So far, so good

It seems (fingers crossed) that last week was just a blip in the training. Great news! So far this week I've done a 5 mile and a 10 mile run. Both went fantastically, so I'm cautiously optimistic about the next few weeks.

In order to get my 10 miles in today I had to get up at 6am. Nobody told me that it doesn't get light out until 7am! Seriously? In order to make it to class in time (and ensure adequate time for showering), I had no choice but to head out at 6:30am. It was not fun. (And Mom, don't worry I ran only on main roads where there were street lamps!). Luckily during the run I ran into (literally) one of my classmates and ran with him for a couple of miles. It was great to have some company, and he really forced me to pick up my pace.

I'm actively planning for this weekend's 20 mile run. That is the furthest distance I'll cover before the marathon. I've asked almost everyone I know in Boston if they are interested in running some part of that distance with me. It should be interesting to try and coordinate... We shall see!

Poor excuse for a run

Today's run was by far the worst run of my training to date. I was meant to run 14 miles. I slowly jogged/struggled through the first 7 and 3/4 at which point I decided I just could not go any further and so I walked. Once I hit 8 miles I found a bench and literally sat down and read some email. I was about half a mile from my apartment so I toyed with cutting my losses and just going home, but decided I really should finish the last 6 miles. So I got back up and was on my way. The last 6 were just as painful as the first 8, perhaps even more so. Through some combination of horrendously slow jogging, walking, and sitting on benches I managed to cover all 14 miles. It was not pretty. And I'm bummed, to say the least. The past few weeks have been awesome. This week has been a constant struggle. I need to figure out what's going on here, especially since I'm in the home stretch. Just 4 weeks to go until the marathon. Hopefully I can get this sorted out sometime soon...

Some days are slower than others

And some posts take longer to make it to my blog than others.


Tuesday morning's run this week was 5 miles. At this point 5 miles should be a breeze, yet for whatever reason I struggled through it. In fact, I ran at a slower pace than I did for my 18 mile run last weekend. That is crazy. If I had to guess, I suspect there were a few things going on here:

1. Mental preparation. Before my 18 mile run I got myself psyched up. I knew 18 miles was a long way so made sure that I was anticipating the run and was excited for it. For 5 miles I pretty much rolled out of bed and went for it. 
2. Recovery time. Yes, my 18 mile run was 3 days ago, but I suspect it took more out of me than I am willing to give it credit for. I am betting that my body is still trying to figure out what I did to it and why. 
3. Pace. The runs in which I am most successful I start off pretty slow and gradually pick up my pace over the first couple miles. Today I just went for it right off the bat. I definitely started at too fast a pace and paid for it later.
4. Route. I overestimated the distance of my planned route. This meant that I spent my last mile running in circles. Boredom is not helpful, especially when you're already struggling. 

I guess the important thing is that I finished my 5 miles. And since then I also managed to get in another 5 miles and a 9 miler. Looking forward to 14 miles tomorrow!

18 miles!

I ran 18 miles yesterday. That is crazy. Normally I don't think I even travel 18 miles over the course of a week. I actually felt great during the run. Admittedly I got really bored at mile 14, but I pushed through and completed all 18. Turns out that running that far is pretty darn exhausting not to mention sweat inducing. When I got home my roommate asked me if it was raining out. Nope. No rain. All sweat. Yup, it was pretty nasty. I was also in dire need of some fluid replacement. As you can see I had a wide selection of water, gatorade, and chocolate milk.

Post-run beverage selection

All in all, what is most crazy, or exciting I suppose, is that the marathon actually feels like it's within reach. Sure, I've still got another 8.2 miles to run the day of, but I actually think I can do it!

I completely forgot!

I can't believe I forgot to post this in my blog yesterday! It must have been the sheer exhaustion of running and my brain was protesting. While I was out on the river I passed Julia Stiles riding her bike. That is my first ever celebrity sighting while running! For those who may not know who I'm referring to...

Julia Stiles filming her movie in Boston!

Or if you're like me, she'll always be the girl from 10 Things I Hate About You

A slow start...

Got a late start this morning. Fortunately it was cool outside. Unfortunately about 1 block from my apartment I got a horrific cramp on my left side, which meant I was off to a slow start. I suspect this was because I was super dehydrated and did not drink nearly enough water yesterday. I had visions of this being an awful 12 miles. Luckily the cramp subsided, but it was quickly replaced with a general, full stomach cramp. As you can imagine, those first few miles were not particularly fun. A couple miles in that general discomfort also subsided and then it was pretty much smooth sailing. It actually ended up being a pretty decent run. Not as good as my 16 mile run last week, but I suppose they can't all be quite like that.

I also decided last minute to head home this week for Yom Kippur. I'm very excited to be home, but this definitely throws a wrench in my training for this week. I think I've got a solid plan in place and it doesn't even require me to bring my running gear home! Here goes...

A day of rest

When I woke up yesterday it was very gloomy out. It had POURED the night before. I made a very quick decision to give myself what I deemed to be a much needed day off. My knees and quads definitely thanked me. I also got to sleep for an extra hour and a half which was greatly appreciated. My impromptu break was much enjoyed.

This morning - 8 miles. No complaints.