Week 15
Intro: Four days and too many empty pie plates later, I’m back in Charlotte, preparing for the 15th week of marathon training. I’m definitely starting to feel mentally burnt out, which I know is just a part of the challenge of running a marathon. My goal, as I’ve become a broken record of saying, is to run this race for me and to have fun doing it. The last thing I want to do is lose sight of that goal, only running because I “have to.” This week is a step-back week, which will hopefully rejuvenate me for the remainder of training.
Monday: Off.
I woke up very sick this morning, from what my mom is calling a “Thanksgiving Pie Hangover.” She’s probably right, and I also realized that I barely hydrated after my 18 miler on Saturday. The only workout I’ll be doing today is refilling my water bottle at work.
Tuesday: Off.
Okay, so I could justify taking yesterday off, but what’s my excuse today?
I needed to be lazy.
No, really. My body and mind demanded it.
Terrible excuse, I know, but I can’t think of the last time I’ve taken a day off that wasn’t already carefully ingrained in my training schedule. I’m definitely feeling lazy and ready to run tomorrow, so maybe this extra day is exactly what I needed to keep my mind sound for marathon training!
Wednesday: 5 miles.
Felt good to be back and training today.
Thursday: 5 miles.
So. Many. Hills.
As punishment reward for taking two days off of running at the start of the week (sometimes taking days off is the hardest part!), I ran the hilliest route in my area, and then, for kicks, tagged an extra hilly road to the end.
Friday: 8 miles.
It was a gorgeous morning for running. The 8 miles on Friday is always so much more fun than the 8 miles I usually do on Tuesday. I think it’s the TGIF effect. And the fact that I treat myself to a flavored latte after my Friday workouts.
Saturday: 13 miles.
This is the fastest I’ve run 13 miles outside of a race, so I’ll take that as an accomplishment. Granted, it was a good bit off of my PR, but there’s nothing wrong with celebrating even the smallest of successes!
I learned the hard way that I can only eat honey, bananas, and caffeine-free Gu on my runs. The caffeinated Gu has left me queasy all day.
Sunday: Off.
Conclusion: I can’t reiterate enough how important rest is. I fully believe that, in taking two unplanned (key word) days off at the start of the week, I’ve been mentally and physically refreshed for a new week of training. And good thing because I have to run 19 next Saturday—yikes! As a runner, it can be harder to take time off, especially when you’re on a strong streak, but what people forget is that you often come back from rest even stronger.
My lesson learned this week: Your body will tell you what it needs to make it stronger; you just have to listen to it!