My First Marathon Training
I don’t expect this post to be of interest to most of those who follow our travels. We normally write about scenic excursions and DIY camper projects. Not personal fitness. But exercise is part of our journey, whether that is walking, biking, paddling, or in this case, training for a marathon.
Early on in our travels, we made a point to hit the trails whenever possible. But as we shifted our recreational focus into overlanding, we spent more time in the truck and less time on the trail. I didn’t initially notice a change. It was gradual. But, by the winter of 2021, I felt physically weak. Lifting equipment and wielding tools had become challenging. And how to reverse this trend wasn’t immediately apparent. I just happened to be lucky that we were visiting family with a treadmill that winter. And while our camper remained parked in the driveway for weeks, I was sweating it out on the treadmill. And I really haven’t stopped since then.
I Am Not An Athlete
In my youth, I never considered myself to be a “runner.” I was a nerdy academic who focused on class performance and pulled many a stunt to avoid any form of physical education. There was a period in my teens when I’d ride a stationary bicycle while watching X-files. And then another blip in my mid-20s when I’d spend 40 minutes, every other day on a treadmill. And that was about it. A decade after my flirtation with a treadmill, I find myself on a running machine once more. This time, though, thanks to streaming instructors, I have input on good form, proper training routines, and nutrition tips that finally propelled me past the 40-minute mark without being stopped by cramps.
Unintentional Base Training
For the past year, I’ve been consistently running to the point that Chris has picked up the activity as well. We have run in deserts, along lakesides, and up mountains. In the summer, I added biking into my training routine as a low-impact cardio alternative. I’ve been happy to aimlessly alternate between my feet and wheels for this last year but Chris likes a goal and in the Fall, he found a marathon he wanted us to run together.
A marathon has become a common term to describe an extended effort. But in the world of running, a marathon means something very specific: 26.2 miles (42.195 km). The terrain may be flat or mountainous, and your speed may be fast or slow, but the distance remains the same.
I’m not a competitive type, I run for my own health. But the distance didn’t seem that daunting. Most people train for months to prepare for a marathon but my casual running had already established a year of “base training” for a stable core level of fitness to build on. I’d already run the equivalent of a half marathon (13.1 miles) on a whim. So I agreed with little concern about completing it, until January.
Unintentional Over Training
By mid-January, I am in excellent form. I am easily running for at least an hour most days. But that is part of the problem. We are in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, with terrain that I don’t feel comfortable biking. So I mostly run. I can’t say if it is the hilly terrain or the lack of proper recovery time that tips that scale, but in mid-January, I hurt my knee. And suddenly that marathon doesn’t seem like the sure thing I thought it would be. The strong running base I have built over the last year is compromised as I nurse my knee. And any time it doesn’t actively hurt, I feel compelled to run, which just aggravates the injury.
Intentional Recovery
So, for most of the months of February and early March, I stop running. This isn’t to say I stop exercising. I double down on high-resistance bicycling. It keeps me active and builds my cardio strength, but cycling isn’t marathon training. There are certain skills and strengths that can only be honed by practice.
By mid-March, my knee is still sensitive, but not to the degree that stopped my running in January. On March 10th, I run a tentative 30 minutes with a meticulous warm-up and cool-down. With careful attention to form and short fast steps, I can run without pain. I monitor how I feel for the next week and then, on March 17, I run 8 miles. I’m not worried about a personal record. PRing isn’t in the cards, recovery is the goal. The challenge is maintaining impeccable form while tackling hills and a few modest accelerations. In the end, my quads burn and my biceps ache. But my knee feels fine. It’s on.
