Eugene Marathon/ 50 Miler Training RUNdown Week 3 1/7-1/13

Humpday! How’s your week going so far?!? I can’t believe I’m FOUR WEEKS into training for Eugene/ my 50 miler! I’m honestly loving the blend of the two training plans. I’ve got some speed in there, but also some longer runs where pace doesn’t matter so much. I’m continuing to build up my elevation profile slowly so as to not get injured and trying to fit in some cross training at least once a week. Last week was a bit warmer, so I was able to get in most of my runs outside, but this week we’re back down into the negatives in the mornings so I anticipate most of my runs will be on the treadmill and that’s OK. Treadmill runs are still helpful and in the winter, they’re pretty necessary for me to get in any sort of speedwork (most of our roads are still icy that I need to wear my stabil-icers, which I just do not trust when increasing my speed). I always err on the side of caution in the winter rather than slip on ice because I want to be running into my 90s!

Monday, 1/7: 5.12 miles easy 11:24 pace with 678’ up. 1/2 mile swim at lunch! Had to run through ~3 inches of snow since they hadn’t plowed yet. Definitely a great cross-training for my ultra! Slowed down my pace since I felt really tired this morning and worked on my breathing. If it started to feel hard, then I slowed down. I’m all about listening to my body now especially with a speedwork session on tap the next day.

Tuesday, 1/8: 8 miles! 1.5 mi warm-up, 8 x 600 (7:21 pace worked down to last one at 6:58 pace), 1.5 mi cool-cown & strength. Fit this in on the treadmill. Had to hope around on a few treadmills to get it done, but felt in control and nothing too challenging.

Wednesday, 1/9: Rest day! Fit in some yoga to stretch it all out.

Thursday, 1/10: 8 miles easy & strength. Had to piece this run together throughout the day (due to it being something like 3* outside in the morning and too cold for anything beyond a mile) then a few miles before teaching skating and then a few miles after teaching skating. Sometimes you just gotta make it work with what you have!

Friday, 1/11: 13.05 miles at a steady-state pace 9:24 603’ up! Planned to get in anywhere between 12-14 miles and felt really good with this one. All finished before 7:30am too!

Saturday, 1/12: skied all day! Legs were exhausted, but got in 4.25 very easy miles at 11:03 pace on the treadmill & strength training.

Sunday, 1/13: 9 miles- 1.5 mi warm-up/ 6 miles @ goal marathon effort (8:15 actual)/ 1.5 mi cool-down & lotsa stretching/ soaked in the hot springs post-run

Total Mileage: 47.42 miles

Total Elevation Gain: 1, 359’ up

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Where are you able to run most of the time in the winter?

Do you have an indoor track that you can do your speedwork?! —> If so, I’m JEALOUS!

What are you currently training for?! How’s it going??

I Can't Wait For This, A New Tradition, & Effort vs Pace?

Happy Friday-eve! While I anticipated that this week was going to move at snail-speed, I honestly cannot believe that tomorrow is Friday. I can’t wait for the weekend- we’re planning to go ski at a new-to-me mountain here in Colorado! Yay! I love a good adventure. I’m also equally excited for Spring- it’s felt warm(er) here (aka it’s getting to the low 30’s during the day here) and I can’t wait to get out on some trails to explore again! Spring races cannot come soon enough. Plus, I also can’t wait to not take an extra 15 minutes putting on all layers, shoe cleats, mittens, hats, hand-warmers. Going out for an early morning winter run takes so much work. Honestly that’s why I also really love the treadmill in the winter- ha. It’s so freeing to just run with shorts and a t-shirt.

I have incorporated a new habit before my harder weekday runs- getting up a bit earlier to enjoy some coffee while watching the news and cuddling under my heated blanket. It really is so fantastic and honestly worth it to get up a bit earlier. Anyone else do this or am I just crazy getting up at 4am rather than 4:30 just to snuggle downstairs instead of in my bed?

I also hit all of my paces on my speedwork on Tuesday and have a 6-mile goal marathon pace effort run this morning with a 1.5 mile warm-up and 1.5 mile cool-down. I’ve switched my mentality from having it be a “pace-specific” run to an “effort-specific” run because maybe it’s icy outside or maybe there’s a few hills or maybe I’m just a bit off today, BUT if I’m still getting to the effort (aka what marathon pace should feel like with my body) then I consider it a success. It’s all about working on that mindset for me this training cycle. Plus I’m reading this book (finally got it after being on the library waitlist for over 7 weeks!) and loving how she describes building her confidence.

Alex and I had a lunch date yesterday at Winona’s (they literally have the BEST buffalo chicken salad in town) and it was amazing. We used to do this all the time when we first started dating, but since living together it hasn’t been as often. I’m so glad we got to enjoy their salads again.

Also Stella had a very healthy lunch yesterday as well.

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Marathon Pace vs marathon effort- what do you think?

Best lunch spot where you live?

What’s the last book you read?

Eugene Marathon Training Week 2 RUNdown 12/31-1/6!

Back to above 40 miles per week! Also last week was SO COLD. Multiple negative temperature mornings, which meant getting a bit creative with when I could fit my runs in. I did my best to run outside when I can, but I generally do not run outside when it’s below 5* (give or take). I also have determined that it takes FOREVER to get all those layers/ stabil icers on my sneakers/ hats/ mittens/ hand warmers on, so sometimes sheer laziness wins out and I hit the treadmill. What can I say- somedays it’s just pretty nice to wear just a sports bra, shorts, and binge watch some Gilmore Girls. I’m human.

just too cold to really be doing anything besides cuddling with the cats and heated blanket.

