It's Not the Years, It's the Mileage - birthday marathon training journal

[sandam1]

Bagel, electrolytes/protein, usually another snack mid-morning. I've had issues with migraines from not refueling properly so I make sure to eat as soon as I sit down at my desk. It's more in the afternoon when I feel hungry, even after eating a big lunch!

How are you getting your protein? I guess I'm wondering if it is enough. I know that I'm a sample size of one, but I eat a full meal after a long run. I don't usually feel like eating, but I always feel better afterwards.

Now, my short runs are a completely different story. For those, I'm okay with not eating anything special and just fit it in with my normal meals.

 

[nancipants]

Oh after long runs I eat more, depends on what we’re doing, but it’s either breakfast or something on the go like a bagel and PBJ. It’s usually during the week that I’m hungry more. But I realized my hunger is more pronounced in the morning so I should just eat lunch earlier and supplement with snacks after.

 

[nancipants]

October 28 - November 3

Training is... training.

October 28 - 3 miles easy
3.08 miles, total time 46:23, avg pace 15:03
Recovery run after Sunday's long run. My notes say "SUCKED." It's gotten hotter (as I'm sure all of you at Wine and Dine experienced) and my legs are definitely experiencing that cumulative fatigue. But, I stayed slow and kept my heart rate down.

October 30 - 10k tempo run
4 miles, total time 56:38, avg pace 14:09
1 mile warm up, 3 X .66 miles at 10k pace with 2 min rest interval, 1 mile cool down
Cool down was only .8 miles or so because I got back home and didn't feel like running up and down the street to make it an even mile.
Interval 1: 12:23 pace
Interval 2: 12:18 pace
Interval 3: 12:19 pace
I wanted to do these faster than last week, and I did! It was hard, but my heart rate stayed mostly in zone 3.

October 31 - 3 miles easy
3.04 miles, total time 45:20, avg pace 14:54

November 1 - 4 miles easy
4 miles, total time 1:00:34, avg pace 15:08.
First weekday easy run at 4 miles.
Notes: "Did NOT want to run. A lot of walking. Inside of right ankle bothering me."
My ankle has been sore off and on during my runs. It goes away after I get loosened up, so I think I need to do more stretching (what else is new) and focus on building strength in my ankles/calves. I found some YouTube videos from Julia Reppel that I think will help.

November 3 - M tempo run
6.56 miles, total time 1:32:11, avg pace 14:03
1 mile warm up, 5.5 miles at M pace, .5 mile cool down.
The M pace miles were: 13:36, 13:57 (hill), 13:47, 13:47, 13:35.
I started this run at 8 am and it was super bright thanks to the time change, with barely any cloud cover. By the time I finished it was 78 degrees, so this was a tough run.
I had cheerios and orange juice before the run. Started with 2 scoops of berry tailwind. Refilled my handheld about 1 hour in with 2 scoops of tropical tailwind. As soon as I started running again, my tummy started bothering me, so I think one of my issues is that stopping makes me feel like I have to go to the bathroom. Not great for character/photo stops. But it went away pretty fast, so hopefully I can train that out of my system. I might start with just 1 scoop of tailwind next week and see if that makes a difference.
Other than that, I felt strong and didn't have any issues with hunger/fatigue during the run. It was just too hot.
Despite feeling gross for a lot of this run, I'm proud I finished. It was good mental training for Western Way.

This week will be fun, as my anxiety is already super high because of the election, so my 10k tempo run on Wednesday, may or may not happen.

 

[nancipants]

Well, it's been a week.

November 4-11

November 4 - 3 miles easy.
3.06 miles, total time 45:58, avg pace 15:02
My notes say "too hot and bright." That's the theme of my runs, lately. I tried out my Minnie Mouse AirFit sunglasses that I plan on wearing for the marathon. They worked great.
My heart rate was really low this run. I've been deliberately trying to run slower in hopes that it will help me run faster during races. The heat is helping me stay slow.

November 5 - rest

November 6 - 10k tempo run.
Did not do this run. I got less than four hours of sleep the night before and was not in the mood to run. (If you look at the date, you can probably figure out why.) I tried to take the dog for a long walk, but it started pouring the instant I opened the door, which felt fitting.

November 7 - 10k tempo run.
3.84 miles, total time 59:01, avg pace 15:22.
1 mile warm up, 3 X .66 miles at 10k pace, 1 mile cool down.
I had hoped my mood would help this tempo run go super fast, but the heat had other ideas. Still, I hit my paces, and was proud of myself for getting out there when I really didn't feel like it.
Interval 1 - 12:28 pace
Interval 2 - 12:29 pace
Interval 3 - 12:22 pace
I walked the cool down mile because it was so hot and I was beat from the intervals.

