Marathon Training Update
Happy Monday friends! Well it’s been a week since we’ve last been here and what a week it was! Fitness-wise, there’s not much to talk about but life-wise it’s been great! This is a season of life that’s full of awesome surprises and long yet satisfying days. On top of that, I’m still in the midst of training for the Chicago Marathon. I have spoken about it a few times throughout the blog but I wanted to give you a more detailed update on where I am and how I am feeling. We are only a few days away now!
Training for the Chicago Marathon
I may have mentioned this before but my “plan” started back in March. I worked with an awesome coach and he helped implement a time of building my base. Having a schedule really helped to keep me on track. Toward the end of May, I began marathon specific speed work and runs of substance. However, my weekly miles average out about 30-40 until these past few weeks. Toward the end of August and the beginning of this month, my prescribed runs were much longer. This is where I began to deviate from the original plan. I haven’t missed a long run throughout the summer. I HAVE opted to shorten a few of my mid-week runs due to increased responsibility at work. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been hustling and putting in the work with hours of strength training and cycling. I wasn’t just sitting on the couch and eating bon bons. Even if it was three runs a week, I worked HARD.
My plan called for three 20 mile runs. When I first saw this I was scared, to say the least. I nailed my first 20 miler and my second 20 miler literally flew by. My pace was consistent and I am 100% sure that I will be able to keep my race pace (if not a few seconds faster with cooler weather) on race day. Nutrition on the run has been AWESOME. I was blessed to find my favorite gels early on so I’ve been using them since I hit double digit runs back in March. Currently experimenting with what will be on course at Chicago but it’s all going so well. Seriously, it’s kind of weird.
Injuries
I want to get on the mountains and shout out this next part: I AM 100% INJURY FREE! Seriously, who would have thought that I would have made it through such a long training cycle without getting injured? I did have a week where I scaled back because I did too much in general and my knee was like “Nah, girl.” but other than that, I am fine. I haven’t even had so much as a blister. Again, weird but totally cool.
Gear
As far as gear goes, my marathon outfit is 95% set. Since we will be flying to Chicago, I want to have an idea of everything I’m going to take. I’m super Type A so I’ll probably be making a list of everything next week. However, gear, fuel, and snacks are pretty much planned out in my head. I am super lucky to have friends who work at a running store who are looking out for me and get me deals on shoes. Getting a couple of out of season shoes saved me money. My feet are happy and I saved money. That’s a win-win!
Overall, this has been such a great training cycle. Teaming up with the local runner community helped me stay accountable and even come out of my shell a bit. I have been able to try new things and I know understand what works for me when it comes to marathon training. I have a few ideas floating around my head as to what I want to do after Chicago but for now, I will conquer Chicago and have a blast on race day!
Are you running the Chicago Marathon? How has your training gone?
