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I had my final peak week of training for the New Jersey Marathon – the end is in sight!
I’m so happy to have had a solid week of race training. It seems that things are really falling into place. Of course, I still get so nervous so I try not to think about it too much…but I’m feeling pretty good about my prospects with marathon #2!
I’m joining HoHo and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap – it’s always great to see what my fellow running/fitness friends are up to! I’m also joining Courtney for her Weekly Training Recap linkup and Marcia, Patty, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run!
We’re a few days into April and it’s crazy for me to realize that wow, this year is really flying by! I wish the weather felt more like spring, but at least we’ve got some trees and flowers blooming in the neighborhood! Philly doesn’t really have too many cherry blossoms yet…it’s just weird! We keep having wild temperature swings from day to day…and I think we’re having another cold week, ugh!
My big focus for last week was getting ready for my second 20 mile run of marathon training. As I mentioned last week, my first attempt was a disaster. Fortunately, two 20-mile runs were part of my training plan, so I didn’t have to treat this run as a do-over. When I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15K, did I realize that it would end up being the same day I would need to run 20 miles? Nope, haha! But it allowed me to just focus on getting through my miles with the reward of some bling and chocolate at the finish!
I’m going to write a full recap of the race later this week, but if you follow me on Instagram, you already know that the race went well! This was my first time running this race and WOW was there a ton of people out there! All things considered, Hot Chocolate was very organized and I have no complaints, except all the darn potholes on MLK Drive! It was just a REALLY long morning of running for me…I’m glad I made it through!
Monday 4/2: Yoga class! I had hoped to make it to Amanda’s class but work meetings prevailed again…so I went to an evening class that focused on core. I still don’t think I’m doing it right, but it was good to do something a little different, lol.
Tuesday 4/3: Tempo Tuesday! I was really waffling on this run…I had a long day at work (literally sitting in a meeting for hours) and it was pouring rain outside. Fortunately, my buddy Tom was in the office gym so I joined him and did my 6 miles on the treadmill. I had a 6-mile progression run on tap. It was mentally challenging because I really didn’t want to run…but I got it done! I even did a little of the Cha Cha Slide while running, haha! That is a really long song, by the way!
Wednesday 4/4: Rest day!!
Thursday 4/5: A change in plans had me going to barre in the evening and it was a great time in Kim’s class! The upper body work was challenging not to mention all the lunges! I also realized how weak/tight my glutes have become as some of the floor work/leg raises were REALLY hard. I also did a little work with the CTM Band for my right shin and both feet. I’m trying to find the best way to incorporate it in my prehab.
Friday 4/6: I had to go to work so I didn’t get to run until after going to the expo and coming home for a little nap! The weather was irresistible and I had a great run through the hood!I also did my Runner’s Knee prevention exercises.
Saturday 4/7: 20 miles – that was enough for me!
Sunday 4/8: 4 easy recovery runs in the evening. It was actually nice to run in the peace and quiet with my Knuckle Light guiding the way! After the run, I followed it up with some hip/core work: deadbugs, clamshells, mountain climbers, side plank twists, single leg bridges (tough)!
Total Miles for the Week: 35.0
Total Training Miles for NJ Marathon: 366.01
Phew! Well, I made it through my final peak week of marathon training! Could it almost be time to taper?! I am so looking forward to winding down the mileage the next couple of weeks!
Most of all, I’m proud of how strong my 20 miler was and that I was able to run Hot Chocolate and stay in control of my pacing and fueling, despite running the entire distance solo. I have to admit that last week’s long run really had me worried…so this was the confidence boost that I really needed! I’m glad that I did all my exercises, though I still need to spend more time foam rolling!
If it wasn’t obvious, I’m giving this past week of training an A! It’s all downhill from here, lol!
Did you have a race this weekend? Has April’s weather warmed up for you or are you still fighting the winter?
