The past 9 days have been one of the longest and hardest stretches of training I have ever done. The hardest? Maybe, I'm not sure. On paper it certainly is the hardest, but your expectations also change over the years so in relative terms, I am not sure. My peak week of training for Paris Marathon was one of the most challenging I ever had to navigate and execute on, as it landed the same week as a trade show I was attending in Barcelona. I fly to Europe on Saturday, ran 14 miles on Sunday then another 40 throughout the week, all while having to work long days at the trade show on my feet and attend dinners in the evening. Plus, it was my first marathon so first ever time doing that mileage!
So looking back on THIS week, yes, it was insanely difficult. So much so that when my coach and I originally sat down and mapped it out, I felt physically ill thinking about it and looking at it. However, I think I knew from the beginning I was going to get through it without skimping. Because I know I can at this point and I know that's just what I do.
That doesn't change that I am really proud though. And this week marks a little bit of a turning point for me.
Before this past week, before this past Saturday to be exact, I didn't actually believe I could run what I had set as my goal marathon pace. When asked about it, I would say, "Well this is what my coach thinks, but who knows? A goal is a goal for a reason, right!" I didn't realize until I talked with my coach on Monday night - but I had never really fully believed it.
However, on Saturday while I ran the ATL Relay as part of my training, I felt really really good being in the race environment. I ran 12.5 miles at my goal marathon pace, without even intending to, while telling myself to ease off, and feeling really good the whole time! The course was hilly and I was running with fatigue of having done 4 days in a row of running 7-9 miles each day (and some tough effort runs) before that. Granted, 12.5 miles is a lot less than 26 miles, but I felt good and didn't even realize the pace I was running. Afterwards, when I looked through my times and realized that if I had kept going at the same pace to hit 13.1 miles, it would have been a MASSIVE personal best half marathon time for me, I was SHOCKED. I felt like I had done the math wrong. I couldn't believe it.
And for the first time, in that exact moment, it was like a wave washed over me and I felt like "Holy crap. I might actually be able to do this!"
It hit me at once and all of a sudden my mindset for this race was totally different. All of a sudden the excitement and the nerves and the adrenaline hit me. My mind started buzzing and I started thinking about Berlin in a different way, wanting to focus on making sure I had all the details right because now they feel like they could really make a difference.
What am I wearing for race day? How much nutrition do I need and how will I carry it? Music or no music? What should be on my playlist? What nutrition are they distributing on the course? What mile markers will they have it? Will they have mile markers? Should I track the race on kilometers or miles? Should I run with a pace team? Should I have my watch pace me? Should I start to practice that? Which sneakers should I wear? Should I get a new pair of sneakers? Do I have time to get a new pair of sneakers?
I am one month out and the race nerves I felt before Chicago Marathon are here. I mentioned before that I remembered not being able to sleep I was so nervous with my time goal in my mind before Chicago. I was thinking of it all the time. Well, I'm there now for Berlin. The emotions feel intensified for me because before this past week it felt like something so lofty to just aim for. Whereas now, I feel like it is within reach. It feels close. It is like a whole different race at this point.
This past week was big volume and intensity wise. Big big. I have gotten more and more self conscious of posting my numbers and stats here but in the last 9 days (from last Tuesday 8/22 to today, Wednesday 8/30) I ran 86.4 miles with one day off. I don't like to share the details anymore because I have suddenly had this feeling that people are watching and judging, which is a weird thought to have considering I blog about my life. However, I've come to not really enjoy people offering opinions about my training or what I am doing. And I don't like the judgments and questioning I can have if I think too much about what other people are doing. I trust my coach and I give him feedback on how I am feeling and we work together. We make a good team, so I try to just go with that and take his opinion and not others. With that has come greater privacy outside of him. Not secretive at all, but just private, and that's okay. Part of it might also be me not feeling totally comfortable with the changes in the way I train and unsure of what people will think who have known me and gotten close to me at earlier phases of my running evolution. I am still adjusting to where I am as a running and accepting myself how much I put into this.
I started this blog by appealing to other people like me, who were just trying to get off the couch and talking my way through my insecurities and attempts to run my first half marathons and marathons. Not doing anything fancy or fast or taking it too seriously, but just having fun and pushing yourself to do things you never thought possible. I don't know how my friends and my audience will relate to what I am doing now. Sometimes I don't know how to relate myself. But this is still me, still doing things I never thought possible. This past week? Never imagined I could have done this. Which is why, I want to post it, for future Katelyn to come back and see and remember and be proud of. So let me share a little of my hardest week and turning point week. I am so looking forward to the next few lighter days :)
Tuesday 8/22 was track workout that totaled 7 miles and included 200 lunges.
