The Training Saga Continues….

Really this isn’t the time that I should be trying to figure out the best training plan for the NYC Marathon. I should have that already dialed in, but I wasn’t expecting to get into the marathon either. At the same time, I do not want to give up this opportunity, so I am trying to make the best of it.

As I stated in my last post, week 1 of training did not go as planned.  In week 2, I just did a few easy runs with a “long run” of 4 miles.  And the same approach in week 3 with a “long run” of 6 miles. All went okay, but I have realized that I usually have to take a day off after most runs because of soreness or tightness in the calves or heels. So, I thought I would consider running only three days a week focusing on a tempo run, speed work, and a long run. On the other days of the week I could do some cross-training or strength training. I don’t think this is going to make me Speedy Gonzales, but I think that it will get me to the finish line of the NYC Marathon.

Day 1 90 minute Bikram  yoga class.  I haven’t been to yoga in months so this was pretty challenging. In Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose , I had a muscle cramp so severe that the area was sore for two days!

Day 2 I did a three mile tempo run over rolling hills that I probably ran at too fast a pace as I am learning.

 

Day 3 was a  75 minute Traditional Hot Yoga practice. Love this class and the teacher Rick Resnick is awesome!

Day 4  I walked for 5 minutes, then ran for 1.5 miles easy, then  3X800s, then 1 mile cool-down with a little walking and light stretching afterwards.

 

Day 5 Rest day

Day 6  Easy 8 miles. I was shooting for about an 11 minute per mile pace so I think I did pretty good.

 

Super nice day for a long run on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage Ak. The Fireweed are almost in full bloom which means winter is looming…..

 

Day 7 Rest. I drove to Sterling Ak to go fishing after my long run and then took the next day as a rest day. Even though I didn’t ended up fishing because I got there so late, my husband and others caught plenty of Salmon! Yes even in subsistence fishing, the long run is the priority right now 🙂

 

On our way back we stopped at Portage Glacier for a nice long enjoyable break! Windy and rainy but we still ventured out along the trails.

 

Obviously training for the NYC Marathon hasn’t taken over my life, but it sure is a big part of it and definitely a priority.

I am feeling like I need to add at least one day of aerobic type of cross-training, so I will decide on that this week as I continue to try to figure out what is going to work best for me!