Monday, July 11, 2011

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 1

The first week of marathon training went well. I had 21 miles on the schedule and ended up running 23.6 miles. The extra miles were the result of an 8K race and my first meet-up with a local running group. Everyone I met in the group was really nice! Even though the group heads out super early and none of the runners this past week were really running at my pace, I'm going to try to do almost all of my Saturday long runs with them and one other day a week. Who knows? Maybe they'll spur me to become a faster runner.

Week 1

Monday - scheduled 4 miles easy. Actual - 5 miles. I ran a local fourth of July 8K. I got some bad information off the unofficial event website and thought the race started at 8am. It started at 7:30. I barely had time to pick up and pin on my bib and line up before the race started. This event wasn't my best of racing experiences, but all in all it wasn't a bad way to kick off a holiday.

Tuesday - scheduled 0 miles. Actual - 0 miles.

Wednesday - scheduled 4 miles - hillwork. Actual - 4 miles with hill repeats.  This was the first time I've ever truly done hill repeats and it was tough.  As I made my way home, I was fantasizing about a glass of water.

Thursday - scheduled 0 miles - active rest. Actual - weights and stairclimber.  I did a weights circuit around the gym hitting lower body, upper body, and core, followed by 30 minutes on the stairmaster.

Friday - scheduled 4 miles easy. Actual - 4 miles easy.  I started a bit later than I should have considering the heat.  I probably could have taken it even easier and still been producing buckets of sweat.

Saturday - scheduled 9 miles.  Actual 10.6 miles @11:46min/mile average pace.  I met up with a local running group at 5:30am.  Most of them had 11 miles planned so I figured that I would just start out with them and walk the last mile as a cool down.  Although no one was really running my pace, it was nice to start out with people and to see someone from the group always just a little ways up ahead of me.  After the run it was great to stand around chatting for a bit.  It was less great to see a man, who was apparently high and who had apparently broken his leg, pummel a street sign repeatedly and then try to hop and crawl around the block.  Several of the runners in the group approached him from a distance to see if he needed help and he screamed obscenities at them.  One of the runners popped into the gas station to call 911.  It was one of the strangest and most disturbing things I've seen in this burg.

Sunday - scheduled 0 miles. Actual 0 miles.

Up next for Week 2

Monday - scheduled 4 miles easy

Tuesday - Time Trial - 1 mile 

Wednesday - scheduled 3 miles - hill work

Thursday - scheduled 0 miles - active rest

Friday - scheduled 4 miles easy

Saturday - scheduled 7 miles

Sunday - scheduled 0 miles

Also, friends, I'm back on Twitter, so if you tweet, do me a solid and follow me there. 

15 comments:

  1. Good training week.  I am happy to see that you did hill repeats. :-)  

    Strange experience Saturday with that guy.

    Have a great training week!!

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  2. Fantastic training week Raquelita, well done!

    I've send you a friends request on Dailymile and follow you on Twitter now :)

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  3. I follow you on twitter!
    Have a great training week

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  4. Dang, lady! That is an awesome first week of training! I envy your 23 miles. I ran 12 last week and was really pleased with myself. :P

    Hill repeats! How many hills do you run? I have a route that has about 3 or 4 "hills" on it, but I don't know if that counts as hill repeats. Probably not. I probably need to focus on the biggest hill and just run up and down it a bunch. Oy. Marathon training is hard! :)

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  5.  wow--wild scene with the guy. So sad.

    Sounds to me like you are off to a great start! Keep up the group runs--you'll get hooked.

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  6. Great job!

    Yeah, hills are killer. I've started doing a hill route with repeats on Thursdays. Ouch.

    But it works!!

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  7. A running group sounds like good motivation!  There's a few running groups near me that sound fun, you know, if I ran.  But any exercise is easier for me with someone else so I have someone to feel accountable to.

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  8. What a great training week, Raquelita!  You nailed all your work-outs.  Keep up the good work :-)

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  9. I'm now following you on twitter again, hooray :) Good job with your training! When is your marathon? 


    I think because of you (and also a general desire to get out of my summer sluggishness), I just bought a pair of running shoes to get back into shape. I'll probably be over here more often for some workout inspiration :)

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  10. I did 4.  There is a sizeable hill that's about just over 400 meters long.  I tried to charge up it as fast as I could and then jog back down it.  I did one mile on either side to warm up and cool down.  

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  11. Thanks, Fran!  And thanks for friending me on DM and Twitter!

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  12. It's October 9th.  I'm very excited - not least because I'll be staying with one of my FA co-bloggers of yore.  

    Enjoy your workouts!

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  13. That's a great first week of training!  And it's awesome that you found a group to run with.  Dang they start early.  We run at 7 on Saturdays, which actually can be a bit late when it is so hot out...  I asked the coach if they ever run earlier and he said no...  Oh well, not a big deal, I won't be running nearly as far as the marathon trainers!

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  14. I think my hills are about .1 miles long. They're pretty short. I need to find a bigger hill! :)

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