Yet luckily City Sports conducted a 20 mile training run on Saturday! I was able to join the group. The weather held up for our run and the rain actually stopped as we headed out. It was a great run and I was able to run with 2 other runners who kept me at about a 8:35 min/mile pace up until mile 15. I then dropped to a 9 to 10 min/mile as my pacers went ahead of me and I had to manage the route on my own and find my way back to City Sports (new route for me so had to ask for directions.) I am so happy that I was able to complete my last long run and I completed the 20 miles in 2 hours and 59 minutes - my fastest time this training cycle for a 20 miler!
Below is the 20 mile route map that was given to me at City Sports, great to have as this was a great route and would love to run it again on another training cycle in the future.
My fast mile was at mile 12 a 7:47 min/mile and my slowest mile was at mile 20 at 10:47 min/mile. I averaged 8:58 min/mile for the 20 miles.
Last week Monday's 5 miler on Treadmill
My game face in the weight room, I believe I was doing arms!
Wednesday's 5 miles on treadmill
So Thursday's 40 minute tempo run did not happen yet I did celebrate my Son's 2nd birthday! It seems we are starting a tradition with having cake and singing the birthday song for Enzo first thing in the morning as we want to be the first to celebrate with him! My tempo run was the last thing on my mind yet I did give Enzo tempo kisses when I was with him and I believe for 40 minutes so hope that counts...okay I know it doesn't, so yeah workout missed :( but for a great cause :) !
At this point in the week I still believed my 20 mile run in VA was going to happen so instead of resting on Friday I decided to do the 10 mile pace run that my scheduled call for before my 20 mile run the next day. These back to back runs are essential and really build up my endurance. I normally have a tendency not to do the pace run designated for Saturday which is usually half the mileage of the Sunday long run yet I really wanted to get this done as it should be. Since I was not able to get out on Friday early morning my only option was to do the 10 mile pace run on the treadmill.
I decided I would break up the run into two 5 mile workouts with the first 5 miles done at a reasonable effort and the second 5 miles done at my desired 8 min/mile pace.
So my first 5 mile workout was done a bit under 9 min/mile.
My second 5 mile workout was done right at an 8 min/mile as I wanted. So I average about a 8:30 min/mile pace for the 10 miles.
Week 32 looks like this:
10.5 Monday 5 miles
10.6 Tuesday 6 X Hills
10.7 Wednesday 5 miles
10.8 Thursday 30 Tempo Run
10.9 Friday Rest
10.10 Saturday 4 miles
10.11 Sunday 12 miles
Starting this week mileage will decrease significantly as I get closer to M-day. My plan is to continue to hit every workout as best as possible and continue to weight train. I will be changing up the schedule next week for the last 2 weeks yet will approach each workout with caution as to not overexert myself.
Keeping active has always worked for me before M-day so I will be active up until M day and resting when scheduled.
The Marine Corp Marathon is a fun Marathon and one that is extremely joyous as the U.S. Marines are out on the course encouraging you every mile. I did look up the course route and have read past runners comments on the run.
The jest of it is that its majorly rolling with a hill at about mile 22; there is a bridge that you cross which can be daunting as there is not too much crowd support and since it later in the course it seems like it will take forever to get through. Also towards the end of the race it is more hillier than the beginning. The start is also a bit crowded and the race does not seem to thin out until after miles 8 through 10, one person said actually not even to mile 13 - half the course. I will look up strategies to get through these obstacles. I am still determined to hit a BQ time!
I love this quote that I read on TheHungryRunnerGirl's blog by William Shakespeare:
Right before any major test doubt loves to creep up and steal away confidence. It never fails to enter my mind yet I have and continue to get better at defeating doubt by always ATTEMPTING because after I accomplish a goal I realize it was not that scary after all at the end.. I then search for a new more challenging goal to meet.
Here's to BQ'ing in 2015,
Yvonne
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