Marathon Training

C

coolguy

Well-known member
http://www.usafmarathon.com/

Countdown = 103 DAYS

My wife and I signed up for our 1st full marathon race. The race is September 15th and is organized by the USAF at Wright-Patt.

Background:
Wife ran track & XC in MS, HS, and D3 college.
I ran track & XC in D3 college.
Since getting married in 2006, the longest run either of us has done is a 5K.
Prior to our training for this marathon, we were LUCKY to run 1x/week
 
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So back in February we started to get the legs moving again with some light running on the treadmill, then worked toward the track at the area H.S., and then eventually back to running on the roads as we did throughout college.


We are in the middle of a 26-week running program that is designed to prepare even the newest of all runners to run/walk/complete a marathon race.

CURRENTLY:
We are currently in Week #12.

Here's the schedule for this week......

Sunday 6/3 --- REST

Monday 6/4 --- 3 mile run

Tuesday 6/5 --- REST

Wednesday 6/6 --- 4 mile run

Thursday 6/7 --- 3 mile run

Friday 6/8 --- REST

Saturday 6/9 --- 6 mile run

Week's total ---- 16 miles.


So later tonight when we are both off work, we'll go for 3 miles but probably a different course since we are starting to wear out the same old streets we've been running on for 11 previous weeks.
 
Monday's run = 3 miles

Countdown = 102 DAYS


The new loop we did yesterday was great! Usually we find our midway point on a busy road, run to it, turn around, then run back to our starting point.

This loop kept us in our subdivision, off busy roads, and had more turns which made us feel like the course was shorter than what it was. For those who haven't discovered or utilize mapmyrun, you really should check it out. So many options which is going to make these training runs a little more enjoyable.

Weather was PERFECT for a run last night too.

Today we rest/stretch/hydrate.

Tomorrow is 4 miles.
 
Countdown = 101 days

Legs feel pretty good today after some stretching last night and a little here at work whenever I need to wake myself up.

I have our 4 mile route all mapped out for tonight. Both the wife and I work late today so we won't hit pavement until rougly 8:30pm which we both really like anyway (cooler, quieter outside).

We both feel like we could run forever as long as the legs hold up. Conditioning wise and as far as our lungs go, we feel very confortable during these runs and fell we could go 10+ miles if need be. But, it's one day at a time and we'll be in double-digit distance days before we know it.
 
Countdown = 100 days

Remember that time when I said my legs were feeling good? :laugh:

We got through the 4 miles but man were my calf muscles tight! I'm only assuming that there aren't a lot of people out there who could go on these runs and stay side-by-side with their wife.... and carry a conversation while running with their wife. :shrug:

I will say that there are times when she is talking to me on the run and all hearing in my head is, "blah blah blah I'm tired blah blah blah stop running this is stupid blah blah blah." It's funny though because when I start to talk during the run, I feel like the run goes much quicker and I don't feel much pain since my mind is occupied on talking (vs listening). So I guess what I'm learning is that my wife wants to hog the entire converstion so that the run goes quick & painless as well. So yet, another marital battle that will take place on the roadways; at least ours won't involve screaming and slamming car doors and burnouts like it does where we use to live on the west side ;)


Today, I got to be sure to stretch and hydrate all day so I can recover from yesterday as well as prepare for today's run which will be 3 miles.
 
Just finished our 3 mile run and I told my wife about this blog I'm doing here. She responded with the whole "you need a life" line which gave me a good laugh in mile #1.

Perfect weather but the sun was killing us as it was setting and our route we took allowed for it to blind us on a few hills. Legs feel "decent" and hopefully will feel better after some stretching. Just saw Ludwick hit a monster HR & I have no work tomorrow so tonight is starting off pretty good. :cool:


Tomorrow is a rest day with Saturday being a 6 mile day. I'll get some walking in tomorrow which will be great on the legs as I'm playing in a golf outing at Pebble Creek. However, the amount of beer that will surely be consumed probably isn't the best for one who is training but hey, one day won't hurt right? :shrug:

I probably won't post tomorrow so when I wake up tomorrow morning it will be 99 days until the marathon.
 
