On The Road Again

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and with the rest of the holidays bearing down, the mileage continues to add up. Add in two business trips and we have tons of fun ahead!


Last week I ran another 30 mile week with a 15 mile long slow distance (LSD), tying my longest run in ten years. This week, on the advice of my body and my PT, I took Monday's 7 miles off and gave into a three day rest -- my longest since September. As the miles pile up, so do the aches and i noticed for the first time last week that my mental endurance was starting to wane. Time for a rest and to remember, all this training will be in vain if I can't make it to the start line of the marathon healthy. The goal is to complete the marathon, not just train for it.

I am still scheduled for nearly 30 miles for the week with an 18 mile LSD Saturday. I may continue to take Monday's off as my long run increases. Only another month and then the race taper begins, so this is still the time to remain mentally strong and vigilant.

These runs, no matter the difference, will be key to remaining sane over the next few weeks. Between the travel, the culmination of a large year-long project, and the holidays these runs may be the right tool to keeping the mounting stress in check.

As they say, keep calm and run on!


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Follow The Motto

The miles continue to pile up as my marathon training reaches the halfway point. No missed workouts or miles (knock on wood) which represents an accomplishment I am proud to announce.

The aches and pains continue to mount as well. All things considered, a little right quad and hamstring pain seem like small potatoes given the amount of miles. What's next?

The long runs get longer starting with 14 miles this week and culminating in not one, but two 20-mile runs. The weekday runs also increase a few more miles and the weekly totals reach 30 miles this week and build to 40.

To keep up with this plan, I need to stick with the mantra -- running till the wheels fall off! The right one might be wobbling, nothing a little duct tape, baling wire, and bubble gum can't fix.

Until we run again ...


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Tomorrow 11 miles

Hello my friend.  Although I may not be as consistent as other posting blog updates, I am still doing it many months after starting.  Accomplishments are baby steps and should be relished, right?  In comparison, I have another blog site with exactly 0 posts.  Zero.  Nada. Not one.

PeaceLoveRun2012

Speaking of zero, Sunday is scheduled to be a rest day and as of right now I am also scheduled to run the Beer and Bagel 4 miler.  Who doesn't like going for a fun run and then drinking beer with fellow runners, all before 11 am on Sunday morning?  I figure I will run my 11 mile long run tomorrow and play Sunday by feel.  If I go, I take it easy and then drop Monday and Tuesday and rest easy.  Or I take Sunday for rest and pick it back up Monday with 6 miles.  No need to rush to make a decision tonight. 

Speaking of rushing, I ran across as cool web page while looking for new songs for my running play list.  Rock My Run sells tokens that can be used to purchase running mixes made by professional DJs for a reasonable amount of coin.  So far I have downloaded two mixes and enjoyed them both as a nice change of pace.  Some of the mixes come with bpm (beats per minute) in case a person wants to use it for cadence speeds, either steady beats or mixes that build.  And they have all kinds of music . . . pop, rock, country, house, and others . . . and from different eras (80s, 90s, and today's hits).  Tonight I am surfing their lists to pick out some new tunes for tomorrow's long run and all the runs still ahead.

The miles keep building and start picking up steam from here.  Tomorrow is a nice and easy 11 mile run and since I have the time I think I will again run the Wabash Trace Trail, a short 30 minute drive from the house.  The views are pretty and the crushed limestone trail nicer to my body.  I need to be nice to my body, because according to the training plan, the last few weeks were merely "foundation" miles and now we start to "build" over the next many weeks, until just before Christmas, where I will complete the second of two 20-mile runs.  Can't wait!

See you on the Road!

Running to Keep the Wheels On the Road

Nearly 4 weeks into the training and things seem to progressing nicely.  The mileage is increasing at a steady pace, the injuries continue to stay at bay, and my endurance grows.  A few aches and pains flare up now and again with nothing that has altered my schedule or slow my build.

The title of this post references a mantra I took up last year, which is "run till the wheels fall off".  Although everyone always says "listen to your body", sometimes listening too much will cause avoidable problems.  The problem for me is always wonder if that ache is a stress fracture or if the pain is something to worry about.  I thought this last weekend I might have made a mistake, but instead I seemed to shake the legs out.

Last weekend was the annual Market to Market relay.  I, being the team captain, was able to pick the legs that most closely resembled the mileage necessary for my scheduled long run.  I kept telling myself that I needed to take it easy, not push the pace, and enjoy the run.  What really happened was I pushed my pace and ran at nearly my top speed for the distances I ran.  I was convinced, when I finished, that I would pay for pushing the next day. 

Instead, I woke Sunday tired and strong.  The legs felt great, with no ill effects.  The runs this week have been punctuated not with especially tired legs, but mental fatigue.  I am used to taking a break after a race and especially this race.  Instead, I am right back into the training plan.  I am convinced that this week might be a bit of a grind and that it will improve next week.  And, I can't be thankful enough that I can run.

Until we run again . . .

Week One, The Fun has Begun

The training began in earnest for the marathon this week.  I decided to really get in and enjoy this experience so I signed up for the Disney World Marathon Runner's World Challenge .  As a part of the challenge they provide a training plan and premium access to the training site TrainingPeaks.

Sunday involved get everything set up in Training Peaks.  After imputing my personal information and loading the beginner plan from the assortment of training plan choices, I am ready to go.  This week's plan calls for two runs of 4 miles, one run of 2 miles, and a LSD (Long Slow Distance run) of 8 miles.  I chose this plan intentionally to allow my body 3 days of rest in order to make it to the start line healthy and ready to run.  Given the intensity and distances in this plan, I have not doubt I will be ready to race if I can keep to the plan. 

I have taken to rolling out the legs every day as after a week of inactivity they seemed a little stiff during the first run.  I could tell the difference today and made sure I quickly rolled them out this evening.  So far the first two 4 mile runs this week have felt good.  I will run the 2 miles tomorrow and then run an 8 on Saturday. 

I will post again when week one is in the books. 

Happy miles my friends . . .

Easy Street

After setting a moderately aggressive training schedule since mid July, this week sets up to be a nice break for the legs and the mind prior to a steady build to the January 2013 marathon.  I kept to the schedule nearly perfect on the run portion and 90% on the cross training.

As seen at my local grocery store.

This week I will only run three times with no cross training and low distance (1/2 the amount of last week).  I scheduled this week prior to the start of the 16 week training program to allow for the body to rest and relax before pushing the distance.  I have a couple of nicks, such as a sore hamstring, that hasn't prevented me from putting in the miles or speed, but this week comes at a great time to heal that up.  So far, so good.

The extra rest and the light miles will do the body good.  Next week, the real fun begins!

Run strong my friends . . .

The Training Continues

Can I just admit I really have nothing to write about, I am tired, and my running week is over? Again, so far, so good.  The really training for the marathon starts in a couple of weeks.  In the interim, I continue to build mileage and work to stay healthy and prepare for the upcoming training demands.

Next week will be the high mileage for this training cycle.  The following week my mileage will take a dip as I take a break mentally and physically before the mileage takes off.  My motto continues to be "run to the wheels fall off and make it to the finish line healthy".

Until we run again . . .