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!

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.

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!

If At First You Don't Succeed...

After aborting this week's scheduled 18-mile run due to IT band issues this past Tuesday, I was basically planning to shut down my marathon training for the week. However, having spent a fair amount of time using my new foam roller the past few days and getting in a half an hour on the StairMaster yesterday, my IT band was starting to feel much better. Thus, I decided to try to complete the 18-miler on the treadmill at my gym this morning, reasoning I could always cut it short again if my IT band started to act up.

The first several miles of the run were completely discomfort free, which was extremely encouraging. I definitely felt a bit of pain in my IT band for a few miles toward the middle of the run, but it was nothing serious and almost completely subsided within a half hour or so. By the end of the run my IT band actually felt perfectly fine--and more importantly, I knocked out the 18-miler after all! I am super excited right now--one more long run (my 20-miler), and my taper begins! Needless to say I will be doing some serious foam rolling between now and the marathon--especially given how well it worked for me the past few days!

17 On 42

Today is my 42nd birthday, so this morning I slept in, skipped work, had breakfast in bed--oh yeah, that's right, I did not do any of those things. Instead I banged out my weekly long run, 17 miles on the treadmill at 7:42 per mile pace. I have to say, this may have been my best long run yet. I started off by watching a little over an hour of Sportscenter, and then switched to listening to music on my iPod (a bunch of Smashing Pumpkins songs, followed by my longtime running playlist).

10 miles or so into the run I really just started to enjoy myself and almost did not want it to end--a stark contrast to my usual treadmill long runs, in which the last few miles are sheer torture. Maybe it was runner's high, maybe it was seeing my taper coming closer and closer into focus--whatever the reason, I just felt really dialed in this morning. As an added bonus my legs felt GREAT afterwards--it seems like my IT band/knee issues are pretty much behind me (although as a precaution I am stretching like a fiend today). Just two more long runs (18 and 20 miles) and it is taper time!

What A Difference A Week Makes

This morning I completed my weekly long run, 16 miles on the treadmill. It is striking to me how much better I feel right now than after last Tuesday's long run--my legs feel so much fresher and less beat up than they did a week ago. I attribute this to spacing my long runs out further, as well as dialing my pace back a bit (7:42 per mile, as compared to 7:30 last week). I also did a better job of making sure my new earphones were on correctly, so I was able to keep them on the entire time (I watched SportsCenter for the first hour, than listened to Pandora and MP3s on my iPhone the remaining time. Oh, and I also brought my old set with me as a backup). We will see how my legs feel tomorrow morning, but today was definitely a confidence booster as I begin the five most crucial weeks of my marathon training program.

Just Five To Go

This morning I did my 14-mile weekly long run on the treadmill at 7:30 per mile pace. I completed last week's long run (12 miles) on Friday, so I think I may have "bit off a bit more than I can chew" by doing another one just four days later--my legs are definitely more sore than they have been after my prior long runs. They do not feel too bad, but I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow's rest day. I also had problems withy my new headphones (my freakishly small ears strike again), and thus, had to run the last 10-11 miles sans any form of entertainment, which was brutal. Aside from that the run was fairly uneventful. Given my prior history, I am still in a state of shock at the fact I have literally completed every weekly long run on my marathon training schedule. I also find it really hard to believe I have just five double digit runs left (16, 16, 17, 18, and 20 miles) before the big day!

11 Down, 15 To Go

Yesterday morning I hit the treadmill for my weekly long run. I banged out 11 miles at 7:30 per mile pace, and just like last week definitely felt like I could have done a few more. I played music on my iPod nano the entire time, and for once actually brought a bottle of water with me, although I definitely did not drink enough (but it's a start, right?) Afterwards my legs actually felt pretty decent--my right knee was a bit stiff (for a change), but aside from that I was perfectly fine. I am actually starting to kind of enjoy my treadmill long runs, which is kind of a scary thought. Six straight weeks of hitting the long runs on my training schedule--who would have thunk it?

Killing It

This morning I decided to switch things up a bit and get my long run for the week out of the way first thing. After a bit of internal deliberating I decided to hit the treadmill as opposed to running outdoors. I brought along my iPod nano, so instead of watching television as I usually do on the treadmill I listened to music. I then locked in a 7:30 per mile pace and banged out eight miles. I must say, I was super pumped after this run--it just flew by, and at the end I felt like knocking out a few more miles at that pace would have been no problem whatsoever!

My legs felt a little banged up afterwards, but nothing major. I was also shocked at how quickly my heart rate settled down afterwards--no fighting sweat for the next hour like I sometimes do after even shorter runs. All in all, it was definitely a success, and really boosted my confidence even more. On a somewhat related note I picked up a new toy today--a Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS watch to replace the POS 205 I have had for the last five and a half years. I will definitely report back later this week after I have had a chance to use it a few times. One thing I can already see is the 210 picks up satellite signals much faster, which was one of my primary (but not only) complaints with the 205.