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| Last Saturday's 9 mile run - Chicago Marathon here I come! |
"Do something today that your future self will thank you for."
Runners are creatures of habit, especially marathon runners. We know that all of our long runs during training are practice runs for the marathon. So we need things to be as similar to race day as possible. Shoes, clothing, time of day, elevation, nutrition, hydration, music, mantras, etc. We prepare for these things months ahead of time so that there are no surprises on race day. In fact, the #1 rule for race day is...nothing new on race day.
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| Beautiful landscape for a 9 mile run |
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| Big hill on one my training routes |
Even though I missed the races this Spring, my training has been the same. I trained for the half-marathon and the 10K because I thought that I would be running them and it is all good prep for marathon training. On the topic of preparation, I have started to follow a normal routine, the same routine I will follow once marathon training starts. This means long runs on Saturday or Sunday and going to bed early the night before in order to get up early for the long run (and be out of the heat!). Right now I'm using mid-distances to keep myself in shape and maintain my endurance from the half-marathon training. So my Saturday/Sunday runs are going to be anywhere from 6 to 10 miles until official training starts.
Preparation also means starting to be more mindful of my nutrition. Before marathon training begins it's good to focus on weight loss. Simply put...you will become faster if you shed a few pounds and once marathon training starts weight loss generally doesn't happen for most people. The reason being that you need those extra calories to keep your body adequately fueled for those long runs. So adequate nutrition is my focus for the next month. Low carb/high protein on my non-running days and paying attention to good sources of carbohydrates on my running days. I'm also loading up on lots of fruits and veggies. Bananas, beets, Brussels sprouts, cherries, berries, kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli, watermelon - these are all packed with nutrients that are good for runners!
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| Apple, carrot, and strawberry juice - Post-run drink |
For my first 2 marathons I followed the Jeff Galloway training program for beginners. I highly recommend this program for any beginner runners that want to train for and run in a marathon! However, last year I switched to a Hal Higdon program and as a result I had a lot more success in terms of being able to push through fatigue and increasing my pace. So I will be following a Hal Higdon program again this year. This is roughly the program I will follow from June-October:
Mondays - cross training (I stick to cycling, weights, yoga or walking.)
Tuesdays and Thursdays - maintenance runs (3-5 miles)
Wednesdays - mid-distance runs (5-10 miles)
Fridays - rest day or light walking
Saturdays - mid-distance runs (5-10 miles)
Sundays - long runs (gradually increasing mileage to 20 miles)
In the beginning, I will be averaging between 20-25 miles a week and at the end, before tapering, I will be averaging 40-50 miles a week. Last year I was flexible with some of the runs. I would skip a Tuesday or Thursday run some weeks. These are my long days at work so it's difficult to work these runs into my schedule. I might also switch a long run to a Saturday and eliminate the mid-distance run altogether or make it up on Sunday. However, this is the genius behind the training program. By having a mid-distance run on Saturday followed by a long run the next day, you prime your body (and mind) to work through muscle fatigue. Last year, I also got really into my cross training (cycling in particular) so I might cut back some of my mid-week mileage in favor of extra cross training. This year, I will probably do the same but I am also going to focus some on speedwork. Speedwork worked well for me in 5K training (sub-30 club!!!) so I would like to see if it makes a difference for me during the marathon. I've gotta get a PR this year! The speedwork will consist mostly of hill sprints, tempo runs, and intervals. These will likely take place on Wednesdays or Saturdays and be randomly dispersed into the training schedule.
Also in prep for the marathon - my hotel room is already booked and paid for (yippee!!) and it's RIGHT NEXT TO the start/finish line. I cannot tell you how miserable it was to walk to our hotel after the marathon last year. Secondly, fundraising for the American Cancer Society starts NOW. Last year, I waited 2 months before the date to start fundraising. It was crazy hectic trying to do that with that short amount of time. We did it! I raised $1000 last year but just in the nick of time. So that being said, I need your donations!! Do me a favor. If you donated money last year, aim to double the amount this year! You can match last year's donation this month and then sometime between June-September you can match it again and BOOM! you've just doubled it. Of course, doubling it right from the start would work too. Then share, share, share. Tell everyone you know about the great work that the American Cancer Society does and direct them to my fundraising page (Donate here!) to make a donation.
If I have 20 people donate just $10 a month between May-October I will meet my goal. I know that it's hard to make such a commitment but it is so worth it. It is worth it to know that we are working towards something bigger than ourselves to eradicate cancer and create more birthdays worldwide. Cancer sucks! And I know you agree. Even just a small one-time donation of $10, $5, or even $1 can make a huge difference. Please consider joining me in donating to this worthy cause and thank you in advance.
Happy running!
Amanda