Countdown = 97 days

Yesterday was our distance day and we ran 6 miles. Even with starting the run at 8am, the sun was BRIGHT and of course, it was pretty dang hot outside. This was the longest distance we've ran since finishing the Flying Pig 10K (6.2 mi) and it had a few brutal parts on the route we ran.

Thankfully, we were hydrated and did a lot of stretching beforehand so we were able to avoid any cramping. Today, we rest, hydrate, and more stretching would be wise. Then again, we just bough furniture and a tv for the finished basement we completed, so I may be busy enjoying the reclining sofa and 60" Samsung. :D

Tomorrow is a 3 mile day.
 
Countdown = 96 days

Aaaannnnnndddd there's rain in the forecast today. Luckily we only have a 3 mile run today but it'll be the first time we run in the rain which probably won't be much of a big deal at all.

Woke up this morning and everything in the legs felt good with no cramps and no soreness which is great! Now that my session eneded with indoor soccer, my legs are recovering from runs much better versus dealing with double-head soccer games inbetween runs.

I'm not really sure just how many people have been reading this blog each day or maybe the views are people who open it and say "running is pointless" and then close out of the thread.




BUT, for those who are reading.... Just out of curiosity, what is the longest distance you've ever ran (non-race)? Send me a PM with your answer.

Thanks.
 
Countdown = 95 days

Yesterday we ran our 3 miles and it was great to see the rain stayed away long enough for us to get this done in the evening, but boy was it HUMID!

I told my wife on the run yesterday that this run is going to go great because it was ONLY 3 miles (no sarcasm). It's funny how the mind can play tricks on you when training because I was dreading the 3 mile run last week. I think part of the reason why I was so motivated yesterday is not only because I'm taking good care of my body (hydrated) but also because I will still focused on that 6 mile run we did over the weekend.

It's a REST day today with plenty of stretching & hydrating as I finish hooking up the surround sound that goes with the TV we just bought for the basement. Tomorrow is another 4 mile run and I can only hope that my mind is right for that run as it was for yesterday's.

:cool:
 
Countdown = 96 days

4 miles is what we got today. Weather looks to be PERFECT for running as the radio said that the high for today is 78 and by the time we run tonight it should be in the 60's.

Did some stretching yesterday and it's amazing how far I'm coming with some of it for my muscles have always been so tight that I've always had zero flexibility. That is beginning to change.

3 observations from yesterday while watching TV: Cueto has potential to be the best pitcher in NL, the NBA actually tricked me into watching it's product last night (10 minutes), and my wife is addicted to the show "Cold Case" which isn't that bad of a show I guess.
 
Countdown = 95 days

It's funny just how motivated you are to run when people piss you off, LOL. Yesterday we did 4 miles and for the 2nd consecutive run, it felt like nothing to me which is great and scary at the same time. Scary because I'm waiting to see how long this "easy" feeling lasts when running. I was sure to do plenty of stretching before and after and again I can't emphasize just how crazy it is that my muscles aren't tight like they have been for YEARS!

Yesterday was our last Wednesday with 4 miles. Starting next week and the following 2 weeks our Wednesday will include a 5 mile loop.

Today, we have 3 miles and then Saturday's distance day is 7 miles which it looks like we will complete out at Miami Whitewater's course.
 
Remaining of Week 13's schedule.....

Today (6/14) --- 3 miles

Friday (6/15) --- REST

Saturday (6/16) --- 7 miles

Week's total --- 17 miles
 
Week 14 schedule

Sunday (6/17) --- REST

Monday (6/18) --- 3 miles

Tuesday (6/19) --- REST

Wednesday (6/20) --- 5 miles

Thursday (6/21) --- 3 miles

Friday (6/22) --- REST

Saturday (6/23) --- 8 miles


Week's total --- 19 miles
 
Countdown = 94 days

Yesterday's 3 miles again was pretty easy to complete. Outside of the bright sun being brutal to run into while going uphill, everything was perfect for an early evening run. I probably should have been better hydrated after the run because I woke up this morning with a minor cramp in right calf muscle. A few gatorades by noon and a little strecth from the work desk should be good to rid the cramp.

