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

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