October 30 seems light-years away. I mean, that’s Halloween weekend and it’s not even July yet! Catch my drift? I’ve got a long way to go with training. In fact, I keep downplaying it because a) I am in the very beginning stages and want to pace myself (literally) and b) (COMPARISON ALERT) I see people on social media who run so much more than me and aren’t training for anything. We’ll address the latter issue in a future post.
When my mom asked me how my long run was this past Saturday I responded “it was only 8 miles, no big deal.” Technically it didn’t feel like a big deal because I’ve been running that distance for the last few months but she correctly reminded me to celebrate the mini-wins along the way. Celebrate getting up super early. Celebrate feeling good on a run. Celebrate every runner’s high.
High mileage or not, 20+ weeks is a long time to dedicate yourself to something so you might as well appreciate the journey.
Now to recap the last two weeks of workouts. As a reminder, this go-around I’m working with a coach…the lovely Susie of Suzlyfe! Further down the road I’ll write about this experience but just as an overview, she posts my schedule on a Google Doc with the distances, speeds, warm-ups, cross-training, etc. that align with my overall goals. The big goal: get to the starting line injury free.
One thing that is new to me this cycle is taking easy runs EASY. As in, 1-2 minutes slower per mile than I would normally do. (Here are some articles for more info on that: here + here). I’m swallowing my pride because I know it will pay off.
I feel like I have a million more things to say (from maintaining strength training and yoga to the freaking AWFUL heat and humidity here in Florida), but I don’t want to make this too long. There will be many more recaps (every two weeks) so let me know if you have any questions.
Marine Corps Marathon Training: Weeks 1 + 2
Week 1
Sunday: Active rest day (10 minutes of core and stretching) + hip and ankle strength (5-10 minutes)
Monday: 50 minute spin class + 10 minutes of stretching
Tuesday: 5 miles easy (10 min/mile pace). I ran this on the treadmill because of the weather so it was easy to perfectly maintain the “easy” pace.
Wednesday: 50 minutes of strength training (mainly upper body and core)
Thursday: 5 miles negative split (9:27, 8:49, 8:44, 8:20, 8:17) + hip and ankle strength
Friday: 20 minute walk + 75 min Vinyasa Flow
Saturday: 7 easy miles (9:40 avg.) + 4 strides
Total: 17 miles
Week 2
Sunday: Active rest day (20 minutes of core and light upper body) + hip and ankle strength work
Monday: 45 minute spin class + a new-t0-me yoga class that I love. It’s called “Soften, Stretch + Strengthen.” It’s all mobility work using lacrosse balls, foam rollers, bands and blocks. Not typical yoga but great for releasing and stretching muscles.
Tuesday: 1 mi warm-up + 8k (5 mile) time trial + .5 mi cool down. I ran the time trial like a race. My splits were 7:58, 7:27, 7:40, 7:56, 7:52. (6.5 miles total)
Wednesday: 45 minutes of full body strength training
Thursday: 1 mi warm-up + 4 x 600 meters of hill repeats + .5 mi cool down. For the hill repeats: 600 m uphill + 600 m downhill = 1 repeat. 600 meters is roughly .37 miles. (4.5 miles total)
Friday: 1 mile walk + 15 minutes of upper body and core + 75 min Vinyasa Flow
Saturday: 8 easy miles (9:43 min/mile) + 4 strides
Total: 19 miles
There ya have it! One reason I like to document my training is to look back and see growth over time. Admittedly, that’s a selfish reason, but I see the value in sharing the highs, lows and all the in-between.
I always find it so interesting to see what people think of the first weeks of training: some think omg this isn’t enough! some think OMG this is so different! Having run a marathon before, you have several different perspectives behind you–this is a great peek inside what you are thinking beyond our other discussions!
Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Atlanta Wedding Weekend with Friends and Family
I think the longer build up will be so beneficial because I can adjust (mentally and physically) while still getting in solid workouts.
Oct seems far away but then I realize how fast the past 8 months have gone and A will be 1 in Oct!! Easy runs are SO hard!! You get so used to your usual pace that its hard to do a slower run but they are so important. PS your mom is a great woman- love celebrate mini wins!
heather @Lunging Through Life recently posted…Trip to Conneaut Lake and Father’s Day
Ah I can’t believe she will be 1 so soon! It seems soon when I think of it that way haha.
