New York City Marathon - Week 10

"All I wanna do is

zooma zoom zoom zoom

and a boom boom

(don't break ya rump)."

~Wreckx n' Effect (Fancy's marathon remix)

As we get further into training and the weeks tick by at warp speed, these posts get harder and harder to write.  I look at the pictures and remember taking them, but they seem like a lifetime ago, not just days ago.  Part of it is probably that I do most of my runs before my brain is fully awake yet, but it's mostly because my days are filled to the brim, juggling all the hats I wear.  It's both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.  Normally, writing would be the first thing I take off my plate when life gets hectic, but I know I'll regret not keeping some sort of written record of this journey, so I forge ahead with Week 10's recap.

MONDAY

6 miles total with 4 conservative tempo miles

Thanks to my unhappy hip, most of my miles have been at an easy pace.  While I'm thankful to be able to still put in the miles, they are starting to feel like a bit of a grind.  These runs have not excited me nor given me the boost of confidence one needs at this stage of marathon training.  To change up my headspace a little, I dusted off the pretty blue Nikes I normally reserve for speed work and wore them for this tempo run.  If I'm wearing my fast shoes, then I'll run fast, right?

I wasn't sure what my target pace would be for those tempo miles, but I knew it certainly wouldn't be 5k pace.  I just went out and ran a comfortably hard pace that I thought I could hang on to for 4 miles.  And while the paces I found comfortably hard were slower than I would have liked them to be, I was pleased that the hip and hamstring felt decent during and after.  It's gotta be the shoes.

TUESDAY

Easy 8 miles + dry needling

As I mentioned, all these easy miles are starting to feel a bit monotonous, especially since I run a lot of them in the same general area.  I had to switch it up a bit for this 8 miler, so I threw it back to 2011 when I was training for my first half marathon and ran down Dam Neck and all through Ocean Lakes.  

It's where I did the majority of my long runs - including my first ever 10 miler - for that training cycle, and between the nostalgia and the realization of how far I've come as a runner, it was a truly enjoyable run...dreadfully easy pace and all.  

I had my arse dry needled later that morning, and PT Lauren and I were both really pleased with how little the hip musculature was jumping now compared with when I first came to her.  I was in and out of my appointment and right on time for lunch at school with my girls.  But all day, I couldn't stop thinking about milkshakes, and somehow I managed to work one into my day.  Pregnant?  Nope.  Just marathon training.  They're similar like that.  

Next time I get a bigger one.  A much bigger one.

WEDNESDAY

3 x 1600s

I tried my damndest to fit this workout somewhere else this week but this day had to be the day. Since I got needled the day before, my pace for the mile repeats was going to be determined by my level of soreness. Zero soreness = move your ass!  While the 1600s were significantly slower than I would have preferred to do them (and have done them in the past), I kept reminding myself there was no need to run that fast right now.  I won't come anywhere near those paces on race day, and it's not worth blowing my body up just to feel better about the numbers.  

I didn't get any photos before, during, or right after the run, but I did get a good chuckle about where I charge my watch these days.  I have a solid 30 minute commute to and from work, so I can charge my watch without missing out on any step counting and mile tallying.  It's important to keep myself in check in these late weeks!

And keeping myself in check usually doesn't mean wearing high heels at the end of a long day, but on this particular day it did.  The price you pay for being Fancy (and working for some amazing people) is a mid-week gala with my guy.  And my feet did just fine.

THURSDAY

yogahhhhhhhhh

I never have much to say about yoga other than ahhhhhhhhhhh.  I love you.

And not only do I charge my watch in my car now, but sometimes I eat dinner there.  Don't worry...I only take photos (and text and Facebook and Instagram) at red lights.    

FRIDAY

Long run (12.2 miles)

When you're training for a marathon, at some point you consider 12 miles "just 12 miles."  I have reached that point.  I paid little attention to my nutrition and hydration the day before these miles, and I was hoping I wouldn't suffer too greatly for it.  12 miles is still 12 miles and your body doesn't care that you did 18 the week before...it's work.  And it was hot.  And there were snakes.

Thanks to our mother hustler schedules not jiving very well the past few weeks, I had the rare opportunity to run these miles with Sara at First Landing.  Aside from us nearly stepping right on this guy as he crossed the trail, it was great to catch up on life and running on a gorgeous September morning.  

SATURDAY

1 mile beach walk + 3.3 easy miles

I was going to the beach this day come hell or high water.  I got jipped out of my beach day last weekend and I wasn't letting it happen again.  It's late September and we don't know how many more beach days we'll get.  I knew I wanted to get 4ish miles in, but I was in no rush.  In an effort to soak up as much of the salt air as I could, I headed south for a little walk to cut down on the miles I'd have to run on the blacktop later.  Beach walks are always a good idea.

SUNDAY

Rest (like for reals)

My rest days have been more restful these days.  It's needed.  My body is tired, and it's amazing how one little day off can recharge your battery for the next week. I think I reached maybe 25% of my normal daily steps and it was glorious.  And I also found this fun little watch face app for my Garmin that counts down the days until the race.  I'm in love.  And see that?  8:46pm and I'm in bed.  

With only 6 weeks to go, the next few weeks are going to be tough.  If I can hang on for another 3 weeks, I'll be rewarded with a solid taper.  I also booked my plane ticket for New York this past weekend.  It's really happening.  In 42 days.  Ermagerd.