REST is NOT a dirty 4 letter word

Sometimes you have to listen to your body and that is the lesson I learned this weekend. After running 31.5K's on Saturday, I decided not to run on Sunday as my legs were feeling tired. I was very pleased with my run and even decided that I wasn't going to use a gel (sugar gel) for my 3 hour run. Typically I would use 2 of these along with my electrolyte drink. I have read studies on how to improve fat utilization by not ingesting carbohydrates during a long run so I thought I would give it a try. I did bring along the gels just in case. I found that I didn't need the gels and it didn't affect my running at all.
I completed the 31.5K run in just under 3 hours which was my goal.

Tuesday begins week 14 and I will have to make a few more adjustments to my schedule. I typically do track work on Tuesday mornings but since I have my kids with me I will skip this workout and do a speed training run instead. I was happy with my mile repeats from last week and next week I will do another one. Everything is starting to come into focus and it's hard to believe that the race is one month away!

Trying not to flame out!

Marathon training is brutal! I'm sure that doesn't come to much a surprise to anyone. Avoding burnout is probably the toughest thing that I've been dealing with recently. I am just about to finish my 13th week of training and have 4 more week left until my race. This week, even though I was pleased with my training, I found myself just wishing that the race was here. As I think about it, though, these last few weeks will mimic what the Marathon itself will be like. I will have to fight through these mental battles now more than ever. A friend once told me that the Marathon is "one long walk to 30K and then it's on!" It's something that I've tried to remember this week. I know that 30K will be challenging but I've run that distance many times during the last 12 weeks and I know what that feels like. These last 4 weeks will prepare me to run those last 12.2 K's. I will be tired both mentally and physically but will have to fight through the pain and finish the race as strong as possible. There is something called the "Runners Wall" and I'm sure I'll hit it at some time. I've hit that wall many times before and sometimes multiple times during a race. It's something that is hard to explain but it forces me to overcome many demons and negative thoughts that creep in my mind. The better prepared mentally I am, the easier it will be for me to not only hit that wall but smash through it!

This weekend I will be running 32K on Saturday and then 16K on Sunday wish me luck!

Marathon training update September 13th, 2011

FEAR
It can cripple you or make you stronger!

Coming off an amazing weekend of running, where I completed 40KM's, I took Monday off to rest and get ready for my final 5 weeks of training.
Since I started incorporating speed training into my workout schedule 4 weeks ago, I have played around with doing different track workouts. After reading about running mile repeats to help with Marathon training, I decided to give it a try. I researched how I should prepare for them and what my goal time should be. I have done 800M repeats and pyramid workouts but this would be totally different.

Running 4 laps of a 400M track at close to top speed, resting for 2- 2.5 minutes then doing that again for a total of 4 times really started to scare me. I remember how winded I was when I did the Pyramid workout and wondered how I could possibly do 4 mile repeats in 7:33 or less. What scared me most was that even though I have been running for 6 years, I've never done mile repeats before. What if I wasn't able to do more than 1 set? Would that put doubt in my mind about my upcoming race? I started to wonder if it was worth it. I could have fallen back to a program that I was comfortable doing instead of attempting these mile repeats. However, I knew that if I gave into fear, I would have no idea what I'm capable of accomplishing.

I left my house at 5:45 and drove to the track. I went over in my mind how I wanted this workout to look like. As I reached the track I noticed that A) it was still very dark and I could barely see my watch and B) there were sprinklers on the grass infield and I would have to run through some of them as I wanted to stay on the inside lane.

After doing a warm-up lap and some light stretching, the moment had finally arrived to begin the mile repeats. As I started I had to make sure that I didn't go out too fast too soon or my workout would be shot. I tried to keep an even pace and when I completed my first set of 4 laps I noticed that my time was 7:28. I thought to myself, that wasn't too bad and I wasn't too winded. After allowing my heart rate to come down a bit, it was time for set #2. This time I was familiar with what I needed to do and I increased my speed a little bit. As a result, my 2nd set was completed in 7:05. I remember saying to myself, "wow! That was pretty good!"

Don't get me wrong, those were the toughest 2 runs that I have ever completed. However, I noticed that instead of focusing on my fear of the workout I was now focusing on improving my technique. With 2 sets remaining I knew that I was going to complete the workout no matter what. My last two sets were completed in under 7:00 each. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement. Forget that I had completed my goal because I had overcome an even bigger obstacle and that was FEAR!

