Training Update: treadmill runs and the first 20 miler

runfargirl training update

There are some weeks that are just a slog. A grind. Hard. Last week was one of those weeks. After a frigid weekend of snowshoeing things warmed up and we got a weird mix of snow and freezing rain that made the week interesting. Well, not interesting. It made it a week of treadmill running (said with a sneer). Which is totally un-interesting and something I loath. BUT, I am grateful to have a treadmill because without it there are some runs that would just not happen and when you're training for a marathon Thee Boston Marathon, you want to be prepared and ready and have no regrets when you toe the line.

So I treadmill-ed. But not very gratefully or happily at the time (only after the fact when I realized that without my treadmill I would have only managed to run 31 miles instead of 51 miles). Here's how last week's training broke down:

Monday

Drills: 2x50 each of toe taps, butt kicks, high knees 2x20 backwards lunge

Strength: 2x20 reverse fly with band, sumo stance kettlebell swing, bridge matrix (bridges, single leg bridges, bridge with leg raise), side plank with "running leg"

3.5 miles easy on the treadmill

Tuesday

The most spastic run ever. Wake up. Looks snowy/slushy/yucky outside. Opt for treadmill. Run two miles. Hop off in fit of frustration. I don't want to be contained in the basement. Put on tights, hat, gloves, StabilICERS, long-sleeve, reflective gear. Head outside. Plow guy is doing the driveway. Grab a shovel and try to look like I'm out there to shovel, not go for a run (I should have considered the blinking red light on my reflective vest gave me away). Shovel walkway. Plow guy finishes. Head out on to the road. Roads are bad, slushy, icy, narrow. Decide I don't want to die-by-plow. Double back to the house. Head back to treadmill. Run 6 more miles. Finish with 8 for the day.

Wednesday

5 early morning miles with the most gorgeous sunrise ever.

I couldn't make it to indoor track and have to run my workout on treadmill. There was more hoping on and off, swearing, adult-tantruming and general un-happiness, before getting really mad at myself for quitting and deciding to suck it up and get it done.

10 min warm up; 2K (3 min rest), 2x1K (3 min rest), 2K 10 min cool down

I can't seem to hit the same paces on the treadmill as I can on the track. I think our treadmill is calibrated fast due to a basketball incident a few years ago where the treadmill motor broke and was re-installed by my hubby, who then calibrated the treadmill (which took, like three hours). My goal for the 2K's was 6:26 pace but on the treadmill that felt like 6 min pace. So I backed off a little and ran by effort, which ended up being 6:35/40 pace. Oh well.

11 miles for the day

Thursday

Rest day. First day off in 12 days. I don't have planned rest days in my training schedule. I take days when I feel like my body or mind needs them and I felt like I needed it on Thursday.

Friday

Another treadmill run in the afternoon because I opted to sleep in. Teething baby meant several wake ups during the night and I just couldn't get myself out of bed when the alarm went off at 5am.

Drills: 2x100 each of toe taps, butt kicks, high knees 2x20 backwards lunge

Strength:

2x20 sumo squat thrusters, squat with olympic bar

2x20 reverse fly, kettlebell swing

2x20 chair sit row, kettlebell high pull

bridge matrix (bridges, single leg bridges, bridge with leg raise)

Run: 4.0 miles on the treadmill with a 20 min hill climb 4%-10%. Going up 2% every five minutes.

Saturday

6 easy and snowy miles. Quiet morning. Quiet roads. Nice and easy. Snowy. Just how I like it.

Sunday

20 miles. I am so thankful for earlier sunrises and for babies that sleep through the night. After a rough patch of cutting teeth Liam has been sleeping solidly about 10 hours each night for the past few nights and those solid blocks of sleep for me are GOLD. I feel like a new person. I got out there early on Sunday and the real feel was a 60 degree difference from last Sunday. I planned for this run to be a depleted run, so to run without taking GU or water. I did stash a water bottle in my mailbox so that when I passed by at mile 11 I had the option of taking a sip, but I ended up not needing it. I won't do every 20 miler depleted just the first two. Because once I get into adding marathon goal pace miles I'll need the fuel. [If your curious about the why and how behind depleted runs here's a great article from Runner's World and another well researched article from Runners Connect.] The run was a hilly one with plenty of climbing and downhills as well. I felt pretty strong throughout until about mile 15 when I started to feel a bit sluggish. And then the sluggish feeling came and went and I had some strong miles and some not so strong ones. My long runs always finish with a three mile gradual climb back up to our house, with a little 100ft elevation climb with a half mile to go. It makes those last three miles tough, but if I can finish those strong at the end of a 20 miler I know that I'll do well in the marathon. My goal is always to "own those miles" instead of them owning me (which sometimes they do). Overall it was a good effort and I spent the rest of the day refueling and trying to move and stretch.

[Tweet "Training update: Treadmill runs and the first 20 miler #teamstonyfield"]

-Sarah

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