Intentional Marathon Training
And by “on,” I mean I’m ready to dive fully into marathon training. I have a little over a month to get back up to speed. But thanks to my cycling during recovery, I’m not starting from zero. And there’s another unusual angle in my training, a little thing you may have heard of: Chat GPT. We turn to the open source AI for training recommendations. And after a few tweaks, we have a schedule:
Week 1:
- Monday, March 20: Rest or cross-training
- Tuesday, March 21: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Wednesday, March 22: 6 miles with 4 miles at 9:10/mile pace (tempo run)
- Thursday, March 23: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Friday, March 24: 8 miles at 9:40/mile pace (steady-state run)
- Saturday, March 25: 16 miles at 10:00/mile pace (long run)
- Sunday, March 26: Rest or cross-training
Week 2:
- Monday, March 27: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Tuesday, March 28: 6 miles with 4 miles at 9:05/mile pace (tempo run)
- Wednesday, March 29: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Thursday, March 30: 8 miles at 9:35/mile pace (steady-state run)
- Friday, March 31: 18 miles at 10:00/mile pace (long run)
- Saturday, April 1: Rest or cross-training
- Sunday, April 2: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
Week 3:
- Monday, April 3: 6 miles with 4 miles at 9:00/mile pace (tempo run)
- Tuesday, April 4: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Wednesday, April 5: 8 miles at 9:30/mile pace (steady-state run)
- Thursday, April 6: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Friday, April 7: 20 miles at 10:00/mile pace (long run)
- Saturday, April 8: Rest or cross-training
- Sunday, April 9: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
Week 4 (Taper):
- Monday, April 10: 6 miles with 4 miles at 8:55/mile pace (tempo run)
- Tuesday, April 11: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Wednesday, April 12: 6 miles at 9:30/mile pace (steady-state run)
- Thursday, April 13: 5 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Friday, April 14: 12 miles at 10:00/mile pace (long run)
- Saturday, April 15: Rest or cross-training
- Sunday, April 16: 4 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
Week 5 (Taper continued):
- Monday, April 17: 4 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Tuesday, April 18: 3 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run)
- Wednesday, April 19: Rest
- Thursday, April 20: 2 miles at 10:00/mile pace (easy run), followed by a few strides
- Friday, April 21: Rest
- Saturday, April 22: Marathon Day! Aim for a 9:09/mile pace to achieve a 4-hour finish
Now, to see how well I can keep to it without another injury.
New Shoes
For this new phase of training, I also have a new pair of trainers. I started running in December 2021 in socks. At the time, all I had were heavy hiking boots or light slippers, so I opted for no shoes at all while running on a family member’s treadmill. After a week of running shoeless, I decided that I liked running enough to justify investing in a pair of running shoes. (Adding another pair of shoes is a big decision when living in a little truck camper.) So, we stopped by REI and bought a pair of Brooks Ghost running shoes. They were light and with the right amount of cushion and support for my casual running. I ran in them until the fabric began tearing in December 2022. Time to demote the Brooks to everyday walking shoes and pick out my marathon shoes.
This time, we drop into a specialty running shop owned and run by an accomplished ultra runner. After trying on a couple of pairs of shoes and spending a few minutes on a treadmill, I leave the shop with a pair of Topo Phantom 2 running shoes. The shoes are lighter. The cushion is softer. And the toebox is roomy. I’m a fan except for one tiny problem: they are half a size too small. I didn’t notice initially, but within a month my big toe is starting to wear a hole into the tip of the shoe.
In a way, it’s a fortunate mistake. The time it took to wear a hole in the shoe, my knee also began developing its own problems. Suddenly, I have more considerations than just speed when selecting a shoe. Soon, we swing into another running shop and I’m perusing the discount shelf when I encounter the Asics Gel-Kayanno Lite 2. There’s something I really like about it. Its wider sole seems to force my foot to plant on the ground without rolling my foot to the side.
When I explain the sensation, the shop assistant confirms that, yes, these are for overpronation. That’s what they are supposed to do. Overpronation hasn’t been a concern in the past. It’s typical of runners with low arches or flat feet which I don’t have. But in protecting my knee, my foot does tend to roll in the way that these shoes address. For now, I want them. Unfortunately, I can only find one Asics Gel-Kayanno Lite 2. The other shoe in the discount box isn’t a match. And so I have to shell out an extra $40 for a pair of new Asics Gel-Kayanno Lite 3 running shoes. But when it comes to something that might help my knee, the expense seems well worth it.
Picking Kit
I’ve been reading many articles and listening to a variety of podcasts about running. One major theme that seems consistent is to not try anything new on race day. Drink what you always drink. Fuel how you always fuel. And wear what you always wear. I think the only time I’ve ever put as much thought into an outfit as this was for Chris and my wedding. This time, the focus is more on comfort. (Though the confidence boost that comes from looking cute is still in play)
Fortunately, the question of what to wear is easily answered because I have a favorite pair of running shorts and a sports bra. They’re light, don’t chafe, and I do think they are cute. In fact, I’m ordering a second set for backup in case we have a last-minute upset.
