So I am desperately behind on documenting my JFK training. So here's where I've been:
Week 8 - Grandma's Half Marathon
We cut my mileage back a bit this week so that I wouldn't be totally tired going into the half marathon. Even though I wasn't shooting for a particular time, and wasn't really racing the event, we still decided to taper a bit. I was glad we did. As a result, I totally enjoyed every second of the run. This was my first time running the half after running the full marathon for years. As such, as I reached each landmark on the course I felt remarkably fresh! It was a super foggy day, so views of the lake were missing. That was a bummer...but the weather was otherwise so perfect for running that I couldn't complain. The entire 13.1 miles were pure fun.
Week 9
Mileage was back up a bit this week and was topped off my a "course preview" run on the trails that would make up the trail marathon that I was running in a couple of weeks. I was REALLY glad I chose to do this trial run. The course was, in a word: grueling. Major climbs on rocks and mud....steep hills, etc., etc. - it was like nothing I've ever experienced. That said, I loved it. I really do love trail running and definitely see myself focusing more in that direction in the years to come. I simply enjoy being out there in the woods...it provides a lot more fulfillment than pounding the pavement. Anyway, I did 16 miles of the 26.2 mile course. It took me a LONG time but I am grateful I knew what I was in for come marathon day.
Week 10
Again, mileage went up a bit, topped off by a MISERABLE 18-miler on Saturday. It was hot and muggy and I hated every step. It happens. The plus side of a run like this is that it allows me to work on my mental toughness. I literally felt like my legs were lead from the first step. And I was immediately depleted and groggy from the humidity. I did stop at mile 9 and bought some Gatorade (something I rarely drink these days...I've become a Nuun girl - thanks Kara!) but it tasted like liquid heaven. I clearly needed the salt. I drank the entire thing...and it wasn't small. That helped a bit but the rest of the run was still a slog. Alas. It's in the books.
Week 11 - Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon
This trail marathon was insanely difficult and incredibly fun. It was like no other experience I've ever had running. And, to be honest, it consisted of a LOT of hiking (i.e., I wasn't running the whole time or even most of the time). I can't run over boulders and it's silly to run up super steep hills (at least I think so)...so there was a lot of power hiking. It took me 3 hours longer than my average road marathon. Yep. Now, another thing that made it difficult is that I didn't taper at all. I've never run a marathon that wasn't a goal race...so I am usually tapered and fresh. Going into this with tired legs added to the challenge. One of my main struggles was nutrition. I can't figure out what to eat when I am out there that long. The aid stations were stocked with all kinds of food...but I found I wasn't able to actually eat any of it. That is, I could get my mouth to dissolve it and swallow it. So I ran for over 7 hours on Gu Chomps and watermelon. Needless to say, I was starving at the end. I also went into the race after 4 days of GI problems that unfortunately continued during the race. So I got lots of practice taking visits into the woods...(I'll leave that one there...let's just say I was proud to only have to stop - for that reason - three times!) I also had some bizarre nausea during mile 9, which made no sense. I was actually dizzy and couldn't get my head straight. It wasn't until the next aid station, where I downed some Powerade, that it finally subsided. That issue didn't return for the rest of the race, thankfully. I also took S-Caps (electrolyte pills) for the first time ever during this race. I've never tried them at all, but Wendy wanted me to give it a try and practice with them. Not sure if they "worked" or not because I never knew why I would need them. But, despite the issues listed above, I felt pretty good during the whole (very long!) race. Overall it was a great event, well organized, great people - I am glad I did it.
Week 12 - Park Point 5-miler (week ending 7/21)
Decided fairly last minute to run the 5-miler this week. A bit of a crazy choice, given the state of my legs after the trail marathon. But it's the first time I have been in town and available to do this race in probably 10 years. Plus, Wendy said she did want me to do some speed work this week (we're working on trying to snap me out of a bit of a rut of very slow, plodding miles) so she thought the race was a good idea. I knew I wouldn't be able to run it fast. And I knew it wouldn't feel particularly good. But I decided to do it anyway. I was correct: it was tough. But it was also super fun. A beautiful night (albeit a bit warm) and it was just fun to run on that course as part of that event again after all of these years.
---
From here on out, we start to build miles. I won't race again until September when I am doing a half marathon and marathon to spice up my JFK training. Looking forward to just trying to gain some major fitness and endurance in the next couple of months.
In other news: Many people wondered if I'd lost my sanity when I signed up for JFK. I am happy to share a bit of the story behind why I decided to participate in such an extreme running event. You can read about it by clicking here. (And there's also a link on the right side of this page.) I'd truly appreciate your support!
Training Mileage Summary
Week 1: 30
Week 2: 31
Week 3: 36
Week 4: 36
Week 5: 27
Week 6: 32
Week 7: 40
Week 8: 34 (Grandma's Half)
Week 9: 43
Week 10: 44
Week 11: 40 (trail marathon)
Week 12: 33 (5-miler)
No comments:
Post a Comment