Week 14 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - nothing. Went to the Indianapolis Moto GP race - awesome stuff.
Monday - 3 miles ALL UNDER 10 PACE! :) 9:42, 9:29, 9:08.
Tuesday - 4 miles, mile repeats. 9:47 warmup. 8:14, 8:55, 9:09. Rough!
Wednesday - 5 miles. Started off great...got slower. 9:55 average.
Thursday - rest. Went karting...nightmarish back spasms.
Friday - rest. Can barely walk.
Saturday - rest.

Planned: 23-26 miles.  Actual:  12 miles. Thanks to a back injury.

Week 13 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - 18 miles!  10:59, 10:52, 10:44, 11:07, 10:55, 10:51, 10:33, 10:53, 10:44, 10:38, 10:35, 10:36, 10:31, 10:30, 10:32, 10:46, 10:55, 11:08
Monday - rest. ouchie legs. Took a 1.5ish mile walk, slowly.
Tuesday - rest.
Wednesday - 5 miles. 10:11, 9:38, 9:42, 9:30, 9:40 (9:45 pace average)
Thursday - Spinning! And I walked 4 miles in the evening.
Friday - 3 miles
Saturday - 8 miles. 10:14, 10:14, 10:!6, 10:18, 10:00, 9:41, 9:58, 9:22 (10:00 average)

Planned:  33-36 miles.  Actual:  34 miles.

8 miles with bad sciatic nerve pain

I think a combination of already tight hips and a spinning class on Thursday that had way too many and too quick of jumps in it has caused my piriformis muscle to tighten up even more. My sciatic nerve is being pinched pretty good. Yesterday's 3 mile run was painful. I stretched and stretched last night and this morning, finding a small amount of relief.

I met Jenny at the trail at 9. The weather was perfect - gorgeous and no humidity. My back/nerve hurt in the beginning but nothing more than it had already. As long as it didn't get worse, I knew I would make it ok. To my surprise, it actually ended up getting better by the end!

Buuuuut, then after I stepped out of the truck when I got home, the pain was nauseating. It hurts worse now than it has- to the point where the only comfortable position I can be in is pigeon pose. More stretching is on the schedule for me today! :)

The run was great. Shade, cool temps, and no humidity were a good recipe for a 10:00 pace average over the 8 miles.

10:14, 10:14, 10:16, 10:18 -- water stop
10:00, 9:41, 9:58, 9:22

And I felt I could have gone at least another mile at that last miles's pace.

18 miles

This marathon training is going better than when I trained in 09. Here are some reasons why:
1. I'm "wiser" about my body. I recognize when things start to hurt and can take preventative measures to try to avoid setbacks.

2. Kind of along the same idea as number 1, I've been through PT a few times now, which helps me to know how I have to work on my body, not just run run run.

3. I'm being consistent. For perhaps the first time since I worked at Giv, I'm running or biking 6 days a week, most weeks.

4. I'm cross-training, even if it's just walking. Time on the feet is important.

And probably the most important:
5. I'm running my long runs with Casey and Jenny. I trained all by myself the first time, running partial long run miles with someone else but never the entire distance. This is a huge mental boost and I've pushed or kept running when I would have stopped or chugged if solo.

We ran 18 Sunday and I'm hurting pretty bad. I think it's time to get serious about the strength training. Upper and lower body. My joints hurt so bad and my left knee is mega-tight. Even my calves were in a pseudo-flexed state this morning. I am going to take a little walk and hope that helps some. Then hit the weights.

I'm really getting both excited and nervous about the race. Excited to do better than last time. Nervous I won't be able to keep up with Casey and Jenny and they'll have to ditch me, which will be the worst feeling ever. All I want from running is to be able to run with people. I have never been able to run with my friends at races. I have come so far, but will it be enough. It's a huge motivator.

Week 12 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - Ultimate Frisbee tourney in place of running 8. 
Monday - 15 mile bike ride.
Tuesday - 4 miles at 9:32 pace. Wow. Yoga in the evening.
Wednesday - rest. Body hurts.
Thursday - rest again...storm came and I didn't run.
Friday - 5 miles at 9:34 pace.
Saturday - 14 mile bike ride.

Planned:  23-26 miles.  Actual:  9 miles + ultimate.

Week 11 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - 14.85 miles at 10:33 pace. 
Monday - rest. 1.5 mile walk.
Tuesday - 4 miles at 9:48 pace. And rolled over to 101 miles for the month of July.
Wednesday - 3 miles at 9:59 pace. Ultimate Frisbee.
Thursday - 3 mile walk.
Friday - 3.5 miles, 10:13 pace.
Saturday - rest, but lots of walking downtown.

Planned: 32 miles.  Actual: 24.5 miles.