I still HATE doing the mile repeats but I no longer fear them because I've done it now. This workout, along with the many others I have experienced during the last 12 weeks, will be bookmarked and taken out during my Marathon if I need to motivate myself during the race.

5 weeks to go!

It finally happened! There I was up at 4:00 AM preparing for my fartlek run (speed play) workout. My motivation was low and I wondered how I was going to get through the workout. I knew that once I got myself out the door I'd be fine and as soon as my feet hit the pavement I was off and running. I actually had one of my better runs but was so upset with myself for having negative thoughts that I decided to punish myself by increasing the amount of the speed interval and decreasing the rest time. The actual run covered 5 miles and I completed it in under 40 minutes which I was happy about.

Between doing the track workout, which I'm really not enjoying, tempo runs and fartleks my body is starting to really take a beating. However, with only 5 weeks to go I know that I have to keep pusing forward and stay as positive as possible.

I have been following a 4 week mini cycle and I am completing my 3rd cycle this weekend. The 4th week is a down week for me so I am running 21 K's on Saturday and 16on Sunday.

On Monday I begin my last mini cycle. I have to guard against overtraining but also need to ensure that I maintain my conditioning at the same time. It's a fine balance for sure and I'm trying to get as much advice from runners who I respect before I make-up my final 4 weeks (with a 1 week taper).

Marathon training update September 6th, 2011

It's hard to believe that I'm starting week 12 of my marathon training schedule. It's been a gruelling 12 weeks but the finish line is within sights now and my race is just over the horizon.

That being said, my last two workouts might have been my most difficult ones I've had. On Saturday I ran 35.5 KM's and on Monday I did a ladder workout at a local High School.
The long run was done early in the morning but the temperature was still very hot and humid. I was happy that I really slowed down my pace for this run and managed to complete the run in 3 hours and 30 minutes. This included 2 stops at Tim Hortons for some water. It also included a very mind challenging last 5.5 KM's.
The first 28 KM's were actually pretty good and I even saw some familiar faces at teh lake where I run. It was the last quarter of the run that really tested my mental ability to focus and finish.
I think I actually hit that famous "wall" around this time. Once again I purposely designed my route to go past my house which forced me to really dig down deep and keep going. I had lots moments where my mind would tell me to stop short of my goal and just head home. It would have been easy to do that but I knew that would have eaten me up all day. Instead I pushed on. The last fourty minutes I literally had to take it step by step and made my goals very small. My longest run had been 32KM's so this was a true test of how far I had come. The temperature continued to climb and climb and my pace slowed considerably but I kept telling myself not to quit. It really is amazing how the mind and body work together to accomplish or derail a goal from happening. If I hadn't stayed positive and thought about what the marathon will be like, I know that I would have stopped and walked the rest of the way. I would have been able to rationalize that decision somehow and would have tried to convince myself that it was the right thing to do. The mental battle between running and stopping is what makes running so exhilirating and frustrating at the same time.
I'm happy to say that this time I won that battle and I finished my run. It took me several hours, though, to recover and I knew that this run needed to be bookmarked for future reference. As tough as that run was, my Marathon run will be even tougher. Running 35.5 K's on a hot humid day will give me confidence on Marathon day.

Instead of running on Sunday, I decided that it would be better to take an unscheduled day off to rest. This decision was also a little difficult but I know that my body appreciated the chance to recharge my batteries.

I had to juggle my schedule a little bit this week because the kids are back in school. As a result, I did my speed workout on Monday instead of Tuesday. I had been doing 800M repeats for the past 3 weeks but decided to try something called a Ladder workout instead.
This consisted of the following:
10 minute warm-up
400M, 800M, 1200M, 1600M, 1200M, 800M,400M. The goal was to run these at 5K race pacwe or slightly faster.
Here's the breakdown:
400M - 1:40
800M- - 3:30
1200M- 5:15
1600M- 7:00
1200 M- 5:15
800 M- 3:22
400 M- 1:30

To say that I was gasping for air towards the middle of this workout would be a huge understatement. I really had to push myself especially during the middle portions of this training program. My goal is to an average about an 8:10 minute mile for the marathon. These speed workouts will allow me to gain the confidence necessary to at least attempt a fast marathon. Whether I accomplish my goals are yet to be seen but this is an encouraging sign for sure.

