Running For My Life

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/31/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:25:20.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:32.09/mile

With 12 weeks left until the big race in Boston, I have revamped my training schedule once again. One week I am doing a high mileage/easy pace schedule, the next week a not-so-high mileage (I hesitate to say “low” mileage because it will still be 55-60 miles per week)/fast pace schedule. I will alternate these for the next 12 weeks. Here is a look at this week’s plan:

Monday = 10 miles at easy pace (8:34)

Tuesday = 10 miles at easy pace (8:39)

Wednesday = cross training for 80 minutes

Thursday = 10 miles at easy pace (8:15-8:45)

Friday = 10 miles at easy pace (8:15-8:45)

Saturday = 20 miles at medium pace (7:45-8:15)

Sunday = Rest day

Next week I will do the same week-day mileage (10 miles per day, four days per week) but include a speed workout on Tuesday and a tempo run on Thursday, and do a shorter long run (16-18 miles) on Saturday, but at a harder pace (7:15-7:30). I think this new plan will allow my body to withstand the rigors of hard training for 12 weeks. Instead of doing three hard workouts each week, I will be doing that every other week, and piling on the miles during my “off week”.

If the plan works, I’ll publish it!!

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 01/30/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/29/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:26:30.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:38.73/mile

I didn’t run last week.  In fact, I didn’t do any fitness activity last week except for some snow shoveling.  Why, you ask, would someone who is training for the Boston Marathon take a week off?  Well, it wasn’t planned.  I just got a bad case of the winter blahs and couldn’t get motivated to run.  The weather was horrible, I was tired….all of the usual excuses.  I would say that this is rare for me,  because I typically never miss a single workout let alone a whole week of them.  However, it is not without precedent.  I did the same thing last year about this time.

The bottom line is that marathon training, especially in the middle of winter, is extremely draining, both mentally and physically.  Sometimes you just shut down and are forced to take a mandatory break.  Last week was one of them.

Will the week off help or hurt?  Will it cost me 5 minutes in the marathon or will it save me a serious injury?  Who knows?

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/28/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:25:37.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:33.55/mile

The bitter cold has forced me indoors for the past few days.  Ah, the joys of marathon training in Wisconsin in mid-January.  There’s no warmup in sight so it looks like I will be stuck indoors for at least a few more days.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/19/2008
• Time: 06:00:00
• Total Time: 2:07:40.00
• Distance: 17 miles
• Average Pace: 7:30.56/mile

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/18/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:19:30.00
• Distance: 9 miles
• Average Pace: 8:50.19/mile

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 01/17/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 00:10:00.00

2 miles @ 8:35, 5 miles @ 6:49, 2 miles @ 8:13

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/17/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:07:39.00
• Distance: 9 miles
• Average Pace: 7:31.13/mile

Why do my things keep breaking? First it was my Garmin Forerunner (which has since been fixed), then it was the TV in my basement (also now fixed), now it’s my exercise bike. The bike itself still works, but the screen that displays the speed, distance, calories, etc. is broken. I suspect one of my kids threw a ball at it because it was knocked completely off the base of the bike, but nobody will fess up to it (sounds like something I would have done as a kid). Now I’m wondering what will break next? My treadmill?? My leg???
So without the display reading, I was forced to time my bike workout this morning with an old-fashioned stopwatch ($4.99 at Walmart). I estimated my total miles based on my typical pace for a ride like that. I am sure it’s not off more than a mile either way, but it still would be nice to see my progress along the way.

On a completely unrelated note, I have now turned down two ticket offers to go to the Packers-Giants NFC Championship game this Sunday (my co-worker invited me, as did a friend/client who went to the Packers-Seahawks game with us last weekend and was totally fun!). However, if the Packers win and go to the Super Bowl, there is a good chance I will be going to Phoenix for the game, so I am trying to save up some of my “me time” for that. Go Packers!!

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 01/16/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:11:00.00

The Boston Marathon is 14 weeks from today, so less than 100 days. Training is going extremely well. I am getting in all of my miles and am free of injury. My only complaint is my diet…I am still eating too much junk (like the 6 Oreos I had for dessert tonight). But for the most part, things are happening as they should. Ironically, during my Boston training last year I was running much fewer miles (about 60% of what I am now), but was battling several minor injuries (hamstring, calf, quad). Most of the credit for this year’s good health goes to my building a strong base of miles over the fall, which has allowed my body to withstand the rigors of marathon training.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/14/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:16:23.00
• Distance: 9 miles
• Average Pace: 8:29.19/mile