Chicago Marathon Training, Week 13

(This isn’t a full list of the workout.)

Thursday: 1.75 miles at Orangetheory. It was a power day with several all-outs on the treadmill. After the treadmill portion we switched to the water rowers for a 4:30 row for distance. The aim was to row for 100 meters at a push or all-out pace and then recover for 10 seconds. I ended up getting 955 meters because I wasn’t feeling it that day.

Floor workout included:

• Full burpees (10/8/6)
• Bicep curls on the TRX strap (10/8/6)
• 250-meter row and then a 200-meter row
• 4 and a half minutes of core work that was 10 reps of situps with twist; leg lifts with static crunch; full arm and leg extension to crunches; side planks to hip dips; and static crunches with over-unders with your feet

Friday: 1.73 miles at Orangetheory. I was pretty sore for my third OTF class of the week. We did several all-out runs on the treadmill as well as several inclines. We also rowed for 2 minutes for distance twice, with a 1-minute recovery in between. I managed about 900 meters total.

Floor workout included:

• Tricep extensions with weight and on the TRX strap
• Single-arm chest press
• 180-degree squat jumps
• Single-leg V-ups
• Reverse lunges to step-ups on the bench

Saturday-Sunday: Traveling and rest. I tried to sleep on my Friday night flight and I must have been sitting in an awkward position because I woke up with pain in my lower back. It continued the next day and was likely exacerbated by the mattress I slept on Saturday night. It was also 104 degrees over the weekend, so I pushed my 9-miler back to Monday.

Monday: 9 miles!

Week’s mileage: 5.73 not counting Monday.

Reflections:

I am nervous for my upcoming 20-miler this weekend! It will be the last ultimate test before the marathon. After that I have a half-marathon and a cutback week. I have to remember that I won’t be as exhausted as I am right now because I will have taken it easy the final week of training and I won’t be sore. I just need to keep going!

Training is a piece of cake compared with life right now. Graham and I are about to have our lives completely changed, so a marathon is the least of my worries right now. Running has a way of putting things in perspective. It really reminds you of what you are capable of doing.

Previous training recaps:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9
• Week 10
• Week 11
• Week 12

Current running favorites: