Boston Marathon Training-Week 11

Week 11
Monday
40 minutes on spinning bike (hr-131, easy recovery bike ride)
60 minute Full Body Workout Bob Harper DVD 

100 push ups, 100 sit ups

Tuesday

6.29 miles

7:44 pace, heart rate avg. 142

5 miles-Treadmill (focused on form and maintaining a steady pace)

7:34 pace, heart rate avg. 143 

15 minute ab workout

Wednesday

15.29 miles

7:20 pace, heart rate avg. 143

25 minute ab workout

Thursday

6.20 miles

7:26 pace, heart rate avg. 140

60 minute upper body workout

45 minute recovery spin ride (hr-131)

Friday

12.01 miles (w/7 @ 15k to half marathon pace) 

I ran the 7 miles at 6:34 pace over very hilly terrain, so I was satisfied with the pace.

6:53 overall pace, heart rate avg. 152

60 minute ab and leg workout that was very intense; my legs are still feeling it

Saturday

5.10 miles

8:06 pace, heart rate avg. 131

60 minute upper body workout (I brought it so hard today, felt great!)

Sunday

22.46 miles

7:12 pace, heart rate avg. 150

The weather was nice and I was feeling pretty good.  My legs were still quite sore from that Friday leg workout.  I was shooting to run a 7:20 average, but I was feeling pretty good and I stepped it up a notch.  I think today's run would have resulted in a 3:08 marathon if I kept pace for 26.2, which I easily could have done.  I really had to hold back, because I wanted to run much harder and faster than I did. This was the longest run during my Boston Marathon training program so it was a good test.  I feel that  after this run, I am in shape for about a 2:57 or less marathon. 

Training Update- The race is now just 50 days away.  I have just 7 weeks of training left.  4 weeks of lots of miles and intense training and then 3 weeks of tapering.  I am doing another race in 3 weeks and then one more 2 weeks after that (a 5k and then a 10k).  Training is coming along well, I just need to make sure to keep focused and keep doing what I'm doing.  I'm so pumped!

Boston Marathon Training-Week 10

Week 10
Monday
40 minutes on spinning bike (hr-130, easy recovery bike ride)
60 minute Full Body Workout (except legs) 

Tuesday

10.20 miles

7:23 pace, heart rate avg. 137

4.15 miles

15 minute ab workout

Wednesday

12.26 miles (2 @ half marathon pace, 6:30 mile avg.)

7:08 pace, heart rate avg. 146

40 minutes on the spinning bike

15 minute ab workout

Thursday

6.22 miles

7:29 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 136

60 minute full body workout (brought it extremely hard!)

Friday

7.05 miles (w/6 x 100m strides)

7:26 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 142.

This run was supposed to be 11 miles, but due to the Half Marathon on Saturday I adjusted it slightly.  Other than that, I made no other changes to my training this week, with the exception of the weekend.  I did 13.1 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.  Winds were gusting at up to 35 mph!
15 minute ab workout

Saturday

Mt. Pleasant Ice Cube Half Marathon

13.1 miles 1:22:50-that is no typo!

6:21 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 159

Well, I don't even know where to start.  I even exceeded my own expectations.  I was nervous as to whether or not I'd be able to maintain roughly a 6:30 pace and get a 1:25 half time.  I was the only one in the race to wear shorts and temps were at about 21 degrees at the start.  I am a great cold weather runner.  That is where I thrive.  I started the race with a goal of hitting 6:30 splits and quickly I questioned that due to the extremely windy conditions.  Since the race was pretty small, there weren't many people and I was one of the few up near the front, but I mostly ran alone with no one to block the wind.  My splits were:  6:33, 6:34, 6:39, 6:31 6:23, 6:23, 6:29, 6:18, 6:20, 6:26, 6:18, 5:59, 5:42, and 4:52 (.1 miles).  I just kind of took off after mile 4.  The strange part is that after the race, I jogged right to my car and I had plenty left in the tank.  I was completely shocked.  I was capable of much more than I originally anticipated.  So, even though I ran a pr by nearly 5 minutes, I couldn't help but think how much quicker I could have run.  I am not ever close to satisfied unless I run as fast as I possibly can at a race or close to it.    