November 8 - 4 miles easy
4.08 miles, total time 1:02:28, avg pace 15:18
My notes say "stupid hot and humid."
Are you catching on to the theme, lately?

November 9 - rest.
Spent the day at Epcot with visiting friends. Did 20k steps. My feet were very sore by the end of the day and I knew the next day's long run would be done on very tired legs.

November 10 - 8 mile long run
8.1 miles, total time 1:59:59 (lolol), avg pace 14:49.
My average pace was slightly faster than usual because I left earlier and didn't have to deal with the bright sun for the first half of the run. During the second half, I was able to keep to shady parts as much as possible.
I did not eat before the run because I left right after I woke up. I had two scoops of tropical tailwind to start, and refilled with 2 scoops of berry a little after the hour mark. It only took about a minute to refill from the water fountain and pour in the new Tailwind, so I'm getting that down to a science!
I had a little stomach discomfort around miles 2 and 5, but that went away on its own. I'm considering switching to 1 scoop of Tailwind to start, or trying 1 scoop throughout and refilling water sooner.
My legs felt heavy from the day before, but picked up as the run went on. It's helping my confidence to learn that my body really does feel better the longer I run.
After the run, we went to Legoland with visiting friends. It was our first time there and we had a great time. We will be buying annual passes.
My legs didn't feel that bad while walking around the park, but my feet were aching by the end of the day. I might need to invest in better walking shoes.

November 11 - 3 miles easy
3 miles, total time 46:28, avg pace 15:28
Wow, I did not want to do this run. My legs were sore from back to back park days, but actually felt okay during the run. I slowed my pace so I didn't overdo it, and my body appreciated the recovery. My heart rate stayed in zone 1. I was extremely unmotivated, though. I really need to start getting up earlier so I'm not running in the full sun, but my bed is so comfy, and also I know I need the practice for the marathon.


I honestly feel like if I survived this week, I can do anything.

 

[nancipants]

November 12-18 - 55 Days until the Disney Marathon

Less than two months until the marathon. I'm starting to freak out a bit. It's fine. I'll focus on freaking out about Christmas instead. It's all fine.

November 12: rest

November 13: HM Tempo
3 miles, total time 41:53, avg pace 13:58
.5 mile warm up, 2 miles HM pace, .5 mile cool down.
Splits were 13:10 and 13:02.
I don't have any notes on this run, so I guess it went well!

November 14: 3 miles easy
3 miles, total time 45:12, avg pace 15:04
Yes, I know my neighborhood very well to get my mileage that exact.
I did the hill and still stayed in zone 2.

November 15: 4 miles easy
4 miles, total time 1:00:13, avg pace 15:03
I did the big hill and another shallower hill. Heart rate still stayed in zone 2.

November 16: rest
Went to Hollywood Studios and racked up almost 20k steps. I also got a new Garmin Forerunner 265s as an early Christmas present and started using it this day.

November 17: M tempo
7.52 miles, total time 1:46:38, avg pace 14:11.
1 mile warm up, 6 miles M pace, .5 mile cool down.
M pace splits: 13:15, 13:30, 14:26 (refilled Tailwind), 13:34, 14:07, 13:42. Faster than prescribed, but my heart rate stayed in zone 3, even after doing long uphills in the last few miles.
I started this run a little before 9 am. I'm trying to do my long runs later in the morning to prepare myself for running in the full sun like I will during the long marathon. I did a different route than usual (an out and back along our main highway that's mostly shaded at that time of morning), and that listened to music instead of podcasts, and it really helped me mentally. Plus, the weather was super nice. It was breezy and not as hot. Still hot, but not sweltering anymore.
I ate about a cup of dry cheerios before the run.
I had one scoop of naked Tailwind in my handheld to start. I refilled with one scoop of naked Tailwind at about 50 minutes.
I had no stomach discomfort during the run! I think taking one scoop of Tailwind works better for me, so I'm going to try that moving forward.
Overall, this was a good run. I felt good being outside and the M pace felt good.
Also of note, this was my first run with my new Garmin. it has so many more features than my old Forerunner 45! I love the display and all the stats, especially that it gives me GAP. I know that Florida is comically flat to people who live in places with actual hills and mountains, but my neighborhood is surprisingly NOT flat, so it's nice to see that yes, there is a reason I always slow down when I go up that dang hill.
So far my watch is telling my training status is maintaining. I can't wait for it to tell me I'm unproductive.
Just for fun, I looked at the race predictor. It predicts a 5k of 34:35 (LOL!), but a marathon of 6:25:16. Of course, my new goal is to beat that time.

November 18: 3 miles easy
3.29 miles, total time 49:32, avg pace 15:04.
I got out slightly earlier this morning and the weather was only in the 60s so I decided to go a little longer than 3 miles. I barely got into zone 2 during this run, despite doing the big hill. They're not called easy runs for nothing, I guess!