My marathon journey has looked familiar

As I look back at the last 11 weeks of training and look forward to the final 6, something became very clear to me. My training has resembled much of what I have had to go through in my life. I have had ups and downs just like everyone else but through mental strength, faith and determination I have been able to overcome the obstacles that have been thrown my way. As a result I have become stronger mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

After an awakening 30K run last week I find myself so much more at peace now. I find that whatever happens on race day I will be satisfied because the training has allowed me to grow stronger. The goal, when I made the decision to compete in another marathon, was to prove to myself that I still had the mental toughness to run a marathon after not racing for more than a year. However, along the way I have proven so much more to myself and that is something that no race result will be able to take away from me.

My training this week has been good with the exception of my first set of 800M's on Tuesday. My schedule called for 6 sets of 800M and the goal was to run each of them in under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. As I completed the first lap and looked at my watch I noticed it said 3:53! I was so upset with myself and after having an internal shouting match I finished the next 5 sets in 3:20, 3:20, 3:18, 3:16, and 3:16 for an average of 3:25 for the 6 sets. I even contemplated running one more set to make up for the first one. However, I made the right decision not to because on race day, there will be no "do overs!" The fact that I didn't give all that I had during that first set was a lesson I won't forget on race day. If I'm not sore, hobbled, exhausted and spent every ounce of energy I have during the race then I will have regrets. I plan on leaving everything I have, lungs and all, on the roads of Toronto on October 16th!

Wednesday's 7 mile easy run and Thursday's tempo run were both excellent. I now am preparing to run between 33-36 KM's on Saturday morning. I decided to weigh myself yesterday and noticed that my weight had dipped to 168 pounds. I am feeling much lighter and it wouldn't surprise me to see my weight to get down to 160 pounds by race day. I haven't run at that weight in a long time. My nutrition has been sound as I have been Gluten free for the majority of my training. I will try to be even more strict during this final stage of training.
My goal is to run for at least 3.5 hours tomorrow. I need to slow down my running so that my body can prepare for being on my feet for that long during the Marathon.
I better make sure I throw on a few slow songs on my MP3 player.... :)

Weekend Training Update

"All I want is to have my Peace of Mind" (Boston)

One of my favorite songs to run to is Peace of Mind by Boston. The lyrics speak loudly to me as the song talks about the struggle to get ahead in life when in reality it is Peace of Mind that we should all be striving for.

As I began my 30K run on Saturday that is exactly what I was striving for. I've become better at letting my run come to me instead of the other way around. What that means is focusing on the present and not the end of my run. I focused on my breathing and this allowed me to relax more. Before I knew it I was already at the 6 mile mark. After a brief water break I went out again and seemed to hit the 9 mile mark very quickly. I say "seemed" because I have not been running with a watch. I recently downloaded some AC/DC songs and so I'm blaming that for my speed :)

As I made my journey back home my legs were still feeling fresh and that is when my mind started to take over. I started to think about how there have been times in my life where I have wanted answers to certain questions about my personal life but they were never answered. I then wondered that maybe the point is that some questions will never be answered and that the time spent looking for those answers could be better spent on something more positive. I tend to do my best thinking during these long runs as it's just me and my music. Throughout this second half of my run I began to get that Peace of Mind that I've been searching for these past few months.

Peace of Mind isn't an absolute and it constantly needs to be rediscovered because there are issues that come up which challenge me either personally or professionally. Remaining calm and productive when tragedy strikes is something that I have had to deal with far too often. Running allows me to process my thoughts and helps me to channel my energy so that it is flowing forward instead of backwards.

As I finished my 30K run I realized that it was quite a bit faster than it should have been (2:45). I need to be careful not to push myself too much during these long runs as the goal is to get my body used to being on my feet for 3 to 4 hours.

On Sunday I did an 8 mile recovery run. This run was also faster than I thought it was going to be as I only had a few hours sleep the night before. It's amazing that some of the better runs I've had have come when I least expected it. I actually contemplated not running today as I seemed really tired. However, I'm glad that I pushed myself and did the run becuase it turned out to be one of the better runs that I've had since I started training for the Marathon.