I am already looking forward to my next race and trying to run faster, since apparantly I have trained myself pretty darn well over the winter.  I took 5th overall in the race and won my age group.  Not a bad start to start the race season!  Next up:  The Shamrock 5k on March 19th.

Sunday

9.84 miles
7:37 avg. per mile, heart rate avg. 141
Today I did less than 15 miles I was supposed to do in the training schedule.  But, it wouldn't have been smart, considering I just ran an all out Half Marathon the day before.  My legs did feel incredibly good for having run a Half Marathon the day before.  
40 minute spin bike recovery (heart rate avg. 141)
15 minute ab workout

Boston Marathon Training-Week 9

Week 9
Monday
40 minutes on spinning bike (hr-130, easy recovery bike ride)
60 minute Full Body Workout (except legs) 

15 minute ab workout

Tuesday

6.22 miles

7:47 pace, heart rate avg. 135

4.15 miles

7:46 pace, heart rate avg. 140 (1% incline)

 Nice and easy recovery runs.  I focussed on form when on the treadmill for the second run of the day.  It was the first run I have done this winter on the tread mill.  I think it is good to do one easy run a week on the treadmill to focus on form and maintaining a consistent pace.

15 minute ab workout

Wednesday

15.31 miles

7:25 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 149

Long mid week run.  This week had me doing more miles during the week to get my miles in since I was doing less on the weekend due to my marathon pace run on Sunday.

40 minutes on the spinning bike

Thursday

6.26 miles

7:41 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 143

15 minute ab workout

Friday

13.27 miles
7:29 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 147

Saturday

7.19 miles (w/6x100 meter strides)

7:28 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 145

3 miles (2 miles at 6:40 pace, 1 mile at 5:52 pace-all on a 1% incline)

6:24 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 163 

My runs this week have felt somewhat more difficult than in recent weeks, so after  my first run of the day, I went home and stretched and then made my way to the Y.  I rode the bike hardcore for 35 minutes (heart rate was roughly 153 avg.) and then I immediately hopped on the treadmill with my new Nike Zoom's (I absolutely fell in love with these shoes instantly).  I ran the first 2 miles at 6:40 pace and felt pretty good.  I ran the final mile at a 5:52 pace and found out that treadmills do go past 10 mph!  I think I need to just focus mentally more.  I think recently my body and mind have not been flowing well together on my runs.

I followed the 2 runs and biking session with a 30 minute leg and ab workout and then followed that with some stretching and foam rolling.  I just really felt like working out today!

Sunday

15.02 mile run (12 miles at 6:53 pace)

6:59 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 156. 

15 minute ab workout

Today was a huge test for me to really see where I was at.  It was a beautiful day and I actually wore shorts!  I ran the first mile at roughly 7:17 pace.  I then tackled the challenging brutal hilly course that I normally do my long runs on.  I tried to speed up on the downhills, conserve energy and maintain a pretty good pace on the flat parts and bring it on the uphills.  I even managed to maintain a 6:54 pace going up and partially down the most massive hill on the course.  If I had maintained the pace I did for a marathon, I would have run roughly a 3:01 marathon.  This run even came after pushing my legs to excess the day before.  I still have a lot of work to do, but that was a great test.  Next weekend on Saturday, I will challenge myself with my first tune up race of the year.  I am running a Half Marathon in Mt. Pleasant.  I am shooting for anything in the 1:24:30-1:26 range.  Hopefully the weather cooperates so that I can get a good feel for where I'm at.

Boston Marathon Training-Week 8

Week 7
Monday
40 minutes on spinning bike (hr-130, easy recovery bike ride)
60 minute Full Body Workout (except legs) 

15 minute ab workout

Tuesday

6.25 miles

7:47 pace, heart rate avg. 135

4.15 miles

7:46 pace, heart rate avg. 140 (1% incline)

 Nice and easy recovery runs.  I focussed on form when on the treadmill for the second run of the day.  It was the first run I have done this winter on the tread mill.  I think it is good to do one easy run a week on the treadmill to focus on form and maintaining a consistent pace.

