This past Saturday's run was the last "long run" of the training process. We started at 4 am and ran 22 miles. It was absolutely one of the most difficult runs of my life. Every step from 9 miles on was painful. By that I don't really mean pain - like you could take a tylenol and make it go away. I mean sluggish muscles, and leg achy- ness and general tired-ness. I don't really know why it was so tough, but I learned a lot during the 5 and a half hour run.
Primarily, I learned that no matter how bad it hurts on the day of the marathon, I have the mental fortitude to tough it out and finish. At about mile 14 my friend, Sue ( aka running mentor) suggested that it would not be entirely bad for me to quit for the day. I made the decision to do the mileage even though every fiber of my being shouted at me to stop.
When I finished, I was really happy that I had chosen to see it through.
We are now less than 3 weeks away from the marathon. The taper begins now with shorter week end runs and a general decrease in mileage throughout the week. I will run 12 miles this coming Saturday and 8 miles the Saturday before the race.
People ask me what my goal is for this marathon. Most marathon runners have a public goal and a secret goal. I will tell you that my public goal is to finish strong and to cross the finish line before they take the time clock away ( they stop the clock after 6 and a half hours from the start.) My secret goal is.....SECRET, DUH....
More along the way. Thanks for reading!
Chicago Marathon
Nearly Six hours later!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Mid Training yuk Syndrome
Yup. I have arrived at mental burnout. I have been training since June and frankly, my dear, I am ready to be finished! The big day is October 10 and is 26 days from now.
Last week we ran hills in Apopka and completed 14 miles. This coming week's long run is the longest yet and will be the longest for the entire training period. We will run 22 miles starting at 4 am. It seems a little odd to me that you never go beyond this distance - but I am trusting the training.
I will continue to train after the marathon is done - regardless of the outcome. There are two half marathons that I like to do each year and I hope to achieve a personal best in both of them. The first one is the OUC half marathon on December 4 here in Orlando and the other one is at the end of February in Tampa. The training is different for the half marathon distance - with 12 or 13 miles being the longest you need to do prior to the race - and you incorporate more speed drills.
I guess that is really about all I can think of to tell you right now. As we gear up for the trip, I will include you in on the jitters and packing mayhem that is sure to ensue.
Thanks for reading.
Julie
Last week we ran hills in Apopka and completed 14 miles. This coming week's long run is the longest yet and will be the longest for the entire training period. We will run 22 miles starting at 4 am. It seems a little odd to me that you never go beyond this distance - but I am trusting the training.
I will continue to train after the marathon is done - regardless of the outcome. There are two half marathons that I like to do each year and I hope to achieve a personal best in both of them. The first one is the OUC half marathon on December 4 here in Orlando and the other one is at the end of February in Tampa. The training is different for the half marathon distance - with 12 or 13 miles being the longest you need to do prior to the race - and you incorporate more speed drills.
I guess that is really about all I can think of to tell you right now. As we gear up for the trip, I will include you in on the jitters and packing mayhem that is sure to ensue.
Thanks for reading.
Julie
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Miles and more miles.
So, it was a holiday weekend and I got to sleep in a little bit on Saturday morning. Rather than our usual 430 am start, we started at 6 am and the starting point was half a block from my house.
This week's distance was 12 miles. I was really happy for the shorter distance and for the "late" start. I have been training for 12 weeks now and really needed a mental break.
No big news or stories about the run - it was just another training run. There was, however, some entertainment. At about mile 8, we saw a street fight. Not a knockdown drag out - but a verbal volley of more expletive deletives than I have heard in a long time. On our return, the police were there to settle things down. At about mile 9 we were greeted by a gaggle of dachshunds out for a walk with their dog sitter. There were at least 10 of them and one was in a stroller while an injured one was assisted by a wheelchair. It looked like a wiener chariot! All this before 8am!
Of late, I have been obsessively checking Chigago weather, trying to project what temperature it might be for the race. As best as I can tell, it is likely to be between 30 and 45 degrees at the start and up to 60 degrees more or less at the finish. Exciting!
We are winding down our training. The remaining long runs are: 16 miles, 22 miles, 9 miles,8 miles, race.
Only 5 weeks left!
This week's distance was 12 miles. I was really happy for the shorter distance and for the "late" start. I have been training for 12 weeks now and really needed a mental break.
No big news or stories about the run - it was just another training run. There was, however, some entertainment. At about mile 8, we saw a street fight. Not a knockdown drag out - but a verbal volley of more expletive deletives than I have heard in a long time. On our return, the police were there to settle things down. At about mile 9 we were greeted by a gaggle of dachshunds out for a walk with their dog sitter. There were at least 10 of them and one was in a stroller while an injured one was assisted by a wheelchair. It looked like a wiener chariot! All this before 8am!
Of late, I have been obsessively checking Chigago weather, trying to project what temperature it might be for the race. As best as I can tell, it is likely to be between 30 and 45 degrees at the start and up to 60 degrees more or less at the finish. Exciting!
We are winding down our training. The remaining long runs are: 16 miles, 22 miles, 9 miles,8 miles, race.
Only 5 weeks left!
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