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Marathon Training: Week 2-5 or I’m Terrible at Updating.

Marathon Training: Week 2-5 or I’m Terrible at Updating.

I have no excuse really for not updating. I simply haven’t taken the time to just sit down and document how my training has been coming along.

It’s kind of difficult though because I have the Brooklyn Half Marathon coming up, so I can’t strictly follow the Marathon training plan as listed below:

Why?

Because I have the Brooklyn Half Marathon on 19th of this month, so instead of doing 2.5 miles as my “long run” during week 4, I did 10 miles as training.

Since in my last post, I talked about several things I wanted to do differently during a long run, I decided to test some stuff out.

It was a warmer day–I believe it was in the 70’s–so I wanted to try taking in extra electrolytes before my run, as well as after my first hour of running and try eating eating a little something for breakfast as well as at the 5 mile mark.

So for breakfast, about an hr before my run, I drank a serving of Dr. Berg’s Electrolyte Powder and had 2 large eggs scrambled with 1 tsp of pesto mixed in. Nothing too heavy to potentially upset my stomach.

About 20 before my run, I then drank a serving of exogenous ketones and we did our run, but we had to do it in 2 segments. The first segment, we did 3.25 miles as part of the NYRR Open Run Highland Park, and the second segment was done later as a 7.23 mile run starting from Woodhaven Queens and ending in Lower East Side Manhattan.

As planned, I took more electrolytes at around the 1 hr mark of running in the form of 1 Salt Stick capsule and then ate some Macadamia Nut Butter at the 5th Mile. I had a really difficult time eating the Nut Butter as I opened the package wrong and it was getting everywhere, and really sticky. I have to either get used to opening and eating the Nut Butter or eat something else. I think I’ll try eating something else. Like the pepperoni I originally planned on, but for some reason, didn’t do.

The run itself was pretty difficult to me. Not because I couldn’t handle the mileage, but because the day before the run,  I did back extension exercises and my lower back was very sore. I guess I should avoid any lower back exercises before a long run.

Well, that’s all for now. I’ll try to keep a more consistent schedule in updating.

Until next time.

Marathon Training: Week 1 or Can I ever Follow a Schedule?

Marathon Training: Week 1 or Can I ever Follow a Schedule?

Yay!!! The first Week of Marathon Training has come and gone! The Schedule Below was what I was supposed to follow, but as you know, nothing ever goes as planned.

I came down with a fever on Monday, so I couldn’t do my very first training run on Tuesday as I was trying to get my body to recover. It was such a bummer, but better to get sick in the beginning of my training rather than at the end, right?

I felt a little bit better by Thursday, so I decided to do my 30 minute run in Central Park with my boyfriend John and Team Mate, Marisol. We usually do a 2 minute run segment with a 1 minute walk segment (I love the Galloway Run-Walk-Run Method. Find out more about it here), but since I was still recovering from my fever, we did a 1:1 ratio instead.

It was tough for me, even for 30 minutes, but I managed to push through and get it done. We did a total of 2.30 Miles in about 31 minutes, which is kind of on the slower side, but I’ve heard that it’s better to train on the slower side. So I did.

My long run was supposed to be 3 Miles, but Marisol and I had already signed up for the NYRR SHAPE Women’s Half Marathon, so we were obviously doing that instead!

I was feeling mostly better by then, but not 100%, so Marisol was surprised when I told her I wanted us to do our regular 2:1 Run/Walk ratio.

Before any big race, I drink a serving of Exogenous Ketones as a preworkout, so I did exactly that. Along with that, I took a baggie of sliced pepperoni and two salt tablets for electrolytes as the course only gives out Gatorade and I can’t drink that due to all the sugars in it. I wasn’t planning on eating any of the pepperoni. I only take it just in case if I need it. However, I was planning on taking at least one salt tablet halfway through the race.

Since I plan on running the Marathon with Marisol, I decided that I should run with her on every race we do together, just to get used to running with another person. Plus, running with a friend makes the run easier, right?

The morning was pretty cold, so I was feeling pretty miserable, but it was nice having Marisol and John with me to commiserate with.

Can I just take a moment to mention how awesome my boyfriend is? He wasn’t running the race (for obvious reasons, lol), but he still came out and stayed out in the cold to cheer for me and Marisol when we passed by, not once, not twice, but three times!

Half an hour before the race started, we met up with some of our fellow QDR sisters who were also running to take a team pic. After that, we headed off to our corral.

After discussing it with her, Marisol and I decided due to the crowds in the beginning of the race, we should ignore the run/walk ratio and run straight for at least the first mile, as it may be too dangerous to implement run/walk (too must congestion and all).

We ended up doing out first mile in 10 minutes and 50 seconds, which was a wee too fast, but we were both feeling good and decided it was okay since we would be following our 2:1 ratio after that.

Marisol and I during a Walk Break

As planned, when we hit the halfway point, I took one of my salt tablets, but I think I should have taken it a little bit sooner. My legs were feeling a little bit heavy by then, but the salt perked me right up. I think for next time, when doing a half marathon, I’ll take it an hour into the run.

I ended up not eating any of my pepperoni, but at mile 10, I was feeling a bit hungry. I resisted because I was so close to finishing the half, but maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing. I think I might try eating some of it at Mile 5 for next time. Just to see how I feel.

Marisol and I ended up doing pretty good times. I’m especially proud of my 2 Hours 38 Minutes and 50 Seconds finish considering I was still recovering from being sick, and I was able to keep up right until the end.

Well, that’s it for now. It was my first week of training, and while everything didn’t go the way it was intended, I still learned a lot of stuff, and that’s the whole purpose of documenting my journey. To address problems and situations as they arise and to pretty much have fun.

Until next time!

We Did It! I was so happy to get that Reflective Sheet to keep me Warm!

 

Are you Excited? I am!

Are you Excited? I am!

It all started February 28th, when I received an email from NYRR Congratulating me for being officially registered to this year’s NYC Marathon!

I mean, I knew I was going to qualify for the Marathon by fulfilling NYRR’s 9+1 Program, but I still got a rush when I got my acceptance email!

And now…just in a few short days, I will officially start my training with my wonderful boyfriend, John, and our very good friend, Marisol. John has ran the Marathon 3 times already, but this will be Marisol’s and my first. Marisol and I plan on running the whole course together, while John will run it on his own pace. We are all members of the equally wonderful Running Team, Queens Distance Runners.

I plan on updating once a week to document our 32 Week journey of training for the 2018 NYC Marathon.