Wow. There are only 25 days between today and my fourth marathon. As I average 2 non-running days per week that means I have less 20 runs left until the marathon – 3 of those being long runs. #holyshit
I’m at the point in marathon training where I love and hate every run. This week I’ve had the sudden urge to push snooze each morning as I figure the real work is done already. But, after each of my runs this past week I’ve felt an amazing excitement and energy for this marathon. Many people told me I shouldn’t run a Fall marathon this year due to the move and acclimating to life in Europe. Instead of cancelling, I chose to use this marathon as a way to acclimate to Europe. I’ve learned the streets of Geneva far faster than I would have otherwise and have met London runners through training.
Now that I’ve waxed poetically about my love of running through Geneva and London, let’s get down to business and talk about last week’s training.
Monday: 30 minutes of speed Instead of our normal relaxed 4 miler to kick the week off Emily and I did an all out sprint workout, keeping an 8:51 pace for the 30 minute run. While I love our normally relaxed Monday chat sessions as a way to catch up after the weekend the pep in our step definitely helped kick off the week.
Tuesday: Mile Repeats So we didn’t follow the workout perfectly as it called for 5 mile repeats but we squeezed in 3 strong mile repeats and kept a steady pace back instead of using the final mile as a cool down. I am in love with mile repeats as I think they are a great diagnostic tool! I look forward to do this workout each week that remains in training, trying to reach 5 repeats by the end of next week. We had a hard time keeping our pace higher than 8:50 but I guess that’s a nice problem to have. This could also explain why we were dying by the end.
Wednesday: 5 miles at MP or better We hovered around a 10 minute mile on this run along the lake so faster than MP but slower than our normal morning runs. It was the perfect way to loosen the legs after Monday and Tuesday speed sessions.
Thursday: YOGA Based on feedback from Twitter, we used the 25 minute Yoga for Runners video available on the YogaDownload YouTube channel. Don’t let the woman’s voice or face scare you. The flow is perfect for tight hips and tired legs!
Friday: Emily and I crushed 20 miles together before 7:30am. Want to feel confident and on top of the world during a 1:1 with your manager? Run 20 miles before hand. I ensure you that you will feel absolutely invincible.
Saturday: Yoga + Shakeout run Gloanna Yoga Run was the perfect way to squeeze a shakeout run and yoga into a busy Saturday!
Sunday: Rest, Unpack, Rest, Repeat.
What is your favorite workout song right now? I’m going to do a music post later this week, in preparation for my long run. My favorite song is one that is slower than most of the songs filling my playlist – Royals by Lorde.