Week Two of Marathon Training

Hey all!

Well, I completed week two of training and it has some good and one really bad run.

My long run this week was twelve miles.  I have the choice of doing my long runs on Sunday or Monday.  Once the kids are back in school they will all be Monday but right now, most of them are Sunday.  So, instead of taking a step back after running the Blessing on Friday and doing my long run on Monday, I headed out early on Sunday.

As soon as I started running, I knew things were not good. My legs were tried and I considered just stopping at two or three miles.  I didn't.

The first six I was with a friend and the conversation was able to keep my mind occupied but it was still tough moving. At the car, for water and fuel, I went back and fourth with, "Should I stop or go on?"  I went on.

I was moving slow but moving.  BRF#1 was still running but we are training at different goal paces.  But because she is BRF#1 she would run ahead and circle back to see how I was doing.  It gave me something to look forward to.

When I hit mile nine, I looked at my watch and it read, two hours and two minutes. I just felt defeated at that point.  It had taken me longer to get to that point, then some of my ten and eleven mile runs.  I walked and ran the last three miles.  Mostly walked I think.  I finished but can't say I was happy about it. In fact, it is up there in my top three worst runs of all time.

Lesson learned. I needed an extra rest day after such a good race. I won't make that mistake again.

On Tuesday, I took a Total Sculpt class at the gym.  It has been a very long time since I stepped into an exercise class setting.  I enjoyed it but realize I am not in the shape I thought I was.  I have a lot of upper body work to do. I enjoyed the class and will add it in as part of my cross training each week.

Wednesday was my very first, track workout.  I have put some miles in on a track before but not something specific.  My workout called for 4 x 400 with a two mile warm up and two mile cool down.

I met BRF#1 at the track and we did our warm up on the bike path.  I have to say, I am really pleased with how my first track work out went. I might even say I enjoyed it.  I had target paces for each 400.  I only went over once but know I went too fast during my rest interval and that played a part.  It was not an easy workout but one that I had fun doing, I even did my two mile cool down on the track instead of the bike path.  I do think that track workouts will be something I look forward too when they show up in the plan.

My last run of the week, was four easy miles with five strides.  My friend KB met me and did them with me.  We had a nice run and I felt it was another successful workout.  Strides are not my favorite thing, especially because you are supposed to do them at the end on tired legs, but I do see how they will benefit me.

What made this run and day even more fun, was the fact that I was the guest Instagramer for Skirt Sports.  I will tell you more about that in a different blog, but KB got a few fun shots of me running.

This is one of my favorites.

I am already in week three and there is one workout that has me a little worried. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I let you know how it goes...

Sixteen weeks to Philly!

Run Strong, Think Big! ~ Nicole