Marathon Training, Week 7

The theme of marathon training last week was Test Your Limits. If the soreness in my right calf was any indication, I think I did just that.

Monday: Rest day. I went to happy hour with a former co-worker and indulged in even more cheese and chips to follow up my Super Bowl Sunday. At least I began the day with some light yoga and foam rolling.

Tuesday: I started my morning with some sun salutations (in my kitchen — my new favorite place to do yoga in my house) and foam rolling. I was amazed at how just a few minutes of this alleviated the soreness I had in my right calf. After work I ran 4.9 miles. I somehow turned around too soon during my out-and-back run. My pace ranged from 10:43 to 11:14 per mile. The soreness in my right calf reemerged, but I persevered — and I followed the run with more foam rolling.

Wednesday: 2.5-mile interval training. I finished 1 mile at a warmup pace, followed by .5 mile at the fastest pace I could muster. I slowed down for .25 mile and then sped up again for .25 mile. I finished the rest at a slow pace. The pain in my right calf resurfaced. I resolved to focus more on self-care over the next few days rather than mileage.

Thursday: I completed the Yoga for Tranquility and Mindfulness class from Yoga International. Sometimes I prefer to take a class either online or in a studio over leading myself, simply to be reminded to breathe. I also like trying out new sequences. If the instructor suggests a pose I am not ready for I often substitute my own pose, like I did during this class. The teacher instructed Warrior C in this class, which I didn’t feel ready for at the moment. I opted to do Malasana instead, which coincidentally was the next pose she suggested. I also added some chaturanga pushups. The class lasted 33 minutes, which I counted toward my #1800MinuteChallenge.

Friday: The day began with my 5 minutes of sun salutations. After work I ran 5 miles at an average pace of 10:31. The sun is setting later now, and it was nice to not run in complete darkness.

Saturday: I’m the queen of procrastination. I painted part of the kitchen for two and a half hours before running. I’d like to think it was a workout because I had to stand on my tippy-toes and hold my arms up to reach most the areas I needed to paint. The plan was a 5-mile run, but my body was telling me that wasn’t a good idea. I instead jogged a mile and walked 1.25 miles.

Sunday: 14 long, arduous miles. I try to give myself enough time to eat before my run, so sometimes I don’t head out until 10 a.m. or later. There is little to no shade on my running route, and that wears on me. I questioned how I will ever run 26. 2 miles if I can barely get through 14. To be honest, I had to run/walk the last 3 miles.

Totals: 

Weekly goal: 32.25.

Actual mileage: 27.4.

February mileage so far: 39.4.

Lessons:

• I need more strength training. 
• I’ve stayed in my comfort zone as far as pace goes, and I need to push myself out of it.
• Variety is key to staying motivated. New trails, playlists and strength training workouts will keep me inspired.
• Social media can keep you accountable. Joining challenges such as the #1800MinuteChallenge and Ragnar Training have given me more reasons to keep going.