I also plan to bring a cheap set of sweats from Goodwill to keep me warm before the marathon. Hopefully, there will be a donation bin that I can toss them in just before we start the run and continue the cycle of donated clothing.
The only thing that stands to ruin my plans would be foul weather since I don’t have a running slicker.
The Countdown Is On
Each day is a day closer to the marathon. I’m not entirely sure what we have gotten ourselves into, but I’ll keep updating our progress as we go. I hope this can be useful to someone. Maybe it’s just for me. We’ll see.
March 16 Update: After a few days break from exercise, it’s time to swing into full training mode or at least partial training mode with a long bike ride to get the heart rate up. It may not be running but it certainly strains the cardiovascular system.
| – miles run | 60 minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 17 Update: My first “long” run in months. Back in December, 8 miles might have seemed like a “good” run. Today, it feels like a breakthrough and one of many that will have to happen if I’m going to pull of 26.2 miles in a little over a month. I take short, quick, and controlled steps to minimize impact and protect me knee. In the end, I can’t perfectly protect my knee but it doesn’t hurt.
| 8 miles run | 30 minutes biked | 10 minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
March 18 Update: I can still feel the strain of yesterday’s run on my knee so I take a break from running and mix things up with half an hour on the bike followed by a 10-minute strength training for runners and 20 minutes of yoga for runners.
| – miles run | 30 minutes biked | 10 minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
March 19 Update: The schedule may not have kicked in but it seems like the weekend is when I’m supposed to push myself. So, seeing that next weekend is a 16-mile run, I decided to ramp up with a 12-mile run… which turns into a 13.1-mile run because if you’re just one mile away from a half marathon, why not?
| 13.1 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
March 20 Update: After a half marathon, yesterday, I’m taking it easy and doing everything but running. Is that “taking it easy”? To me it is.
| – miles run | 30 minutes biked | 20 minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
March 21 Update: 5-mile run in 45 minutes. I think that’s the fastest I’ve run since my knee problems. Sure, I used to be able to maintain a much stronger pace, but this is reassuring progress.
| 5 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 22 Update: I think yesterday’s run was a little premature after the 13 miles on the 19th. My knee is a little tender so I’m skipping the running in favor of a bike ride and some weight training. Not only does the bike ride minimize stress on my knee, but I find that it allows me to pressure my cardiovascular system more than I can when running, at least right now. When running, I have to focus on my knee rather than speed or incline. But on a bike, I can crank up the resistance and spike my heart rate without being distracted by my knee (So long as I stay in the seat.)
After a reasonably challenging hour ride, I run through a half hour of weight training for runners. There are a few sets I can’t do because it puts too much strain on my knee. Heck, I had to skip anything that involved jumping. But hopefully, another night’s sleep and I can get back on schedule for running.
| – miles run | 60 minutes biked | 30 minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 23 Update: Why is it that every time I say I’m going to “take it easy” I push myself? To be fair, 6.5mph isn’t some record-breaking speed but it takes a lot of control to maintain and not harm my knee. Even so, it’s a good clip faster than the 6mph I had planned for. My knee is feeling some discomfort but I seem to have avoided pain. So, I consider this to be a resounding success but I’m definitely not running the 8 miles suggested in my running schedule for tomorrow.
| 6.6 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 24 Update: Tomorrow is the longest run I’ve ever attempted and I’m nervous. That said, my muscles are sore, my knee is tender, and rather than lying around all day, I want to give them a bit of a stretch. So, I take a half-hour bike ride and a 20-minute session of yoga for runners. It’s the same series of positions as past yoga and really leaves my muscles feeling settled.
| – miles run | 30 minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 25 Update: This is it, 16 miles. I’ve never run this far before I dress in my favorite sports bra and running shorts with my new running shoes and carrying two collapsable water bottles designed for distance runners. This is meant to be a dress rehearsal covering a lot of ground that we will be covering during the marathon itself. My first four miles are solid, considering we are taking this at a conservative speed with 10:26 / 9:30 / 9:23 / 9:50 minute splits. It’s a reasonably good start but we quickly cross the 10-minute mile, which we had pinned as our minimum pace. Of course, part of this is traffic. Our first few miles are along an uninterrupted river path. But eventually, we get into town and have to stop for traffic lights. Part of this is directions: our route is not straightforward. We regularly stop to make sure we know which turn is next. And part of this is my knee, which starts making itself known halfway into the 16 miles. I walk a few minutes of my 11th mile and take a Tylenol before returning to a slow jog, favoring dirt over pavement when the opportunity arrives.
