RunSingTeach

This is the first week of a new 16 week cycle of marathon training. My goal is to finish my 12th marathon at the Rehoboth Beach Marathon on December 8, 2012. I am “virtual training” with the world’s best running partner, MM, which is completely wonderful, only to be improved if we lived in the same state. For this go-round, I’m following the Furman University FIRST program for intermediate marathoners. Even though I’m pretty out of shape and slow, I am not a new marathoner, so this is a good program for me. The thing I like about this program is it doesn’t include “junk miles”; you run 3 quality runs per week and cross train 2. This is perfect for me because I’m easily injured and have ADD when it comes to running big miles. You run one track workout per week, one tempo, and one long run with pace guides based on various time calculations. I am basing my times off a very slow 5k time because right now, there is no way in heck I can run a marathon at the correllary 5k pace. (I can pump out a -25 5k sure, but I can’t translate that into big miles any time soon.)

So off we began on Monday. Monday was nice because it is a XT day. I was still sore from 12 miles on Sunday so I apted to just do the rowing machine (love) and skip the plyometrics/core. Everything still really hurt from the slow and painful distance I put myself through on Sunday. Apparently I’m becoming less able to just go out and run for 2+ hours without solid training, crap. Sad face.

Yesterday was the first track workout. 10-20 min warmup (I did a mile slow), 3×1600 at 8:45 pace, 10 min c/d. It’s funny because 8:45 used to be my mile pace for a moderate run and now it is my mile pace for “speed work”. Times sure have changed. The first mile was tough but good, I figured if I aimed for 2:10 400’s, I would come out ok to 8:45 with a little leeway. 8:42 first mile, done. 1 minute rest interval (walking, drinking). Mile 2 was a little bit more challenging, about 1200 in I was feeling the “burn”. 8:43 second mile, done. 2 minute rest this time because I felt like I was going to die. Seriously considered bagging on mile 3 but went ahead anyway-oh the pain, the 400’s were averaging 2:15 and I knew it was going to be difficult to get it done in 8:45, last lap came and I dug to finish in 8:48. Close enough for the first workout. I’ll take it.  I did my cool down walking back home.

I felt pretty awesome. Hot, sticky, red in the face. My favorite feeling. I also felt super hungry. 🙂 DBF had roasted a local, free-range organic chicken from Rocklands so we got to feast on that and sweet taters.  I felt really content.

I know the next 16 weeks will be a roller coaster. It is going to be really hard to get up at 4am tomorrow to get my run in before we head to the beach for the day. There will be days I’ll miss and days where the thought of putting on my running shoes makes me want to throw a tempter tantrum. But I have made the commitment and I want to do well this fall. So I put yesterday’s workout in the win column and remind myself it’s just the start.