Wisconsin/Rockford Marathon Training Week... 21?

Yeah, I don't know either. I guess since I didn't complete my marathon in Kenosha a couple of weeks ago I'm trying to extend this thing into a 22-week training cycle (instead of an 18-week one.) Except...for the part where I did a full on taper for Wisconsin Marathon- I don't really know how to spin that. Luckily, the week after my DNF I felt completely fine. I got a ton of water and rest into my body over that weekend and jumped back in to another 60+ mile week without any problems. I ran another "fast finish" 20 miler the following Saturday because the weather was PERFECT for running (middle finger to the sky thankyouverymuch).

After that new peak week I started to "re-taper" a bit down to 40 miles. I still ran a solid speed workout though and a progressive 15 miler over the weekend. I don't feel as exhausted as I did when I first tapered for Kenosha so the meat of my taper/relaxation is starting just now, two weeks out from Rockford Marathon. 

Yep, I emailed the race director and asked to upgrade to the full. It's probably grasping at straws to expect favorable conditions on May 31st (flashbacks to Sunburst Marathon last year) but I figured if I was already planning on doing the half that I would absolutely kick myself if by some stroke of nonsense it ends up being 45 degrees and cloudy that day and I was only registered for 13.1 miles. I'm fully expecting it to be ridiculously warm and sunny on race day but this way I have an ace in my back pocket if Mother Nature decides to smile down upon me that morning. I'll at least finish a spring marathon either way. 

I'd really, really love for the chips to fall in my favor though. 

Wisconsin Marathon: DNF This

Did that really happen? The answer is unfortunately so.

As the race was unfolding, none of it seemed real. I absolutely could not believe that it was happening to me. Nope. Nope. Not on any level.

But it did happen. And after spending a week moping and channeling my inner Nancy Kerrigan I've come to the point where I just have to let that shit go. Yes, I got screwed by the weather. No, there was nothing I could do to avoid the fact that my body was not acclimated to the warmer temperature. Yes, other people had similar troubles at this race so it wasn't just in my head. No, it was not fair. Yes, it was heartbreaking to be fitter than I've ever been and have this happen.

No, there is nothing I can do to change it.

At first it didn't feel like it was that warm. 60-65 degrees is in fact very much not that warm at all. However 18 weeks of training in nothing higher than the 40s meant that it was a shock to my poor Midwestern system. Geez, even on my last couple shakeout runs leading up to Saturday it was in the 30s.

Happier times: Around mile 5.

My initial warning was a side stitch forming at mile 6. Then a super icky dry mouth feeling developed around mile 8 despite already finishing all my 22 ounces of water. The 8:15 pace I was running not only didn't feel easy- it felt like WORK. (A huuuge red flag since I ran a 7:40 pace half marathon just a few weeks ago. 8:15 should have been a breeze at this point!) After my water bottle was empty all I could think about was getting to the next aid station to hydrate more. I chugged more water around mile 12 and was immediately thirsty again a minute later. I felt like I was reenacting that scene in Spaceballs where they are lost in the desert. But you know, in Kenosha instead.

I got to mile 16 and I finally accepted that it was not happening that day. I texted my family who was waiting for me at 18 and told them I was slowing down and planned to drop out. Then I had 2 miles to come to terms with that decision so I wouldn't cry in front of them.

Mile 9ish. Beet red face. Sadness.

I've never DNF-ed a race so this was completely new
territory for me. I've mega-bonked races before and been proud of finishing them but this time it honestly didn't seem like it would be a wise decision to keep going. Looking at it from a technical perspective, I can tell myself I didn't put my body through the stress of completing 26.2 miles so I can log it as a long tempo run. I can "save" my legs and extend my training cycle a few weeks and maybe try again at another race at the end of the month.

Still it stings like a bitch. More than any other bad race I've ever had.

All I want to do is have my hard work pay off on a race day. I absolutely know I can do this. 18 weeks of the most amazing training and I'm left with... what? It's beyond frustrating. I feel like I'm on the verge of this huge breakthrough but it's just taking it's damn sweet time getting here.

When I finally smash through this wall it's going to be so good.