Overall, training is going well and I alternate between wanting the marathon to be here NOW, and being terrified of actually running it. You know, normal things. This weekend one of the "slow" runners I follow on instagram, Tatiana O'hara, ran her first marathon and her videos and posts were super inspiring. I can't wait to have that same finish line feeling.

With help from Billy, I rearranged my training schedule and signed up for the Orlando Half Marathon on December 7. This will be a training run at M pace, and my longest run of the training cycle. Depending on the intervals they use, I might just find the 3:15 pacer and stick with them the entire race. Or, I'll just zone out and listen to music the entire way. TBD!

 

[superchime]

"It predicts a 5k of 34:35 (LOL!), but a marathon of 6:25:16. Of course, my new goal is to beat that time. "

To quote my teen: Let's goooo! You've got this!

 

[nancipants]

November 19-26: 11 days to the Orlando Half Marathon, 47 days to the Disney Marathon

I continue to love my Garmin watch. My VO2 Max has increased to 41! Yippee! My marathon time prediction is now 6:10:24, which is probably pretty accurate especially considering time to stop for characters and photos.

November 19: rest
Crushed it.

November 20: HM tempo
.5 mile warm up, 2 miles at HM tempo, .5 mile cool down
3.25 miles, total time 44:21, avg pace 13:39
First tempo mile: 12:42
Second tempo mile: 12:12
I don't have any notes for this day, so I guess it went well.

November 21: 3 miles easy
3.1 miles, total time 45:07, avg pace 14:33
The weather started getting a lot cooler around this time and running felt SO nice.

November 22: 4 miles easy
4.14 miles, total time 1:00:48, avg pace 14:40
I took a different route down the main road since it was cooler and I didn't need to worry about finding shade.

November 23: rest.
Crushed it. Did several errands around the house but no theme parks this week.

November 24: 15k easy
9.36 miles, total time 2:18:51, avg pace 14:50
My plan called for 9 miles, but I wanted a Garmin badge so I did 15k.
I ate dry cheerios before the run.
I started with one scoop of Tropical Tailwind and refilled with one scoop of Naked Tailwind at about 4 miles.
Had an applesauce pouch at 8 miles.
I definitely needed more fuel, but didn't hit a wall. I need to try refilling with one scoop of Tailwind around every 45 minutes, which I think will be the sweet spot for me. The applesauce was also a good fuel source when I want real food.
I ran down to a park that's about 2 miles down the main road, ran around that trail twice, and then headed back to my neighborhood along a back road.
The weather was AMAZING this morning. I can only hope we have the same type of weather on marathon morning, although some cloud cover would be nice for the highway miles.

November 25: 3 miles easy
3.24 miles, total time 49:21, avg pace 15:13
I walked once I got to 3 miles. The weather was nice, but I was super tired and in a bad mood.

November 26: HM tempo
3.62 miles, total time 49:22, avg pace 13:37
.5 mile warm up, 2.5 miles at HM tempo, .5 mile cool down
First tempo mile: 12:52
Second tempo mile: 12:27
Half tempo mile: 12:32
I was having some TMI wardrobe issues or I think I could have gone faster. But I'm till proud of the paces. The weather continues to be fabulous and I'm annoyed I'm not doing Space Coast this weekend because it's supposed to stay that way. I'm hoping we don't get another heat wave before the Orlando half marathon.

Due to Thanksgiving, I'm taking tomorrow and Thursday off, then running four days straight. Then it's time to get ready for the half marathon.

Happy Thanksgiving! Can I use gravy in zip loc bags as fuel?

 

[GollyGadget]

November 19: rest
Crushed it.

 

[azrivest]

Happy Thanksgiving! Can I use gravy in zip loc bags as fuel?

Please report back.

 

[nancipants]

November 27 - December 4: 3 Days Until the Orlando Half Marathon, 39 Days Until the Disney Marathon

The past week has been pretty crappy personally, but running has been going well, at least. And the weather here has actually been cold, resulting in some really nice runs. The cooler weather is going to continue through my half marathon, which I'm pleased about.

November 27 - 3 miles easy. rest day. Picked up my mom for Thanksgiving.

November 28 - rest. Personal 5k Turkey Trot. Moved my run around to account for having to travel the day before.
3.11 miles, total time 46:19, avg pace 14:55

November 29 - rest. We drove my mom home on Thanksgiving night and stayed over, and didn't feel like schlepping my running clothes.

November 30 - 3 miles easy
3.45 miles, total time 48:41, total time 14:06
It got chilly this day and it was a struggle to keep an easy pace. Even being faster than usual, I was still mostly in Zone 1. This is why I like cold weather - but only when I run.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at Peppa Pig Theme Park. My son loved it.