Today is a "REST" day which will be a good recovery as tomorrow is a distance day. We'll be going to Miami Whitewater's course tomorrow to complete our 7 mile run. After Saturday, I will have ran my longest distance since the fall of 2005 when I was running cross country in college. The races in college were always between 5-6 miles long but we would run longer than that for practices of course.

If you asked me a year ago if I see myself ever running 7+ miles in a day, I would laugh at you.


Happy Friday everyone! :party:
 
Countdown = 91 days

Saturday we chose to stay in our own area instead of driving out to Miami Whitewater to run the 7 miles. One lap around our block (all sidewalks) is 0.9 miles so we did 8 laps to ensure we hit the 7 mile mark. Luckily, we had a lot of things going on during the day because even waiting until 9pm to start the 7 mile run, we still were running in quite the amount of humidity. So I can't even imagine what it would've been like when it was 90+ degrees in the afternoon.

The 7 mile run itself started off just fine, then started to SUCK about 3 laps in, but the backhalf wasn't bad at all. A lot of this is thanks to having someone to run with. I'm not so sure I could have done 8 laps of anything by myself and lack a partner to push me. It would be the same way for me if I were to buy a gym membership and go lifting alone; just not going to see the same results.

Overall, my legs feel good, and I need to pound the water all day at work because today is going to be muggy and warm for our run. Yesterday was our REST day and today we have 3 miles to get.

Happy Monday everyone!
 
Countdown = 90 days

Despite saying that we'll never do the block loop (0.9 mi) again, it was actually a lot better this time since it was only 3.5 laps to cover our 3 miles. I was telling my wife that I wouldn't mind sticking to this loop for any 3-4 mile runs (not many of those left), but anything 5+ miles needs to be on a road course.

Niether of us stretched as well as we normally do prior to this run so the legs were a bit shakey on the last half lap. One thing is for sure, I need some SLEEP tonight. A little knee pain (nothing our of the ordinary) kept me up last night so I'm wiped today which will only make work interesting. I should feel pretty good for the bed tonight too for I'll be up at the high school for wrestling lifting and open mats today after work. If I actually believed in the stuff and didn't care about my body then I'd probably kick back a 5-hour energy, LOL.... that stuff is for the WEAK though!


Today we REST........ tomorrow we run 4 miles.
 
Countdown = 89 days

Yesterday was great to rest the legs and get some much needed sleep last night as well. Today we have our longest Wednesday run to date with 5 miles. This is bumped up from the previous weeks of 4 miles. We will hold strong with a Wednesday 5 for the next 4 weeks.

I'm having a struggle deciding on what to do for the run today in terms of ensuring that it is done, we don't eat dinner too late, and the wife of course is happy.

First option is we run on our own today; I run after work at 4pm and she runs after she's home from work at 8:30pm. Doing this ensures that dinner is made for her upon her finishing the run.

Second option being we run together at 8:30pm and dinner isn't served until nearly 10pm. I can't prepare food prior to her coming home for I have lifting and open mats for the wrestlers today from 5:30pm - 7:30pm.

Of course I'll leave it up to her which most likely means, we'll be eating at 10pm tonight........... not cool.


happy hump day everyone.
 
Countdown = 88 days


Yesterday I made the decision to run solo to avoid eating dinner at 11pm.

Since I had lifiting and open mats up at Oak Hills H.S. yesterday, I did my first run on the westside. Here's your loop for those whom are familiar.......

Start at OHHS and take Ebenezer toward Bridgetown;
Turn right on Bridetown to Glenway
Turn right on Glenway
Turn right on Westbourne
Turn right on Werk
Go past Ebenezer
Turn right on Werkridge
Turn right on King Oak
Turn left on Ebenezer to finish back at OHHS.



For those not familiar, Werk road is just ridiculous because of the length of the hill that it is. It's not as steep as what I've been running on back home in Butler County, but it is a looooong uphill.

Despite it being 91 degrees when I ran (4pm), the run went pretty smooth and I did not have any cramping. I drank a ton of water at work yesterday in preparation and had peanut butter sandwich for lunch with got me the needed carbs and protein to get it done.

Today I'm feeling pretty good; Both calf muscles are a bit sore (from Werk Rd.) but the 3 miles today should be just fine. I think we'll be doing our block loop today which will be 3.5 laps.



happy Friday eve!
 
