What a difference two weeks makes! Just a fortnight ago, I was waxing poetic about my marathon training consisting of a modified version of the Pfitzinger 18/55 plan from Advanced Marathoning. This week, my enthusiasm was waning a bit. I woke up on Monday morning, and it was the first time during my 11 weeks of training that I didn’t feel like going for a run. I was struggling to find running motivation.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are certainly days when I have no energy and want my runs to be over ASAP. But, I’ve never went into a run with that feeling. Ok, maybe once or twice, but never on consecutive days!
Running on empty
I was feeling rather drained after an eventful (and exciting) wedding weekend with late nights and early mornings. To make matters worse, the forecast was calling for another week of intense Virginia heat and humidity, with “real feel” temperatures reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit nearly every day of the week. Yet another week of waking up extra early in my race against the clock to get out the door before it gets even warmer. Another week of getting ready to go running as I’m running on empty in a half-asleep daze.
And it couldn’t have come at a worse time — this week was the highest mileage total of the plan, with a peak of nearly 70 miles, including a 20-miler to close out the week. I started to wonder how I’d get through this week, never mind the seven remaining weeks of my plan.
Hard and fast
And then, Thursday arrived, and with it brought a lactate threshold workout of 11 miles with seven miles at half marathon pace. I’ve written before about how speed work is the most exciting installment of a training plan, and sure enough, this was just the workout I needed to reenergize my mind and body — both crucial to successful speed workouts. Chalk it up to the thrill of the (fast) chase…of 6:40 pace for seven miles, because it took me not taking it slow to reenergize myself. I didn’t end up reaching half marathon pace for all seven miles, but it didn’t matter. It was enough for me just to be out there pushing myself to the limit in the heat.
The road ahead
So, if I hit my plan’s peak mileage this week, then the rest is all downhill from here, right? Not so fast — I still have seven more weeks with three tune up races, another 20-miler, plenty of lactate thresholds and VO2 Max, and an 18-miler with 14 miles at marathon pace. [Gulp] Ok, maybe I will be taking it fast.
But, thanks to a combination of OCD and a deep passion for running, staying committed to marathon training has never been an issue for me. I consider myself a very disciplined person on and off the roads. However, I’ve never run this many miles during this many days in a week (six). Also, it may sound weird to compare an 18-week training plan to a race of less than three hours, but this is the first training block when I’ve truly felt like marathon training is a whole other marathon in and of itself.
This week was a good reminder that not every run can be enjoyable. But the good ones far outnumber the bad, and those tough ones make us grateful for the easy ones. Marathon training is filled with many ups and downs, and it’s important for me to focus on how far I’ve come in my training, instead of how many miles I have left.
Although it’s not quite in sight yet, it helps to keep my eyes on the “prize” of a sub-3-hour marathon goal at the Marine Corps Marathon this October. I just have to remember not to look too far ahead for fear of getting overwhelmed by the daunting journey I’m undertaking. But I won’t keep my head looking down for too long; that’s just poor running form.
Wow! I am impressed by your commitment to your training toward the goal of a sub-3-hour marathon. You will do it! Bravo!