#marathonertrainingdiaries

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 8

Hello, it is I

Get ready for a recap of last week! Felt like a great, strong week, so I’m really just hoping I can replicate that this week hahaha

Monday, June 18:

Workout: rest daaaayyyy :)

Eating Habits: kinda good but, like my usual rest day problems, I felt hella hungry

Tuesday, June 19:

Workout: 16x400 m (45 s rest) with a 2 mi warm-up and 1 mi cool-down

Notes: I felt SO DAMN STRONG during this run.

Eating Habits: honestly, pretty great. Eating a bit of oatmeal in the evening is a real life-saver the next morning :P

Wednesday, June 20:

Workout: slow 5 mi on the trails + 30 min weight training

Eating Habits: I was good today, super proud of myself for keeping it healthy!

Thursday, June 21:

Workout: 3x2 mi (3 min rest) with 2 mi warm-up and 1 mi cool-down

Notes: I am a beast. I am so proud of how well I kept it together and how steady and consistent I was throughout my intervals. HELL YA PROGRESS.

Eating Habits: pretty good today! :)

Friday, June 22:

Workout: 45 min weight training + 15 min low impact incline walking on the treadmill

Eating Habits: not bad, although on these days I face a similar problem as rest days

Saturday, June 23:

Workout: 7 mi on the trails (1 mi slow / 5 mi steady / 1 mi slow) + 7 mi biking to get groceries

Eating Habits: bueno! Ate a little more chocolate but that’s my weakness so ah well

Sunday, June 24:

Workout: 16 mi (10 mi steady / 4 mi fast / 2 mi steady)

Notes: Honestly, this run felt amazing. I only stopped at crosswalks (where I had to lol, I’m only human), I ate and drank water as I ran, my pace was sooo consistent the entire time. Things kinda fell apart in the last 2 mi, but I think that’s because I wore my waterpack too tight (I haven’t worn it in a while and probably didn’t adjust the straps well enough). Also, I took an Ondansetron right before and that EXTREMELY helped keep my nausea at bay.

Eating Habits: Pretty good all day + I rewarded myself with some tacos and beer during happy hour!

Overall Summary:

Feeling really good this week, although I can tell my body is slowly approaching its limits, so I’m lowkey looking forward to kicking back and relaxing for week 10 already. But until then, I have my first training peak at week 9...

Shape Update:

I know, finally!! Pretty pivotal because we’re at the halfway point. Not really a pure comparison because I’m not as relaxed in the now photo. In any case, not much has changed! I’ve noticed my legs getting slimmer and leaner and my core and back getting a lil bigger, but that’s about it :)

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 3

Hey y’all, it’s the debut of my long-awaited TRAINING DIARIES!

We’re going to be starting at Week 3 because I was in Romania for Weeks 1 and 2 so I don’t really have any good details from that time except that I ate a lot of yummy food and I hate hills. But from here on out, expect these weekly!

“What should I expect in your training diaries?”

A quick update on my workout and eating habits for each day of the week, as well as an overall summary at the end and a “shape update.” The shape update is going to be part of a bigger thing at the end of the summer to show how my body changed (or maybe didn’t change?) throughout marathon training!

Without further ado... onwards!

Monday, May 14

Workout: full body workout at the gym and a little HIIT

Eating Habits: could be better but I hadn’t meal prepped yet sooo I won’t apologize for the pho take-out :P

Tuesday, May 15

Workout: 6 mi slow + 5x20 s sprint intervals with 2 min breaks

Eating Habits: loads better now that I had some meal prep but still tough to get back into healthy habits after 2 weeks of doing whatever I want!

Wednesday, May 16

Workout: slow 4 mi + core strength training

Notes: hahaha I have lost so much core strength cri

Eating Habits: woooo improving!! managed to resist lots of temptation

Thursday, May 17

Workout: 1 mi slow - 6 mi fast - 1 mi slow

Notes: yes!!! feeling so strong at these paces and I’m sooo happy about it

Eating Habits: honestly great. No weird midday cravings (that’s what happens when school’s over with lol)

Friday, May 18

Workout: None! It’s a rest day!