In the end, it’s not a pace I’m proud of. But it’s not necessarily the pace I should expect on the marathon day. And at least I finished, despite delays.
Besides that, there are a lot of lessons learned:
- Running with water bottles is not nearly as difficult as I expected. I was aware of them, but they didn’t seem to weigh me down. Perhaps that is partially thanks to my strength training.
- My sunglasses do not stay on my face while running, and I do not have a good place to stow them. I held them for three-quarters of the run. I’ll try running with a visor next time.
- Armpit chafing: How is this a thing? I shaved my armpits in the morning and had terrible red welts by the end of the run. I’ll make a point to shave at least a day in advance from here on out and see if that helps
- After three hours in the sun, I am a lobster. The little sunscreen I used was far from sufficient. For my next long run, I’m going to try running in a long-sleeved shirt. I may also try to find a sunscreen better suited to distance running.
- I might not have run fast, but I ran strong. I managed to keep good form while running, and even at the end I felt I could keep running (though I was glad to stop).
| 16 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 26th Update: Rest day. My knees seem fine. Or maybe that’s because my sunburn is driving me to distraction from anything else.
March 27th Update: I’m “taking it easy” with a 45-minute low-impact bike ride. No fast peddling but some great resistance has me really pushing my heart rate without stressing my knee. I feel great but the post-ride shower is miserable when the water hits on my sunburn.
| – miles run | 45 minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 28th Update: Well, I’m officially done resting. We watched Spirit of the Marathon last night, and I guess I was feeling a little inspired. Because after a modest warm-up pace and some hills, I really went to town, totaling 7.25 miles in an hour. It’s not a PR, but it’s close. Check out these splits:
| Mile | Splits | Elevation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:36 | 41 |
| 2 | 9:00 | 57 |
| 3 | 8:35 | 117 |
| 4 | 8:03 | 113 |
| 5 | 7:47 | 52 |
| 6 | 7:36 | 41 |
| 7 | 7:30 | 41 |
| 0.25 | 7:27 | 16 |
Oh, and I just learned about sweat blisters. After this run, I looked in the mirror and couldn’t wipe the sweat off my shoulders. Yeah, it looks like the pours of my sunburned top layer of skin aren’t functioning and my sweat is beading under that layer of skin. It’s offputting.
| 7.25 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 29th Update: Last night, I could feel my lungs expanding and contracting. That run really pushed me in ways I didn’t expect. Most of all in that, it didn’t seem to affect my knee. It remains sensitive but pain free.
I’m starting to look at the media we consume as part of my training. We continued our running documentary theme with City Slickers Can’t Stay With Me. Between our running documentary series, listening to the Runners World Podcast, and following a bunch of running accounts on IG, I feel pretty immersed in running culture.
That said, today was an everything-but-running day. I still dripped sweat but on the bicycle. And then, I completed a 30-minute strength session. Last time, I couldn’t do jumping jacks (that hurt my knee), but this time, I could. Though I still had to skip one series of squats and knee lifts that centered on my weak knee. Anyhow, it’s positive progress. I’m feeling ambitious about this weekend’s long run.
| – miles run | 45 minutes biked | 30 minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 30th Update: It’s another running day that I intended to take easy but wound up running 7.1 miles in my hour of running. Most notably, my knee continues to feel fine. I’m feeling optimistic about Saturday.
| 7.1 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
March 31 Update: I’m still getting sweat blisters and consider that to be the most notable revelation of the day. It’s a point in my skin’s healing where I look at each bead of sweat and wonder “is that on top or under my skin?” While my sunburn is still fading, and in preparation for tomorrow’s long run, I took it easy with a moderate half-hour bike ride and loosened up with yoga for runners.
