit mileage runs preparing for this marathon. This morning's run went well--I ran at my targeted marathon race pace (~7:36 per mile) , and my legs felt really good the entire way (although they were a bit sore afterwards). Next week I will probably dial my training back to three runs--at this point being as healthy and rested as possible on October 27th is all that really matters.

The Final Stretch

This morning I completed my first "taper workout," a quick four mile run in Hoboken. The weather was perfect and my legs felt great, so I decided to push it a bit. I definitely felt like I was cruising along at very low 7:00 per mile pace, but resisted the urge to check my watch until I was forced to stop at a light with about a mile to go. I then discovered I had actually hit the wrong button on my watch when I started my workout, and thus, had not been timing it! Crap! I then decided to make the most of it by timing the last mile--7:01, despite the fact a good portion of it was uphill. Definitely a nice confidence booster for my first taper run! The other nice thing is my IT bands (notice it is now IT bands, as my right one has started flaring up a bit) feel as good today as they have in some time. Thank God for foam rollers!

It's Taper Time!

So this morning I completed the last, and longest, long run of my marathon training program--the 20 miler. Going into it I was definitely a bit nervous--my IT band is still not 100%, and well, 20 miles is 20 miles. I ran five miles Tuesday and Wednesday and did the StairMaster yesterday, as well as spending a fair amount of time on my foam roller, and just hoped for the best. Oh, and I decided to dial my pace back to 8:00 per mile, figuring it would be less taxing on my legs.

This morning's run went off without a hitch! My IT band did not bother me at all, and the worst things I had to deal with were a bathroom break at mile 11 and some level of boredom as the miles went by (I listened to music the entire time, but did not watch any television--like every other one of my long runs, I did it on the treadmill). I am surprised at how good my legs feel right now--definitely fatigued, but not terribly sore (and more importantly, no pain in my IT band). That said, I am still planning to do a few physical therapy sessions over the next few weeks to strengthen my legs and stretch my IT band as much as possible before the marathon. Time to bring on the taper!