Wednesday 8/23 was an 8 mile run with 5 miles at marathon/tempo pace. I ran on the Beltline with a friend and it was the first time that I did all 5 miles under my goal marathon pace. I immediately got home and jumped into the pool at my apartment complex to cool off.
Thursday 8/24 (my birthday!) ended up at about 8.5 miles and included mile repeats that got progressively faster by 10 seconds each. After my warmup I did miles at 8:20, 8:10, 8:00, 7:50, 7:40, and 7:30 with each mile repeat ending with a series of 31 exercises (situps, lunges, pushups, etc.) The last mile ended with 31 burpees and I don't think I have ever been closer to wanting to puke after a workout! But I nailed each of those miles and was so happy with that.
Friday 8/25 was another 8 miles. This time easy, and was joined by good friends and good conversation.
Saturday was the ATL Relay - a 20K relay I did with some friends, but I had volunteered for the first leg of the 5K which I ran hard, and then settled into an easy pace to just finish out the rest of the 15K as a long run. I ran from my apartment to the race, about 2.5 miles, for a total of the day of about 15 miles.
Sunday I had 2:30 hours of easy running, that was a major struggle run. I finished about 14.5 miles on the Silver Comet that included a stop at a gas station to pick up some petroleum jelly to deal with a major chafing issue.
Monday was a much needed rest day. Followed by Tuesday morning return to track workout where I did a little over 7 miles in total. And in the evening I had the first running double I think I have done in years. At the Cochran Shoals trail I ran for an hour, finishing a little over 6 miles for a daily total of 13.7 miles.
This morning, I had another major struggle run with a pre-work easy 2:00 hour run that finished at about 12.5 miles. I felt like I was barely moving at the end but pushed through knowing that I've got some recovery time built ahead. I worked from home today and took my first call of the day from my balcony, stretching and eating breakfast.
And there you have it. My hardest week (so far) and a turning point week in terms of mindset. I am going to do a full recap of the ATL Relay shortly because it was such a fun day and fun race. So stay tuned. In the meantime, happy running everyone. Here goes nothing!
So looking back on THIS week, yes, it was insanely difficult. So much so that when my coach and I originally sat down and mapped it out, I felt physically ill thinking about it and looking at it. However, I think I knew from the beginning I was going to get through it without skimping. Because I know I can at this point and I know that's just what I do.
That doesn't change that I am really proud though. And this week marks a little bit of a turning point for me.
Before this past week, before this past Saturday to be exact, I didn't actually believe I could run what I had set as my goal marathon pace. When asked about it, I would say, "Well this is what my coach thinks, but who knows? A goal is a goal for a reason, right!" I didn't realize until I talked with my coach on Monday night - but I had never really fully believed it.
However, on Saturday while I ran the ATL Relay as part of my training, I felt really really good being in the race environment. I ran 12.5 miles at my goal marathon pace, without even intending to, while telling myself to ease off, and feeling really good the whole time! The course was hilly and I was running with fatigue of having done 4 days in a row of running 7-9 miles each day (and some tough effort runs) before that. Granted, 12.5 miles is a lot less than 26 miles, but I felt good and didn't even realize the pace I was running. Afterwards, when I looked through my times and realized that if I had kept going at the same pace to hit 13.1 miles, it would have been a MASSIVE personal best half marathon time for me, I was SHOCKED. I felt like I had done the math wrong. I couldn't believe it.
And for the first time, in that exact moment, it was like a wave washed over me and I felt like "Holy crap. I might actually be able to do this!"
It hit me at once and all of a sudden my mindset for this race was totally different. All of a sudden the excitement and the nerves and the adrenaline hit me. My mind started buzzing and I started thinking about Berlin in a different way, wanting to focus on making sure I had all the details right because now they feel like they could really make a difference.
What am I wearing for race day? How much nutrition do I need and how will I carry it? Music or no music? What should be on my playlist? What nutrition are they distributing on the course? What mile markers will they have it? Will they have mile markers? Should I track the race on kilometers or miles? Should I run with a pace team? Should I have my watch pace me? Should I start to practice that? Which sneakers should I wear? Should I get a new pair of sneakers? Do I have time to get a new pair of sneakers?