Wednesday

14.50 miles

7:40 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 142

I ran this run on the day of the biggest snowstorm of 2011.  Running through all of that snow was quite a challenge.  It was more of a quad workout then anything.  It was something I needed anyway to get my legs all around more strong.

Thursday

5.20

7:36 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 142

Easy recovery run

40 minutes on the spinning bike (avg. heart rate 130)

15 minute ab workout

Friday

11.22 miles (w/6 miles at 15k to half marathon pace)
7:06 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 156

Saturday

6.22 miles

7:46 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 144

15 minute ab workout

Sunday

20.42 mile run

7:30 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 148

This run was somewhat disappointing to me.  I was shooting to run it a bit faster.  I almost wondered if my pacing on my watch was off or something.  I think all of the tough runs have finally caught up with me a bit.  I still managed to run a good pace for this run anyways.  Overall, I have to be satisfied with how my training has progressed thus far.  

Chicago Marathon

So, February 1st at midnight, the Chicago Marathon opened for registration.  I had recently been going back and forth between rather or not I should Grand Rapids or Chicago.  I couldn't help myself and I impulsively registered for Chicago.  It's just something that I could not pass up.  It's a once in a lifetime event.  Well, I guess I could have done it another year.  But, it's a heck of an event from what I hear.  So, I decided that after Boston and Kalamazoo, I will get a month of maintenance training and then I will hit the training hardcore for Chicago.  I am going to shoot for a sub 2:50 at Chicago.  If I can knock out Boston in under 3, then I think that is a reasonable goal.  I of course will still be tempted to go and do Grand Rapids the next week....maybe I'll do the Half there.  Well, I've got 3 marathons so far to train for this year-super excited, can't wait!

Boston Marathon Training-Week 7

Week 7
Monday
37 minutes on spinning bike (hr-130, easy recovery bike ride)
60 minute Full Body Workout (except legs) brought it hardcore

15 minute ab workout

Tuesday

10.22 miles (w/5 miles at 15k to half marathon pace)

This run went well, especially considering the snow.  I kept the 5 miles at between 6:20-6:30 pace.

.6:51 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 157

Wednesday

14.20 miles

7:22 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 153

I opted for a somewhat less hilly route, by going a way I hadn't before.  Once again, it turned out to have massive hills.  Dang, Kzoo is hilly!!!  It was a snowy day, but I just kept a decent pace and knocked out the miles.

40 minutes on spinning bike (hr-130) flushing of the lactate acid and an easy recovery ride

15 minute ab workout

Thursday

5.14 miles

8:02 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 147 (this was a very snowy day)

The snow was very thick.  I went for a run from the maple street after an intense full body workout.  This was just an easy recovery run.

Full body workout at the Y.  I have really been bringing the intensity to the gym lately!

Friday
11.22 miles
7:26 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 143

15 minute ab workout

Saturday

8.16 miles (w/10 x100 meter strides)

This was also a very snowy day.  I had moved for about 5 hours before this and my quads were absolutely dead, but it was a good workout moving stuff.  My quads needed it.7:16 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 147

15 minute ab workout

Sunday

21.44 mile run

7:21 avg. mile pace, heart rate avg. 148This run went absolutely wonderfully.  I decided that I was just going to try and knock this run out at a 7:30 pace.  Most long runs are supposed to be done at 10-20 percent slower than your expected marathon pace.  So, 7:30 is still a bit quicker than I need to go.  However, I did the first half of this run at 7:26 pace and I was feeling it in the second half, so I knocked the second half out at a 7:16  pace. This was at good run to kind of indicate where I am for expected marathon pace.  After completing this run, I would say that I could easily (well, not easily) knock out a sub 3:05 pace.  That run alone I could have done in 3:10 or less no problem.  Therefore, it forced me to rethink my goals.  I am very seriously considering shooting for a sub 3 hour time at Boston now.  That is a 6:51 per mile pace, so we'll see.  But, as of right now, training has been going pretty well.  I have been doing good at keeping the pace on the long runs and they have usually always included an abundance of hills.