I’m writing this a few days before my marathon, and am planning to publish it a few days after my race happens. During this last week of the taper I’ve had a lot of thoughts about my marathon training cycle. I wanted to take some time to write down all my thoughts before my race even happens. Because no matter what happens this weekend, I want to appreciate what went well and learn from the things I could have done better. I know I won’t be able to have a race recap up the week after the race, so I’m planning to post this first and then a recap will come next week.
Positives
Got in all runs
Despite being pretty busy this summer, I was able to get in all my scheduled runs. They happened early, and some were on the treadmill, but they happened.
Ran through the heat
This was a very hot and humid summer. It made long runs and workouts very challenging. I’m glad that I was able to run through it and still hit most of my paces. I felt like I needed extra recovery, but by keeping my easy runs easy I was able to manage the workload.
Peaked at 50 miles
My goal was to peak at around 50 miles per week. I started in the mid 30s so I took my time getting up there. I took cutback weeks every 4th week which seemed to work well since my mileage was building up so slowly.
Didn’t get sick or injured
I don’t want to jinx myself since I still have a few days to go before my race, but I managed to stay healthy which is a huge win! Especially considering how many times Grayson got sick this summer.
Lifted heavy
I continued working with Mary and she programmed my strength training workouts for me. I did these twice a week and lifted heavy up until the end of my training cycle.
Kept up with prehab
Outside of heavy lifting, I also did foam rolling, mobility. and core/glute exercises a few times a week. I tried to do a little something every evening, even if it was just for 5 minutes.
Ran easy runs easy
As I said, I needed some extra recovery after hard runs in the heat. My watch shows my recovery status and there were some days when after a hard workout when it said I needed like 4 days of recovery. While I didn’t rely 100% on my watch, I did take it into consideration when scheduling my runs. I usually did my hardest workout of the week on a Wednesday and a long run on Saturday to space them out.
Challenges
One 20 miler
I would have liked to do more than one 20 miler, but this was really all I could fit in with a slow build. Mentally, I’m glad I got in at least one 20 miler.
Longest MP run was 6 miles
During my peak weeks I added alot of MP miles, but the most in a single run was six. That week was hot, and with my time limitations I really couldn’t fit in more than that.
Sleep was a challenge
With a kid who wakes up at 6 (or earlier) every day, I have to go to bed really early to get enough sleep. Now that I’m in the offie and he’s at daycare it feels like we are always rushing after we get home to eat and do the bedtime routine. I still try to go to bed no later than 9, but I’m up around 4 ish every day, Once a week I tried to sleep and I also snuck in naps when I could.
Constant Stress
If you’ve been following my blog this summer (and year) you probably know that i’s been a stressful few months of cold and COVID tests in our house. On top of that the last 18 months in general have been a stressful time for just about everyone.
Didn’t do many runs on terrain similar to course
My race is on the C&O Towpath which is described as “unpaved gravel”. I am not really sure what to expect by this, but I am hoping its similar to the NCR trail here in Maryland where I did a 15 miler. I didn’t even notice running on different terrain there. But all my other runs (besides 2 trail runs) were on roads or the treadmill.
Pacing challenges
What helped me the most during my last marathon training cycle was really learning to get used to what marathon pace feels like. That didn’t happen this time for a few reasons. First, I wasn’t 100% sure what MP would be. I had a range, but on most of my runs it was so hot and humid that I went into the run planning to adjust to a slightly slower pace. I also do most of my runs in an area with alot of curves and turns, and my GPS signal goes in and out quite a bit. Even though I set my watch on “Lap pace” it would still be pretty off at times.
What I’m worrying About
Race logistics
I need to drive to DC, find parking, and pick up my bib for an 8 am start time.
Mom guilt
I am probably going to be gone from 5:30 to 2:00 or so on Saturday, which I feel bad about. I know it’s only one day, but the weekends are so busy and we really need that time to get things done. I keep telling myself that I’ll have plenty of time to be around and do other things after this race is over.
Terrain
As I said, I am unsure of the terrain. I’m also not thrilled that it’s two out and backs which will probably be very boring.
Boredom
Because this is such a small race there will likely be very little crowd support. The views won’t change much because its along a river and there are two out and backs. Headphones are discouraged so that volunteers can be heard giving directions. (I don’t race with them anyway.)
Driving Home
After running a marathon I’m going to have to drive over an hour to get myself home. It’s not ideal, but it is what it is. I can wait a bit to leave after I’m done running and even stop halfway if I need to.
Overall Thoughts
While there were plenty of challenges over the last 16 weeks, there were also plenty of successes. I’m glad that I made it (almost) to the start line ready to run. If nothing else, I had a great time training for this marathon. I love working towards goals and getting in long runs. Hopefully this weekend will just be a victory lap.
You may also like:
Race Day Recovery Tips
What To Do The Week Before Your Race
Do you reflect on your training before a race?
How do you decide if a training cycle was successful (besides the actual results of the race)?
Now it’s time for the Runners’ Roundup! Link up your running and fitness posts below! Join myself, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs , and Laura Norris Running to post your favorite running tips, experiences, race and training recaps, workouts, gear, and coaching ideas.
