Boston Marathon Training Recap Week 5

Boston Marathon training week 5. It’s been intense!

I am finally feeling back on track with my Boston Marathon training! And feeling relieved because my long run this weekend went better than expected. This week my coach Denise (The Sustainable Athlete) scheduled a long run of 2:30 or 15-16 miles for the weekend. The previous weekend I had done my long run with a good friend (which was much needed after all of the ups and downs lately). We had a great run but due to the hilly nature of the run and the fact that we ran on trails and snow the mileage was lower than desired and the pace was off of what my coach had wanted. This week I needed to get my head in the game and to get some consistent training to gain some confidence about my marathon training.

The training was hard this week. I returned to bootcamp this week after about a 6 week hiatus due to holiday travel and life. I felt like I had been beaten up after bootcamp. It’s crazy how quickly your body loses what it has gained. I did two sessions of bootcamp for the week. Any more and I might not have been able to move. Bootcamp consisted of tons of lunges, rowing, squat press and many more  torturous exercises. Even though it was hard I am glad to be back at it with the other “fit campers” because not only am I seeing noticeable changes in my muscles but I am feeling huge gains in strength on the run in my legs and my core!

During the week my running was a mix of base runs, endurance running, uphill intervals and Fartleks. In addition to running I did some yoga, spinning on my bike and some downhill skiing with my kids and their school. By the end of the week I was feeling pretty exhausted but needed to get focused for my long run.

Boston Marathon Hill Intervals

The Long Run. Boston Marathon Training.

Originally I had planned to do my long run with a friend again but realized that what I really needed was a long run by myself. Even though I love running with friends I needed to be able to think solely about my running. I needed to stick to my pacing, to focus on my running form and to practice race day nutrition. I have realized that when I run with my friends on big training days I sometimes feel stressed or feel doubt about my own capabilities as a runner. Comparison is the thief of joy” and it can also be the thief of self-confidence. So often in my life I doubt my own abilities because of self-perception and also because of what others have said. We are often our own worst self-saboteurs. I am trying to get back to a place with my running where I carry the confidence that I did on the day that I first qualified for The Boston Marathon. When I raced to qualify I ran for myself, I believed in myself, and I was there on race day to race my very best. I want my training to be solid so that when I get to the start in Hopkinton on marathon Monday at the Boston Marathon I will be confident, strong, and ready to run.

So on Saturday I ran alone. I let my body guide my pace and although the plan called for a pace of 9:00-9:15 min per mile for 2:30 my body wanted to run 8:43 min/mile so I went with it. I ran out and back turning around at 8 miles. I reminded myself every now and again of the strength in my legs arms and core and gave myself constant reminders about form. At the 8 mile turn around I felt great and took in some water and some GU (which was partially frozen from the cold). Excited that I had only 8 miles or so left to run I turned around dialed the pace back in and ran, lost in the thoughts in my head, fueling every 2 miles until the finish. The hills came at the end of my run in similar fashion to Boston (I had run down the hills on the way out) which is perfect for training. I prompted myself to stay strong up the hills not allowing myself to quit on the pace. Once I made it up the hills I was in the last home stretch and quickened the pace a little. When I reached my house my daughter was in the yard and cheered me on as I finished (nothing better!!!!). I completed the run ecstatic to see that I had run 17.2 miles (more than the 15-16 miles called for in my plan). And the great news was that my legs felt great!

Cheerleaders at the end of my long training run!

On Sunday I took it easy on the treadmill to recover with some base miles and then enjoyed an afternoon of pond skating with the kids to wrap up the week.

Boston Marathon Training Week 5

What are you training for right now? What obstacles do you have when it comes to training for a big goal?