Eating Habits: Aside from the casual snacking on saratele on the car ride from Edmonton to Calgary, I did pretty good :)

Saturday, May 19

Workout: slow 5 mi

Eating Habits: soooo I was in Calgary for the long weekend... all health went out the window tbh. Drank a lot of wine and ate a lot of cheese. #treatyoself

Sunday, May 20

Workout: 11 mi!

Notes: okay I know my pace in the last couple miles looks like poo but can we pls take the elevation change into consideration lol I am a champion.

Eating Habits: Not too bad, we went out to eat a lot but I always picked the healthiest option!

Weekly Summary:

My runs have been great and I’m keeping up with the paces really well right now

I personally was feeling a little insecure about the muscle I lost/weight I gained over vacation but at the end of the week it’s already coming back and I’m accepting that that awesome vacation was 100% worth it

Shape Update:

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 9

I HATE HEADWINDS

So, as you may be able to tell, this week’s training journal has a theme. I swear on my grave, every time I went for a run this week I had to deal with headwinds. Running uphill? HEADWIND. Running downhill? HEADWIND. Running on a flat surface? HEADWIND. Just started a 1 mi fast interval? It may have been calm as heck during my warm-up but now it’s HEADWIND TIME. 

AS YOU CAN TELL I AM FED UP BUT ANYWAYS ONWARDS AND UPWARDS.

Monday, June 25:

Workout: beautiful, well-earned rest day

Eating Habits: could’ve been better but I also did a lot of walking today

Tuesday, June 26:

Workout: 6x1 mi intervals (1:30 min breaks) with 2 mi warm-up and 1 mi cool-down

Notes: I think I did a pretty good job of staying strong during my intervals, especially considering that I did my usual route backwards so everything felt strange...

Eating Habits: pretty good, if I say so myself!

Wednesday, June 27:

Workout: 6 mi slow on the trails + 20 min weight training

Eating Habits: really good today, go me!!

Thursday, June 28:

Workout: 10 mi (2 mi slow / 7 mi fast / 1 mi slow)

Notes: Took more breaks than I would have liked but again I stress THE PRESENCE OF HEADWINDS WAS AT BIBLICAL LEVELS.

Eating Habits: not toooo bad, except I did have taco night with the bf (but they were homemade chicken tacos!)

Friday, June 29:

Workout: 45 min weight training + 11 km bike ride to get groceries

Eating Habits: not so bad, definitely had a lot of cravings today though

Saturday, June 30:

Workout: 7 mi on the trails (1 mi slow / 5 mi steady / 1 mi slow)

Eating Habits: pretty good!! yay :)

Sunday, July 1:

Workout: 18 mi (11 mi steady / 5 mi fast / 2 mi steady)

Notes: My endurance has improved so much! Still have a little work to do, but BQ time doesn’t seem so daunting anymore...

Eating Habits: really good, but it’s hard to mess up when you have 1800 calories to eat back....

Overall Summary:

This was a tough week, not helped by the headwinds. I’m real salty about that. But still, I feel like I did well and I’m feeling so confident for the marathon! More than halfway there now :) Excited to enjoy a well-earned down week next week...

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 7

Hello again, runners!

Here I am with my seventh week of training! Nine weeks to go until the big day, and I am beyond excited :)

Keep reading for all of the details of the week!

Monday, June 11

Workout: rest day

Eating Habits: pretty good, snacked a bit on some cheesy snacks!

Tuesday, June 12

Workout: 10x800 m intervals with a 2 mi warm-up and 1 mi cool-down

Eating Habits: really good!! I’ve really been improving in this department as I’m progressing through my training :)

Wednesday, June 13

Workout: 5 mi slow + strength training

Eating Habits: still doing good, getting in the habit of having a bit of oatmeal every evening

Thursday, June 14

Workout: 2x3 mi with 2 mi warm-up and 1 mi cool-down

Eating Habits: still doing great, although I’ve realized that having work so early and only really sitting around in an office or a lab makes me get really snack-ish during the day.