In other news, we finally got a package of new running kit: shorts for Chris, a visor and sun shirt for me. The shirt feels a little scratchy, but I still plan to try it out for tomorrows long run. Hopefully, I will not regret it. Given last weeks rash, though, I’m not taking anything for granted.
| – miles run | 30 minutes biked | – minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
April 1 Update: No time for April Fools jokes here. It’s our long run day and time to test some more gear. After last weeks sunburn, I start with a long-sleeved sun shirt, visor, sunglasses, shorts, and collapsible waterbottles with handles. Despite some of the mesh panels on the shirt, I start feeling hot. Fortunately, I had a 3-mile shake-down loop on our route, so I dropped off the shirt, applied copious sunscreen, and used a bathroom.
Three lessons learned in the first three miles:
- I either need some yet unknown, super-light sun shirt or lots of sunscreen (or the weather needs to be cooler)
- I should pause drinking in the leadup to the run to avoid a bathroom stop
- The right sunglasses make all the difference. Last week, I wore an old pair of sunglasses that would bounce off my nose while running. This week I got a new pair of lightweight “running” sunglasses that stay on my head.
Speaking of hydration, I ran holding my water bottles again. This time, I was much better at drinking from them. Last week I finished them by the end of the run which said more about how confused I was about how to drink from them as opposed to how much I should have been drinking. This time, I refilled them three times and would have refilled a fourth if there had been a water fountain available earlier in my run. My arms got a little tired at points but the constant access to water seemed worth the trouble. (All the more reason to double down on my strenth training) I think I will use them for the actual marathon even though the event has hydration stations. This way I can just fill up my bottles at the aid station and sip throughout the run.
On to nutrition: we had lasagna and a chocolate chip cookie the night before. So, kinda like your classic pasta carb loading. We had oatmeal with walnuts, flax seeds, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and bananas for breakfast. But then we had several little projects that delayed our run until the late morning. I think this impacted our performance in a way that isn’t relevant to the early morning start of our event day. We probably should have had a little snack before starting to make up for the delay. Instead, I started feeling sluggish early in the run. We had a hydrating powder in our water for the first stage of the run and two gel packs for later. Unfortunately, one of Chris’s fell out during the run so I shared one of mine for the first stage and then we each had one at the twelve-mile point.
Lessons learned:
- Have a snack before starting if a long time has elapsed between our last meal and the run.
- Pack an extra gel just in case
Despite a few complications, we had much better splits for this run compared to last week. A lot of that is likely because we used a trail route, so we didn’t get held up by street crossings. Granted, that gained speed may have contributed to my knee hurting again. I’d managed to avoid any pain since the last long run, but it’s popping up again. After next week’s 20-mile run, I’m looking forward to giving my knee a much-needed break before the big day.
Chris suggested that I cut out early to not hurt my knee any further, but I was adamant to run the distance and just cut back on my speed. After all, I’ll likely have to make the same calculus on marathon day. So, while we did slow down, we also finished the 18-mile run together. So I’m happy.
After the run, we just followed our bodies’ signals: eat, stretch, shower, sleep. I napped through much of the rest of the day and still slept through the night. Marathon training is serious work.
| 18 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
April 2 Update: Rest day. A very needed rest day. My knee is sore. No stairs, kneeling, squatting, or anything that requires me to put a majority of my unsupported weight on that knee.
April 3 Update: My knee and surrounding muscles are still tender, so I take a moderate 50-minute bike ride. By the end of it, my knee feels loose, and I’m in high spirits. So I go ahead and launch into a 30-minute strength workout for runners. I did modify a couple of routines that stressed my knee, but I was going strong with everything else. Altogether, a good day. Nothing too hard but also nothing too easy.
| – miles run | 50 minutes biked | 30 minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 4 Update: I was a little hesitant to run today. I took 10 minutes to warm up carefully and then started with a very light jog before gradually accelerating to my marathon pace. Half an hour in, and I was feeling strong. Nowhere near the power of last week, but good enough to do a few accelerations. I managed 6.5 miles in an hour and ran an extra half mile to round it out. Another modestly good day.
| 7 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
April 5th Update: I’ve had a formula that I’ve enjoyed the last couple of weeks that doesn’t work this week. I’ve been spreading out my running every other day except the rest day (with bike rides in between). But this week, I’m running Friday instead of Saturday, so it messes up my alternating schedule. That said, I want to get in the same number of running days, but I don’t want to load a run day just before the long run. That means I’m running again today, despite my run yesterday, so that I can do a ride tomorrow.
