It’s the last week of 2022 and week 13 of marathon training. Only 5 more weeks of training to go! The week started off with Christmas and no running or workout. However, I was back to training on Monday, the 26th (day 85 of training).
Day 85
Since I had the day off on Monday I attempted the full 800 meter interval workout on the treadmill. I allowed myself some extra time to sleep in and started my workout in the afternoon. I’m still trying to get used to running in my Good Feet Store insoles, so I wore them in my Endorphin Speed 2 treadmill shoes. The one in my right shoe kept slipping and annoying me.
It was a hard workout. Running 800 meters 10 times in a single workout is a challenge of both physical and mental endurance. Even the easy intervals get hard as the workout gets longer. The workout is broken into a warm up, ten 800 meter segments and a cool down. The ten 800 meter segments alternate between a hard and easy pace. The hard pace is my long interval pace which is about a minute and a half faster than my marathon pace per mile. Then, my easy intervals are run at my normal conversational pace.
My heart rate really gets up there toward the end of the hard 800 meter intervals. By the time I was done with the workout I was ecstatic that it was over. I even applauded, although I was the only one in the room. It took me an hour and 47 minutes to run 9 miles with the walking or jogging breaks in between each interval, plus the warm up and cool down miles.
Day 86
I tried the ASICS Novablast 3 shoes again today but this time I used the Currex insoles (instead of the Good Feet Store inserts) and they were much more comfortable. I think I actually do like them more than I thought I did after my first run.
My legs got fatigued toward the end of today’s 8 mile easy pace run after yesterday’s hard interval workout. I really had to focus on picking up my feet and turning over my legs in the last three miles.
I received a Polar H10 chest strap heart rate monitor for Christmas, so I tried it out on my runs yesterday and today. It seems to be pretty similar to my watch reading which I supposed is a good thing considering that’s what I’ve been relying on up until now. I’ll keep using it though because I can’t imagine it isn’t more accurate even if by a small margin. I find it really comfortable too. I hardly notice I’m wearing it.
Day 87
It was very wet outside today so I took my 5 mile easy pace run and strides to the treadmill. Really tried to keep the 5 miles at an easy, conversational pace. I listened to my audiobook, Never Finished as I ran my easy miles but switched to Spotify and listened to 311 for my strides. I needed something upbeat to get my legs turning over faster.
To run strides on the treadmill I bump up the speed .2 mph for each 20 second stride. I don’t start counting the 20 seconds until the treadmill is almost at the top speed and then slow it to a walk really quickly at the end. The natural ramp up and ramp down speeds are helpful with the strides on the treadmill and make them feel more natural.
My stomach was growling after this workout, so I ate a Muir Energy packet when I was done in order to hold me over until I could have breakfast an hour or so later. I’m still recovering from the holiday eating fest and my body is still adjusting back to normal.
Day 88
New shoe day! I found a pair of speed 3’s on the return rack at the Road Runner Sports tent sale this week. I’ve been trying to decide what shoe I want to wear for the marathon and the Speed 3 keeps coming up. However, the pair I already had does not feel all that great. The tongue on the right shoe always twists and slides down. Also, they just don’t feel as bouncy as the Speed 2’s that I own. However, when I tried on the Speed 3’s at the tent sale this weekend they felt different. They were more bouncy and just felt secure, so I bought them.
My shoes felt great. However, at about the 1 mile mark I went to take a sip of water from my handheld water bottle and the nozzle came right off. Water splashed all over my face, and down my hand. I stopped and picked up the nozzle but it was dark and I’d left my headlamp at home this morning, so I couldn’t see to put it back on. When I felt the bottle and the nozzle, I thought it felt like it broken. So, I put the nozzle in my pocket and held a finger over the open spout on the handheld water bottle for the next 4 ½ miles.
Dealing with the broken water bottle and switching it back and forth between each hand to use different fingers to plug the hole really tested my ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and adversity while on the run. It must have given me energy because I had to keep pulling my pace back to marathon pace because I kept finding myself running faster.
The sun had come up while I was running. When I was done with the run I surveyed the water bottle again. I felt like an idiot. The nozzle wasn’t broken at all. I had been trying to put it back on upside down. There’s a criss-cross of plastic on the top part and I had been trying to attach that end onto the bottle. The good news was that I didn’t need to buy a new water bottle.
Day 89
I kept everything easy today during my cross training and runner’s strength workout. I’ve been preparing mentally and physically all week for tomorrow’s 20 mile run. To be proactive, I scheduled an acupuncture appointment for this afternoon to address some neck pain and the tightness I’m still feeling in my right hamstring. The last thing I need is for my hamstring to seize up when I’m miles away from my car.
As far as carb loading, I haven’t done anything strategically. However, I don’t hold back if I want something startchy or carb heavy leading up to a really long run. I ate a couple of Bobo’s snacks but nothing else very specific.
Workouts
Day 84
- Christmas Day holiday rest day
Day 85
- Run 800 meters x’s 10 (5 hard and 5 easy) with warm up & cool down (9 total miles)
Day 86
- 8 mile run at conversational pace
Day 87
- 5 mile run at conversational pace on treadmill
- 8 20-second strides on treadmill
Day 88
- 5 mile run at marathon goal pace
Day 89
- 30 minutes cross training on spin bike
- 50 minutes runner’s strength workout and MOBO board