Fuck Yeah: Wisconsin Marathon Training Week 15

I made it to taper! This is undoubtedly the longest, hardest, most intense training cycle I've done. And I'm no slacker! (Also: Not a euphemism.) The past two weeks were definitely crazy. I ran the Chitown Half Marathon on the 11th and although I *technically* PR-ed the distance, my uber-smart self managed to make a wrong turn and add an extra .6 miles to the course. I realize that it's not unusual to run an extra tenth or even two at a race but I literally ran the wrong direction and had to double back. Ugh. It was kind of the worst when it was happening. I debated quitting for a hot minute because I was so mad but then I realized that nothing was stopping me from running a 1:41 half- it just wouldn't be in the official results.

So I did:

How does one manage to run the wrong way in a race? Well, it takes a special kind of talent, I guess. It started with a burst pipe in the underpass that goes under Lake Shore Drive. The path was completely flooded and the volunteers were shouting at people to take a detour, only it was a *little* unclear what the detour was and people were scattering in multiple directions. I panicked and decided to follow a guy THROUGH the shin-deep water and when I came out on the other side of the underpass I was completely flustered and upset and missed a sign that would have directed me in the correct direction. The rest is history. I actually ended up feeling super strong though and completely thrilled with my pace on my Garmin.

I don't usually do Garmin photos but dammit, this is my proof!

Yep, another Garmin shot. 

Truth be told, I pouted a little bit at not having an official time that reflected my effort but the important thing is that I DID IT. I totally killed it. And it's exactly on track for what I need to do at Wisconsin Marathon in three weeks. Yes just three weeks! Yesterday ran my last "big" long run of training. I hit a 70 mile week for the second time and it felt absolutely amazing to complete this cycle with a another strong long run. I just need to make sure I take my taper seriously this time. At Lakefront last fall I ran on days during taper when probably should have rested and I ended up not feeling fresh on race day. This time I'm going to try to listen to my body more instead of being a stickler with my training plan. The hard work is done now- I just need to be smart. Extra junk miles are only going to hurt.



So, onward we go. Commence weather stalking and outfit planning and general weirdo excitement.

Overcoming things on race day. Blah blah.

Utterly Bananas: Wisconsin Marathon Training Week 13

Yeah, another Strava screenshot. But hell yeah I'm excited about this 70 mile week!

Even with the cutback in mileage the week I raced a 10K, I'm still going to cross the 250 mile mark for March.
That is BONKERS.

Crazy mileage aside, I've had some quality workouts that have been confidence builders for me. I'm focusing really hard on not just running all "junk" miles but giving each run a purpose (speed intervals, tempo, progressive, recovery, etc.) I also think a big reason why I'm able to hit this mileage without hurting myself is that Wednesday and Friday are always recovery runs done at a very, very easy pace.

So what was good in the past couple of weeks? I actually had a pretty crappy speed workout to start week 12 where I couldn't hit my prescribed paces- mostly because I wasn't paying attention to my easy intervals and ran them way too fast. Rookie move, I know, which resulted in me getting slower and slower until I was just completely frustrated in the whole thing. That whole week I was feeling pretty tired and the botched speed workout hung over me like a dark cloud going into my 10K race.

Luckily? This happened instead:

I am smiling really big because I made it over the top of that big stupid hill and was rewarded with a huge downhill on the other side. Great shot to take a photo if you ask me. I ran a 30-second 10K PR- which is pretty neat since my previous PR was run on a flat track a few months ago. This one was full of hills! It started to hurt by mile 5 but otherwise I felt strong. I managed to win my age group which was an added bonus! I always wonder how fast I'd be able to run if I didn't race theses short races in the middle of marathon training- but who am I kidding I'm always in marathon training. Maybe I'd be a lot faster? Or maybe I'm just full of shit. 

Anyway, that was a huge boost to me since I was feeling kind of down all week leading up to the race. It turned me around mentally just in time to focus on Week 13: 70 miles! Whoa. 

First off, on Monday I had a "do over" of the speed workout I bonked the previous week. I took my recovery intervals seriously this time and was able to hit my paces spot on. Boom! Science. My other runs this week were easy paced (just trying to log the big 7-0) although my 13-miler on Tuesday was done progressively quicker each mile with a fast finish. I'm working really hard on starting out conservatively and allowing myself to ease slowly into my speed. I feel like it's been paying off because the faster miles don't feel like as much work anymore. Point two for Science.

