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Berlin Marathon Training – Week 2

It’s finally here. In less than 6 days I will have the opportunity to toe the line of the Berlin Marathon and enjoy every single second of the experience.

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I could lose myself in all the questions and anxiety leading up to Sunday’s race but instead, I’m focusing on using my energy in a positive way. I spent 30 minutes on last night’s flight making a list of the things I want to do before leaving for Berlin so that I have the best experience possible.

  • One final speed workout – 6 x 400 meters (CHECK!)
  • One final massage – 60 minute sports massage focusing on my lower back, hips, hamstrings and calves. (CHECK!)
  • Call to confirm flights, hotel accommodations, boat tour. (CHECK!)
  • Download Berlin Marathon app on my iPhone and Bo’s so we have all the information at our fingertips. (CHECK!)
  • Review the course profile and read all the race recaps on Pinterest (CHECK!)
  • Make beet juice for Thursday & Friday. (Thursday AM)
  • Pack my carry on bag which will include everything on the handy, Berlin Marathon packing list AND everything I need for pre-race breakfast and snack.  Double check that full marathon outfit and all chargers are packed! I am carrying my bag on versus checking it so there is no risk of it getting lost.  (Thursday)
  • Reach out to experienced marathon runners to get their tips for running the best marathon possible and compile in a post for readers. (Thursday)
  • Stretch out all the last minute nerves and tension with a hatha yoga class. (Thursday)
  • Sleep at least 9 hours. (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night)
  • Finalize playlist for the marathon. (Friday)

That seems like a ton but I am sure I’m forgetting something. What did I forget?

Now that we’ve reviewed everything I need to do this week while not running, let’s take a look back at last week’s taper.

There are a lot of excuses I could make for last week between the travel to the United States and some other stress. But, at the end of the day, I’m focusing on the other 12 weeks of training which were super strong and my half marathon performance versus focusing on last week. Life goes on.

Monday: 60 minutes of hatha yoga practice

Tuesday: Five mile tempo run along Lake Geneva

Wednesday: Rest day including 14 hours of travel from Geneva to Atlanta, Georgia.

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Thursday: I got over the jet lag with a quick 30 minute speed workout in my friend’s apartment gym including 5 x 1000 meters at 7:30 pace.

Friday: Raj showed me new areas of midtown Atlanta including the Beltline Path during our 6 mile run. It was a perfect shakeout run though not as long as my training plan’s prescribed 10 miles.

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Saturday: Easy 2 mile run before a day filled with coffee, bagels & lox, a great football game, and 2 pumpkin beers. I’m pretty proud of myself for limiting the alcohol in Athens because it would have been really easy to use it as an excuse and enjoy ALL the pumpkin beers.

Sunday: Rest day including 14 hours of travel from Atlanta to Geneva.

Positive – I ate really healthy, even with two days of travel and lots of celebrating and merrymaking in Atlanta & Athens.

Negative – I fell short on the mileage.

Your turn! What is your #1 tip for a great marathon?

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ashleyd /

Marathon on My Mind

I’ve finally reached that almost annoying countdown stage of the marathon training.

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Now that we’re less than 12 days out from the marathon it’s showing up on my work calendar, is affecting my daily activities and is on my mind more than normal. But, it’s weird to have it consume my mind so much when it’s not consuming my legs.

This weeks mileage: 23 miles

Next weeks mileage: 11 before the marathon then 26.2

So far my workouts have been strong these past few days and the taper hasn’t started to really set in and feel real. Actually, based on the way Gia has laid out my workouts, I’m not sure I will feel it. She’s done a great job of giving me daily activities, similar to the way she’d program activates for her adorable twins, so I don’t get bored or plan my own activities. For example, today was personal training which meant lots of mobility and core work using light weights or only body weight. In addition, I have yoga sessions sprinkled in between my running workouts which means I’ll never get bored.

I really like her version of taper. I want my legs to be hungry next week, not this week.

This week I feel like she’s also my therapist. She’s given me prescriptive directions for every run to make sure I don’t kill my legs by trying to race the Poland Springs 5 Miler this Sunday or any of my other runs. Instead, the name of the game is marathon pace.

in addition, as I’ve been trying to keep my own mind clear I’m trying to focus on learning as much as possible from my own training and other people’s experiences before next Sunday. Therefore, I thought it would be fun to spend some time this evening reading through my old marathon recaps and other blogger recaps. I had so much fun that I just spent the last hour creating a Pinterest board dedicated to New York City Marathon race recaps. Check it out here! Want me to pin your recap? Leave a link in the comment section!

