Is this normal?

Sunday rain againand black toes

So it basically rained the whole time I would have been able to go outside again today. Lots of family committments, church, hockey, b-day party shuttle. I hopped on the treadmill at 7:00. I only did 4.25 miles. I think this may be one of the contributors of hip and knee soreness. I know I didn't really go long enough but it was what I could do today. I stretched really good and look forward to viewing my workouts this week. I am glad this is coming up soon. THis is really testing me mentally and physically. I have 4 black toenails (one that is ready to peel any minute). Anyway that is my whine for the week. B

white caps in puddles

Saturday

So I got up early to go to Target and get GU packs. Come to find out all they had was $2.00 and up energy bars and no GU. I picked the one with20 grams of Protein and headed to the checkout. Once outside it was pouring cats and dogs along with lightening and thunder. I decided to go home and wait it out. Once home it let up after about 1/2 hour I fugured now was my chance. I headed out and parked at M-72 west. Once out of the car I noticed it was VERY cold. I had 2 thin layers on and running tights/capris. I began my run and once behind McClains it started to sprinkle. I had stashed a H20 bottle at your house so I made my way over for water and a place to pee. I continued on across Garfield and the rain started to pick up a bit. I kept going then it started to downpour hard. I turned around infront of the airport and headed back. By this point I was soaking and FREEZING. I ran back along bike trail to my car shivering all the way. There were whitecaps on the bay and in the puddles that had formed on the bike trail. I felt fine except for the cold part. I only ended up going 7.4. Should I try for 14 tomorrow?

re-cap week

Tuesday 4 on treadmill - picked up the pace alittle.
Wednesday 7 outside - very windy hip sore
Thursday / Friday at a conference - did some walking.

Training Plan - Week 14

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednseday: 9 mile run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: cross-train (~60 min.)

Monday: No running today. This is another stepback week, giving you a break between Weeks 13 and 15 with their long runs of 18 and 20 miles. In order to train hard, you need to be well rested. While resting, congratulate yourself on the amount of training you have done so far. You are almost at the end of the tunnel. It is getting brighter ahead. You have one more hard week ahead of you (Week 15), then it is time to taper and get ready to race.

Tuesday: Despite this being a stepback week, today's mileage is one mile further than last Tuesday. Take five, but at an easy pace. You may still be feeling some residual fatigue as a result of the 18-miler you did over the weekend. For that reason, this might be a good day on which to schedule a massage.

Wednesday: Nine miles today. Depending on how you feel, you might want to pick up the pace slightly for a few of the middle miles. Try stretching out a bit between Miles 5 and 7, then come in at a gentler pace. Remember that stretching remains important for marathoners, who risk losing flexibility because of their high-mileage training. This is particularly important now that you are approaching 20 miles for your longest run with accompanying high mileage for the full week. The best time to stretch is not before you run. Pre-workout muscles may be tight; the risk of injury is increased. Instead, stretch during--or after--your run, when muscles are warmest. Admittedly, with a 9-miler taking so much time out of your work week, you may feel that you don't have time to stretch. But think of it this way: You don't have time not to stretch.

Thursday: Five miles today, the same as Tuesday's workout. Remember what I told you two weeks ago about selecting different courses for workouts run over the same distances. Since it will take you less time to run 5 miles than the 9-miler yesterday, maybe you can afford to go to a particularly scenic location for today's run.

Friday: Total rest. The long run mileage is up. The weekly mileage is up. What is the best thing you can do to insure that you training properly and get maximum advantage out of all the training you're doing? It's a variation of the old Real Estate Agent response about what is important in selling a house: "Location! Location! Location!" For runners interested in getting maximum advantage out of their long runs--or any other hard training--it's: "Rest! Rest! Rest!"

Saturday: Run 14 miles. Did you believe when you started this program there would come a day when we would tell you to go that distance, and you'd think, "Oh, an easy day." It all depends on your point of view. You're now looking down on 14, rather than up at it. Next Saturday's run will not be easy. That's a promise.

Sunday: An hour of cross-training today. Don't overlook this important part of your training. Since yesterday's workout was so "easy," you might consider doing some jogging today. If so, keep the pace at a very, very low stress level--and walk more than usual. Next week is a big one, because you will climax the week--and your training--by running 20 miles, the longest distance in this marathon training program.

Keep me in the loop about how you're doing.

Training Plan - Week 13

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednseday: 9 mile run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 18 mile run
Sunday: cross-train (~60 min.)

Monday: A little rest for ya. These next three weeks are the ones where you achieve the peak training toward which you've been building. You'll end this week with an 18-miler and Week 15 (in 2 weeks) with a 20-miler (with another stepback week between).

