This week's stats:
- 70 Miles
- 13.2M with 6 x mile via 602 (29s), 559 (44), 552 (58), 545 (71), 544 (87), 528
- 13M MLR
- 18M with 12M via 622, 611, 610, 614, 614, 610, 605, 600, 603, 604, 605, 608
- 0 days off
- 2 rock climbing sessions
With just under 2 weeks until the Chicago Marathon, I'm feeling confident and ready to go. With a speedy mile repeats workout on the track and then followed by a solid 12M marathon pace tempo, it's time to taper!
Tuesday's track workout with Jay and Jonah was super fun. We each settled into such a great groove, taking turns at leading on the inside of the track. With the rest starting at just 30 seconds, and adding an additional 15 seconds after each rep, it was pretty easy at the beginning but more challenging at the end as the pace got progressively faster. But, the challenge is what made this so much fun. All three of us really opened up on the last mile repeat and we were all really surprised at how fast we closed. It's always more enjoyable when all of us have a good workout.
I know that I am a broken record when I write this for the fourth time, but I am so happy that Jay is a part of my training group. Not only has he been key to some of my most important marathon workouts, but he has also connected us to the BURN running group, and that means more fast runners! I mean, just check out this group from Saturday's long run.
On Saturday, three groups joined forces to knock out a progression tempo at varying paces. In my group, Jay, Jonah and I ran 12 miles at 608 average with Robin and Leon, two fast runners from BURN. Howard ran with Ibet, Nicole and Emilee, all from West Valley Track Club, to complete an 18 mile progression. It's teamwork like this that will enable each and every one of us to break our PRs in our fall races. I felt really great during the tempo and especially strong in the final miles. I've noticed that it takes me a couple of miles to find a rhythm. As long as I stay patient and trust that I'll settle in, I end up running great. On Saturday, I felt like my pace was fluctuating, but then I let my mind relax and I finished strong in the end.
With Peter's aid on the bike, I was able to try a new energy drink that will replace the Gatorade that I've always used in the past. In an effort to start fueling using natural ingredients, I opted instead for an organic lemonade that has added salt. Knowing that my fueling strategy worked and that I finished strong, I left this workout with a huge smile on my face and a renewed sense of calm. I know that I'm ready for Chicago and to achieve my goal of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Trials. Now, I hope the cards align and nothing too insane happens between now and then.
Now the most important thing to do is to run less and rest more. Going into this next week, my focus is on mental training and envisioning the race that I want to run in ideal conditions. It's also critical that I envision the adjusted race strategy to employ if any factors that I cannot control, such as rain, wind or GI issues, come into play. Just 15 more days. Chicago, here I come!