Countdown = 87 days

Today was an easy 3 mile run. Ran yesterday around 7:30pm and the weather really cooled off which is great. Today is a much needed REST day in preparation for an 8 mile run this weekend.

Normally this run is done on Saturday but due to a very hectic upcoming Saturday, we're pushing the 8 mile to Sunday. I think this will work out good because of the extra day of rest and Sunday morning will be cooler out than tomorrow morning.



Have a good weekend!
 
Countdown = 84 days

8 mile run was pretty ridiculous to say the least. My calf muscles were tight the entire run which caused me to stop twice during the run to stretch them out. I don't think it would've been this bad had it not been for the heat/humidity on Saturday. Even beginning the run at 8:00 am that morning, the heat was pretty tough to handle when running that long and on the hills we were on in Butler County.

However, we got through it and enjoyed the much needed REST day yesterday. Today, cooler temperatures and an easy 3 mile run to hit.


Happy Monday.
 
Countdown = 83 days

3 miles was a breeze last night. This week is the last week with any 3 mile runs. Starting next week we are bumped to 4 miles on Mondays and Thursdays.

I will enjoy the REST day today by cutting some grass and painting. Not much a rest though, lol. Tomorrow we got 5 miles to get.
 
Countdown = 80 days

Thanks to this miserable heat, I've had to resort to running on a treadmill indoors for me runs on Wednesday & Thursday. I didn't want to take any chances for I already don't drink as much water as I should to be running long; so the heat could've spelled disaster.

Note to self..... don't resort to treadmill for anything over 1 mile. It was killing me to not run out on the roads and instead look at the same flippin white wall as I try to stay motivated the entire way.

Today is a "rest" day as I play indoor soccer tonight. This one will be interesting as I use to play for the Red team but haven't in months due to coaching wrestling. With me being gone, Red team has developed a nasty rivalry (with a little bad blood) with a Yellow team. 2 weeks ago I was asked by a girl I know to play with her team this session. I said yes and I then find out she plays for the Yellow team. Needless to say, tonight should be fun in almost every possible way.
 
Countdown = 76 days

Haven't posted in a while... This heat/humidity is just plain stupid when it comes to running. I've been somewhat fortunate with my timing of the runs that last week or so. Thursday I purposely waited for it to start raining before I left to do a run and Saturday's 10 mile run included me beginning at 6:00 AM.

This week is no different with the temperatures so I need to be really careful on the timing of my runs and the hydration aspect as well. Yesterday was 4 miles and I resorted to using the treadmill for it was just too taxing on my body as I attempted to run outdoors in the afternoon. The 4 went quick (Thank God) and I felt much better than I have lately due to the cramping up I would easily experience from the other runs.

Today is a REST day and tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be running 5 miles.


Happy 4th!
 
Countdown = 74 days

Today will be a treadmill day to avoid 100+ heat outside. I didn't run this morning which leaves me with today around 4:00pm to actually run. We have lifting today for the wrestling team so I can get them going as I run on the treadmill up at Oak Hills. I can not stand running for any more than a mile or two on a treadmill so this is going to suck!

This Saturday will be an 11 mile run and I've been giving some thought as to which route to take. I live in Fairfield so my first thought was just running 5.5 mile either north or south on US-127; then turn and come home. My other option/thought was hitting up the Loveland bike trail since it will be mostly shaded but I will more than likely have a lot of bikers/walkers/runners to avoid and dodge on the run. That just spells out a LONGER run whereas on US-127 I can be done in a much quicker time so I can then enjoy the AC for the rest of the day.

Despite the choice on location, one this is for sure and that is the run starting NO LATER than 7:00am for this guy. Not just to avoid the heat, but with this being my longest run in training thus far, I want to treat it like I did last week; like a day at the office. If I wake up and sit around the house (even for just an hour), it's going to take a lot for me to get motivated to run in the heat.

I'm going to post my schedule for next week since I have not done that in a while.


Happy Friday Eve.
 
