Most marathon training plans take 18 weeks to complete. Depending on how many you have actually competed, or your goals, they may differ. I am confident that none of the plans say run 17 miles in week one just for the fun of it. Although, Tuesday's 17 miler was wonderful.
Below you can see what I was actually supposed to do this week (in black), and what ended up getting done (in purple).
What went well: I felt great on both Thursday and Friday during my runs. Although Thursday's average was a 7:52 pace, the first mile was done in 8:43, with all of the others between 7:29 and 7:45. Friday I felt so great while running and didn't realize how fast I was going, therefore, it became an unintentional tempo run.
What needs to be done better: Pace. Pace. Pace. I need to retrain my body to run at training run speed, not race speed, for all runs. I did better on my 11 mile run today, but the average was still 8:26. I need them to be around 9:00 pace instead. Also, I want to do my track workout every week. Yes, the unconventional 17 miler on Tuesday was rather sporadic and nice, but track will help me become a better runner, which is what I want.
Goal for week 2: Complete Tuesday track work and run slower on Sunday.
For this marathon, I am going to keep track of everything, including workout types for track and pace. Although I kept track of my mileage during Chicago Marathon training, I did not note my pace. From what I know and have read and learned, pace plays an important role in preparation for the marathon.
On a side note, I have once again managed to get almost no Christmas shopping done yet. I have 1 gift for my mom. Other than that...nothing. I'm going out of town next weekend so no shopping will be done. I guess that leaves the few days before Christmas, just as in years past.
Are you a person that procrastinates shopping for Christmas presents, or do you shop early....like the day after Thanksgiving? I have never shopped on Thanksgiving weekend (Friday - Sunday after the holiday) and plan to keep it that way.
I am lucky, my family tells each other exactly what we want, mom then divids it up among us, so all I have to do is go online and buy it
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