I am one month out and the race nerves I felt before Chicago Marathon are here. I mentioned before that I remembered not being able to sleep I was so nervous with my time goal in my mind before Chicago. I was thinking of it all the time. Well, I'm there now for Berlin. The emotions feel intensified for me because before this past week it felt like something so lofty to just aim for. Whereas now, I feel like it is within reach. It feels close. It is like a whole different race at this point.
This past week was big volume and intensity wise. Big big. I have gotten more and more self conscious of posting my numbers and stats here but in the last 9 days (from last Tuesday 8/22 to today, Wednesday 8/30) I ran 86.4 miles with one day off. I don't like to share the details anymore because I have suddenly had this feeling that people are watching and judging, which is a weird thought to have considering I blog about my life. However, I've come to not really enjoy people offering opinions about my training or what I am doing. And I don't like the judgments and questioning I can have if I think too much about what other people are doing. I trust my coach and I give him feedback on how I am feeling and we work together. We make a good team, so I try to just go with that and take his opinion and not others. With that has come greater privacy outside of him. Not secretive at all, but just private, and that's okay. Part of it might also be me not feeling totally comfortable with the changes in the way I train and unsure of what people will think who have known me and gotten close to me at earlier phases of my running evolution. I am still adjusting to where I am as a running and accepting myself how much I put into this.
I started this blog by appealing to other people like me, who were just trying to get off the couch and talking my way through my insecurities and attempts to run my first half marathons and marathons. Not doing anything fancy or fast or taking it too seriously, but just having fun and pushing yourself to do things you never thought possible. I don't know how my friends and my audience will relate to what I am doing now. Sometimes I don't know how to relate myself. But this is still me, still doing things I never thought possible. This past week? Never imagined I could have done this. Which is why, I want to post it, for future Katelyn to come back and see and remember and be proud of. So let me share a little of my hardest week and turning point week. I am so looking forward to the next few lighter days :)
Tuesday 8/22 was track workout that totaled 7 miles and included 200 lunges.
Wednesday 8/23 was an 8 mile run with 5 miles at marathon/tempo pace. I ran on the Beltline with a friend and it was the first time that I did all 5 miles under my goal marathon pace. I immediately got home and jumped into the pool at my apartment complex to cool off.
Thursday 8/24 (my birthday!) ended up at about 8.5 miles and included mile repeats that got progressively faster by 10 seconds each. After my warmup I did miles at 8:20, 8:10, 8:00, 7:50, 7:40, and 7:30 with each mile repeat ending with a series of 31 exercises (situps, lunges, pushups, etc.) The last mile ended with 31 burpees and I don't think I have ever been closer to wanting to puke after a workout! But I nailed each of those miles and was so happy with that.
Friday 8/25 was another 8 miles. This time easy, and was joined by good friends and good conversation.
Saturday was the ATL Relay - a 20K relay I did with some friends, but I had volunteered for the first leg of the 5K which I ran hard, and then settled into an easy pace to just finish out the rest of the 15K as a long run. I ran from my apartment to the race, about 2.5 miles, for a total of the day of about 15 miles.
Sunday I had 2:30 hours of easy running, that was a major struggle run. I finished about 14.5 miles on the Silver Comet that included a stop at a gas station to pick up some petroleum jelly to deal with a major chafing issue.
Monday was a much needed rest day. Followed by Tuesday morning return to track workout where I did a little over 7 miles in total. And in the evening I had the first running double I think I have done in years. At the Cochran Shoals trail I ran for an hour, finishing a little over 6 miles for a daily total of 13.7 miles.
This morning, I had another major struggle run with a pre-work easy 2:00 hour run that finished at about 12.5 miles. I felt like I was barely moving at the end but pushed through knowing that I've got some recovery time built ahead. I worked from home today and took my first call of the day from my balcony, stretching and eating breakfast.
And there you have it. My hardest week (so far) and a turning point week in terms of mindset. I am going to do a full recap of the ATL Relay shortly because it was such a fun day and fun race. So stay tuned. In the meantime, happy running everyone. Here goes nothing!
HOLY WOW. 200 lunges alone .. woof. Also the thought that you just casually go on a 2-hour run before work makes me feel like the biggest slacker in the world. Note to self: You CAN get up earlier. LOVE YOU - KEEP KILLING IT.
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