It’s a de-load week and I am surprised how timely it is as this week I’ve been more tired than usual even with less mileages. By Thursday I told husband that I really don’t want to go to work, my ideal day would be a rainy day that I can spend hours in bed reading a book and nap. My legs are extra sore and I never feel sleeping enough. I only felt recovered by Sunday ready for the longer than planned run.
Monday: rest day, 20 min runners yoga. I would have liked to go to the gym for some swim but just didn’t find the time. The open swim (no class) is mostly in the afternoon, and I don’t feel like going to the gym after work.
Tuesday: 40 min MP pace, executed with precision, averaging 8:38 min/mi and felt strong. Total 7.3 miles. Slimfit followed. Then I went to the physio, did the laser boot, and got new exercise to strengthen hamstring and core stability.
Wednesday: 6 miles easy run, 10:27 min/mi. Did foam rolling in the evening while watching Netflix.
Thursday; 3x7min tempo run,. the first two sets I hit the pace, 7:33 and 7.48, but the last one I was done with it, averaged 8:06. total 6 miles. I was tired after it. Slimfit went on and by the time I got to the office, I wish I had stayed home. I did the hot compress and stretching in the evening, and some slow walking with Lizzy. I told Lizzy I was tired and hope to sleep longer to recover. and she said: you know you don’t need to get up at 4:30am, right? I said: yes, but I want to run, ideally without heat and sun, so I want to get up and run.
Friday: rest day so I went to the pool for 20 min easy swim followed by 15 min in the steaming room. I am officially in love with water sound and the peace of mind in the water without distraction. In the steaming room, I also love the peace of mind without distraction. It’s incredible that nowadays I need to insert myself in an environment with zero distraction to feel the peace. Sad but at least I can condition myself into it.
Saturday: 6 miles easy. I also wonder if it’s better to do the long run after a rest day or after an easy run day. By the end of 6 miles I felt done so I was glad I didn’t pursue the long run. Instead I focused on easy movement during the day and fueling for the next day.
Sunday: the plan called for 2 hrs long. I thought it was rather short, compared to my last three marathon training cycles. So I aimed for 14 miles easy. It was “cold” a bit rainy and fully crowded, perfect for my liking. I felt good the whole way, and ended up finishing 15 miles with HR averaging 131 despite last 2 miles of uphill. I am very happy with how it went. More importantly, I was not drained for the rest of the day. Felt recovered pretty much after my shower.
Total: 40.3 miles
Strength: 2 slimfit
Cross: 1 yoga, 1 swim.
Reviewing past training cycles (Chicago, Berlin, and Paris), I find the current training cycle not conventional as it doesn’t contain 20 milers. The longest the plan calls for is 2 hrs 45 min run which I already surpassed. I always did at least 1 20 miler, if not 2-3, last time with Paris I even did a 23 miler. The rational is that you don’t get benefit after 3 hours, so there’s no benefit doing so except for the mental confidence that I could keep running. I know I can keep running but still wondering if this “new” method has merit. Regardless, given my sole goal of enjoy the race, not aiming for time, I am okay with trying this approach. It will help me to plan for future races.
Have your training method changed over time? Are you open to try new ways or rather stick to what you know?
