Keep Moving Forward: A Training Log (Comments Welcome)

So, I've bounced back from a low mileage week with a pretty decent week. I got three runs of four miles during the week and went out for six this morning. Tomorrow, I'll likely get up and do eight miles and then Lakefront Marathon training begins!

Some more minor news ... I'm officially registered for Marathon Weekend 2020! I pulled the trigger on the Goofy Challenge earlier this week. I'd love to do Dopey again, but this is a solo trip for me and it's a time and financial commitment I'm not willing to make. I wanted to do more than the marathon and I think Goofy is the option (though I'm gonna miss that Oswald medal and shirt!)

I really hadn't planned on making Marathon Weekend part of my travel/race plans after committing to a few other races and outings, but my travel agent sent me a quote out of the blue that was better than I had expected. And get this: after I told her I was in, she emailed back and said she had misquoted me by more than $300! Score! That, plus picking up a couple side gigs this week really made me feel like I made the right choice.

I'm really going to focus on just having a ton of fun for this trip. I'm going to embrace character stops, drink stops, rides, tomfoolery and hopefully the camaraderie of running with a group. So, hopefully some of my fellow runDisney all-stars will have me (hint hint, nudge nudge gang).

Aside from my general excitement about a somewhat unexpected Disney trip, I'm really jazzed about the idea of running four marathons in like 364 days - Disney Marathon 2019, Run CRANDIC, Lakefront and Disney Marathon 2020. Disney was the site of my first marathon, so it feels great to be heading back there for No. 7 on my route to 10 marathons before turning 40.

Anyway, I'm just way too excited.
 




Hey! It's July and I haven't done a training update. So, here's what I've been up to...

7/2 - 5 miles @ 9:09/mile
7/3 - 6 miles @ 9:19/mile
7/5 - 6 miles @ 9:18/mile
7/6 - 6 miles @ 8:59/mile
7/7 - 8 miles @ 9:14/mile
7/10 - 6 miles @ 9:20/mile
7/12 - 5 miles @ 9:01/mile
7/13 - 8 miles @ 8:59/mile

So, I'm following (rather loosely) DopeyBadger's marathon plan that he put together for me advance of Run CRANDIC 2018. Unfortunately, and there's just no other way to put this, I was faster and in better shape heading into that training schedule. I was coming off a speed training program (also by DB) and ... I don't know, less out of shape?

So, jumping back into this training program hasn't been perfect and I'm sticking more to the mileage and less to the paces, though still trying to speed up when it calls for it and stick to the EA/EB paces, as well. The result is I'm somewhat of a tweener, not quite hitting the fast paces and going too fast for the easy paces.

I have 12 weeks to go, but I'm unsure about how I'm to approach Lakefront. I don't think it's going to be an "A" race, it's just "a race." I do want to beat my previous time on that course (4:32) and given my current level of fitness, I think that's fairly easily obtainable.

After Lakefront, I suspect I'll take a week off, then head into Goofy Challenge training. As I've said before, my focus on that is fun, camaraderie, tomfoolery and drinks on the course, so I think as long as I maintain my baseline fitness, I'll be fine. I'm mostly just excited to run with @jennamfeo, @Bree, @rteetz, @FFigawi or anyone else who will have me. It's a fun trip with some running mixed in, not a running trip with some fun mixed in.

One more thing ... it's gotten HOT here. I mean, hot for Iowa. I've been running first thing in the morning whenever possible (6ish), but even then, it's been pretty toasty. Last weekend, after buying new shoes, I didn't get a run in until the afternoon and on Sunday I had to wait until I was done nursing a hangover to get out, it was definitely a struggle. I'm glad it's not -50, but when it comes to running, I'm looking for some fall temps.
 
It was a hot week in Iowa and it made for some exhausting runs. The heat finally broke Sunday, though. Much more pleasant.

Here's what I've been up to since my last post:

7/14 - 10.01 miles @ 9:22/mile
7/16 - 6:03 miles @ 8:10/mile
7/17 - 6:01 miles @ 9:11/mile
7/19 - 6:05 miles @ 9:14/mile
7/21 - 13.10 miles @ 9:06/mile

Everything up to July 21 was crazy hot. I was getting up at 5:30 most mornings to try to beat the heat, but Friday morning was 81 degrees before 6 a.m., so the heat was definitely beating me.

Saturday was supposed to be a 10-mile run, but my wife and I went to see Hootie & The Blowfish and Barenaked Ladies at the fair Friday night and didn't get home until late. I was still wiped out at 5:30 and decided to sleep a little longer. Then we had to go pick up the girls from camp, by the time we got back, it was around 11 and temps were already in the 90s. I had to mow two yards. By Saturday afternoon, the heat index was about 100 and I wasn't going to mess with that. I thought about getting a run in Saturday evening, but just gave myself the night off.

Ultimately, judging by Sunday's run, nothing was lost. It was around 71-72 when I took off, overcast and breezy. It felt amazing. My body responded well to the rest and cooler temperatures and I got in a really nice half marathon.

Eleven weeks until Lakefront Marathon. I think the training and my performance is going to be dictated more by the weather over the next 2.5 months than anything else. Heat = slower paces, more walking. Cooler temps = better performance.

Miles This Week: 31.2
Year To Date: 688
 
It's not often that the rest of the county is hotter than Florida! I was amazed at some of the temps being reported on the news!
 
It's not often that the rest of the county is hotter than Florida! I was amazed at some of the temps being reported on the news!

It’s been super fun trying to unlock my phone at the end of a run when everything is covered in sweat!
 
Pretty low impact week after running 13 on Sunday. Here's what I was up to...

7/23 - 6.01 miles @ 8:33/mile
7/25 - 6.00 miles @ 8:59/mile
7/26 - 6.00 miles @ 9:08/mile
7/27 - 7.01 miles @ 8:54/mile

I'm stepping out the door in about 15 minutes for another 7-miler. Heat hasn't been too bad this week.

Miles This Week (not including today's run): 25
Year To Date: 713
 
Another week closer to Lakefront. Still hot and dry here. We need some rain.

7/30 - 7.01 miles @ 8:58/mile
7/31 - 6 miles @ 8:59/mile
8/2 - 6.01 miles @ 8:44/mile
8/3 - 10 miles @ 8:59/mile
8/4 - 12.01 miles @ 9:10/mile

Got five runs in this week. Mixed up some routes a bit with varying success. Definitely had to turn around a couple of times on Friday trying to find my way out of a subdivision I thought I had ran through before. Saw some deer.

Sunday's 12-mile run was much harder than my 13.1 two weeks ago. Got a slightly later start and the heat slowed me down a bit. I managed to avoid walking for all but maybe a 10th of a mile up a steep hill, but the run was a constant battle.

I'm looking forward to fall.

Miles This Week: 41
Year To Date: 761
 
Coming at you midweek with a couple of cool and exciting updates:

1. I signed up for Kickoff 2 Kinnick, a 5K on Sept. 21 that starts and ends at Kinnick Stadium.
2. I’m losing a toenail! Again. Seriously, out of six times I’ve trained for a marathon, I’ve lost this exact toenail five times. It’s super unpleasant. Anyone else deal with this?
 

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