On Friday, I touched up more about my marathon training progression so that’s that.
| Monday: | 10.65 mile run. Recovering from my 8k, I do remember this run being not so fun and the most painful run of the week. |
| Tuesday: | AM: 11.2 miles (8:33) progression from 8:45-7:45 pace |
| PM: 5.3 miles tempo on trails (6:47 pace) | |
| Wednesday: | 1.5 hours cross training on the cybex 100i |
| Thursday: | 11.2 miles easy shakeout (8:50 pace) |
| Friday: | 17.35 Long Run at 7:42 pace |
| Saturday: | Off |
| Sunday: | 13-14 mile easy |
| 1 Mile Open Water Jack King Swim | |
| Total: | 70 miles |
Thoughts on this week:
I haven’t had a sans road race week in quite some time now (about a month) and now I have two in a row. I’m not racing at all next week either. That isn’t a bad thing though because I have needed (and wanted some quality training) versus worrying about when and how I feel on Friday if I’m racing on Saturday.
With that, Tuesday I did my normal speed workout which I hadn’t planned for Tuesday but was feeling good. If I had planned, I would have done 10 in the morning versus 11. So yes, 11 in the morning that were done easy and 5 in the afternoon (more like noonish at lunch) done at an overall 6:47 pace which I was shocked (but pleased with).
Then rest and recovery Wednesday and Thursday. Friday was my first productive long run. I plan to do roughly 5 of these this summer where I experiment with gels, fueling, shoes and also run at a quicker pace then my average day to day runs. Friday fit with my work, training and life schedule so it was a great run for me. I progressively worked my way down from 8:45 to the last two miles at 6:50. (It was a big confidence booster) and I took a gel which sat fine at mile 8. I didn’t feel any magical energy from the gel but also didn’t die and never felt bad (clearly I kept hammering down at the pace) so I guess it worked.
Then the rest was just easy recovery and rest. I had to w0rk all day Saturday and I couldn’t muster up the injury free confidence to run at 6am after Thursdays 17…so that’s that.
That Swim:
Yes, I am probably drowning while you are reading this. My dad and I have a tradition of doing the Jack King 1 mile swim. You probably know if you follow my training for any amount of time I’m not really prepared, but alas I do it a lot more for fun. College swimming is a very distant (pun intended) past of mine and while I do enjoy swimming occasionally, it’s not something (right now or for a while) I’ll put on my marbles of training in for. Well really I give it 1 point of dedication but that might be a bit of dedication. I take it as more of fun than anything else…painful fun I suppose…
Thoughts for next week:
I will probably do something extremely similar to this, sans fast long run (it will be easy miles) and sans long swim…but maybe I will swim.
Questions for you:
When do you take gels?
Do you like to race a lot or a little?
I take gels about every 4.5 miles. Sometimes, if I am at a race and not carrying water, I take based on the water station closest. And, like you, I feel no great energy burst but I have figured out which settle best.
I don’t use any gels or solids. My stomach has never been able to handle anything on the run. I stick to Gatorade and water. I have tried to train my stomach to handle solids, but it has never listened to me. I guess that’s why I’ll never be a successful ultrarunner.
Greg, dad never uses any sort of gels either. He says they don’t sit well in his stomach! I haven’t found they sit badly or great just a happy medium.
Great week! I use gels only on runs longer than 10 miles. Usually I take one about 10-15 minutes prior to running, and then one after every five miles. So, for example, I use six for a marathon. They do provide me with a boost, for sure. Love racing!!! Goal this year is 13 Halves and Fulls combined for 2013. Plus a few 5k’s thrown in.
My friend who I ran with took like 3 gels on our 14.5-15 yesterday and he took one before we started. I ate like 6 sport beans during the run. Maybe it’s me? Anyway, when I do a half or something I usually take one but anything shorter than that, I don’t. I did feel weak toward the end of the run so I may start soon, we’ll see… it’s a good idea for you to use the longer runs to experiment with fuel though as well as shoes, good luck with figuring out the shoes you want to wear that aren’t racing flats.
I race next Saturday and like you, trying to figure out where that fits into my training. I’m thinking since this is a cutback week I may just do a longer cooldown or something and make it into a medium length run. We’ll see…
I have always tried to plot my gels within water stops because they make my mouth (and hands) sticky. Plus they take me like half mile to actually eat. During the most recent half, I took two prior to the race (followed my racing instructions on the box lol) and then one at miles 4 and 8. I don’t like to ever let myself get close to a lull in racing situations so I probably take them a bit earlier/more often than some but I know that I don’t recover back if I hit that lull. I’ve also taken them prior to 5ks just for some extra energy and to get used to stomaching them when I’m running fast/hard.
I have a photo of a gel exploding on me from one of my first half marathons because I couldn’t get the darn thing open. It was looking real cute. I actually hold mine or stick it in my sports bra when running. That’s another thing I’ll have to figure out for racing too.
Somebody told me to put it in my bra or spandex shorts. “It won’t fall out!” they said.
At mile 3, I felt something slip down the side of my shorts. I caught it in time, but almost lost one gel. Around mile 6 I felt the other start slipping out of my bra. I was not gifted with curves so I have nothing to hold ’em in lol. I might try safety pinning the top next time so I only have to rip it off without dealing w/ the pin.
I hope you make it out alive today and the sharkies don’t get you! Totally kidding… Well, I hope I’m kidding anyway! I’m sure you’ll do great, though, because even though you haven’t swam in a while it’s like riding a bike. I used to LOVE Sport Beans as fuel when I did my training for my half marathon especially the watermelon flavor! I never used anything else (except Swedish fish) and they always sat well in my stomach.
Funny enough that was one of my biggest fears…I hate sharks LOL.
Awesome pacing work on that long run – so many people start out like it’s a mile sprint, but you’re smarter than that, which is why you’re going to have an awesome marathon training cycle.
Holy Wow, that is so amazing that you swan a mile! I literally cannot even fathom that! Sounds like a super productive and impressive running week too.
I’ve never fueled on a run, but I’ve also never run over 16 miles so it’s interesting to hear how someone else who doesn’t usually fuel on runs adjusts to it.
Now that I know gels don’t bother my stomach, I don’t train with them. I feel it gives me something extra on race day. It tells my mind that the added boost, will get me through the last 5 miles, that I hadn’t ran in training.
During marathons, I take one before I start, and then one every 4 to 5 miles, or as needed. Salt Stick is great too. Drinking too much Gatorade can make your stomach sloshy, as well as dehydration, and the Salt Stick totally helps with that. (I carry both)
Open-water race recap to come? 🙂 It’s tough to start out conservatively with those longer runs, and it looks like you executed your pace plan perfectly. I can’t wait to see how much butt you kick during this marathon!
I have yet to try gels. I use shot blocks and sport beans. Usually I’ll eat a few 30 minutes before my long run and then every 4 miles I’ll eat 2 or 3. I haven’t tried them out for my speed work, but I might give that a shot this week.
I can’t wait to read about the open water race and I love your header!
I am reading this of course impressed and proud that you are experimenting and being safe. But really I am just thinking I will be seeing you next Saturday 😉 sorry not training related but still!