You will do great on Saturday, Lisa.
Look at all your hard work and solid training! Training in hot and humid conditions have toughened you up – think of what you can do in cooler weather! Enjoy it and ALL THE BEST! I’ll be thinking of you.
I actually ran the race on Saturday (sorry for the confusion!) and will post my recap next week. Training in the heat definitely toughened me up. Although I wasn’t used to running in the middle of the day when the sun was out in full force!
Ah, I see! Your first paragraph makes more sense to me now! 😉
In that case, I’m looking forward to the recap!
So many more positives but as you know anything can happen on race day. You did your best. That was obvious. So be proud.
Yes I analyze and over analyze. But I never seem to have the time to put into a plan. It’s always my negative. But I finish uninjured ready to run another day. I try not to beat myself up.
That’s what counts! It’s never helpful to bear yourself up over running. But I think learning from our experiences can be helpful.
It’s been said the race itself is just the final dance (or something to that effect), but the training is what matters. I’ve had some really strong training cycles only to have a tougher-than-expected race day (most of which were out of my control with terrain or weather). As frustrating it is to have it all come down to a few hours on the race course, those strong training cycles gave me the strength and grit to persevere. Even though my finish times do not reflect the training that got me there, I was able walk away (after a few days LOL) feeling satisfied with everything.
So true. While it can be frustrating to have a strong training cycle and not a great race, there is still so much you can get out of it.
Well if I’m not injured or sick & feel prepared, I always call that a successful training cycle.
You are a great mom, Lisa, and you need to fill your cup to pour into your family’s cup.
I hate loops so congrats on getting that done!
Coming out of it without injury or getting sick is definitely a win! Thanks- the course was definitely a mentally challenging one!
You had a fantastic training cycle and you prepped the best you could. I have a lot of thoughts about mom guilt. Now that my kids are in their 20’s-we need to chat about it one day. Grayson watches you push yourself, he sees your discipline and your passion for fitness and wellness. Those are amazing lessons to give him and he will be so proud of you as he grows. He won’t remember you missing one weekend breakfast. Just my initial thoughts from an “old mom”
You are so right! He had a great weekend with Rob (although I should probably have wife guilt because Rob was exhausted lol).
It was fun following you on your journey! And isn’t the journey what it’s all about? I thought you did fantastic, especially as the mom of a toddler. It’s hard to get all those miles in with a little one. I’m sure the lessons you learned from this experience will pay off when you decide to do another long distance race!
I think you are right! It’s good to know what I can get in that kind of training even when my time is limited. And now I also know some things I might do differently next time!
I’m going to focus on one sentence from this post: “I had a great time training for this marathon.” That’s really what it’s all about, right? I know the race didn’t go exactly as you hoped, but think how rich and full your life was during those weeks of training. Maybe a little too full sometimes- but you did it! It won’t always be like this. Now that my son is in college and my daughter is in middle school, I have so much more time for myself. All the hard work you put into this will pay off down the line- especially since you’re taking the time to reflect on what went right and wrong.
Hope you’re enjoying your recovery week! Looking forward to the race recap.
I really did enjoy the process of training. I had missed training for a marathon and I’m glad I got to do it I’m sure I will miss these days when he is older and I have so much more time to myself!
Great thinking on all of these points and it strikes me the only thing you didn’t do was train on the terrain, which is completely fair enough as it’s so difficult to do. Well done on a good training cycle and great reflections on it!
When I wrote this I didn’t even know how much the terrain would affect me; unfortunately it was a big factor, but at least I was aware that it could have bene a challenge. But like you said there’s not much I could have done about that!
These are all really insightful reflections. Thank you for sharing them.
I think I gauge the success of my training cycle by how I feel. If I’m comfortable and having fun, then it’s good. If I’m stressed and anxious… maybe not so successful.
Those are really good ways to measure success when preparing for a race!
I think it’s so smart to write down your reflections on training ahead of the big race, such a great idea! I know it can be so hard to squeeze in all those runs, and I can relate to the mom guilt when I’m doing my long runs on the weekend. I’ve been so inspired following your training, especially with the miserable weather we’ve had. Congratulations no matter the outcome!
Thank you! It can be so hard to balance taking care of a little one and training. The time out running on the weekends really adds up!
I think your training was great considering how tough this summer was! It did me in, that’s for sure. Long ago I swore off fall marathons, it’s just to hard to train through the summer. Of course, Rock ‘n’ Roll got switched to the fall and I just couldn’t keep up with the training.
I think something I didn’t consider when choosing this race is how warm it can still be in October. (And how hot it gets when you’re racing at 8am!) I think if I do fall marathons they should really be in November when its cooler and I’m not doing my 20 milers in August.
So many things can go wrong in a marathon that having a successful, healthy build is an accomplishment in itself! Unpaved gravel is tricky because that definition alone is so varied. I had my first sub-1:40 half on a route with long stretches on unpaved gravel and felt great on it. However, I’ve also run on some gravel with really loose, big rocks!
You are so right about a successful build being an accomplishment! The unpaved gravel turned out to be soft dirt, which I definitely wasn’t expecting! There were lots of rocks too.