Ok, so now things have really started. This was my first week on the Hal Higdon 18 week training schedule. However, it has been two weeks since the Peachtree Road Race.
Pre Week 1
So I decided to throw a training week similar to week 1 in before I began the "real" week 1. Last week I had planned to run 3 miles on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and 5 on Saturday. I guess the Peachtree took a lot out of me, because it was not easy. I ran 3 on Tuesday, but Wednesday was awful. Almost every muscle in my legs were sore. About halfway through I realized that I was doing more harm than good. The lower part of my hamstrings were killing me. I could hardly lift my feet off the ground. I had been shuffling / sliding my feet for a mile and a half. As you know I had been struggling a little with shin splints, so I was concerned this funny running motion would cause me to aggravate those even more. I had to stop, total bummer.
I had been working at this for over a month now, and I was concerned that my journey may be over before it really got started. I hadn't missed a single run since I began so this concerned me.
After cutting my Wednesday run short, I cross trained on the elliptical on Thursday. My wife Leslie was an absolute life saver, she massaged my legs for hours on end to help me recover. I could not believe how much better my legs have felt since. I guess the Peachtree run combined with my training runs had left so much junk in my muscles that they just couldn't operate any more.
So now it was back to business. My 5 mile run on Saturday was fine, such a relief! Now I can focus on the 18 week journey ahead.
Week 1
As you can imagine week 1 is the easiest week. 3 miles on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 6 miles on Saturday and cross training on Sunday. It has been so hot in Atlanta that I have been getting up at 6 in the morning to run before work. It feels really good to accomplish so much before the day really starts. However, as a guy that struggles to get to bed on time it can be really hard to get up sometimes. Tuesday and Wednesday were fine, I got up and did my three miles. Thursday was different. I could not get out of bed before 7. Rather than running the 3 miles that evening, I decided to give my legs some rest from the pounding of the pavement. Instead I did 90 minutes of cross training on the elliptical trainer. In my miond 90 minutes of cross training is an even trade for missing 30 minutes of running.
I found it hard to get my heart right up to 80% of my max on the elliptical. This concerns me because if I donb't get my heart rate up, I don't think it is really helping me be better prepared for my runs. I am going to have to watch that as the weeks carry on. When I run, my heart rate quickly gets to 90% of its max (I know, too high). I think as I continue to improve my cardio, it will be a little easier on my runs. This is especially important on my long Saturday runs, I will keep you posted.
Saturday marked a 6 mile run for me. I have joined a running group on Saturdays. This group is great, they run different areas of the city every week and provide water stops along the way. You can learn more about them here: www.usafitteamspirit.com/. Currently I run in the 9-10 min/mile group. I had been doing fine running in this group for 5 miles, but sometimes at the end of my runs I struggle to keep up. This week was no different. I still think it was a good run, but I wish I could finish a little more comfortably.
At the end of the run we had a massage therapist there to help us work out any soreness. As you can imagine, I jumped on the table almost begging for help. She said "let me know if I apply too much pressure". I told her that I have a high pain tolerance and that she could push as strong as she wants. Probably one of the five dumbest things I have ever said. It was brutal, but I am so thankful that I got it. I think this will help me carry on my journey to 26.2 miles.
All in all it was a great week, considering I thought I may have been finished the week before. Special thanks Leslie for helping me continue on, too bad that probably means more work for her.
1. You're a rockstar!
ReplyDelete2. You have the sweetest wife ever.
3. Miss you guys.
Ceili
Is there a list we can get on to massage your legs? Can I have the next spot?
ReplyDeleteFabio
I knew I was right about you Fabio. I have seen the way you look at my legs. I get them nice and oiled up for your turn.
ReplyDeleteRob
I ran my first marathon three years or so ago using the Higdon Novice plan.
ReplyDeleteI found that running on Monday and Tuesday evening and then running on Thursday morning made my Thursday runs go much better. I didn't cross train for one minute during the entire 18 weeks.
Be careful not to run your long runs too fast. Your 9:45-9:50 10k pace projects to a 10:41 pace for the marathon. With cooler temps you'll most likely do better than that, but during the heat of the summer you need to dial back the pace a bit. Most of the gurus say that your long runs should be done 45 to 90 sec/mile slower than your marathon pace. If you are running a sub 10 minute pace during your long runs that will impact your ability to recover enough to put in the required mileage during the week. Try running your next long run at 11:15/mile and see if it doesn't help with your weekday training the following week.
If you're really experiencing a lot of post run soreness, you should also make sure your hydration is adequate.
I tell people all the time that running a marathon is easy. Training for a marathon is hard. Good luck