Let the Stalking Begin

Yes, I have been stalking the weather since last Friday when the 10-day forecast came out. I have been stalking it daily and there has not been much change. It looks like it is going to be in the low 50's at the 6:00 a.m. start time and close to 70 degrees around my anticipated finish time. Not too bad even though I was hoping for mid 40's to 50 at the start.

This week has been nothing but nerves trying to mentally prepare for this race. I have been packing my race bag a little at a time so that I don't forget anything. I plan on running two short and easy paced runs this week and then it's showtime! Thank you to everyone who has sent me positive comments about my race. Those are the words that I will remember when I feel like giving up in those last 6.2 miles!

How do you mentally prepare yourself for a marathon? 

The physical work has been done but the mental aspect seems to be the toughest for me!

Marathon Training: Week 11 and It's Race Week!

Week 11 was a super low mileage week where I tried to keep my runs at a decent pace. The temperatures were still in the mid 80's so I am glad that it was an easy week. This week will be even easier with two really short and easy paced runs.

Week 11 consisted of the following:

Run 1: 7 Miles@8:44 on the TM

Run 2: 10 Miles @8:29

Run 3: 5 Miles@8:46

Total Miles: 22

 

Race week is finally here! For some reason I am more nervous than excited about this race than any other race that I have ever ran. Is it because I haven’t ran a marathon in over a year or simply because it’s a marathon? 26.2 Miles is no joke! I have a love/hate relationship with the marathon but I have to conquer this distance to continue my journey to get to Boston someday.

I have been recapping my training for the past eleven weeks to keep myself accountable and to track my progress.  I ran a total of 323 miles (which includes 9 miles I will run this week) in the past 11 weeks which included two 20 milers and one 22 miler. I opted for a 12-week training period at the last minute to avoid training through the summer for a winter marathon. I am hoping this shorter training cycle does not result in an upsetting race since I normally train for 16 weeks. I never follow any specific training plan since I have problems sticking to them due to my busy schedule. I usually look at a few different plans and create one that works for me. 

I felt pretty strong on my long runs but know that I still need lots of work to make them feel much easier. I had a lumbar strain in my lower back which forced me to miss a planned 20 miler in Week 3 but other than that I had no major setbacks. In Week 7, I ran the So. Cal Ragnar Relay so I rested up and kept the miles low since my body is not used to running 3 times in a 24-hour period. I didn't want to risk an injury so I lost some mileage in Week 7 as well but I think I played it safe.

 

So having said this, it is time for me to trust my training and start preparing myself mentally for this challenge. I haven’t figured out my race strategy quite yet. I tend not do this since it completely throws my race off if I get derailed and can’t meet the goal. The only numbers that are sticking in my head right now are 9:09, which is the average pace needed to run this marathon in under 4 hours (3:59:59)!

Three Things Thursday

1. My son failed his eye test at school so we took him to get his eyes checked and found out that he has really bad astigmatism in one eye. Apparently his right eye is doing all of the work so he has to wear glasses full time now. He is not very excited about it and today will be his first day wearing his glasses to school. I hope it goes well. If one person makes fun of him I know that he will refuse to wear his glasses. Kids can be cruel and he has ran into quite a few of them who are not so nice at times.

2. It is officially taper time and I am so nervous about my upcoming race. The ten day forecast will be available tomorrow and I am really concerned about the heat that we have been having here in So Cal. As of now it is looking like the temperatures are rising which may result in adjusting my goals for the race. Bummer! I do not run well in the heat...

3. On Father's Day I will be participating in the commencement ceremony for earning my Master's Degree. I actually finished all of my classes some time ago but since the ceremonies are held once a year, I had to wait all this time. I am not sure why they planned it on Father's Day but I am excited that my Dad will be coming and we will be able to spend the day together after the ceremonies. 

Mother's Day 2013

I had a great Mother's Day. I took the day off from running and spend the entire day with my family. We went to Lucille's BBQ for lunch and then we went to see The Great Gatsby. We enjoyed the movie but I think I am partial to the original movie. Robert Redford cannot be replaced as Jay Gatsby in my opinion.

My Grandma and my son.

My daughter and my son were very thoughtful and gave me some super nice gifts. They know me too well. They both wrote me some super nice cards that made me feel like I am doing my best to be a good mother to them. 

My daughter knows me too well!

Notes from my son...

Apparently I am a Super Mom these days!

How was your Mother's Day? Did you do anything special?

Marathon Training: Week 10 (Taper Time)

This week was a tough one because of the hot weather here in Southern California. When I say hot I am talking 90-104 degrees which can really mess with your running schedule. Not to mention that it was also Mother's Day this weekend so I had to juggle things around this week to squeeze my workouts in.

I did not have a bad week even though I missed one run. My long run is the most important run for my training. I know that I cannot miss it so this week was all about getting that last long run in.  

Here is a recap of Week 10:

Run #1: 5 Miles@9:02. I was actually sore from walking the half marathon last week so I decided that I was going to rest until the pain was completely gone in my rear end! It was not worth pushing myself and taking a chance at this point in my training. I am getting a little smarter in my old age!

Run #2: DID NOT HAPPEN! It was too hot outside and I was lacking energy. Do you want to hear anymore excuses?

Run #3:  22 Miles @8:40. The pace might look decent for 22 miles but it was actually not such a great idea. The temperature was predicted to be at 93 degrees and I was afraid of getting caught it in the heat. I pushed myself way too hard to hurry and finish but ended up being completely out of gas at the end. It was warm out there and if it had been race day, it would not have been pretty because I don't think I could have gone much further! I was glad that I got it done but not so happy with the way it was executed. My calves are a little sore but I have been icing them and foam rolling and that is helping.

Total Miles: 27 

Now it is time to taper! It is going to be another tough week since the temperatures are going to continue into the 90's and my gym is closed for renovation. There is another gym that is close to me but it is not a very nice facility so I am not too excited about going there. My longest run this week will be 10 miles and then it's race week! I am nervous as ever and I am still convincing myself that those last 6.2 miles are when the race really starts!