ashleyd /

Berlin Marathon Training – Week 5

Happy Thursday!

My post schedule is all sorts of crazy this week due to our travel to Athens. I hope you all enjoyed Bo’s food tour recap. I’m jealous I couldn’t join but his recap has already convinced me that a Berlin food tour will be the perfect activity on Monday, following the marathon!

Marathon month has finally arrived. In order to ensure that my training is successful during these next three crucial weeks, amongst travel to three different countries, I’m scheduling my training just like i would any other business meetings. Last week I put each long run, tempo run and speed workout on my calendar along with yoga and strength training dates. Waking up early is going to be a hard habit to get back into but I know it is crucial.

Let’s take a few minutes to recap last week’s training, shall we?

Monday: I started the week with a 60 minute yoga class to help my tight hamstrings. This was my first time trying Donna’s hatha yoga class at InnerCity Yoga but I really enjoyed it! The class was less intense than the 90 minute music flow yoga class I typically take on Tuesday nights but I really think it’s perfect for this last month of marathon training. I don’t want to risk soreness for my workouts and this helped take out the kinks without pushing me too far.

1227Tuesday: I pushed snooze one too many times so I slept through my planned morning tempo run and instead ended up having to squeeze it in after work. I listened to Chrissie Wellington’s book to help the 6 miles pass faster but unfortunately nothing made this run more pleasurable. It was one of those runs where my sole focus was getting the miles done.

Wednesday: I kept up with cross training by completing two rounds of Julie’s 20 Minute Bootcamp workout during lunch. It was an awesome workout that moved quickly yet left me sweaty and breathless! I highly recommend this 20 minute workout for anyone who gets bored quickly but wants something that is challenging but easy to follow.

1235

Thursday:  Rest day!

Friday: I did a 15 mile long run before work as I knew that running in Athens, Greece would be challenging due to the weather and our hotel location. This run went perfectly and I felt really strong. I can only dream of keeping a 9:43 pace for 26.2 miles but for 15 it felt great!

1259

Saturday: Our flight landed later than expected so this ended up being an unplanned rest day. Ooops.

1347

Sunday: Our hotel gym only had two treadmills, both of which were occupied bright and early Sunday morning when I tried to squeeze in my weekly speed workout. Bo, nor I, were comfortable with me attempting the speed workout outside as our hotel wasn’t in the best location of Athens. Instead, I covered 5 miles during our 4.5 hour walking tour of Athens, Greece.

Last week wasn’t perfect but I know the areas of focus for this week and the following weeks so instead of dwelling on one missed workout, I am going to focus on the positives!

Your turn – I’m putting together my marathon playlist and am looking for any suggestions. What is your favorite song for a workout or long run? The more random the song, the better. I’m pretty tired of the Top 40 songs on Spotify right now.

 

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Marathon Training

Guess what kids? Yup, it’s marathon training time again. This is the time of year when the blog will revolve primarily around running, trying not to eat everything in sight, early morning wake up calls to avoid the heat, and more. But, runners fear not because I promise to balance out the running talk with the same old food, fashion, workout reviews, and travel posts!

This year, however, there are some changes to the plan thanks to the help of my training coach, Gia. If you’re a long time reader you know that New York round 1 was amazing and crossing the finish line for the first time was one of the best moments I’ve experienced to date. However, New York round 2 was pretty much one of the worst moments of my life. After some serious assessment and discussion about the last year, Gia and I decided that in order to do our very best possible to ensure that the 3rd time would be a charm, we have to make some changes that may not always be fun but they’ll pay out.

The Next 17 Weeks Will Include:

  • Running outside
  • More protein
  • Less “empty cross training”
  • More weekday miles
  • Abs

Having the energy to be a weekend warrior has always made me proud. I’m able to work long hours on the weekend and then wake up bright and early, earlier than most of my friends like, for long runs and then squeeze in some other workout that same afternoon and the next day, never giving my muscles time to relax or recover. This year’s plan includes higher mileage during the week and then only running and yoga on the weekends. In addition, the yoga is supposed to be more restorative than strength.

In addition, I’ve been scared of the heat and hills of running outside in New York City and Central Park during the Summer months for way too long. Now that I’m regularly running with my co-workers every Monday I’ve become far more confident in my ability to not only run outside, but also run in Central Park and log miles after work.

IMG_2557

I’ve already talked about the more protein goal on my blog so I will therefore leave you with a link versus being repetitive.

007 I’ll also leave you with two things: protein can come in more forms than powder (per the picture above of tonight’s dinner for two) and I’ll remind you just how delicious a protein shake can be for only 200 calories, especially when it includes chocolate powder, Almond Breeze light, ice, and 1/2 a banana! 20 ounces of pure delicious, cold nutritious protein that tastes a lot like dessert!

003Oh and we can’t forget to talk about ABS. While I’m not rocking abs like Tina or Susan, I am feeling pretty confident about how much my body has leaned out the past few months. In addition, I officially have the top 2 packs of a 6 pack which gives me more motivation than ever to work my abs. Combine that with the fact that Amanda and Susan are hosting a fabulous, ass blasting AB CHALLENGE (#abchallenge) this month on their blogs and YouTube, I can promise you that a stronger core will be crossing the line this year than last. Plenty of people stronger and faster than me say that a strong core can be key to strength and stamina during long runs so I’m going to trust them. 006

Last but not least, here’s week 1 of my marathon training plan, along with the notes section. 

image

The only change you may see this week would be doing my 10 on Friday instead of Saturday due to my in-laws visit to NYC this weekend.

So there you have it, marathon training has kicked off and I couldn’t be more excited for this year!

If you have time, I’d love if you could support my friend Dorothy as she has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the Skechers Go Run Cover Model Contest! She and I would both love for you to support her by voting for her here!

Share Button
Follow: