Week 13 - Chicago Marathon Training

I finally got in a "long" run this past weekend and I didn't wake up in pain the next day! Huge success for me right now - just over 10 miles on the trails at the Fullerton Loop on Sunday. I didn't get back to see the PT this past week, primarily because I was nervous she'd lecture me for running before I was supposed to, but I used most of the stretching techniques she showed me before and after my runs and it really helped. The softness of the trails really helped and the difficulty of the hills and the terrain helped me to just enjoy the run and not worry about pace.

I got in a total of 25 miles last week, and I'm looking to get between 30 and 35 this week, all at an easy pace. I started the week with a rest day after the 10 trail miles. I'm trying to get back to a schedule where Sunday is my rest day, so I'll be running Tuesday - Saturday this week. I'm looking forward to the long run on Saturday because I signed up to train with the Nike Training Club in Santa Monica with Peter. Its a free event where you choose your distance (6 or 10 miles are the options this week) and then you choose your pace team. I'd really like to get in 13 miles on Saturday, so I might add on to the Nike Training event.

I'm still scheduling in yoga, stretching, and specific strength workouts. I've found putting them into my schedule really helps me stick with the plan:

Week 13 Schedule
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 + hip strengthening + yoga
Wednesday: Run 7 + kettle bell
Thursday: Run 4 + yoga
Friday: Run 6 + kettle bell
Saturday: 10 - 13 mile long run (8:30-9:00 pace)
Sunday: Rest

After this week, I'll start slowly with some speed work which is exciting and also terrifying. I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was going to work on my nutrition because I felt like that was something I haven't been very diligent or good about, so I've been writing down my food intake every day. This has been difficult to say the least and a bit eye opening. Even though its clear I have a sugar addiction based on my food diary, I'm a pretty healthy eater (I think). Once I'm back in full training mode, I'll be able to work with my friend Jessica, a certified nutritionist, to work through what I can be doing better to help my body recover and perform well. More on that to come. I hope everyone's training went well this week!

J