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In addition, I’m working on a larger post that will go up later this week including my tips and tricks for the marathon, including answers to questions I’ve received via email and Twitter from readers. Though I’m not fast it is nice to feel like I can help others prepare for the big day since I’ve run New York City Marathon twice already and live locally. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Earlier today, Bo and I finally decided what we want to do after the marathon. This year our decision is to make no firm plans. Two years ago, Bo hosted an amazing party for our friends at our place to celebrate my first marathon finish. While it was lots of fun it was exhausting for both of us. Last year our plans to enjoy drinks at Rye House fell through due to my visit to the medical tent after crossing the finish line. This year, since we’re both running the marathon, we think the best option is the lowest stress option. Therefore, we’re delaying any type of group celebration until the next day and instead making it a Pre-Election/Post Marathon celebration at a bar where we know we can enjoy steins of beer in comfort: Zum Schneider!

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You know how else I’m pre-occupying my mind this week? I’m sending this lady random Marine Corps

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Marathon facts each day that I’ve found online. It takes my mind of my own marathon and I’m learning a lot along the way.

Discuss: How do you feel about marathons that don’t offer free tracking service? Once again, the NYC Marathon charges $2.99 to track runners. I also can’t find anything like Runner Broadcast Service that other marathons like Chicago and MCM offer for free. I love NYCM but wish they could improve on these aspects.

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Half Marathon Taper Check List

A bright and cheery good morning to each of you! I hope your week is going well so far. Mine week is going wonderfully as it’s only a four day work week  and I have a great weekend coming up!

Believe it or not, the National Half Marathon is this weekend which means my training has entered taper mode. Come Friday, Theodora, Ali, and I will all head down to Washington, DC via Bolt Bus, ready to rock this half marathon! I’m definitely excited for a taper week as I have trained hard these past few weeks, incorporating cross training and speed training into my training for the first time! Luckily, the results are starting to show as I’ve lost a few pounds and set a new PR in my last NYRR race, last month.

184294_670132991193_24200188_37793700_7601844_n I thought I would share some of my taper week tips and preparation check list with you all.

  1. Rest: Even though I had a pretty epic weekend, I’m making sure that Sunday through race day I enjoy at least 7 hours of sleep per night. It is important to give your muscles time to heal and recover this week.
  2. Hydrate: Water is a miracle drug in my book, giving me energy when I’m dragging and keeping me going through even the hardest of workouts. It’s essential that you’re hydrated on race day and this can’t happen from chugging water that day alone. Focus on increasing your water intake all week and possibly throw in a little extra sodium or salt pills the night before the race to help retain some of that water. Also, if you’ve hydrated with a Camel-Bak or water bottle during your training, make sure to bring that same item for race day. You don’t want to try anything new on race day. Crunch Yoga
  3. Stretch/Yoga: I find that stretching and yoga help me relax, work out toxins and buildup in my muscles, and prepare my legs for the big day. Make sure to include foam rolling and or the stick in your practice to work out any knots in your legs or tightness in your itband. Make sure not to take any tough yoga classes which may strain your muscles the week of the race. As always, listen to your body. Yesterday, I enjoyed an amazing hot vinyasa class with Lauren at Yoga to the People. Since it’s race week, I didn’t push myself as far into the stretches as I normally would have and found child’s pose more than once during the practice. IMG_0973 IMG_0879
  4. Laundry: This may seem silly but make sure all your favorite running gear, right down to your socks, are clean for race day. More than once, I’ve gone searching for clothes the night before only to realize they are deep in the dirty clothes pile.
  5. Go shopping early in the week: Head to your favorite running store early in the week to buy your necessary supplies such as Camel Bak cleaner, Shot Blocks, or Gu. You don’t want to wait until Thursday or Friday only to find that they are out of your favorite flavor. I don’t recommend waiting until the Expo either because you never know which vendors or brands will be on site that day.
  6. Organize your gear early: No later than Thursday night, put all your race day gear in a pile near an outlet. This allows you to charge your electronics (Garmin, iPod, etc) in the same area as your clothes pile so you don’t forget them in the wall when you leave for the race or trip. I have definitely done this at least once and want you all to learn from my mistakes! Make sure to also pack these chargers for the weekend. Yes, they take up extra space, but if you or any running buddies need them during the weekend they are well worth it! Also, make sure to make a packing list for not only race gear, but also the rest of the items you’ll need for the weekend or race day.

    7. 7. Make a playlist: If you run with music, you know how important having fun music is for a great run. The upbeat music keeps your running going, even when the going gets tough. Be sure to include a few inspirational favorites, a few surprises, and one song that can get your pace going even when your legs feel like lead. If you’re looking for a few new song suggestions I suggest checking out iTunes list of most popular downloads, or Jes’ playlists here and my latest playlist here.

    image8. Set a goal: Establish ahead of time what your intention is for the race. Do you want to PR? Do you want to take at least 20 pictures along the course with all your friends? Do you want to finish your first half? Regardless of the goal, having an intention will help keep you strong throughout the race. Some people find it helps to write this intention on their wrist or hand, so they can remember it during the race. My goal for the National Half Marathon is to finish under 2:15.

    9. HAVE FUN so you can smile afterwards!

    What are your race week suggestions? Is there anything I missed? Are you running the National Half Marathon? If so, what is your bib color?

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