Pittsburgh Marathon Training: Week 11

From last week wearing shorts, I was once again pulling out the long sleeves and running pants for this round of training.  Just when I thought spring had arrived....  Nevertheless, this week was the first of three peak mileage cycles.

Monday: 5 Miles - Apparently thinking warm thoughts doesn't just change the weather.  Layered up, I set out the door letting my body dictate the pace.  Though my last run had been speedwork, today I still felt fresh and my watch readings were proof of that.  Having spent the past several months adapting to the cold seemed to have finally set in.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 10 Miles - I did something today I never thought I would - spent 10 miles running on a treadmill.  This was partially due to the snow storm we were getting but also just laziness on my part since I didn't feel like bundling up to head out.  So with Netflix to keep my attention, I started and just didn't stop until I hit my goal.  I'm pretty sure this is the longest I ever have (or will ever!) last on one of these machines.

Thursday: 5 Miles - When back roads are your normal terrain for running, significant snowfall makes a pretty decent impact on what paths are safe to run.  So once again, I started up the treadmill for yet more miles.  I figure there are way worse things in life.

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 20 Miles - To change things up, our running decided to head to a nearby trail to save our legs a little bit of grief from running on asphalt for so long.  While segments of the path were fine, other areas still had a few inches of snow.  It was so bizarre!  Running through these varying terrain changes added another level of difficulty and effort.  By the end, we were all glad to be finished.  

Sunday: 11 Miles - So the plan for today had been 10 miles, but my math skills are not the strongest.  I varied up my route to what I thought we result in the scheduled distance, but it seemed I was at tad off.  Be the time I realized I had gone too far, I decided to just round up to the next mile.  Having an uneven number of my running log just seemed wrong!

One of the challenges I'm finding as I head out on each long run is that I seem to not be taking in enough calories prior to the workout.  Around mile 15 or so, I can feel my stomach growling, which is never a good sign.  Apparently a banana and half a bagel with peanut butter isn't enough to fuel me.  I know I need to find a balance between eating enough to keep my going while not pushing myself overboard to the point of getting sick during the runs.  Good thing there are still 7 weeks til race day.

Happy running!
Sean

Thinking of signing up for the Pittsburgh Marathon?  There's still time!  Use discount code FOX17 to save $10 on either the half or full registration.

Pittsburgh Marathon Training: Week 10

It's marathon hump week!  We have reached the point of single digit weeks left until the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Going forward, most weeks will be high mileage and lots of road pounding until the taper rolls around.

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 4 Miles - Maybe it was the great weather, but this run just seemed to have things click.  I started slow, but by the time I was in the last mile found myself going at a pretty respectable pace.  And the crazy part was, my heart rate didn't spike nor was I feeling overexerted.  Letting my body naturally warm up definitely pays dividends in the long haul.

Wednesday: 9 Miles - To say it was "windy" would be an understatement.  The crazy headwind then switching to tailwind pushed and pulled me in all different directions.  The one smart move I did make was taking a a route that involved hills, since this offered a buffer from the direct gusts.

Thursday: 4 Miles - My legs felt slightly tired today due to the extra intensity yesterday's breezy run caused.  Moving along slowly, I figured the workout today was just about getting the miles in.  I was totally okay with that.

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 19 Miles - After today's workout, no hill in Pittsburgh can scare me.  For his birthday, one of the members in our running group lead us on a route of his choosing.  Following one rolling hill after the next, my quads, glutes, and hips were burning by the end.  And it wasn't a bad soreness, but one that affirmed that my body needed this type of run to improve.

Sunday: 9 Miles Pace - Like most other weeks, this last run was all about hitting pace.  For better or for worse, I was having a really hard time going slowly enough to maintain what I had planned on running in May.  The rhythm of my stride had me cruising along nicely without feeling overly exerted or tired.  I may have to reconsider, yet again, what my goal is for the race.

Overall, I feel like training is just flying along.  A little bit of trepidation sinks in when I think about how few weeks there are until May 7th.  At the same time, I know that my body is adapting well and, if all things continue as they have been, will be ready for race day.  We'll know soon enough!

