marathon training

Chicago Week 8 and August Goals

August 4, 2019 by Michelle 26 Comments

Each month I like to set a couple of monthly goals to help me stay on track. So with July now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to share some goals for August.

But first, a quick run down on week 8 of Chicago training.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 8

Monday — Rest day with mini golf, bowling, and arcade games on the side as part of my youngest son’s birthday celebration.

Tuesday — 5-mile run and a much-needed massage!

Wednesday — 6 miles. With this run, I hit 107.65 miles for July!

Thursday — 5-miles.

Friday — Rest day.

Chicago Marathon training wk 8 and some August goals #WeeklyRunDown #MyChicagoMarathon #MarathonTraining #Runchat Click To Tweet

Saturday — 12 miles. I ran the first 6-miles as an out and back, which felt pretty good. But the next 6 miles were just plain u-g-l-y! It’s clear I still have work to do to figure out my pre-run and mid-run fueling because I felt like I had hit a wall by mile 9. The last 3 miles were just hard and I’m so grateful my husband had joined me for the final 6 miles.

Sunday — 4-mile recovery run. I was surprised at how fresh my legs felt, even on the hills.

Total miles for the week – 32
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 165.15

August Goals

Figure out my fueling and hydration strategy
10 minutes of daily core work
Develop a consistent recovery routine — the key word here is consistent!
Continue to focus on self-care — massage, acupuncture and getting enough sleep!

I am really happy with the way my training went in July. Hopefully, these goals will help me to stay on track in August as the mileage grows.

How was your week? Any goals for August?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, goals, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Week 7 – Just Running

July 28, 2019 by Michelle 36 Comments

Is it possible to feel on one hand like the days are flying by, but on the other hand feel like this past week was the longest week ever?!

Well, that pretty much sums up my past week. It was a stressful work week, but training kept chugging along. I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down. This is a great link-up for motivation and inspiration!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 7

Monday – Rest Day!

Tuesday – 5-mile run. It was raining hard when my alarm went off so I pushed my run to the afternoon and was rewarded with a break in the heatwave!

Wednesday – 5 miles with Coach Marc. I always enjoy catching up with Marc for a run – it gives us a chance to talk about how training is going and I can work on my chi running form cues. As always, we spotted a lot of wildlife during the run, but seeing this little guy (and his friends) crossing the road stopped us in our tracks!

Thursday – 6 more miles plus yoga.

Friday – Rest day and a trip to the acupuncturist.

Saturday – 10 miles. This was just a hard run from start to finish. You know those days where you’re just not feeling the run – yeah that was this day for me.

Sunday – 3 miles. My husband and son decided to join me for my recovery run this morning – but truth be told, my son left us in the dust fairly quickly. He opted to do 4, we stuck with 3.

Total miles for the week – 29
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 133.15

I stuck with my plan for short strength/pre-hab workouts this week along with core work. As the miles increase, I think this will prove to be the best way to fit in some strength training.

So that’s my weekly run down! How was your week?

Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Marathon Training Week 6

July 21, 2019 by Michelle 34 Comments

The theme for this week was heat, humidity, run, repeat. Week 6 of Chicago training is in the books! Here’s a recap of how it all played out.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 6

Monday — 4 miles plus plank series. A nice, uneventful early morning run.

Tuesday — Strength training. After missing my strength session last week, it felt great to get in a solid workout focusing on hips, glutes, and abs.

Wednesday — 5 miles, at tempo pace plus plank series. Just like last week, this mid-week run was the highlight of the week. I hit my target pace and felt strong despite the rising dew point.

Thursday — 4.25 miles plus plank series. Tired, just tired – it was a slog from beginning to end. Thankfully, I had a massage scheduled in the afternoon – so needed!

Friday — Rest day!

Saturday — 8 miles on scorched earth!

Post-run deep breath!

Sunday — 8 miles on the treadmill

Total miles for the week — 29.25

Total miles on the road to Chicago — 104.15 (My son had asked how many miles I’ve logged so far so I thought I’d start keeping track)

Running 5x’s in a week

I ran 5 days this week and survived! Week 6 of @Chimarathon training is done! #weeklyrundown #mychicagomarathon #marathontraining #runchat Click To Tweet

Last Sunday Coach Marc sent me an email saying that he wanted me to try running 5 days/week. I will admit that I was a little nervous when I saw the week’s plan, but I’ve said from the beginning that my goal with this training plan has been to 1) – trust the plan and 2) be willing to get out of my comfort zone.

All-in-all, running 5 days wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. My strategy was to just run the mile I was in and not worry too much about what was coming next.

