Ba da bing, ba da boom! TCM is now less than 50 days away. Count ’em – 5, 0! While I can’t help but think that it’s not a long time, I am really happy with these week’s training. Lately I just feel like my body is reacting the way it’s supposed to. Each of my key workouts lately have been really challenging, but I have been consistently running the paces that Coach lays out for me —actually a bit faster because I run my workouts like I’m scared of seeing a slow pace pop up on my Garmin. (It’s my own mental, virtual trainer, I suppose).

Last year, as part of my training for my first marathon, I was pretty nervous about my first 20-miler. Eighteen miles left me feeling a bit rusty and each consecutive week I was running personal record distances. Each week was a challenge and a milestone. I now run my tempo workouts at 7:00 min/mile as opposed to 8:10 min/mile at the same point in my training last year. (Looking back at those posts make me realize just how much I’ve improved in one year.) But this year, I’m attacking the training from the perspective of a marathoner. I’m not about to convince myself that I’m an experienced veteran of 26.2 miles (having run one marathon), but I think having ‘been there, done that’ gives me a mental edge this year at least. I can be really good at letting the pressure get to my head when I don’t keep my thoughts ‘in check’. A few weeks ago, I went through a mental hamster wheel of thoughts like, “oh my gosh, what if I run a slower time this year?, what if I get injured?, should I even have a time goal for Twin Cities?”. Of course, these kinds of thoughts do nothing for me, either mentally OR physically. I’m leaving those questions behind and powering through the next 7 weeks just like I have the past few weeks, because there’s no one stopping me but ME.

Monday: REST

Tuesday:

Speed Session Total 8.75 miles

1 mile- Goal: 6:36/ Actual: 6:28
2 miles- Goal: 6:45/ Actual: 6:39
2 x 800- Goal: 3:15/ Actual: 3:17, 3:16

Wednesday: 3 Easy Miles + Myrtl & Foam Rolling

Thursday: Tempo 6.29 miles (4 Tempo Splits: 6:58, 6:57, 6:56, 6:54)

Friday: REST

Saturday: 4 miles easy around the neighborhood “anticipation run”

Sunday: 20 miles Target 8:15 pace, Actual 8:12 overall pace

I think running lately for me really has been about patience. I can get really caught up in paces and whatnot, but lately I’ve tried to put that out of my mind and let my body just do the work. My thoughts are positive when I let my body carry me first. Then my mind can do the work. My mind will always be there to push me through to the end if I need it to.

20 miles yesterday felt surprisingly easy yesterday. I can’t tell you how happy I am that it went so well, considering I’ll have a few more of them before the marathon arrives in October. One fantastic 20-miler is under my belt and I’m ready to tackle what lies ahead. Next stop, the Peapod Batavia Half this Sunday in the ‘burbs! Coach and I still need to chat about my goal for this race, but I’m assuming I’ll tack on pre and post-race miles to consider it another long run on the calendar. I’m really looking forward to a full weekend out of the city exploring some place new 🙂

-J