BI-LO Marathon Tapering Schedule

Technically I'm on Day 4 of my tapering schedule. It's going fine so far. I'm pretty sure the first week is the easiest week because running isn't cut back that much. The only thing I've eliminated so far is speed training. 

Here's the breakdown:

WEEK 1 -- No Speed Training

  

Sunday 

14 miles 

Monday

Rest day -- I was supposed to do 30 minutes on the static bike and some abs but I had to run a ton of errands

Tuesday

25 minute tempo run in the morning followed by weight training (legs) in the afternoon.

Wednesday

25 minute tempo run in the morning. Instead of weight training in the afternoon, me and the hubby went to lunch at Mellow Mushroom for some vegan pizza!

Toppings: artichoke hearts, black olives, pineapple, banana peppers, BBQ tofu, and Daiya (vegan cheese)

Thursday

Weight training in the afternoon (arms, legs and abs)

Friday

Probably some further leg and ab work at the gym

Saturday

Rest day

WEEK 2 -- No Weight Training

This is going to be a torturous week because I love my strength work. I am going to have all this free time! Luckily, I downloaded some free books on my Kindle Fire a few weeks ago. I'll also start putting together the final touches on my race day routine. But I'll cover all of that in a future post.

Sunday

8 miles

Monday

30 minutes on the static bike and abs

Tuesday

20 minute tempo run

Wednesday

Abs

Thursday

20 minute tempo run

Friday

Abs

Saturday

Rest

WEEK 3 -- Relaxation is Key

This week is not about training. This week is about "getting in the zone." I want to make sure that my nerves are kept at bay and that I don't stress myself out in preparation. We pick up the rental car at 2pm on Friday and then have to drive about 3 hours to get to South Carolina. We will probably check into the hotel and then go to the Runner's Fair so I can get my bib number and race pack.

Sunday

4 or 5 miles

Monday

30 minutes static bike, abs

Tuesday

2 mile tempo run

Wednesday

2-3 easy miles -- This is the day I make sure I fuel up enough for the marathon. The goal is 60% of my calories from carbs, 20% from fat, and the final 20% from protein. I also want to make sure that I stay hydrated so I will be drinking tons of water (and peeing) throughout the day.

Thursday

Rest -- I really want to be sure to rest today since I doubt I wil sleep soundly the night before the race.

Friday

2 miles just to curb race jitters

Saturday

MY FIRST MARATHON COMMENCES!

There are many more updates and posts to come so stay tuned!

February Goals

Googleimages

It's that time again. Honestly, 2012 is flying by already. I can't believe we're done with January so quickly. Looking back, I pretty much only accomplished the marathon parts of my January Goals.

The hotel and rental car are booked!

My race day gear is set!

I've also got my Sports Beans!

Most importantly, there are NO INJURIES TO SPEAK OF! 

That's the easy part. Now I'm working on tapering (currently on Week 1, Day 3...more on that later) and getting my mind right. Running isn't only physical, a lot of it's mental, and I feel like life is starting to get a bit hectic for me right now. So I'm trying to not lose focus.

My main goal for February is this:

1. Run my butt off at that marathon! Enough said.

There are also some important changes brewing in my life. I don't want to say anymore until I'm sure of what is going to happen. But to deal with these sudden changes my goals are simply these:

• Be strong
• Open
• Receptive
• Positive
• And above all HAPPY!

Change can be scary, and trust me, I've gone through so many changes these past four years. My past experiences have also taught me that sometimes change is for the best. It should be embraced even if scary.

It's also taught me to be grateful for what I have, now, in this moment. Because who knows what will happen tomorrow?

So wish me luck for this following month because I will need the support!

Long Run Updates/Week in Review

I BOUGHT NEW RUNNING SHOES!

These are the Mizuno Wave Inspire 8. Love them!

This is one of the most exciting parts of being a runner. I love when it's time to change up my running shoes! Some are "experts" and have 3 pairs that they alternate during training. I haven't quite graduated to that (and neither have my pockets!). However, I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

I went to a local store called Fleet Feet. (Thumbs up for local businesses!) They have a staff of trained professionals that actually fit you for a shoe. This was my first experience getting professionally fitted for a shoe. I don't want to give too much away since I'll write a post on that experience later. But it was AMAZING and my shoes are AMAZING! 

It was fun starting to break them in Sunday. I ran 16 miles (in a relaxing 2 hours and 14 minutes). I also ran in them today on the treadmill as I did interval training. My goal is to use them enough before the marathon so that I'm completely comfortable and don't have any unfortunate surprises.

This week is shaping up well. I did 30 minutes on the bike and some arm work on Monday, interval training and legs today. Tomorrow I will do some more weights, and on Thursday probably run in the morning before work for about 20-25 minutes. Then 2 rest days together because I will do 18 miles on Sunday.

But let's backtrack for a minute:

This past Saturday (December 31st) I ran 20 Miles. It was my last run of the year.

It was also my longest run to date. There were some snags along the way but overall I'm happy with my effort.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my Sport Beans. The two packs I ate two weeks ago were my last.

(Luckily, I stocked up when I went to Fleet Feet to get my new running shoes! So I was able to use some for my 16 mile run Sunday.)

It was unseasonably warm that day. I ran in short sleeves. I could've worn shorts but I didn't want to overdo it and then get sick later. But I could have worn them, that's how warm it was. So I had that to deal with, along with it being super windy, and the fact that I didn't have my Sport Beans.

Now, I'm not trying to make any excuses for my run. I bring this up just to set the scene a bit.

This long run was hard for me. 

My hardest run was that long run when I was sick. This long run comes in second. Honestly, I do attribute it to all of the above factors. But facts are facts, this was not one of my best runs...at all.

I had to stop at mile 19. I walked for 7 minutes. I set my goal when to start running again (a stop sign) and ran the rest of the way. If I had kept running I would've done it in 3 hours and 3 minutes. Instead I clocked 3 hours and 10 minutes.

This run was not a highlight for me. But I didn't beat myself up over it. It was my first 20 miles and I will make the next 20 even better!

I run 20 miles again on January 22nd. That'll be my last long run before I start tapering. Hopefully all goes well.