Also got a belated Christmas gift from my mom- looove these lush bath bombs. I’m trying not to use them all at once (also trying not to take a bath every single night to save on our water bill, but it’s HARD because cold temperatures + soothing warm water + great smelling bath soaps = baths are so necessary).

It’s finally starting to quiet down a bit at work (so needed), but I also found that taking a runch break last week really helped de-stress me. Most days I’m unable to take a lunch break (due to teaching skating lessons in the afternoons), but when I can get out it feels pretty amazing. Let’s recap last week shall we?

Monday, 12/31: planned 6 miles easy, but wanted to get in a good ‘end of the year mileage number’ so I ended up with 6.81 miles at 10:45 pace on the treadmill because I just re-did my treadmill run and wanted to take advantage of it!

Tuesday, 1/1: planned 1.5 mi warm-up, 12 x 400m, 1.5 mi cool down, but actually did my strength and then called it a rest day. I was feeling really exhausted and had the complete day off of work so just decided to take advantage of it and listen to my body. It was amazing and so glad I did that. Not every run needs to be perfect and sometimes listening to your body will do wonders.

Wednesday, 1/2: planned rest day, but since I took my rest day on Tuesday I ended up doing 1/2 mi warm-up, 5 miles at goal marathon pace effort (because it was 5* outside at 2pm) 8:38 pace, 1/2 mi cool-down. Avg pace was 8:54 78’ up & also fit in some yoga. Felt pretty good until close to the end of the run, where I got so cold I had to check to make sure my nose didn’t fall off. Don’t worry it was still there.

Thursday, 1/3: 1/2 mi warm up, 5 miles goal marathon pace, 1/2 mi cool down, but did that yesterday so I stuck with 8.06 miles easy at 10:13 548’ elevation gain over my lunch break! Also fit in my strength (started a new strength routine on Tuesday and will stick with it until March then do a whole new one to prevent becoming stagnant) that morning before work. Sunshine + hills + 20* weather felt incredible.

Friday, 1/4: 12-14 miles easy, but had my first back-to-back long runs on schedule so to the treadmill it was (considering how it was -5* outside and I could only fit it in early in the AM)! Goal was anywhere from 12-14 miles and ended up with 12.5 miles. I varied the incline from 1% for the first 60 minutes then rotated through 1% -> 2% -> 3% rolling hills for the next 55 minutes. 9:40 avg pace. Also working on my nutrition! I tried out Huma Gels and LOVED them. I’ve got some Spring Energy gels coming too to test out. I also have found that sweet potatoes right before a run makes me feel AMAZING. I’m going to try out some sweet potato toast with almond butter before my runs this week and will let you know how it goes.

Saturday, 1/5: 4 miles easy- ended up with 4.10 miles easy at 10:31 453’ elevation gain. We went snowshoeing in the morning (great crosstraining) and my butt was SO sore from my incline treadmill the day before/ hiking in the morning.

Sunday, 1/6: 1.5 mi warm-up, 12 x 400 (400R), 1.5 mi cool-down & strength- 1.5 mi warm-up, did my strength, did 6 x 400 then called it because I felt my knee starting to feeling a bit not so great (and our treadmill isn’t the best for speedwork), .75 mi cool down. I came up short, but I’ll get it next week!

Total Mileage: 42.74 miles

Total Elevation gain: 1, 079’ up

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Favorite Bath bomb scents or bubble bath?! I’m obsessed.

Coldest temperature you’d head out for a run? Am I a big baby over here?

Favorite crosstraining activity?

Training Tuesday: Why Your Running FORM Is So Important

Monday: check. Tuesday: off to a new start! I’ve got another speedwork on tap this AM and then will do my first double workout Tuesday (will begin this new schedule with Tuesdays & Thursdays so I can get in both longer runs and strength! )- speedwork on the treadmill this morning then will get in my strength (& a mile or two run at home after work to flush everything out). Also very excited for my rest day tomorrow. Hoping it includes more of this view.

Also saw this answer to a Q & A on Instragram from Sally McRae (@yellowrunner on Instagram) and LOVED her response. Also totally boosted my confidence for my upcoming 50 miler in May!

SO I’ve been doing a bunch of reading of running-related books lately and they all seem to have a few common themes- one of which is running form! I’ve honestly never put too much emphasis on my running form- I have thought about driving my elbow back or running more on the front of my foot (as opposed to my heel), but overall it hasn’t played a huge part in my everyday running thoughts. BUT it is SO important. Why? Because it helps you save energy when running (really helpful for those long-distance runs), helps you get faster (you’re using less energy!), and helps prevent injuries (if you’re striking your heel or overusing certain muscle groups, you’re working them too hard and need to displace your weight more evenly).

One of the things that I’ve been focusing on lately is driving my knee up to the sky. I’ve never really thought about it so much unless I’m running over hurdles and things like that (i.e. on the trails so I don’t fall on my face from tree roots), but focusing on it has dramatically improved my overall paces. I’ve noticed that my butt and hamstrings are actually exhausted at the end of each run when I’m focusing on driving my knee from them (BUT they’ve already started to improve my running efficiency and they are getting less tired than they were a few weeks ago).

Here are few other great articles that help explain why running form is so important:

—> This one from Runner’s World talks all about the different focus points in your entire body to be thinking about. A lot to take in from one run to the next, but I think focusing on each area for a period of time before trying to add them all in together will really help!

—> This one from Active. Com wraps up a bunch of articles done by them regarding biomechanics, where the weight needs to fall on your foot when running, how to rethink your running form, etc. Great overall resources for specific questions that you may have regarding running form!

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What do you think of when you’re focusing on your running form?

Favorite way to spend a rest day from running?

Where do you primarily do your training runs?