I love your mix of running, spin, and yoga throughout the week. I am sure that will help you avoid any injury through training. I can’t wait to see where your training takes you because I know you are going to do great!!
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie recently posted…Race 13.1 Detroit Half Marathon Training Week 2
I’m excited to continue this balance because I definitely feel my best, mentally and physically, when I do a little of everything :)
So proud of you!! Let me know if you want to take a class together :)
Christina @ The Blissful Balance recently posted…Why I Re-designed My Blog (and How to Know When You’re Ready)
You need to try this new-to-me studio in South Tampa! They offer “float therapy” too lol.
That yoga class sounds so amazing! I wish we had all those different types up here…anytime I want to go to a class it’s just called “yoga” so I never know what to expect. Great job the first two weeks..you’re well on your way ;)
Gretchen recently posted…Seawheeze Half Marathon Training Week 2
I feel lucky that I have great studios in my area! So many different options (heated, non-heated, restorative, mobility, etc.). I look forward to every class!
I love reading recaps like these! And I need to find a yoga class like that one you talked about with foam rolling- that sounds amazing.
I wish I had discovered it sooner! Every week is a different body part, so today was back and hips.
Awesome couple of weeks, Emily! I’m also really trying to focus on easy runs. For someone who’s already slow, the pace feels like death. But I can already feel a difference with actually taking it easy. We will get to that start line healthy! That yoga class sounds so freaking cool and multi-functional!
Sam @ See Sam Run recently posted…Marine Corps Marathon Base Building: 6/13-6/19/16
I’m noticing a huge difference in my recovery because of taking easy runs easy. Like I don’t *need* a nap every day haha. It’s a challenge but one I want to follow through with.
Hey, I don’t think that documenting your journey is selfish at all! This is your blog, after all, and seeing your schedule is also really helpful for people. Even though I can’t dream of running that many miles in a week right now, it’s fun to see how people mix things up instead of just running five miles a day or whatnot and get some ideas.
I’m doing an 8-week “Couch to 5K” running plan and it’s a lot of interval work! So that’s my favorite kind running workout because it’s basically all I’m doing right now, haha.
Claire @ My Pink & Green Life recently posted…Friday Favorites 6/17
I love to hate intervals ;) They are really beneficial but the “on” segments are tough! But it’s fun to get stronger and see the progress over the course of training.
I’ll look forward to following your training :) I’m running my first marathon right around the same time – Nov 5th. I’m starting up slowly as well. Let’s definitely celebrate these 8 mile runs!
Wahoo! The first is the best :) What race are you doing?
I’m doing the Savannah Rock and Roll :)
I need to take that yoga class with the lacrosse balls. I feel like it would be so much more beneficial than the classes I take now. My goal this year is to focus on slowing down my runs, but I’m always in such a hurry. It’s a bad habit but one I know I need to work on if I want to stay injury free. I love your approach to fitness- you have a great balance that I have a hard time finding and you really march to the beat of your own drum which is awesome. Teach me your ways ;)
Sarah @pickyrunner recently posted…Workout Recap 6/13-6/19
I went again today and that class is HEAVEN. I’m mad it’s only offered once a week.
I understand what you mean about being in a hurry. Sometimes it’s just mentally and logistically challenging to say “I need to allot 50 minutes for 5 miles,” when I *could* run it faster. But I think this will be a good way to stay healthy longterm. Knock on wood.
It’s not selfish to share your journey! :) I love reading these because, I don’t know, I think I want to give “real” training a shot sometime. I’m slooowly working on getting back any sort of running endurance right now, but whenever I see these recaps, I start looking forward to running more than once or twice a week and seeing real improvement. It’s also good to see you can (and should) mix your workouts up when you’re training – I like to do a little bit of everything.
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday recently posted…No-Cook Zucchini Noodles with Quick Italian Dressing
I’m so glad you enjoy them! I like reading them on other blogs :) I hope to be “proof” that you can train for a marathon without solely running. I feel my best with strength and yoga mixed in.
