Twenty seems like such a milestone number … twenty weeks of IronMan Florida training; but in reality week twenty was a blur. It’s Sunday and I’m still not sure how I got here. All I know is that I ran more this week than ever in my life.
Though it was a week worth celebrating. I still have bricks, bike rides, and runs, but the crazy long training sessions are behind me. Last week was the bike, and this week was the run. I’m very glad that is over, and I only have three weeks to go!
My marathon “concerns” me though. I find running hard – both physically and mentally. Physically I feel slow, cumbersome, and heavy – I’m no gazelle. But mentally, holy cow, the run takes everything I have. You just can’t stop on the bike, you pedal and move forward. However the run is a different story; I stop and walk for no apparent good reason: because I can, because I give up. It infuriates me.
And then the mental arguments and negotiations begin making the run even more difficult; run to the next stop sign, walk to the next tree. The comittee that lives in my brain won’t shut up and 26.2 miles of this will drive my crazy.
I tried a different strategy this weekend as it included 28 miles of running solo. I stopped every mile and walked for a bit: sometimes thirty seconds, sometimes a minute. This is the equivalent of walking through the water stations at IronMan. Incredibly enough, the strategy worked because all I had to tell myself was “make it to the next mile and you get a break.” That distance is greater than the next tree but less than the finish line, and somehow that made the run between mile markers smoother. My hubby Joe ran his two marathons using the Galloway run/walk method but I had never really used it. I have to say though, I will be walking through the water stations at IronMan Florida; perhaps I will have to walk shorter intervals too but I now have 28-mile intervals under my belt and feel a tad better about facing the marathon.
So here is how the week went:
Monday: SWIM: OWS – If the ocean is calm and clear I am choosing to do an open water swim over a pool swim. I am getting used to just swimming for a long time so that the race swim doesn’t seem to drag on forever.
Tuesday: RUN: great tempo workout for about 5 miles. STRENGTH: Fitness Together with Brian core, core and some more core.
Wednesday: OWS – perfect water.
Thursday: STRENGTH – my hip hurt so I forwent the bike to be better prepared for Friday’s run. I did do strength training at Fitness Together – back and core.
Friday: RUN – The moment of truth wasn’t too awful; 18 miles by my lonesome.
Saturday: OWS – 1.36 miles and Dreamer’s birthday party – a marathon in and of itself.
Sunday: BIKE – 40 miles, RUN – 10 miles. Again on my own but weirdly enjoyed the time with my thoughts.
Twenty weeks down … three to go. How about you? How as your training week?
