26.2 Again (Part 1 – Week 8)

I’ve picked up a really bad habit lately. I find myself sneaking a peek one week ahead so I have an idea at what’s to come the following week! Boy is that ever a BAD idea! It causes me to start doubting what’s required before I even begin the current weeks work! What I do like about it though is that I’m learning when I put the plan into practice, it’s revealing how strong I am becoming! I think that’s what I love so much about running with a specific plan. I’m starting to believe in myself and the training, as I witness the improvements within the runs with each new week.

In all of my training within the past 2 years, I went with plans that catered to 3 days of training and just getting in the miles. There were no real “tempos” or “intervals,” just junk mileage….and of course, the wonderful SLOW long run!!

Personally, I enjoyed all of my previous plans but now that I’ve decided to dive in and tackle a second Marathon….I want to crush it not just be a finisher. I want to be able to cross the finish line knowing that I gave it my all in training and that I left all that I gained from it out on the last 26.2 of the journey in October! I don’t want to “just finish,” I want to grow as a runner and as a person!

Monday’s mileage was easy (thank goodness)! I just came off of a fabulous 10 Mile Long Run from Sunday and my body made it no secret that it was tired! I had 6 Miles for the day and decided to join a few running buddies for a trail run at one of our local parks. I’m not sure if this was the best idea and I questioned this location of choice often throughout the run. I mentally prepared myself by allowing an extra minute to my already easy pace as I know trails are tougher than pavement. When I felt my breathing was to hard, I would allow myself the opportunity to walk and reset. I knew….Tuesday was coming, and that meant my easy days would come to a halt!

I enjoyed the views out on the trail while the air gave you a good sense that Fall is well on its way! It was perfect! I’m really looking forward to cooler temperatures! The run felt harder than I was expecting and left me a little nervous about what to expect on Tuesday!

Tuesday arrived and it put me back at the local gym. I had 8 Miles ahead of me and 5 of them were intervals (5×1200 with 400 recovery) at a 5K/10K Race Pace. As soon as I started up the treadmill, I began to question if running the trails yesterday was smart! I was pleasantly surprised when my body didn’t seem to respond negatively to the previous trail run! I felt strong and hit the intervals on point!       

Today called for a much-needed rest day and I am thankful for that! Tomorrow I’ll wake up to “HATE DAY” aka “Tempo Run!” My plan is to take it outside unless of course it rains! I want to see if I’m able to push myself at tempo pace without the use of a machine. I’m also hoping this will help me get past the boredom I feel while “treading” away the miles!