| 10 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | 20 minutes stretching / yoga |
April 6 Update: Tomorrow is our big run, and I am so nervous. I still feel sore from all the past workouts and worry I’ll fall apart without finishing tomorrow’s 20 miles. I don’t want to stress my legs too much, so I choose a moderate bike ride and strength routine instead.
| – miles run | 30 minutes biked | 30 minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 7 Update: We did it. We ran 20 miles. And honestly, it wasn’t as hard as I expected. Don’t get me wrong. It was hard. But with all the soreness I had accumulated over these last couple of weeks of intense training, I thought I would be limping through this run. I had already accepted that I might average something closer to a 12-minute mile. My intent was to survive, not to outperform all our past long runs. And yet, we covered all 20 miles with a 9:42 minutes per mile average. It’s not a speed that would get us a sub-4-hour marathon, but we also covered some surprisingly hilly terrain. The time includes stopping halfway through the 5th mile to stretch out a cramping quad muscle and wandering through a park looking for water to refill our bottles.
The major difference between this run and our past two long runs is the weather. Today was cool, practically cold. I wore a puffy coat while warming up and a sweater for the first three miles. (Which meant that I ran the following 17 miles with a sweater tied around my waist.) Even with the sweater off, I was still wearing a long-sleeved running shirt which gave me some very welcome sun protection.
The second most notable difference with this run was our running form. We made a conscious effort to lean forward while running. That just naturally made us run faster. Along with that, we also made a greater effort to avoid heel strikes. Anything I can do to make a smoother run and cut back on knee damage. It’s amazing what a difference good form makes.
As soon as we stopped running, we were exhausted, but we seem to have avoided any major injuries. This run, I flirted with tight quads and an occasionally troublesome achilles but my knees, while tender, didn’t hurt. The only relative “injury” I’ve identified is a blister on my foot. Unfortunately, It’s under a callus. Fortunately, I have other shoes that don’t seem to irritate that location. So I’m planning to let it be and heal over the next two weeks before the marathon.
I expect the coming two weeks of taper and recovery, along with the energy of the marathon, will push us to even greater efforts. The great unknown will be the weather. It could be hot. And that’s my remaining concern.
| 20 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 8 Update: Break day. All things considered, I think this was my easiest recovery yet. No sunburn or heat exhaustion and my knee is feeling fine. I’m mostly sore in my quads and my right calf. Hooray!
April 9 Update: It’s a holiday so our training is a little messed up. I start the morning with some strength training, but I don’t get around to biking until the evening (normally, I do all my workouts first thing in the morning. Neither leaves much to write home about. This. is the beginning of our taper, after all.
| – miles run | 55 minutes biked | 30 minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 10 Update: I said that we are now in the taper phase, but I couldn’t help myself today. After such a solid performance n our 20-mile effort, I wanted to do some speed work. Then I realized how good my output was and pushed through for a PR. It feels so good, but I know I need to stop this nonsense and properly taper my effort.
Less stress. More recovery.
At least I can do this without messing up my knee.
| 7.15 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 11 Update: I was good today and stuck with the plan: moderate effort on the bike and some weight training. This will be my second to last round of strength training before the marathon. Next week, I’ll replace it with yoga to keep my muscles loose and active.
| – miles run | 45 minutes biked | 30 minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 12 Update: The taper continues with a one-hour run alternating between my marathon pace and a few mild speed efforts. Nothing on the level of the 10th. But it was a nice bit of speed work before I start shortening my runs even more.
| 6.75 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 13 Update: Just a nice, sweaty bike ride.
| – miles run | 45 minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 14 Update: This. is it! Our last longish run. But, of course, despite this being our taper, we have to make it extra challenging by running an offensively hilly course. It was scenic, but I kept getting mad at the inclines, some as extreme as 12%. The first three miles were a drag, but I eventually got into the zone and maintained an ambitious pace. I kept promising myself that the whole course couldn’t be this hilly…it was. Overall, we averaged a 9:22 mile. By the end, my quads were feeling the burn but today’s surprise was that I had some noticeable chaffing on my thighs. That’s. a first.
| 10.75 miles run | – minutes biked | – minutes strength | – minutes stretching / yoga |
April 15 Update: Rest Day!