The weather, of course, added to the challenge. Mother Nature seemed to up her game daily in the heat & humidity department and took things to a whole new level by the weekend. Overall, I feel like I managed Saturday’s run pretty well, but it was clear to me by how drained I felt Saturday night that I was just not up for a repeat performance. So, for as much as I am not a fan of treadmill running, it proved to be the lesser of two evils this morning.

Thankfully, this heatwave should break by Tuesday and logging miles should hopefully feel a little easier.

How are you holding up in this heat?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Summer running, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Marathon Training Week 5

July 14, 2019 by Michelle 23 Comments

Could someone please find a way to slow these days down a little?! While the summer heat is making running a challenge, I am by no means ready to wish away the season.

And, speaking of days flying by, it’s hard to believe that I’ve now finished 5 weeks of marathon training. Here’s how the week went down.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 5

Monday — 4-mile run.

Tuesday — Spent all day at a conference for work so this was a “rest” day.

Wednesday — 5.25-mile run. This run was the highlight of the week! There was a break in the humidity, and everything just seemed to click.

Thursday — 5-mile run. Oh, what a difference a day makes! The humidity came roaring back and this run was just a miserable slog.

Friday — Yoga.

Saturday — Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K (recap to come)

a total sweat fest, but so much fun!

Today was all about hanging at the beach!

Total miles for the week — 20.45

Week 5 of @chimarathon training is in the books! #runchat #mychicagomarathon #marathontraining #keepshowingup Click To Tweet

Despite the humidity, the miles rolled along. I knew it was going to be a challenge with my schedule to fit a strength workout in, so I switched things up and went with daily core work and that worked well. Coach Marc wants to try 5 days of running this week so I may stick with shorter strength workouts. I want to keep up the core work and key exercises focusing on my hips and glutes. I’ll be curious to see how I feel running for 5 days.

How was your week? How many days a week do you typically run?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Week 4: Who turned on the furnace?!

July 7, 2019 by Michelle 32 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

So summer weather showed up in full force this week. Heat and humidity were on a constant high. But, until I can figure out how to train for a fall race without running during the summer, there was no choice but to get out there. Here’s how Week 4 went down.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 4

Monday – Rest day.

Tuesday – 4-mile run. It was tempting to sleep through my alarm since my pup had decided to alert the whole house about something he’d spotted in our yard around 3 a.m., but it wasn’t too bad once I got out the door.

Wednesday – 5-mile run. Humidity levels hit 83% – just why?!

Thursday – Spent the morning getting plants into the garden, before enjoying the holiday with family.

Friday – Strength training. I have been slacking on strength training lately so it felt good to get this one in. I had planned to hit the gym but at the last moment decided to take my workout to my back deck instead before it got too hot.

Saturday – 7-mile run. This run was such a battle both mentally and physically – just so freaking hot! It was one of those runs where you knew before you even stepped out the door that it was going to be a rough one. I had wanted more miles but considered it a win to get the 7. I’m so glad my husband J joined me – we really kept each other going!

Sunday – 3-mile shakeout run. Mercifully, the humidity broke!

Total miles for the week – 19

While my total mileage was not as high as I would have liked, the weather forecast is looking a bit better for the week ahead so that should help. I am happy that I got some strength training in,

Testing New Gear

After runfessing that I need to figure out my hydration plan for Chicago, I did some research and ordered a new handheld – the Nathan SpeedDraw Plus Insulated Flask.

And, since I’ve struggled with carrying a handheld in the past, I also decided to order a new fuel belt to test – Nathan Peak Insulated Waist Pack. I got to run with them once each this past week and will keep using them on runs over the next couple of weeks to see if one emerges as the favorite.

How was your week? Do you run with a handheld, belt or vest?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

In case you missed it: Recapping the BAA 10K over coffee

Filed Under: marathon training, Nathan hydration belt, Summer running, Weekly Run Down

Week 3 & a Mid-Year Check-in

June 30, 2019 by Michelle 20 Comments

Is anyone else amazed by the fact that we are halfway through the year? Yep, 6 months down and 6 months to go. It feels like the perfect time to reflect on how I’m progressing with my fitness goals – and to adjust as necessary.

But first, a quick review of the week that was.

Chicago Marathon Training – Week 3

Monday – The training plan said 5 miles but coming off my 10K the day before, my legs voted that idea down in a hurry! So rest day it was.

Tuesday – The combination of humidity & tired legs made this 5-miler a fight from start to finish.

Wednesday – Yoga

Thursday – 5 miles of intervals with Coach Marc. Challenging but this run felt great and it was nice to see paces I haven’t seen in quite a while!

Friday – Rest

Saturday – Strength workout in the form of gardening. A few hours of weeding and transplanting in ridiculous humidity provided a good total body workout.