Week 17 schedule

Here's next week's (week 17) schedule....... Still can't believe I'll be on 17 of 26 this coming Monday! :eek:

MONDAY (7/9) -- 4 miles

TUESDAY (7/10) -- REST

WEDNESDAY (711) -- 6 miles

THURSDAY (7/12) -- 4 miles

FRIDAY (7/13) -- REST

SATURDAY (7/14) -- 12 miles

SUNDAY (7/15) -- REST


WEEK'S TOTAL ------ 26 miles
 
Countdown = 70 days

Thanks to last week's ridiculous heat & humidity, I needed to push back my 11 mile run from this past Saturday to TODAY!

I've had a few days of rest, so today I'll run the 11 miles, then REST on Tuesday & Wednesday, and pick up normal routine on Thursday. Today should be a great run with the much lower temperatures and the humidity being almost non-existent. I'm looking forward to not soaking through my shirt on mile 2.


Happy Monday.
 
Countdown = 68 days

The 11 miles was just plain ridiculous, LOL.

I ran south on US-127 through Fairfield, Mount Healthy, and North College Hill. The more south I went, the more interesting the run became. :laugh:

Went I got to my 5.5 mile marker and then turned around to head back to where I started, I felt really good! Then about a mile or so into the path on the way back, I felt my back tighten up a bit which is a new pain to me. I assume it's partly due to the indoor soccer that I played over the weekend (double-header) on Friday night.

Today is a modified REST day with tomorrow calling for 4 miles. This weekend on Saturday, I will be running the 12 miles with my older brother whom has completed 4 marathons in this lifetime (3 in the last 3 years). This will be a lot of fun for me because he is in very good shape, I've always looked up to him, and the last time we ran together was a 5 mile loop about 10 years ago that I smoked him in, HAHA. Obviously these are different times and different circumstances, so no one will be running this one like a race this time.

We will most likely do this run on the west side since it's a middle point to where we live. The run will be equally as ridiculous.... We will be starting at my parent's house which is a block away from the intersection of Harrison Ave. & Race Rd.; We will run from there, down Glenway, into Price Hill, veer off on Warsaw, and hit our halfway point (turn-around) at the intersection of Warsaw & Fairbanks. From there we head back to the parents house for a run measured at 12.08 miles........... DUMB! :help: :laugh: :dang:


I honestly believe that pending the outcome of this run, ie injury, energy, etc... I believe I can finish a marathon. I've read a lot of articles and upon finishing runs in the 12-15 mile range, pending how you feel, you should be ok with completeing a full marathon. But of course, refering back to my secondary goal, I would love to finish a marathon without having to stop to walk. Wish this guy luck Saturday and hope for perfect weather.


Happy hump day!
 
Countdown = 63 days

Had a change of venue for Saturday's run after hearing from so many people whom advised me to stay away from Price Hill. I wish I didn't listen to them! Instead we ran on the Loveland bike trail doing a simple 6 miles out, turn and 6 miles back. It was the hardest run to date simply because of the boring flat terrain with absolutely nothing interesting to look at. Setting aside the fact that it was a downpour for half the run, I don't have any plans whatsoever to run on those trails again.

I really wish I would've done my Glenway route because of the little stops to cross the street which allow for me to get a quick stretch in mid-run as well as all the different things to see during the run. Saturday we walked about 2 of the 12 miles thanks to a hip pointer that was driving me insane. A little more stretching at the end really helped but the pain during the run was too much.

Next post will be this week's schedule.



HAPPY MONDAY!
 
This week's schedule

Monday (7/16) - 4 miles

Tuesday(7/17) - REST

Wednesday (7/18) - 6 miles

Thursday (7/19) - 4 miles

Friday (7/20) - REST

Saturday (7/21) - 14 miles

Sunday (7/22) - REST
 
Countdown = 61 days

So I took a seat on Monday due to hip flexor still in a funk. Today calls for 6 miles and I've been stretching like crazy the last few days to work out the pain. Even if it takes me 2 hours (it won't), I will be sure to finish the 6 miles today as I can't afford to de-condition my body. I will look to complete this run today on the treadmill down at Oak Hills H.S. as the wrestling team lifts. This will be good for it will "force" me to complete 6 miles and I can control the speed to accomodate my hip pain.


If you notice, the last few posts plant the idea that it is just me running and not my wife. Well this is true, she is no longer running with me. After about a month, I will explain why this is.



Happy hump day!
 
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