9 weeks until Chicago Marathon
With triathlon season (sadly) coming to an end, it’s time for me to focus 100% on Chicago Marathon. I was able to bounce back with decent mileage this week, but mostly all of the easy** variety as I recovered from USAT Nationals. Without two-a-days nearly everyday, it was also time get serious about strength training again.
**When hills are involved, nothing ever really feels too easy.
Monday
- Plan: 45 min – 1:00 Easy Run
- Actual: 7.1M @ 8:27
Ran the first ~3 with Brad on neighborhood roads and it was really nice to have his company. My legs felt stiff and sluggish for the first couple of minutes, then loosened up really nicely. I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh I felt despite being only a couple days removed from the triathlon.
Tuesday
- Plan: Strength Routine + 45 min – 1:00 Easy Run
- Actual: Strength + 7.2M @ 8:20
Despite going to bed at a normal time, Brad and I both slept in a little longer than planned. I finally crawled out of bed around 7:30 and got started on my strength routine. It was windy, wet and cool, almost fall-like outside. My legs felt like they were barely moving, but my watch kept telling me I was running faster than “easy” pace. That’s definitely the result of a day off plus two easy days in a row.
Ernie likes to “help” me do my strength exercises…by sitting on me.
Wednesday
- Plan: 45 min – 1:00 Easy Run or Cross Training
- Actual: 7.15M @ 8:24
We flew to Virginia at 7 a.m. and I briefly entertained the idea of a 3-something wake-up call to run before the flight. Once I saw the high in Virginia was only 75, I decided that there was no reason to run at an unreasonable hour if I could do it without melting later in the day. I ended up running at 5:30 p.m. after travel and getting some work done. It was overcast and not overly humid, but my body felt sluggish. It could have been from strength work the day before or being back on hills again, but my legs didn’t really have much pep.
Laying in the driveway post run. I miss getting to do this when I am in Chicago.
Thursday
- Plan:
Strength Routine +1:00 Progression Run - Actual: 7.4M @ 8:07: 8:33, 8:23, 8:17, 8:12, 8:00, 7:52, 7:44, 7.29 (0.4)
I rode with Brad to the Richmond area on Wednesday night so he wouldn’t have to drive by himself for 3 hours. Plus I thought it would be fun to run somewhere new and I can work from anywhere. We stayed well outside of Richmond and my quick research for running paths was unsuccessful, so I just ran from my hotel. There were no sidewalks and it was a really commercial area, so I ended up doing 5+ laps around a mall feeder road. So much for a fun new running experience?! A mere 13 hours after a lackluster run the night before, this one was just as sluggish. My legs seemed to like when I picked up the pace every mile, but overall I still felt a little sore and tired.
I forgot to do the strength routine before I left for the run, so I (obviously) skipped it since my legs were already pretty sore.
On our drive back from Richmond, we stopped so Brad could hit golf balls and I stretched the legs out with a walk around the course.
Friday
- Plan: OFF
- Actual: OFF
Much needed rest and sleep.
Saturday
- Plan: 1:45 Run
- Actual: 12.75 @ 8:20
Similar to the two previous runs, this was yet another not-so-great one. Even bordering on downright shitty (although thankfully, not literally). I managed to procrastinate until 8 a.m. and while it was miraculously cooler than a normal August day in Virginia, the sun was warming things up quickly. I just never really got into this run mentally. I was starving at mile 4 (only ate a banana before) and a long hill around mil 9.5 kind of broke me. I stopped by the house at mile 11 to get water and go to the bathroom (sure sign of dehydration for me) and it took every ounce of motivation to get started again. I usually never end long runs without rounding up the mile, but I was just happy to get to the 1:45 target on this one.
Rounded out the day at the lake with a couple of rounds of wake boarding. I knew I woudl be sore but I had to prove to myself that I could still do some of the “tricks” I learned a few years ago :)
Sunday
- Plan: Strength Routine + 1:00 Easy Run
- Actual: Strength + 7.2M @ 8:22
Woke up with sore muscles in places that I haven’t used in a reallllly long time. I still did the strength routine, but shortened it a little and cut out the single legs squats. I wasn’t sure how the run would go, but I actually warmed up quickly and it felt pretty good to loosen up the sore muscles.
Totals
- Run: 48.8 miles
- Cross training: 0
- Strength x 2
- Yoga: 0 (Back at next week! Can’t wait!)