Today was my 22 miler to cap off the week. This run was fantastic. Actually, I'm having a hard time figuring out which run this week was the best. It's a good problem to have! Especially because I've had a couple of rough weeks. Today though, I was again super proud of my pacing. I ran with Sara and Renee for the first 5 miles and we took it very easy since Renee is coming back from an injury. From 5-9 I ran with Sara and we naturally picked it up a bit as we talked but still, I didn't want to be too aggressive. Sara finished up at mile 9 and I took off to execute the rest of my plan. At mile 10 I started doing minute surges at marathon pace (8:10-8:15) at the top of every mile. It felt so good to speed up my legs! In between the surges I was able to recover and I felt ready to kick it up again as I approached a new mile. My overall pace increased more due to the surges but I was still saving up for the end where I kicked it up one last notch and ran in the 8:20s from mile 15-20. It didn't feel super "easy" but it didn't feel hard either which was great. The last two miles were a cooldown and I just had the biggest smile on my face. I'm so happy I've figured out how to finish long runs strong this cycle instead of crashing. This may be the missing piece in my training? Who knows. 

An added bonus is that I never had to stop and pause my Garmin at all during all 22 miles. A lot of times I have to stop for a traffic signal or a car or sometimes I'm with people who want to stop to eat whatever fuel they brought with. Today I just kept on trucking through. I didn't even pull my ipod out of my zip pocket after Sara left because I didn't want to lose focus and mess with it! I guess you could say I was in the zone. 

So now there are just 2 more hard weeks of training before taper. I have another cutback in mileage next week so I can race the ChiTown Half Marathon on Saturday and then there's one last push. Right now my outlook is most definitely optimistic. 

7 Weeks to Go: Wisconsin Marathon Training Week 11

I'm really trying not to psyche myself out this time around by obsessively counting down, but who am I kidding- I'm excited! This past week of training was a real high point for me. I hit 65 miles and topped off the week with a 21 mile run that I paced so well I was able to crank out the last 4 miles the fastest. It's a new thing for me to not be dragging at the end of a super long training run and I think I like it. I'm really trying to practice starting slow and building speed as I go since that will be my race day plan in May. Obviously qualifying for Boston is my #1 goal but I'm also dying to have a race where I don't hit a wall and get stronger and stronger until the finish. It's my turn to have one of those right? I'm working so hard.

Next week is a step back week in mileage again because I'm racing a 10K on Saturday. I'm feeling confident that I can break the PR I set in December. I hope I'm right.

View from the Shedd Aquarium last week on my 19-miler.
Another negative-splitter! It's what I do now.

Living on a Prayer: Wisconsin Marathon Training Week 9

We're halfway there! *insert Bon Jovi gif here*

It's amazing how much better I've felt in the last week and a half. I knew the tireds were just a temporary thing as I adapted to the mileage but I truly feel like a weight has been lifted. 60+ mile weeks? Pffft. I got this. 

Last weekend was another checkpoint of sorts. I raced a 5K for the first time in... 8 months or so? Sara and I drove out to Nashotah to run the St. Joan of Arc Frostbite 5K and despite the incredibly bitter cold we both had pretty stellar races. I actually kind of loathe how I feel while running 5K because it's so fast but I know it's over in just a little more than 20 minutes so that part is always good. In my case, it was over in 22 minutes and 27 seconds. Not too bad! I had hoped to sneak in under 22 but the course was a bit too hilly for me to do it. I suppose the 5 degree weather didn't help things either- it's super tough for me to breathe in deep when the air is that cold.

I know a 5K isn't the best indicator for projecting marathon pace but it was important for me to run strong. I actually ran negative splits (7:20, 7:19, 7:08) and finished the last tenth of a mile at a sub-7 pace when I thought I was dying so that was pretty neat. Sara and I placed 2nd and 3rd in our age group and got nifty icicle "medals." All in all it was a good day!

I'll be racing a 10K in a couple weeks and then after that is the Chi-Town Half Marathon where I'm super duper fingers crossed hoping for a PR. I'm working so hard this cycle I can't even tell you. 

February Miles: 217!

The Climb: Wisconsin Marathon Training Week 7

It's the middle of week seven and holy hell am I tiiiired. I'm not super sore or hurting or anything like that- just SLEEPY. I remember after the first month of training last summer when I got to this point. I had ton of energy at first (most likely due to adrenaline and the excitement from starting something new.) But about 6 weeks in or so my body realized what I was trying to sustain and I just shut down for about a week or so. Eventually I got accustomed to the mileage and I was able to press on but whoa, the sleeps were sleepy. And they are again now. Just typing this now, it's about 7pm and I'm already in bed and looking forward to lights out. Mmmmmm.

