Well, in less than 12 days I’ll run my next marathon. For some people, this is a regular weekend occurrence, ahem Laura. For others, like me, it is something that still makes me stop and reflect in amazement. I still remember when running a mile was an insurmountable feat.
So clearly, the good part of last week’s training was my epic 20 miler with Charlie. Our 20 mile route started at the Gloucester Road Station and progressed across Battersea Bridge and through the small villages of Putney, Hammersmith, Barnes, Kew and finally ended in Richmond! We were along the Thames for most of the miles, enjoying views of local rowing teams out for Saturday morning practice. It brought back memories of high school rowing practices.
Our overall pace was around a 10:20, other than 4 quick stops for fuel and stretching. If I can keep this pace on race day, there may be a 4:40 marathon waiting for me on October 12th!
The bad, came during that same wonderful 20 miler. Charlie forgot to mention that we were going to spend 15 of the miles running on a gorgeous trail which is also very uneven and filled with loose rocks. I have no experience with trail running and therefore this was a very new experience for me which required a great deal of concentration and focus. Around mile 15, I took a nasty spill which resulted in a bruised hip, right palm and calf. Today, I have some lovely bruises to show for the stumble. On Saturday I certainly wasn’t going to let that get in my way. Charlie laughed that the first thing I did was check my watch to see if I’d killed my 4 year old Garmin.
The second escapade was my need for a pit stop during the run. I was very thankful for the fact that our trail had a lovely, deep ditch running parallel and that supposedly, according to Charlie, London doesn’t have poison ivy. Let’s suffice it to say that Charlie is a brilliant, lovely lady for carrying a small roll of toilet paper in her Camelbak. I learned a good lesson on Saturday and have already rolled some toilet paper up and put it in my small, outside Camelbak pocket.
So, now, let’s check out the rest of the week. I didn’t make it the goal of 43 miles but when you consider that my parents and I walked more than 10 miles during the two days in London with Bo, my legs definitely spent plenty of time moving this week.
Monday: 4 miles along Lake Geneva
Tuesday: unplanned rest day
Wednesday: 7 miles through the French countryside including a few hills and 2 sets of 2 mile repeats
Thursday: 4 miles of speed work through Old Geneva
Friday: rest day + 5 miles walking through London
Saturday: 20 miles with Charlie + 6 miles walking through London
Sunday: 3 miles walking through London
Grand total: 35 miles of running + 14 miles of walking for the week
This week’s goal is quite simple: sleep!
How about you? What are your plans for workouts this week? Are you in taper time or still training hard?
