The recovery week is beautiful. Although it’s funny, during this “down time” I had five, nine mile runs on the schedule. (I broke them up a little differently than originally scheduled, taking no rest day and shortening Wednesday & Friday’s runs a bit)  I’ve kept them all around 8:00-8:20 pace and it felt good. It can be difficult to think of how much faster and harder the actual race will be when you train so much slower for an entire week, but I know it does a body good and I enjoyed all of the carefree running.

This coming week, the training is pretty intense and the long run is pretty scary. What’s important is, it will keep me honest about the work I need to do to get where I want to be at the finish line at Shamrock.This is my last big push before tapering. I fully intend on working my hardest this week to ensure that my body is physically ready to take on the challenge and that mentally I know I can do it.

The race is going to hurt. I can already hear the mental games that will go down and I’m already working on the positive mind games I will play back.

Here’s a look at what I was up to last week and what’s ahead for next:

Rest Week:

Monday – 9 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Tuesday – 9 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Wednesday – 6 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Thursday – 6 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Friday – 7 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Saturday – 9 Mi at 7:30-8:21

Total Miles: 46

*You’ll notice, the pace range is the same on easy days for the rest week and the build week, however on the rest week I generally keep it closer to 8:00-8:15 and build week I keep it closer to 7:30-7:50.

I like having the option to speed up or slow down in those ranges though, in case I’m having an off day or just feel like picking it up. 

Next Week:

Monday – 10 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Tuesday – 10 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Wednesday – 10 Mi, 6 at 7:03
Thursday – Rest/XT
Friday – 10 Mi at 7:30-8:21
Saturday – 20 Mi, 5 X 3 Mi at MP (7:26)

Total Miles: 60

BUT, during my last few long and longish runs, I gave the fancy watch a try. I have to admit, I loved looking down at my mile pace as each mile rolled over. It encouraged me to pick it up when I felt like I was slowing down for no good reason. 

Ever since Glenn became super competitive with his running and challenging himself more, he has decided to have an opinion about most things running related. He researches everything and has a reason for every workout. I get it, I like running fast and training to get faster too, but sometimes it’s too much for me.

My point, recently he likes to drop a line here or there about how if I want to get faster, I need to garmin it up so I can measure what I’m doing. Ok, I get that, but I’ve always loved just running based on how I feel and have had decent success at that.

Since 2008, I’ve ran nine marathons, they weren’t all fast. Four of the nine I went out for a fast time and or PR and three of the four I found success. The other five I ran purely for the fun of running with friends or just because.

Here are the four I went for a PR:

• San Diego- First Marathon
• Original Goal- break 4 hours, changed to a BQ goal night before race
• Success with a 3:39:52
• Boston
• Goal 3:30 
• Miserable fail, ran 3:54:37
• St. Louis
• Goal was to PR
• Success with a 3:34:34
• Piney Point
• Goal PR and go sub 3:30
• Success with a 3:24:05                    

For all of those races, the only one I followed a training plan to a T was the first- and by following it to a T, I mean distance…. kind of. I didn’t even think about pace, I just ran. In fact, I would run just based on time. We’d have a 20 miler scheduled and just go out and run three hours, assuming that we were doing around 20. Pretty simple right? And it worked, so why fix it if it’s not broken?

It might not have necessarily been broken, but Glenn thinks… and I suppose I do to…. that it could be so much better.

While Glenn went off and got all fancy on me with his watch and specific calculations about how to run this pace or that, I went off and got all pregnant and my body made me forgot about racing for awhile. While I grew a human, my husband taught himself how to really run. All the while I’m screaming, when’s it gonna be my turn again?

In the old days (you know, I was the one who got him into running…), I would have devised a training plan for him. I was always the “better” runner. I beat him in our first marathon by almost 10 minutes (he’ll never live that down) and I would always place higher for the females than he would for males. (that can be argued though, because it does seem that there are many more competitive males out there in general than females)

Aside from all that, seeing as how he has managed to take a 3:47 marathon down to a 2:56, I might be wise let him take charge and whip me into shape. I’ve always said, if you want to be a good runner and run fast times, you have to be willing to HURT when it gets hard. I’ve certainly gone there, there was nothing easy about the last 6 miles of running that 3:24, but I know I can go deeper. Why can’t I?

Alright husband- I wore your watch. I understand how it holds you accountable. I’m ready to be accountable and wear the stinking garmin. What do you have for me? I’m ready to rock a PR hugely in the spring- give me a plan. #bringiton