Strategizing

I'm only 24 days away from my next marathon!  Since this one includes a flight to a time zone two hours behind California, I know I need to have a solid plan in place.  Key areas:

Weather
Of course I can't control the weather!  But I do know what to expect.  65 degrees at the start, warm and humid.  It's 45 here this morning.  Humidity a couple days ago was 7%.  What I can do:

• Arrive 12 days before the marathon.  I've read that it takes about 14 days for your body to adjust to a different climate, so I'll be close.
• Wear an extra layer while running here at home.  I've struggled with this one!  I love running when it's below 55!  I wore a fleece lined jersey on my long run last week and will do the same this week.  I plan to wear an extra layer next week as I start transitioning towards the warmth.
• During the marathon I will be drinking early and often.
• I'll be applying extra Body Glide.  With the heat and humidity, I sweat so much more - more chances for chaffing and blisters.

Nutrition
It's time for a confession - I have been a complete sugar addict for the past two years.  If it has chocolate in or on it, it has my name on it.  Mini candy bars have been my "drug" of choice - they're only a point each.  But those points have added up.  We've been having way too many desserts lately, too.  As of Monday, I'm about 8 pounds heavier than I was when I ran my last marathon.  That's not gonna help.  Last Friday, November 14th, was declared the start of "No Desserts Marathon Countdown Month."  Les is joining me and we are allowing one exception - Thanksgiving day!  Since last Friday I have not had any desserts.  No cookies, candies, ice cream, not even a substitute like a WW bar (something I ate even while losing in the past.)  I will weigh again tomorrow.  I'm also upping my water intake.  Both previous times that I lost weight on Weight Watchers, I started in the Fall and lost weight during the holidays.  It can be done.  The rest of my eating is pretty good, but the sugar is weighing me down!

Pace
I really don't know what my pace will be.  I'm hoping to average under 11 minutes a mile.  My run on Saturday was slower than that, but had about twice the elevation gain.  I expect the excitement of the race to speed me up some as well.  I'm hoping to find a pace group of 4:30-4:40, but I don't know if they'll have one.
I just re-read my first marathon recap.  My pace for the first half was 9:38, my pace for the second half was 12:46!  I do not want to go out too fast and completely fall apart again.  I have noticed that my pace on my long training runs has been much more consistent.  Nothing super fast, but nothing super slow at the end.

Goals
A+ Goal:  Finish in 4:35:17, 10:30 pace
A Goal:  Marathon PR of 4:53:32 or faster, 11:11 pace
B Goal:  Sub 5 hours
C Goal:  Finish and not die of heat stroke!

It's gonna be a great day.  I'm starting to get super excited.  The crowds will be massive.  I KNOW I won't be the last one.  Some finishers took 10 hours last year!  Pretty sure I can walk a marathon faster than that.  Twenty two miles this Saturday, 15 and 12 the next two and it's GO time!

Marathon Training Week 13

Four weeks from today, the fireworks will go off and I'll be on the course!

This is week 13 of training. After this week, race day will be just three weeks away. You'll have three easy days of running and two days of rest, plus your last session of Yasso 800s. Your long run will be 22 miles.

This is your final intense push before the taper; do some planning now so you have the energy to give these quality workouts your all. Try to get eight hours of sleep each night.

Try to run early in the morning, before the sun gets above the horizon, so the heat doesn't sap your performance or your resolve. Stay hydrated and well-fueled for each of your runs. Kick start your recovery by having a healthy snack with a 3:1 carbs-to-protein ratio within 30 minutes of finishing your workouts.


Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 6 Miles Easy w/6 Strides (pace 9:46)
Tuesday:  Yasso 800s
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday:  7 Miles Easy (pace 9:46)
Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 9:46)
Saturday:  22 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)

Total planned miles:  50

Marathon Training Week 12 Results

I really switched stuff up this week - I rode my bike twice!  I also ran 20 miles on Saturday - the first time I've done that distance in over two years.  Four weeks until the marathon and it's starting to feel real.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rode 8.74 miles in 45:20, 11.6 mph

Monday: 7 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  Rested

Tuesday:  9 Miles w/5 miles at Tempo (pace 8:30)
Result: Ran 9.03 miles in 1:38:14, 10:53 pace

Wednesday:  6 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  Rested

Thursday:  Time Trial
Result:  Rode 12.5 miles in  1:21:03, 9.3 mph
I hit the trail for the first time in about a month.  We have had a tiny bit of rain, but it made a big difference on the trail.  No mud, but a lot less dusty.

Friday:  8 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result: Walked 2 miles in 34:03, 17:01 pace
I was going to do an easy 4 mile run, but my legs protested.  I easily gave in since I had big plans for Saturday.

Saturday:  13 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Ran 20.09 miles in 3:51:00, 11:30 pace
20 miles is a LONG way to run!  I just kept saying, "Nobody said it was going to be easy!"

