Sometimes marathon training is a bit like a roller coaster.  There are definite high’s and lows.  I’ll admit, I’ve been on a bit of a high with my training the past few weeks but my long run on Friday once again reminded me that 20+ miles is a long way and I cannot take my training legs for granted.

I’ve never considered myself a high mileage runner but after doing a lot of reading on how to improve as a distance runner one of the obvious facts I’ve learned over the past year is that I need to be putting in more miles.  Every runner is different and obviously it depends on your goals, etc.  I spent most of my 20’s averaging 15-20 miles per week while I was just trying to maintain fitness between pregnancies.  When I started marathon training I was able to break 3:20 last January with an average of 35-50 miles per week.  It’s taken me about a year and a half of training to built up my mileage to where it is now (60-80). 

For some reason everything caught up with me around mile 14 of my long run.  I had planned a hilly route because I knew I needed it.  I have done quite a few treadmill runs this training cycle because of the weather and I know it is just not the same.  Anyway, after climbing the two biggest hills of the route my left knee felt a little off.  Not terrible but it reminded me of how my knees often feel after a marathon- especially a marathon with a lot of hills.  I had to decide whether to keep running (my schedule called for 21 miles) or to stop.  I decided to keep going.  I only have two 20+ mile runs in this training schedule and if I plan to run in the Little Rock Marathon on March 3, then I needed to get this first 20+ miler in the books.  The knee pain was not sharp or throbbing.  So I finished.  Then I did my stretches and took an ice bath.

I knew I needed to take at least two days off running.  Yesterday my knee still felt sore but today feels normal.  In fact, my calves are the only thing sore but I’m still not going to go for a run today.  I’d rather be safe than sorry!  I know I’ve asked a lot of my body the past several weeks and it needs a break.  I added up my mileage going into the 21 miler and I realized I had come off of 69 miles in the previous 7 days (including a PR half marathon).  Then throw in a hilly 21 miler and you have 90 miles.  In 8 days.  This is a lot for me! The next two weeks will definitely be lighter around here.  I have my 15K on Saturday and then my one and only spring half marathon is two weeks from yesterday. 

Little Rock Marathon Training- Week 6 of 12:

Sun. 1/20- 5 easy miles @ 8:17 pace outside before a.m. church.  COLD!!  My legs were still pretty sore from Friday’s trial half marathon.  I wore my new training shoes- Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12. (Love them! Light enough but still supportive- perfect for everyday training shoes.)  I wear my Brooks Cadence on speed/ tempo days.

love me some compression socks!

Mon. 1/21- 12 miles @ 7:59 pace on TM.  I was NOT in the mood to run but with it being a holiday J was home and I needed to take advantage of the extra running time I had so I made this a medium long run.  My girls wanted me to stay home so it was definitely a mommy-guilt kind of run.  I brought home donuts which was a treat and later in the day I ran one mile with Anthony around the neighborhood.  He is still plugging away with the 100 mile club.

Tue. 1/22- Off.  (After 9 days of straight running my body really needed a complete rest day.)

Wed. 1/23– 10 miles on treadmill with 7 mi tempo at 6:25 pace. This was not an easy workout but I pushed myself through it by telling myself several times that this is my only speed work this week so I needed to complete it and meet my goal.  My goal was to keep it sub 6:30 (15K pace). Later that evening one of my friends who happens to be my neighbor called me with a training question.  Long story short, I ended up helping pace her that night so I got in 6.5 more miles @ 8:45 pace.

Thur. 1/24– 5.5 easy miles on TM @ 8:04 pace.

Fri. 1/25- 21 miles @ 7:39 pace outside (hilly route).

Sat. 1/26– Off.  (SORE from the 21 miler!)

Total: 61 miles (5 days running/ 2 days off)

So there is the long (and boring!) training section of this post.  Basically, I’m just trying to stay relatively injury-free while putting in the necessary miles and workouts.  I think we’re all in that boat during marathon training.

On Friday afternoon I did something cool with the kids.  A friend of mine told me about a pond nearby that is the winter home to a large group of trumpeter swans.  Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl species in North America. Normally, they like to hang out in Minnesota, Alaska, and other cool places.  In the winter, this group comes to Arkansas. On Friday there were about 130 at the lake. 

the kids feeding the swans with my friend Pam

At the last second Ashton leans in to kiss me on the cheek out of the blue. So sweet and unexpected!!

It was a fun afternoon outing.  We left just around sunset and it was gorgeous out there.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the day to day “mom” stuff that I think I’m too busy for these kind of things.  This was a very last minute outing which didn’t cost a cent.  The kids loved seeing the swans and last night we actually started reading “Trumpet of the Swans” (remember reading that in elementary school?!) to them since it was fresh in their minds.

Just thought I’d share a little of our afternoon in Arkansas with you.  What are some cool things around your area of the country?