Sunday – 8-mile run. My husband J and I decided to meet up with my brother for a run. We decided to check out the course for our upcoming 10K and I added on a couple of extra miles on the end.

Total miles for the week – 18

Overall it was a good week and I’m especially happy with the way my first speedwork played out. I finished June with 74 miles.

Mid-Year Check-in

At the beginning of the year, I highlighted 4 goals:

Run a marathon
Stay off injured-reserve
Make sleep a priority
Mind what I’m eating

So far I feel like I’m on track. I’ve managed to avoid injury and I think I’m doing a pretty good job of being mindful of what I’m consuming. And…of course, marathon training is underway!

Sleep has been the biggest challenge for most of the year, but I’m starting to feel like I’m slowly turning a corner. I’ve made more of a commitment to skip late-night TV (sorry Daily Show!) and we recently retired our old mattress set for a glorious new one. Baby steps…but every little bit helps.

As I dive into the second half of the year and push for the marathon, the focus on staying injury-free via strength training, making good nutrition choices, and chasing those all-important ZZZs will continue to be important goals for me.

How did the first half of 2019 treat you? Are you on track with your goals?

I linking up Deborah and Kim for Weekly Run Down link-up.

And, with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, goals, marathon training, Tuesday Topics, Weekly Run Down

Summer Running Plans

June 18, 2019 by Michelle 28 Comments

Though it is clear Ma Nature has clearly not gotten the memo, summer officially kicks on Friday. While I’m usually first to ~~whine~~, er…um…express my lack of enthusiasm for summer running, I’m going to do my best to embrace the season. In fact, I’ve even got a couple of races on the calendar…I know, right?! Who am I?!

2019 Summer Running Plans

Marathon Training — Well no big surprise here! First and foremost I’ll be logging summer miles with one key goal in mind: making it to the starting line of the Chicago Marathon. When dealing with challenging situations, it always helps to remember your “why” – so when the heat and humidity become unbearable, there will be no bigger “why” for me than this one!

BAA 10K — On Sunday I’ll be lining up with my brother once again to take on the BAA 10K. This race features a nice out and back course through the heart of Boston. We ran this race together last year, but I was seriously hobbled so it was a grin-and-bear-it affair. I’m looking forward to enjoying the run this time around.

Narragansett Running Festival – Somehow I let my brother talk me into another race – this time the Narragansett Running Festival in mid-July. There are 5K, 10K, and half marathon options, plus a “Beat the Heat Challenge” which involves running a combo of either the 5K or 10K and the half marathon on back-to-back days. While I haven’t officially registered yet, I’ll more than likely join my brother for the 10K. I’m hoping we can turn it into a family affair as my oldest son and husband are also thinking of running. There will be music and beer, and it’s a 20-minute drive from my house…so really, what’s not to love?

An August race, too? — I’m toying with the idea of going for the trifecta and running a race in August as well. While there is, of course, no shortage of 5Ks, I am intrigued by a race called Triple Threat. The Triple Threat features a 1-mile, 5K, and half marathon, with the choice of running one race or all three, back-to-back-to-back for 17.2 glorious miles along the beautiful coast of Cape Ann. I’ll have to check in with Coach Marc and see where I am with my training plan, but it could be a more interesting way to get a long run in. Plus, race day happens to fall on my birthday – a fun (or insane) way to kick off another trip around the sun!

Any races on your summer calendar? Do you use races to break up marathon training?

I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

Filed Under: marathon training, race calendar, Summer running, Tuesday Topics

Chicago Marathon Training Week 1

June 17, 2019 by Michelle 14 Comments

Happy Monday!

Last week was just crazy – I was prepping for a major event at work which went off on Saturday. The days were long, but I’m happy to say that somehow I managed to get my runs done and the first week of marathon training is in the books!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 1

Monday – After running both Saturday and Sunday, I woke up Monday feeling very sluggish. I knew I had quite a full workday ahead so I made this a rest day.

Tuesday – Strength training (upper body)

Wednesday – 9-mile run. Given the work event I had coming up on the weekend, I decided to get my long run for the week done.

Thursday – Brief yoga session.

Friday – Spent most of the day at event set-up, but still managed to get a 6-mile run in. My legs were fried!

Saturday – Work event! I was on my feet all day playing race director. The event went really well!

Sunday – 5-mile run.

It was just me and a little wildlife on this run!

All-in-all a pretty good week! I was especially happy with the way Wednesday’s run went – while I won’t make a habit of it, I must admit it did feel nice to have the week’s long run done before the weekend.

For this coming week, I’ll be moving to up to 4 runs per week – this schedule should still give me enough time for at least one strength training day and hopefully, some time on my yoga mat.

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up – this is a great link-up for accountability and motivation so if you write a weekly training recap, be sure to join the fun!