Can I just say I love you write your training recaps, I don’t know why but I just love them. Last half marathon training cycle I didn’t really recap the training process but next time around I want to. Just like you said, I love being able to look back at it! My favorite running workout is 400s but running them on a track is weirdly intimidating for me haha.
Amanda @ ExploringLifeAndThings recently posted…Ragnar Chicago Recap Part 1
Ah I’m so glad you enjoy them. I personally love reading other people’s recaps and find value in them. For my first marathon (pre-blog) I actually kept a journal and recorded every workout and how I felt. It’s something I love to look back and read for inspiration :)
I’m excited to follow you through this training and to see how working with a coach goes…I always find this stuff fascinating, because as a coach I think it is cool to watch the clients succeed and take the time to take care of themselves, learn, and see what works and doesn’t work. I don’t miss that humidity…Happy Monday friend!
ACKTIVE LIFE recently posted…Natalie’s Orchid Orange Beet Smoothie
I can imagine as a coach that it’s a phenomenal feeling to see your client put things into action. Yeah, you were smart to ditch this summer weather haha!
You go girl! I’m curious to see how this marathon training goes for me. Being my first marathon, I need to stay focused and not compare my training to others because let’s me honest, I’m not a bionic runner. But I do appreciate when people share their running and work outs because it gives me ideas on how to make my own schedule or just learn from others :)
Kaitlin @ California Endless Summer recently posted…Gooooood Morning America!
You are going to rock your training and race. I think it’s natural to fall into the comparison trap, but I know I don’t do well on super high mileage. Plus, I like how I feel when I vary my workouts with strength and yoga!
Love seeing this as I’m in the midst of my own 18-week training for Chicago. I also have the same trouble with running too fast. When solo, I have this tendency to just go, which makes the miles seem more difficult since I’m at a fast pace. It’s nice that your coach tells you which paces to run for different days. Do you plan on writing a post about your MCM goals?
I’m the same way! Plus, some days I get in the mindset of “the faster I run, the faster I’m done” so learning to slow down and make time is huge. Good point about the goals- I will incorporate that into the next recap :)
Great first two weeks of training! Those easy runs will definitely pay off, and will help keep you more injury free as well. I’m training for an October marathon as well so I hear you, it feel so far off but it’s time to get moving!
Thanks, Laura! I’m glad to hear another testimony about the easy runs :)
This looks like my kind of training plan! I love how you focus on cross training and strength rather than exclusively running. In my opinion just running can easily lead to fatigue, injuries, and boredom. I can totally relate to falling into the comparison trap when it comes to mileage and pace. But, it’s important to just focus on where YOU are now and making progress from there. Excited to follow you through your training!
xxMeah
Meah recently posted…Fitness Friday #2 Learning to Rest and Focusing on YOUR Needs
I completely agree! I feel my best when I incorporate a little of everything, and hopefully it’s setting me up for a healthy training cycle. Thank you so much, Meah!
So awesome to follow along on your training when I’m doing something similar with laura! She also has me starting slow and doing long runs at a much easier pace (in fact we spoke this week about how to slow down even more at the beginning!)
Alyssa @ Renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…A West Point Wedding
Training twins :)
For me, starting slow is not as hard as continuing slow. It typically takes me 2-3 miles to actually warm-up, so once that happens I need to focus on maintaining that steady speed.
Going slow is awesome! I always surprise myself with how well I can race (at least at shorter distances) with just lots of easy running.
Rebecca @ Vitamin OH! recently posted…Summer 2016 Off-Season: Week 3
It helps so much with recovery from hard workouts too! I did a hill workout on Tuesday and the easy run today was just what I needed.
Definitely celebrate the mini wins! I’m really interested in these kinda posts. I wanna try incorporate more strength workouts to mix things up a bit. Most of the time I just make excuses instead :P
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I’ve loved the consistency of my strength workouts (it’s taken me a while to fit them in regularly!).
It is definitely important to celebrate every win! It doesn’t matter how big or small it may seem, it’s still a win!
Soften, Stretch + Strengthen sounds like a class I need to take!
Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Recipe: Homemade Vegan Cheesy Crackers (Grain Free!)
I wish that class was EVERYWHERE! It’s awesome.