Total planned miles: 44
Actual:
Running:  29.12
Walking: 2.0
Cycling:  21.24
Total:   52.36

Marathon Training Week 11 Results

This is my recap from two weeks ago!  This week's coming soon...

Knowing we were flying home on Friday afternoon, I switched everything up to get my long run in on Friday morning.  Trying to run long after flying all day just doesn't work. Two major reasons - jetlag and nutrition.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Monday: 5 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:52)
Result:  Ran 5.93 miles in 1:20:01, 13:29 pace.
I ran part of the marathon course again.  Trying to imprint in my brain the hills.  There aren't any huge ones, but lots of rollers.
Also walked 2.2 miles

Tuesday:  8 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  Walked 3.1 miles

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Ran 8.6 miles in 1:36:27, 11:13 pace
I was a little over half way through this run, about four miles from our hotel, when it started POURING!  Not just a little drizzle or what Hawaiians call "Pineapple Mist."  Oh no, this was a full on downpour with no signs of letting up.  I wasn't the only one out, so I journeyed out.
Also walked 2.25 miles

Thursday: 10 Miles w/8 Miles @ MP (marathon pace 9:09)
Result:  Walked 6.22 miles in 1:48:47, 17:29 pace

Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  Ran 13 miles in 2:32:42, 11:45 pace
I have now run almost every part of the marathon course.

Saturday:  20 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Rested, guilt free!

Total planned miles: 48
Actual:
Running  27.53
Walking 13.77
Total  41.30

Marathon Training Week 12

We are home again!  I still need to do last week's recap, but here's this week's plan.

This is week 12 of training. After this week, race day will be one month away.

You'll have three easy runs and a tempo run. Your long run will drop back to 15 miles so that you can recover from the monster mileage that you've done in recent weeks.

This is a good week to check your fitness with a time trial. You’ll get a sense of how much fitness you’ve gained during training and be much better equipped to set realistic race goals.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 7 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Tuesday:  9 Miles w/5 miles at Tempo (pace 8:30)
Wednesday:  6 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Thursday:  Time Trial
Friday:  8 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Saturday:  13 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)

Total planned miles: 44

Marathon Training Week 11

This is week 11 of training. After this week, race day will be five weeks away.

You get some breathing room following last week's tough workouts, including a break from the track. You'll have three short, easy runs, your last marathon-pace run, and two days of rest. Save your energy for Saturday: Your long run will be 20 miles.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 5 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:52)
Tuesday:  8 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday: 10 Miles w/8 Miles @ MP (marathon pace 9:09)
Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Saturday:  20 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)

Total planned miles: 48

Marathon Training Week 10 ACTUAL Results

I posted this last week and just now realized I posted my "result" post and not my "plan" post.  I always work on both of them together (copy and paste) so I don't have to retype anything.

I had a good week.  I started out slow and sore from last week's long run, but finished strong.  Six weeks to go!

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Ran 8.05 miles in 1:53:30, 14:06 pace.
This was a run up Tantalus, but I had nothing!  It was still worth it, because it's so beautiful up there.

Monday: 4 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:52 pace)
Result:  Rested and walked 1 mile.

Tuesday:  Yasso 800s - 9 miles total
Result:  Ran 1.93 miles in 23:46, 12:18 pace then ran 4.40 miles in 52:12, 11:51 pace
I was suppose to do a 2 mile warm up, then speed work repeats.  I restarted my watch but no speed work actually happened.  I did my first repeat and got slower from then on.
Also walked 4.2 miles

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Rested

Thursday: 10 Miles w/8 Miles @ MP (marathon pace 9:09)
Result:  Ran 9.37 miles in 1:45:18, 11:14 pace.
The first  two miles of this run were really tough.  My left shin has been really tight and sore. After that, it seemed to loosen up and I was able to run a pretty decent pace.
Also walked 6.4 miles

I crossed this marking while out, it's the 24 mile mark of the Honolulu Marathon!

Friday:  Rest
Result:  Walked 2.8 miles

Saturday:  20 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Ran 18 miles in 3:52:53, 12:56 pace
This was my slowest 18 miler yet!  But I did it on the actual Honolulu Marathon route.  I drove our rental car to Kapiolani park to start there.  Just as I was getting out, another lady was heading out.  I caught up with her and we ended up running the entire thing together.  Amanda has run the Honolulu Marathon for the past 10 years and was a wealth of information.  I am SO glad I ran it with her.  She kept me from getting lost and also talked about parts of the course that are really tough.  The course it actually a lot hillier than I realized.  We head out on the Kalanianaole Highway.  Going out there is a headwind and coming back it is uphill!

Total planned miles: 43
Actual
Running 41.75
Walking  14.40
Total  56.15