Am I stronger yet? Am I faster? I'm not really sure. It's so hard to gauge progress when you're in the thick of things. I've been bringing back hill workouts in to the mix because it helped me so much before Madison Marathon this year. I try to incorporate hills into almost every route I run now and earlier this week Sara and I tried out a completely bananas hill repeat workout that left me gutted. Even so, I feel mentally energized like every step I take is another in the right direction.

----------------

Funny story: I actually drifted off and fell asleep in the middle of this blog post. Not LOL funny but... mildly amusing I guess? It's now Sunday afternoon and I'm encased in my Rest Day Blanket on the couch. I'm feeling less tired than I did in the middle of the week so that's nice. I also had a really strong long run yesterday at the Pettit with a nice stretch at goal marathon pace. I love Sundays because in addition to reflecting on all the hard work of the previous six days I get hyped looking at my schedule for the upcoming week. 60 miles on deck! Monster speed workout! Let's go! I swear if I don't see big improvements after this cycle I'm out of ideas.

Eff Yeah 200 Mile January!

No wonder I'm tired!

Ramping Up: Wisconsin Marathon Training Week 5

I love my new stripey tights.

Zoom! I passed my first checkpoint over the weekend! I ran a pretty solid 1:44:10 at the Icebreaker Indoor Half Marathon on Saturday and although I would have loved to have been magically a couple minutes faster already, I realize it's early in the process so that fact that I can still eek out a sub-1:45 time means I'm in a pretty good place right now. I really really REALLY hope that in 2 months I can improve on this time and dip below a 1:42. (In my Dream World I would be a 1:3X half marathon runner already but I guess I need to work a little bit harder first.) I'm excited that this is my starting point instead of my peak time this year.

So week 5 begins! I eased up a bit on the mileage ahead of Saturday's race but before that I was starting to rack up some serious (for me) miles: 42, 46 and 49 miles for the 3 prior weeks. (I even managed the 49 during the week I was at Ladies Rock Camp.  I'm super proud of that!) This week I'll top out hopefully at 52 miles and keep climbing from there. Build that aerobic base. I'm hoping to get back to some hill running again this week as well since the frigid temperatures seem to be letting up for now and most of the ice has melted from my neighborhood sidewalks. Too much time on the treadmill and track is making me a bit punchy.

Look! There's Sara behind me!

In other news I've been playing around with logging my workouts on Strava lately. I broke up with Dailymile at the end of the year because I decided I didn't need another social networking site in my life anymore but I obviously still need to keep track of my training. I have my written training journal which I'm enjoying, but I also like being able to see everything on nifty charts and grafts and stuff. (Also, doing math is boring. I want Internet for that.) So far Strava seems to be prettier and more functional than the Garmin Connect site so I'll probably hang around there for a while. I had hoped to keep everything private but some folks have added me on there which I'm cool with for now. (I swear EVERYTHING has to have a social component to it these days.) Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Sometimes I like the idea of keeping my training log just for me. You know, except for when I choose to write goofy, rambling blog posts about it.

Last one. Zooom.

WI Marathon Training Week #3

This kind of stuff if probably only interesting to me but I like to get these thoughts out of my system and I ditched Dailymile this year so this is where the brain dump is going.

Week 3 already! The start of this cycle is decidedly less bumpy than the last time around. (Granted, last summer I was coming off a zero-mileage week during our trip to Barcelona.) This time, my decision to keep relatively high, easy-paced miles throughout December has me starting out with a pretty decent base to build upon. I remember last July those first two weeks of training really kicked my butt- especially the speed workouts- so feeling energized in week three is definitely nice.

Once again, I'm doing with a modified version of one of the training plans from Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning book. (I've constructed something that falls between the 18/55 and the 18/70 plan.) I feel like his training methods definitely made me a faster runner last year. My problem was that I didn't execute my race plan (i.e. going out to fast) or in the case of Lakefront Marathon I don't feel like I tapered enough and wasn't fully recovered on race day.

SO. Here we are again. I've had 2 especially good speed workouts so far and a confidence building marathon pace long run this past weekend. I know it's early in the game but I can't complain. Next weekend is the Icebreaker Half Marathon and while I don't feel ready to go for that sub-1:40 yet, I'm still going to run hard and see what I can do. Then we build from there.

My Dailymile replacement.