I just wanted to say a big thank you to the Tweets and comments regarding my last post, it’s given Ben a lot to think about! The fact of the matter is, we’re going to Berlin come what may. Whether both of us or one of us runs the marathon is anyone’s guess at this point.
If all continues to go as well as it is for me then I will be running it. The only thing that will stop me running is if I go on a run and there is sharp pain. At no point have I actually felt any pain – it’s all discomfort and tightness, like a pulling on my shin. A few weeks ago I stopped a run because the discomfort was so bad. It wasn’t pain per se but it was just so uncomfortable to run on – does that make any sense?
Anyway, after seeing my physio last week and Kyle, my go-to sports massage therapist – both are confident I will run the marathon and have said that my shin is fine now. Just need to convince my over-working over-analysing brain…
Anyway, I thought I might update you on my ‘marathon training’ considering that I haven’t done that in a while and hey why not considering it’s less than two weeks away. Now that the injury has passed (TOUCH WOOD) I just have the simple worry of actually getting round the marathon. Like for Paris, I’ve set myself a realistic target (well, apart from just finishing!) My planned pace is very realistic (in theory) as it’s very much an easy pace for me.
So this is last week’s training:
Monday: 6 miles easy run
Tuesday: 40 minutes on the cross-trainer/elliptical machine (5 minute warm-up, 45 seconds hard, 1 minute easy repeated, 5 minutes cool down)
Tough!
– 2.5mins plank
– 4x 15/leg single leg squat
– 4.5mins crab walk
– 4x 26 Russian twists
– 200/leg clams with resistance band
Wednesday: One hour of yoga (loving this!)
Thursday: 3 miles easy run at lunch and 15 miles speedy (to me!) bike session
Friday: 30 minutes on the cross-trainer/elliptical machine. Didn’t have as much time as usual so tried to blast it.
– 2.5mins plank
– 15x 4 single leg squat
Post workout happy selfie
It was one of those workouts that I felt great about! I really enjoyed it and felt amazing afterwards.
Saturday: One BORING hour of pool running. It all started off great with my waterproof iPhone cover and my Bluetooth headphones listening to a podcast trying to ignore the small people splashing around on floats (I tried to limit my Death Stare a little). Then my headphones ran out of battery.
See the float in the background? I had so many of those things bump into me.
Honestly, nothing is more boring than pool running. I literally stared at the clock. I even did intervals just to pass the time quicker. I felt like this was a seriously successful workout not only in terms of fitness but psychologically – it really tested my mental endurance.
Sunday: The long run I’d been dreading… 11 miles. I was going to do 10 but then I realised two weeks before Paris marathon I did an 11 miler and superstition told me to do that extra mile if I felt good. And I did, so I did. No shin issues before or after…bit of tightness the day after but nothing hugely remarkable. Fitness-wise I feel good. Endurance-wise? Eh…no idea really. I didn’t feel like I was dead on my knees during or after this run, wasn’t tired in the day and the next day I had no muscles aches – it was like I hadn’t run. Good sign? But only 11 miles…! Apart from endurance my big concern is the effect of the pounding on the roads that running does…nothing but running proper can train your body for that.
What workouts did you enjoy last week?
Do you need music/entertainment to get you through some workouts?
Are you superstitious? I didn’t think I was until now!
It really is a shame it’s not legal to shoot certain children with a taser gun. I can think of a few that would be on my hitlist…
You have more discipline than I do when it comes to pool running – I never even tried it because I’m too self-conscious and it would drive me insane. I suppose I might be okay with headphones for some distraction. I never really need them except for long runs of 20+ miles, and marathons that I know are going to be busy (the music helps to stop me from freaking out about being stuck in a huge crowd).
I am really, really superstitious. I guess it’s because I’m an atheist so I don’t believe in anything except some twisted ‘fate’ being that will just mess with me if I neglect to perform certain rituals, particularly relating to running and races. Of course, fate likes to screw me over regardless, so I’m not sure why I bother these days.
So pleased that things are looking up for Berlin 😀
Jess recently posted…Bupa Great North Run 2014 ~ 1:41:02
Hahahaha yes taser gunning children. Should it be a sport? Is this going too far….? *evil laugh*
I did get a few looks and a woman asked me what I was doing but at this point I don’t care. Ben is similar to you in that he wouldn’t do it. He asks me how I have the courage to do it because it’s not exactly mainstream.
That’s interesting what you said about being an atheist. I am too and I guess relying on these superstitions is a way of control over the uncontrollable – at least psychologically. I don’t believe a god has any impact on my running, but I do think that not wearing a certain bracelet will be my ruin!! Odd…
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Weekend fun and Uzuma drinks
I’m practicing the reverse taper, and having 3 weeks pre race of upping my mileage 😛
Lauren (@poweredbypb) recently posted…Letting go (or not) of Berlin
Reverse taper is what ALL the cool kids are doing. Just confuse your body enough so it doesn’t know what the hell is going on!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Weekend fun and Uzuma drinks
Good old Martin Yelling inverse taper eh?
Pool running does sound very boring, like treadmill running- I would rather be outside looking a scenery. I do listen to poscasts but never music any more. Whereas I always used to listen to music whenever I ran. I have trained myself to run without as some races are very strict with no headphones, plus I want to enjoy the atmosphere at races so I quite like running with nothing in my ears too.
I am not superstitious at all, but I do get paranoid that I have forgotten things- eg before a run I will check a few times that I have the front door key.
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…Baldock 10K recap
Haha yes! Reverse taper all the way.
Yep scenery helps in a big way. Being in a gym or pool not going anywhere…not so much.
Yes I agree about the music thing. Some runs need to be done without anything to train yourself. I have a half marathon in November like that and the first 10 miles of the marathon will be music and podcastless. I’m hoping this will maximise the entertainment factor when I do put my headphones in.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Weekend fun and Uzuma drinks
Eek pool running sounds dull! And with irritating kids about too, I don’t think I could stand it for more than a few minutes!
Claire @ Flake and Cake recently posted…Eats and No Feats
It involved a lot of pushing floats out of my face. But these things must be done sadly! I have to do it as these times as I can’t very well take up part of a lane floating about getting in people’s way when they’re trying to do lane swimming.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Weekend fun and Uzuma drinks
I’m not sure I could do a whole hour of pool running. You are very dedicated! I must look into getting some waterproof headphones though. I need to swim because I know it’s good for me but it’s just so boring when I’m used to running all over the place and seeing different things on my run…not stuck between the same four walls of the swimming pool!
Mary recently posted…Five things Thursday
It’s the fear of the marathon that is motivating me!
Yep I agree completely – swimming is so dull.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Weekend fun and Uzuma drinks
I definitely need some kind of entertainment to get me through workouts where there isn’t an instructor talking to you, if it’s a fast workout like running etc then music or a podcast for something slower. So can’t wait to get back into workouts!
Music really helps get me going. It’s scientifically proven as well to reduce your perception of effort – I’ll take that!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Drowning iPhones, beetroot and chocolate fudge cake