Tuesday: Four miles run comfortably. The pace for a "comfortable" run this day may be faster than the pace you did a "comfortable" run a dozen weeks ago when you began your marathon training (can you believe it, you've been at this for 3 months!). Or it may not. Everybody reacts differently to training. At peak training, fatigue can set in. You may need to remove some of the other stresses from your life. For instance, strength training normally is good for runners, but not toward the end of a marathon buildup. So save your time pumping iron and devote the extra minutes you save to stretching.

Wednesday: Nine miles. Your most difficult task will remain not going the distance--since you can handle this many miles easily now--but rather fitting a run that may last well past an hour into your work week. My best advice...get some more sleep. At least eight hours a night. Be more like your hubby...go to bed early. When you sleep, your body works overtime to repair itself (which makes it stronger), compared to when you are awake.

Thursday: Five easy miles. Eighteen miles in the last three days. After resting tomorrow, you'll have an 18-miler over the weekend to cap the week at 36 total miles. Whew! As we approach the peak of your training, those days when I do allow you to rest (such as tomorrow) become increasingly important.

Friday: A day of rest preparatory to some tough training on the weekend. Get some extra sleep tonight, so you're ready to run long. How is your nutrition? This is probably not a day to go out for burgers and beer.

Saturday: Eighteen miles. That's almost 30 kilometers, close to three-fourths of the full marathon distance. (Remember that when you fly past 18 in the race.) But for now, it's the longest run so far in your training program. Do you need to walk a bit to finish this run comfortably. Do so while taking fluids. That's good practice for the race, since you can take more water if you walk through water stops.

I can't stress enough how important it is that you take in fluids (preferably gatorade, since that's what will be on the course on race day) and calories (Gu) steadily throughout the race (and training).

Here's what you should be taking in: at least 20 oz. gatorade per hour (that's a little more than one of the Asics bottles). One Gu every 30 minutes. I BEG you to follow this advice. I have learned the hard way, and don't want you to have to.

When you finish today's workout, congratulate yourself for what will be you longest run ever (so far :).

Sunday: Cross-training remains an important part of your training. An hour-long spin on a bike might work well today. Notice that we said "spin." Don't train too hard, regardless of which cross-training discipline you select. When you finish today's workout, congratulate yourself for all the training it took to get you this far.

Training Plan - Week 12

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednseday: 8 mile run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 16 mile run
Sunday: cross-train (~60 min.)


Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Four miles at your normal pace followed by strength training--and don't forget to stretch. "There is little doubt that some form of resistance training is beneficial to all runners," says exercise physiologist and Olympic champion Peter Snell, Ph.D. "Weight training is not likely to produce further increases in maximum oxygen uptake in runners, but may improve muscle endurance." Nevertheless, with the mileage now up there in the stratosphere, consider cutting back somewhat on your strength training. Less weight, fewer repetitions will allow you to conserve energy and also reduce the risk of an overuse injury.

Wednesday: The midweek mini long run remains at 8 miles, same as last week. Whether you run this in the morning before work, or after, be sure to budget enough time so you don't have to cut the workout short. Make this a "listen-to-your-body" workout. Run as you feel. If you feel like running a little faster (no particular pace), do it. If you feel like really taking it easy (even including some walking breaks or stops for water), do that. Training schedules should not be inflexible.

Thursday: Five miles at your normal pace. This is an increase of a mile from last week. To avoid getting in a rut, select a different 5-mile course rather than simply adding a mile to the 4-mile course you have been using for several weeks. Success in running is often as much mental as physical.

Friday: Savor this day of rest. Tomorrow you MUST get the full 16 miles in. Are you suffering any aches and pains? This is not an easy training program. No marathon training program is, because of the necessity to log lots of miles to get runners ready to finish 26 miles 385 yards. If you have any nagging injuries, now is the time to schedule an appointment. Prevention is sometimes the best therapy.

Saturday: Run 16 miles. The last few weekends your runs have been cut short, so this is extremely important that you make the full 16 miles today. You are approaching the peak of your training program and only have two runs to come that will be longer than this, so get it done!

Sunday: An hour's cross-training. I know today is Easter, but almost as important as yesterday's long run is getting up and moving around for a solid hour today. AFter all the guests have left, get out the door and go for a walk, or hit the pool (open from 4-6ish)

Tip of the Week: There is no such thing as "bad food," only bad choices. There's even a place for burgers, fries and shakes in your diet. You just need to balance everything you eat. If you eat a well-balanced diet, that includes ample fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, you can avoid expensive supplements. Tape these words to your refrigerator: "Eat a wide variety of lightly processed foods."