100 mile week update

Matt and I just returned from Tucson. This morning Matt ran 21 miles, and I ran 24 on the marathon course. It was a great, solid, run. Our good friends Terri, Mark, and Mark ran as well. We all shared a hotel room last night and were on the road running at 6:30am. The weather got quite warm as the sun came up, but everyone finished really strong. A very fun trip! We laughed and laughed!

I am THISCLOSE to finishing my 100 mile week. I have 94 as of today. Tomorrow, I have 6 slow, recovery miles to take me to 100! This is what my week looked like:

Monday- 12 with hills am, 4 recovery pm
Tuesday- 13 miles easy am, 5 miles track practice with 3x1600 repeats pm
Wednesday- 8 miles recovery am, 4 miles recovery pm
Thursday- 12 miles general aerobic run am, 4 miles recovery pm
Friday- 8 miles easy am
Saturday- 24 miles @ 7:33 pace
Sunday- 6 recovery

Besides tired legs, I didn't find the 100 mile week to be as mentally and physically draining as I expected. I feel really, really, good about it. If I can do well on 24 miles during such a high-mileage week, I think I can do well at the marathon after a nice taper. This is the only 100 mile week in this training cycle I will do though. I don't want to burn out. I have a few more weeks of high 80's and 90 miles coming up.

I treated the run today like a dress rehearsal for the marathon (not as fast of course!) So all week long, I have been living off of chicken, rice, quinoa, yams, and oatmeal. I am off to get a slice of pizza! I have been dreaming about pizza for 3 days!

Pictures from today- ok, I look super gross, but I had put water on my head and it was so hot outside. How on earth does Terri look so cute after running for 3 hours? So not fair. :)

Running and Heart Health

In light of recent deaths in our sport, I wanted to post this article. I have been given some 'flack' per say about how running is dangerous.

Heart Health

Century week

So, as a challenge to myself, I am trying to run 100 miles in 7 days. I have been running 70-85 miles per week the last 6 weeks. I know that this one week won't make me a better runner, but I think it will really help me to do 2 things:
1. Learn to run on tired legs. (i.e. mile 20 at the marathon)
2. Strengthen my mental "toughness" for racing. I tend to lose it mentally and stop believing in myself when the going gets hard. The going will get hard this week and I want to try to overcome it.
This Saturday, I am running 24 miles with Matt, Terri, Mark, and Mark on the marathon course in Tucson. So, besides the high mileage, I am treating this week like marathon "dress rehearsal". Getting lots of rest, eating lots, and figuring out what works with my stomach to run my "pretend marathon" on Saturday.
I will keep posting this week with century week updates. You can check my daily progress at Daily Mile on the right. :)
Wish me luck!

"Ice" bath number one. (I am sure of many this week! ) After this mornings' 12 miles.

It's Official

Here we come BOSTON! Matt and I just got killer deals for airfare and hotel for the Boston Marathon 2010. We booked and it is official! We are so excited! Matt is going for his qualifying race at Tucson on 12/13 and I know he will do so awesome. He has gotten so fast!
Many of our friends are going again this year, which is ultimately why we decided to go again. Probably our last time for awhile... (hmm..until the trials.. :) )
YAY!!

A day off of work....

So left to my own devices, I signed myself up for the 2010 PF Changs Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon on 1.17. It is 5 weeks after Tucson (redemption race in case I do awful!) and 13 weeks before Boston. It is the hometown race, I just had to!
Then I will be done for awhile..until San Diego in June...... :)
Happy running!

At the races

Wow, what a weekend. My Dad ran his first 8k on Saturday in Milwaukee. Braving icey cold temps, he finished in 52:37. A PR pace for him! My mom also walked the mile at this race. I cannot believe how awesome they are doing. It is truly inspirational. I love the fact that we have become quite the running family, now we just have to get Lukas going...

My dad with his celebratory beer, ready to thaw out in the hot tub!
So, my sister has been training for a full marathon..all on her own in San Diego. Training for a marathon is hard enough, much less running dozens and dozens of miles alone. She had a tune-up race this weekend to check her progress. She ran the Long Beach Half Marathon in 1:48:xx!!! That is an 8:15 pace overall, and she ran negative splits. Which means, she started at about an 8:30 minute pace and finished at an 8 minute pace! That is really hard to do, and most people (including me) take years, and countless races to master that! She has made such progress since starting running a year ago. I am SO, SO PROUD of her.
Great job Mom, Dad, and Em! I love you!

Matt and my trainings are going awesome. I just finished an 84 mile week! I am really aiming to go under three hours for the marathon in December, but it is a very scary thought for me. Am I ready? Experienced enough? Mentally strong enough to push through the pain? I am filled with doubt about it, but I know that all I can do is focus on my training and do my best. If I am ready, it will happen, if not, that's ok too. I feel like my training has been going really well and I just feel so much more supported this time around through having our running friends as companions in all this craziness! I feel so inspired by them and that is a big motivator for me.
My 'A' goal for this marathon is to break 3 hours.(6:52 pace per mile average) My 'B' goal is to break 3:10,(7:15 pace per mile average) and my 'C' goal is to break 3:19. (7:25 pace per mile average). I know that anything can happen on race day. It could be cold and windy, I could have severe GI issues, I could be sick... who knows. All I can do is stay strong and do my best! :) So nerve-wracking!