December 1 - 120 minute easy run
8.52 miles, total time 2:00:03 (yes, I walked around in the driveway for a few seconds to get to two hours total), avg pace 14:06
The weather was perfect. I had 2 scoops of cheerios before the run and one scoop of tropical tailwind to start. Refilled with one scoop of tailwind (did not remember the flavor) at 3 miles and another scoop at 6 miles.
I had no tummy problems at all! Also didn't feel any hunger. I also got my refill routine down to a few seconds.
Mile 7 was 13:58 and Mile 8 was 13:47. The last .52 mile averaged a 12:54 pace. Ooops. Despite that, my heart rate only went into Zone 3 for 2 minutes.

December 2 - 3 miles easy
3.11 miles, total time 45:24, avg pace 14:35.
Did this run at lunchtime because I had to drive my son to daycare. The temp had gone up to the 60s so I wasn't as speedy as the day before. But I would never be able to run during the middle of the day during normal Florida temps, so I'm glad I got to go out.

December 3 - rest. Was going to try to do an easy run, but I had to drive my son to school again, so I decided to take the dog for a walk later in the day instead.

December 4 - HM Tempo
3.6 miles, total time 46:20, avg pace 12:58
I went way faster than what my HM pace was supposed to be, but I felt good and wanted to push myself, especially with the cooler temperatures.
Interval 1: 12:08 avg pace, 11:53 GAP
Interval 2: 12:14 avg pace, 11:46 GAP
Interval 3: 11:57 avg pace, 11:53 GAP

Tomorrow I have 3 miles easy. I was going to do a shakeout run Friday, but I'm going to do a rest day instead. Half marathon is Saturday morning and my goal is to finish in 3 hours, but mostly to keep my heart rate in zone 2 and 3. I'll aim for a 13:45 pace to start and see how I feel during the second half. Then I might push it - but not too hard. This will only be my second half, and the first outside of Disney, so I'm excited to see how it goes.

 

[GollyGadget]

Have fun at your race on Saturday!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Have fun at the half! I am preemptively jealous of your post-race festival snacks lol

 

[jmasgat]

I had 2 scoops of cheerios before the run

Ha...I'm not the only one that does this! I usually run before breakfast, but I don't like feeling hungry before a run, so I will eat some O's if I feel the need.

Good luck with your race.

 

[nancipants]

Ha...I'm not the only one that does this! I usually run before breakfast, but I don't like feeling hungry before a run, so I will eat some O's if I feel the need.

I started putting them in a baggie and leaving it on my nightstand so I can eat them before getting out of bed.

 

[nancipants]

Thanks, @GollyGadget @WillRunForPizza @jmasgat! I feel like I'm going to need good vibes because I did NOT want to run this morning. I had three miles easy on the schedule, which should be a piece of cake, but it was cold and I was tired and felt hungry the entire run even though I had a banana beforehand. My husband has been sick all week so I've been doing the bulk of the parenting, and it's worn on me. Plus, I'm praying I don't get sick! (He started feeling sick on Monday and so far, I'm in the clear. ) But now I'm having those "if I don't want to run three miles, how am I going to get through a half? and then a marathon???" Hopefully I won't be feeling as tired and hungry on Saturday, and the excitement will carry me through. I should make a new playlist.

Anyway, for posterity's sake:

December 5 - 3 miles easy
3 miles, total time 46:40, avg pace 15:32
I walked a lot of this. Despite the cooler temps, I was just not into it. Trying to chalk it up to one of those bad runs. At least I got it out of my system now?

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Thanks, @GollyGadget @WillRunForPizza @jmasgat! I feel like I'm going to need good vibes because I did NOT want to run this morning. I had three miles easy on the schedule, which should be a piece of cake, but it was cold and I was tired and felt hungry the entire run even though I had a banana beforehand. My husband has been sick all week so I've been doing the bulk of the parenting, and it's worn on me. Plus, I'm praying I don't get sick! (He started feeling sick on Monday and so far, I'm in the clear. ) But now I'm having those "if I don't want to run three miles, how am I going to get through a half? and then a marathon???" Hopefully I won't be feeling as tired and hungry on Saturday, and the excitement will carry me through. I should make a new playlist.

Anyway, for posterity's sake:

December 5 - 3 miles easy
3 miles, total time 46:40, avg pace 15:32
I walked a lot of this. Despite the cooler temps, I was just not into it. Trying to chalk it up to one of those bad runs. At least I got it out of my system now?

If it makes you feel better, I was feeling kind of blah and burned out a couple of days before my marathon, but by the night before/day of, I was excited again. And it worked out pretty well . You should totally make a new playlist! Or watch like an inspiring movie - I feel like that's usually good for motivation.

Hoping you stay healthy!

 

[nancipants]

More later, but first;

 

[jmasgat]

Congrats!

 

[RuntheMouse]

Great job!!!

 

[avondale]

Wow, congratulations!