Being My Own Running Coach

It has been difficult to fit all of my scheduled runs in during the past couple of weeks. I have had to be a little creative with my training so that I could continue to get my mileage in. The good part is that I have been ahead of my schedule for a few weeks so it was not a huge deal to get off track a little bit. A trip to NYC at the end of week 12 bumped my long run to a Thursday night that week. I was not sure how successful a long run would be on a work night, but it was actually easier than I expected. I did run the first 2 miles uphill and was wondering if I would be able to make it all the way to 8 miles. So I turned around at mile 2 and ran downhill for the next 2 miles. I finished out my long run with the last 4 miles being completely flat. When I finished my run, I actually felt like I could have run a few more miles. I have no doubts now about completing a half marathon, especially since I have already run 4 before. I feel more prepared to run a half marathon right now than I did last spring and it is still pretty early in my training. I do plan to run 1 or 2 half marathons this spring before I attempt my first marathon ever!

After such a successful week 12 of training, I headed into week 13 feeling pretty confident about my marathon training. However, week 13 sure gave me a run for my money and it was mostly my own fault. The weather is probably the only thing this past week that was not my own fault. I braved the single digit temperatures on Tuesday to get a 4 mile run in. I have run in subzero temperatures before, but I had forgotten how uncomfortable it is to run in such low temperatures. I did not want to run in the cold on Wednesday, so I opted for the hallways and stairs at school. I have really wanted to get a good stair workout in so I thought that running the hallways would be a perfect workout and I would not have to deal with the low temperatures. After I completed my run, I almost wish that I had run outside that day. It took forever to get to one mile in the hallways and I still had 3 more miles to go after that. I always use the map my run app on my phone and the GPS kept freezing and then skipping ahead to the correct mileage. By the time that I got to 4 miles, I was shocked to see that I had completed the run in 32 minutes. I am pretty sure that I won't be running the hallways again any time soon. It was almost as bad as running on the treadmill.

By Thursday, I knew that I had already pushed my body too far for the week. It was a short work week, but an absolutely hectic work week. I stayed at work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from around 7:15am until 8pm or later. Even if I had time on Thursday to get a run in, there was no way that my body would have survived it. I decided to take Thursday, Friday and Saturday off from running and give my body time to rest. It was the first time in my entire training that I actually took some of my own advice. I have had a lot of people ask me tips about running over the past few weeks. I have had family, friends and co-workers all asking me about everything from training plans to stretching to nutrition to proper footwear. I will admit that I am no running expert, but coaching cross country sure has taught me a lot about running. I have helped people to come up with their own training plans and have given them tips that I should probably follow better myself.

Although it is halfway through the school year already, I have finally come to the realization that I work far too much and that is what makes my training difficult sometimes. My job is obviously my first priority, but there is no reason why I cannot have a successful marathon training too. I stay at work way too long sometimes and even if I'm not at work I am usually up late doing schoolwork. I am now going in to week 14 of my training and it is time for me to get serious about running if I want to be able to complete a marathon. Training for a marathon is about more than just getting your mileage in. You have to take care of your body and make sure that you get enough rest. This includes getting a decent amount of sleep each night and taking rest days from running, especially when your body is telling you that it needs a break. You need to eat healthy, drink plenty of water, wear proper footwear and train properly. I need to become more consistent in my training and have a balance at work. I still have my doubts about being able to run a marathon sometimes, but if I train properly then this should be no problem for me.

I finished off week 13 with a slow 4 mile run through the icy rail trail. I am really hoping that the weather starts to get better soon because mother nature has been throwing all sorts of obstacles at us the past few weeks. I have run in everything from ice to snow to rain to sleet to frigid temperatures. When you are actually running in these conditions, it is really not as bad as it sounds. However, I would not mind running in spring temperatures again soon. I am now heading into week 14 with a positive and serious attitude. I am ready to be my own running coach too and not just a running coach for everyone else. With 17 weeks left to get my body ready to conquer 26.2 miles, here's a quick look at the past two weeks:

Week 12 (Con't.)
1/16/13 - 4 miles in 39:21 (9:50 min/mi pace)
1/17/13 - 8 miles in 1:22:28 (10:18 min/mi pace)
1/18/13 - 5K in 34:34 (11:10 min/mi pace)

Week 13
1/22/13 - 4 miles in 42:59 (10:45 min/mi pace)
1/23/13 - 4 miles in 32:00 (8:00 min/mi pace)
1/27/13 - 4 miles in 45:39 (11:25 min/mi pace)

155.45 miles complete in 25:54:38 and only 117 days until conquering 26.2 miles!