One week til' the marathon!!!

I can't believe the marathon is less then one week away. I followed my own 12 week program including long runs of 15, 16, 17, 17, 20.5, 20, and 15 miles in length. Throw a few 10 milers in there and that was basically my training program. All of my long runs were run between a 6:48 and 7:05 pace. I figured that I would like to average a sub 6:30 pace for the marathon so I was hoping that running 30 seconds slower then race pace would be a good idea for the long runs.

My weekly mileage totals were between 30 and 45 miles per week. I know that doesn't seem like much, but I was able to run sub 36 min 10k's on 25 miles a week and a 1:19 half marathon on similar mileage. I hope that running at least 3-4 times a week and the increase of time running will help me to reach the finish before hitting the wall.

As far as nutrition during long runs I practiced eating a Clif Blok every 35 minutes of my training runs and carrying water/gatorade as well. I always try to drink shortly after eating a Blok. I'm not sure how tough it's going to be to eat and drink while running around a 6:20 pace. It could be difficult. I'm sure towards the end of the race I'm going to have to slow down a lot or stop to hydrate and eat. If done correctly, I won't have to stop at all.

My training partner is planning on going out a 6:15 pace for as long as possible. I'd like to keep him in sight and then try to reel him in late in the race. I also hope that if and when I pass him he will hang with me as long as he can and we can finish close together. He is a great runner and I think his finishing time is really going to surprise him.

Training for a marathon has been consuming. It as been a passion for me the last 8 weeks or so. I have dreamed about running it multiple times and now it is time to make that dream a reality. Here goes nothing.....

Go wild and enjoy running!!

The Longest Run Yet!!

Over the weekend I ran a 20+ miler!! My Garmin shows that I ran 20.48 miles in 2:21. I'm really happy that I was able to keep below a 7 minute pace for the run. It really puts into perspective that I can and will be able to pull off a full marathon. I kept my heartrate low (averaged 150 bpm for the entire run) and it didn't start to get up there until my last few miles. I really focused on my how my body felt throughout the run. I don't listen to music when I run and I feel that, especially on a long run it's important to be aware of and pay attention to when your body needs attention. I ate and drank every 35 minutes and consumed 10 oz of Gatorade, 10 oz of water and 5 Clif Bloks during the run. I didn't have any major stomach issues or side cramps either. It was a great run.

Right after the run I ate, but shortly thereafter was starving again and had to find food quick as my stomach was growling for more. This happened two more times that day in the afternoon. I definitely need to bring food in the car for after the marathon. Maybe I'll bring a couple PB&J sandwiches. My Garmin also displayed that I burned 2500 calories. No wonder I was so hungry!!!

Body wise, I was starting to get sore that night before bed and had to take a couple Ibruprofen's because my knees were sore. One of my calves was sore too, but nothing chronic to speak of. When I woke up the next day the knee pain was gone, but my overall fatigue level was high. I was tired and decided to take the day off from running. Now that it's 2 days later I'll try to get a slow 6-8 miler in depending on how much time I can dedicate to it.

Next up will be another long run of up to 20 miles in length before I drop back down and taper to the start of the marathon, which is on October the 16th. It's fast approaching!!

The Training Continues

I got a 17 miler in with my friend Reed 2 days ago. I ended up averaging 6:57 pace throughout. I wanted to slow down some from my previous 16 miler which I averaged a 6:49 pace. After the 16 mile training run I was sore for a couple of days to the point where I had to stretch at night, especially my left leg/ankle/side of my calf area. This run felt much better. My feet still heated up a lot after mile 14, mostly because I need to wear different shoes and maybe socks too. My trusty Green Silence are awesome on any distance up to a halfathon, but aren't going to cut it as a long distance trainer.


Next up, an 18 miler this weekend. The rest of my training will consist of tempo runs anywhere from 5-8 miles in length and hill repeats, which I'll need to help build my strength for the last 13 miles of the marathon I am going to be doing. Roughly 5 of these miles are uphill, or at least that's what the topography looks like for the race. It also appears that at around mile 20 you turn around and head back down the hill(s) that you just came up towards the finish. As long as my legs aren't too thrashed it's going to feel really good turning around at 20.


I am going to be getting some new Brooks shoes delivered tomorrow, the Brooks Ghost 4's. A friend of mine runs in them and really likes them a lot. I hope they'll be a good shoe to wear on my long training runs and my feet are cozier in them on those higher miles!!

Go wild and enjoy running!!

Marathon!!!!

Well, I guess it's time to get a marathon done. I did a 16 mile training run a couple of days ago (averaged 6:49 pace throughout) and have been averaging 30+ miles per week for about 6 weeks or so now. I would like to get a couple more long runs in before I really truly make up my mind, but I'm about 80% sure that it's going to happen. Pretty crazy......I'm getting excited about it, but I'm also afraid I'll go out there and hit the wall hard(every runner's fear when running a marathon for the first time).


I spoke to my running buddy today and he told me that in his best marathon(he's done 30+ of them to date) he stopped on mile 20 and walked for 2-3 minutes. He still ended up running a 2:48. He emphasized getting it done as fast as you can, especially while you feel good because a wall is eminent. I've stopped on the last two runs that I've gone on and it really doesn't seem to affect my overall pace. Another marathon friend of mine said that I've got to slow down and get longer runs in, as that's the most important thing rather then speed. I can't stand running for 2 plus hours at a time, but if I have to I'll try and get a few of those in before race day. This is hopefully the first of many marathon post's to come in the next month or so before race day, October 16th, 2011.

Go wild and enjoy running!!