Happy running!
Sean

Thinking of signing up for the Pittsburgh Marathon?  There's still time!  Use discount code FOX17 to save $10 on either the half or full registration.

Pittsburgh Marathon Training: Week 9

Wow is this training cycle going fast!  I'm still having a little bit of trouble believing that I'm halfway already.  And the crazy part is, I have a feeling time will only start moving faster.

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 4 Miles - Cloudy skies and a little bit of wind makes for a decent day for a workout.  Focusing on heart rate, I remained within the 130-140 range shooting for consistency and learn the rhythm of this pace.

Wednesday: 9 Miles - I did it - I ventured onto a new route!  Where I normally turn left, I changed things up and headed right.  While I encountered a few more hills than usual, I felt really good traversing the rolling landscape.  I think I'll be following this route again when I need to go the longer distances.

Thursday: 4 Miles - I tend to do most of my runs as soon as I get home from work, so I can spend the remainder of the evening with the wife and peanut.  Well, today wasn't one of those days.  The majority of my night ended up consisting of laying on the couch with a sleeping child against me.  The workout had to then wait until after bedtime and to the treadmill I went.  It's times like these I'm so glad we made the investment in this machine.

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: 13 Miles Race Pace - In a fitting way, the halfway point of this training cycles involves running a half marathon workout.  All would have been fine if I hadn't spent the previous two days sitting at a conference.  It's like my legs forgot how to run.  The first nine miles or so were just brutal, but by the end I had finally found my stride.  Note to self: sitting is bad.

While the week didn't end on the greatest of confident-boosting notes, it was also a reminder that perseverance pays off in running.  Regardless of how things begin, there is always the opportunity for it to get better.  This optimism will be key to reaching the finish line after 26.2 miles on May 7th.

Happy running!
Sean

Thinking of signing up for the Pittsburgh Marathon?  There's still time!  Use discount code FOX17 to save $10 on either the half or full registration.

Pittsburgh Marathon Training: Week 8

One word describes the intensity of the workouts this week: easy.  No race pace workouts or hard efforts were in sight and I was completely okay with that.  Some weeks during training it needs to just be about the love of the run.

Monday: 4 Miles - Despite the predictions of that famous groundhog, it seemed that spring was ready to make its entrance.  Today's weather was the ideal 55 degrees for a great run and to top it off, the federal holiday meant a day off.  Taking the miles easy, I enjoyed the gift of hitting the pavement on such a perfect day.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: 4 Miles - I've been trying my best to continue the practice of running by feel and using my heart rate data to verify that I am, in fact, running easy.  On a day like today, that meant accepting a slower pace compared to Monday, since that was what my body needed.  I have found that I'm recovering from my runs much faster by following this training approach and becoming a stronger believe that to get faster you sometimes need to slow down.

Thursday: 8.5 Miles - Well, the great weather just kept coming.  I was a bit nervous that this would not be the case since there had been rain the forecast, but everything held off until the moment I finished.  And then the heavens opened and I contemplated the need to build an ark.  Dodged that one!

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 17 Miles - For the week starting out warm and glorious, it ended on a rather dreary note.  With grey skies and the threat of rain the entire workout, the long run for the week was a chilly one.  We also had a much smaller group than normal, since one of the major winter races was happening this morning.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed the company as well as the miles.

Sunday: 8 Miles - In true Pittsburgh fashion, we had somehow gone from balmy to chilly in a matter of days.  Though the sun was shining, the air was crisp as a definitive reminder that winter hadn't left us just yet.  Not letting this put a damper on my run, I took things easy, especially after the heavy mileage from yesterday.

By the end of this week, I felt really refreshed.  My legs seemed to have a little extra bounce in them that was pleasantly surprising after 40 miles.  Besides the general aches and pains that come with running, everything seems to be moving the right direction for a great race day in May - let's hope that continues!

Happy running!
Sean

Thinking of signing up for the Pittsburgh Marathon?  There's still time!  Use discount code FOX17 to save $10 on either the half or full registration.