i have moved!

The relaxing Friday night where I was staying in and supposed to be preparing for the Club Championships by going to sleep early somehow instead resulted in me finally taking the plunge to move my blog after thinking about it for quite some time...

please visit me at my new home!

http://www.runningseal.com

marathon month

It’s marathon month!

I can’t believe it is already August. Time flies. Yes I think I have written that in every single one of my past few posts.

This past week was my last peak week in my marathon training. I ran 63 miles and I can honestly say I have never felt stronger or better. High mileage seems to agree with me.

Here is how the last of my peak weeks went down.

Monday:  8 easy miles as a Team for Kids mentor

Tuesday:  6 miles total: 4X1:30, 4X1:00, 4X30sec, 4X15sec going up Harlem Hill hard

Wednesday: 11.5 miles comfortable

Thursday: 7 miles total, 6 mile tempo loop in Central Park

Friday: rest!

Saturday: 24 comfortable miles with a negative split. Never have I started a run before 6am! I did the first 10 on my own mostly in Central Park and then met up with Team for Kids for their 14 mile run over Queensboro Bridge, around Randall’s Island and back over the Queensboro Bridge. This by far goes down as the best long run I have ever done. I have never felt so good and like I was still holding so much back and wanting to go so much faster even at the end. Long runs over 20 miles may not work for everyone, but this training cycle I have learned that they work for ME, both physiologically and psychologically. My only mistake? Buying a quart of chocolate milk and drinking THE ENTIRE THING in one gulp after the run. It tasted sooo good and then I felt sick. Oops.

Sunday: 6.5 recovery miles

Time for taper. Not totally sure how I feel about that…

However, excited or not, I might have still bought myself a little present to celebrate the end of hard training. And my shuffle was being finicky about letting me put new songs on it. So I needed it. Clearly.

hi new ipod nano!

Do you reward yourself with gifts during training? I think running is a wonderful gift in itself but I do admit I will still buy myself presents occasionally. Or let’s be honest. Maybe more than occasionally.

first 60 mile week!

I think I hate running in hot weather more than anyone I know. However, I was not going to let anything get in the way of the first of two peak weeks before taper. Not even this...

historical weather aka heatpocalypse 2011

With a positive, nothing-is-going-to-stop-me attitude and a lot of salt, gatorade and water I hit my first 60 mile week ever!

packet of salt FTW!

Monday: 9 miles

Tuesday: 6.5 miles (warm up, 5X600, 1200, 4X600, 1200, cool down)

Wednesday: 11 miles

Thursday: 5.5 miles (1/2 mile warm up, 4 mile tempo, 1 mile cool down)

Friday: rest!

Saturday: 22 miles
The first 11 miles I was a pace leader for the 8:30 min/mile group in the NYRR Long Training Run. Due to the extreme conditions we were instructed to run up to 30 seconds slower. At 7am when the run started it was already 83 degrees! The second 11 miles I sped up the pace. By the time I finished a little over 3 hours later it was 90 degrees!!! Amazingly despite the hills (4 loops in Central Park!) and the heat, I felt strong. Long runs were always some of my favorite runs and what I excelled at but I seemed to have lost it this training cycle. However, between my good 21 miler two weeks ago and this run I think I have gained my confidence back. Yay!

I made the NYRR gallery for the first time :)

Sunday: 6 miles recovery

Less than a month to go!

36 days

This week is a step back week. I just came off the two highest mileage weeks I have ever done. 50 miles and 53 miles. I am running better than ever. Despite the hot weather, despite running more miles (or actually maybe because I am running more miles), I think I can finally appreciate what it means to be comfortable while running. Relaxed and comfortable and happy. Or maybe I am deluding myself and have just developed an incredibly high threshold for pain and discomfort.

Either should bode me well.

five weeks left of training, or 36 days.

two more peak weeks.

hopefully a 60+ mile week.

two more 20+ mile runs.

Then in 33 days I board the plane to Iceland. It has seemed like something way off in the distance for so long. More like a dream than reality.

Time passes by so quickly.

I seriously cannot wait but now is the time to finish strongly what is left of my training and to enjoy what is left of my summer in the city. 16 handles, anyone?