Week 13 - Boston Marathon Training
This week was both a success and a failure. Once you put goals out there, its hard to not feel disappointed with yourself when you don't meet them. Last week I set out to focus on recovery by doing at least 4 rounds of yoga per week. Somehow, this past week I did less yoga than I did the week before. Seriously guys, making time for yoga and recovery is the toughest thing ever! I started the week off with a rough easy aerobic run because of some bad nutritional choices I'd made the day before, but I also crushed some workouts this week that have helped me feel really confident about the next phase of my training.
The weather in So Cal has also been so crazy - we've gotten tons of rain. Not light drizzles that are manageable, but serious downpours that have palm fronds and dirt flying everywhere. I've been pretty lucky and the breaks in the rain have provided me just enough time to get my run on outside. The only time I had to resort to a treadmill this past week was on Friday and Sunday. Because Friday is the day I do strides, I couldn't do them on a treadmill. There's no way to pick up the pace for 20 seconds to get you into a stride just to back off for the 40 second recovery. If anything its hurting my form, not helping it. Saturday had some heavy wind gusts, but it was clear and dry and allowed me to do my long run outside.
My successes this week came from my speed workout and my long run and finally feeling comfortable with my threshold and sub threshold paces. The other success has been that my body feels great. Sore, yes, but overall, I have minimal hip pain (which I've suffered from pretty badly in the past) and I feel strong on my speed sessions. I've been more diligent about preventive care - I see the chiropractor once or twice a week at a minimum and I get a weekly massage. Sometimes it feels indulgent, but I've been doing this for the last 3-4 weeks since I started training and am convinced sticking to this will keep me feeling good.
Week 13 Schedule:
Monday: 7 aerobic miles (8:12 average pace)
Hip Strengthening Work - Bridges, Donkey Kicks, Bird Dogs, Clamshells, Planks
Tuesday: 8 miles speed work (7:30 average)
1.5 m w/u, 5 x 5 min at 6:55, 6:42, 6:43, 6:44, 6:46 w/ 2 min recovery between, 1.5 m c/d
10 minute kettlebell workout
Wednesday: 5 mile recovery (8:57 average pace)
20 min recovery yoga
Thursday: Rest Day
Friday: 6 treadmill miles (8:28 average pace)
Strength Training - Bicep Curls, Shoulder Presses, Shoulder Raises, Lat Pull Downs
Saturday: 12 progression miles - 8:21 down to 6:59
Hip Strengthening Work - Bridges, Donkey Kicks, Bird Dogs, Clamshells, Planks
Sunday: 5 treadmill recovery miles (9:05 average)
20 minutes of strength and core work
While I didn't get in more yoga, the 2 hip strengthening sessions and more consistent (but short) strength training is helping me feel stronger and better overall. I'll continue to focus on recovery and yoga this coming week.
Nutritionally, I feel like things are starting to come together for me as well. My favorite new thing I tried this week was the Moroccan Lentil Salad with Cauliflower Couscous from Run Fast Eat Slow. If you haven't gotten this cookbook, I highly recommend it. Many of the recipes have become staples in my diet - I love the spicy black beans and the Superhero Muffins.
I've also been obsessed with ghee and collagen blended in my coffee. I brew my coffee, add 1 tsp of ghee and 1 scoop of collagen and blend together. It creates this foamy, thick, rich coffee. SO delicious! The claim is that the caffeine sticks to the fat in the butter and slows the release of it into your body, providing you with energy throughout your day. All I know is I feel great when I drink it and don't feel that late afternoon caffeine craving. The collagen adds protein and it keeps you full - I don't just drink coffee for breakfast (I would starve!), but the additional source of protein is good because I usually have a hard time meeting my desired daily intake.
How'd your training go this week?
Have you ever tried ghee in your coffee?
J
