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?

Double Digits

This has been my best training week since I began preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon. I was able to squeeze in a rare weekend "bonus run" on Sunday, allowing me to start off the training week strong. After five mile runs on Monday and Tuesday and a weightlifting session on Wednesday, I was all set for today's weekly long run--a ten miler, my first double digit mileage run since the New York City Marathon back in 2007. I opted to do it on the treadmill, as I still have not found many great places for long runs around my home.

This morning's run went really well! I basically just locked in a 7:30 per mile pace, put my headphones on, and banged through it. I had some technical difficulties with my iPod nano (for some reason the volume inexplicably became really low about halfway through), but that is really my only complaint. My legs felt good, my breathing was fine, and I felt really strong the entire way (I even picked up the pace the last couple of miles just to break the monotony). It seems crazy to me that I have just eight more double digit mileage long runs remaining on my training schedule--as well as the fact I have not missed a single scheduled long run yet!

Garmin Forerunner 210 Review

This morning I went running with my new Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS watch, and I just wanted to share my initial thoughts. So far I really like it. First off, it picked up a satellite signal in well less than a minute, which was a recurring problem with my 205. In addition, it appears to be extremely accurate. The 210 measured my 2.5 mile loop around Hoboken (per Gmaps Pedometer) to a couple of hundredths of a mile--which I consider to be virtually spot on. It is also very simple and user friendly. The 205 definitely has more features and is more customizable, but for just running I am more than happy with the 210. Plus it actually looks like a normal watch, unlike the 205, which makes you look like you are wearing a brick on your wrist. Man, posts two days in a row--don't get used to 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.

Textbook

So I just completed a textbook training week and I am pretty pumped up about it. After not being able to workout on Monday I banged out five-, five-, seven-, and five-mile runs Tuesday through Friday. This morning I ran five miles at 7:08 pace, including a pretty substantial reverse split for the last 2.5 miles (although I must admit I did take a short bathroom break). So for the third straight week I pretty much stuck to my training program; in fact, I actually have done a few more miles than my program called for the last two (which is not saying all that much, as it is a very low mileage plan). I must say I am really pleased with how my training is going so far. I know that I still have 13 training weeks ahead of me, but if I can keep this up I am going to make that marathon my b-tch...

It's On!

So last week I started my formal 16-week training program for the Marine Corps Marathon on October 27th. After searching around I decided to go with a program from MarathonRookie.com, simply because all the other ones I found included WAY too much mileage (which I think is a fairly common issue in my experience). I am really just following the weekly long runs in the program; my other runs will be primarily based on how much time I have to train and listening to my body. So away we go...

Last week I was only able to get in three runs due to being on vacation. Two were five miles (which according to my program was my week 1 long run), and the other was three (which was scheduled to be five, but I had to cut short because of brutal heat and humidity). So far this week I got in five miles yesterday and six (my week 2 long run) today. Thus, I can at least say I stuck to the long runs in my training program for two weeks--so I have that going for me, which is nice. That is it for now--as always, thanks for reading!

Taking Stock

Well we are now down to the final few days of my "pre-training training program" for the Marine Corps Marathon, which is 120 days away. This week I got in two five mile runs and one four miler, as well as a cardio session on the elliptical machine. Right now I am very pleased with where I am. I could still stand to lose a few pounds and my one knee is stiffer than I would like, but I am running pretty fast without too much effort, so I am optimistic. I am still trying to nail down a specific training program, mainly just for direction on the long runs--I will definitely do so in the next week or so. It just seems so crazy to me to think I am about to start another marathon training program--I am super excited, but also a bit scared...

Odor Management

So I do not have anything terribly new to report from a training perspective, but I do have an exciting development in the "odor management" of my workout clothes. You see, when I run, I sweat--profusely. I have always found it kind of strange, particularly given the fact I do not perspire all that much on a regular day-to-day basis. Being a bit of a running snob, all of my workout clothes are made of synthetic fibers, which are great from a comfort/sweat wicking perspective, but unfortunately not so much in terms of odor management--after even relatively short runs, they tend to smell really awful (especially in the underarm and crotch areas). It eventually gets so bad I end up having to throw them away, even though they are usually still in pretty good shape (i.e., no holes or fading).

Years ago I read a post on the Slowtwitch discussion boards in which someone mentioned they fight odors by simply showering in their clothes after a workout. Rationally it makes sense to me--by showering right afterwards, you do not give sweat a chance to set in (as opposed to when you wait several days to wash them, as I normally do). I just started to do this myself, and so far, so good. I have showered in my workout clothes now twice at my gym, and have not even gotten a second look in the locker room. And both times my clothes smelled pretty good afterwards--I still plan to run them through the washer before wearing them again, but honestly am not sure if that is really necessary.  Anyway, just wanted to share something not directly training/racing related--hopefully this is not TMI...

One Mile At A Time

This has been a fairly good training week, with runs on Monday, Wednesday, and this morning and an elliptical machine workout on Tuesday. Yesterday I completed my second six mile run this year on the treadmill, with most of the distance at 7:30 per mile pace. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and easy it felt, which is a really good sign with my formal marathon training program beginning in less than a month. Overall I am really happy with where I am right now. My only complaint is my right knee has been a bit stiff for the last several weeks, but once it warms up it feels perfectly fine. I know it is still too early to even be thinking about time goals, but I just cannot get breaking 3:20 out of my head given how well training has gone thus far...

Six Down, 20 To Go

So I planned to kick off my training week with my standard five mile treadmill run this morning. I started out at a nice comfortable 7:30 per mile pace, and about 20 minutes into the workout felt like I could maintain that level for hours; it barely felt like I was pushing at all. So on the spot I decided to stretch the run to six miles, which represented my longest one so far this year. I also started gradually picking up the pace. I ran the last minute or so at 6:40 per mile pace, and while I definitely felt like I was working hard at that point, still did not feel terribly winded.

I was not planning to ramp up my mileage much until I begin my 16-week training program in early July, but it just felt like the right thing to do this morning. I was also pleasantly surprised by how easy it felt, which is definitely a really good sign. I have to make sure not to get too far ahead of myself, but I figure throwing a few more 6-7 miles into my "pre-training" is not going to kill me--and will definitely build my confidence for the 15-20 milers I have ahead of me.