Friday, June 15

Workout: 48 min weight training + 10 min HIIT

Eating Habits: felt a little hungrier than usual today but kept it healthy :)

Saturday, June 16

Workout: 1 mi slow / 5 mi steady / 1 mi slow for a total of 7 mi

Eating Habits: did really well today, although I was sitting around doing a practice test for my MCAT so I got kinda snack-ish

Sunday, June 17

Workout: 14 mi (9 mi steady / 4 mi fast / 1 steady)

Eating Habits: I did really well today!! Ate lots of good food and rewarded myself with some rocky road ice cream for my awesome run :)

Overall Summary:

I felt really great this week! My pacing is getting better, my eating habits are getting healthier, and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life :) Can’t wait to take on an even tougher week!

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 11

My love/hate relationship with peak weeks

I love to run. I do. And when I look at my RunKeeper and realize I logged 93 km last week, I feel proud. BUT ALSO my body hates me. Hahaha why am I like this?

Okay, but seriously, this week was insane. The fact that I got through it in one piece... I am amazed. Keep reading for more!

Monday, July 9:

Workout: rest day! woooooooo

Eating Habits: Meh, could be better. I always struggle on rest days though.

Tuesday, July 10:

Workout: 2 mi slow warm-up / 8x1000 m fast intervals with 30 s breaks in between / 1 mi slow cool-down

Eating Habits: Pretty damn good today, go me!

Wednesday, July 11:

Workout: slow 6 mi on the trails + 15 min core strength training

Eating Habits: TODAY WAS GREAT. These are the days that I go WOW my body is a temple.

Thursday, July 12:

Workout: 2 mi slow warm-up / 3x3 mi fast intervals with 3 min breaks / 1 mi slow cool-down

Notes: y’all this is the longest run I’ve ever done mid-week. I DIED.

Eating Habits: Honestly, awesome today. I am a health warrior.

Friday, July 13:

Workout: 41 min weight training + 6.8 km bike ride to get groceries (followed by my boyfriend picking me up for the remaining 4 km because MY BIKE BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.)

Eating Habits: Pretty good today too, but I wasn’t home for much of the day so it’s not like I had a chance to be reckless lmao

Saturday, July 14:

Workout: 1 mi slow / 5 mi steady / 1 mi slow on the trails + cleaning my whole damn apartment top to bottom (yes, this counts)

Eating Habits: Pretty good today! Go me :)

Sunday, July 15 (buckle up):

Workout: A WHOOPPIN 20 MILES (12 mi steady / 5 mi fast / 3 mi steady)

Notes: So this run was MOSTLY good. Up until the last 3 miles, I only stopped at construction zones and pedestrian crossings (because it’s the law lmao). But then it kinda fell apart. I think it was partly because of the heat, but also because I got a little overconfident and pushed myself too much.

Eating Habits: Okay well I ate healthy foods. But I also had to make up for a 2000 calorie loss so I could hardly move after today’s diet.

Overall Summary:

Honestly, this week made me both really happy and really scared. I’m mostly good for my pacing, but I still struggle a lot with taking it easy on the longer runs. I’m trying to reign it in though. I’l get another chance at this in 2 weeks, so we’ll see where I am then.

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 10

WE LOVE A CHILL WEEK

Listen. I love running as much as the next person. Really, I do. But when you log 80+ km in a week in one of the most stressful weeks of the summer... well, even I’m going to kick back and enjoy my down week. BECAUSE I EARNED IT.

ANYWAYS, keep on reading for the deets :) I don’t have screenshots of my workouts because I just had a lot of slow runs this week lol so I mean nothing exciting.

Monday, July 2:

Workout: rest day!! AND WELL EARNED.

Eating Habits: Y’all, they were so shit. I ate all the ice cream and tortilla chips. DON’T GIVE ME THAT LOOK I’m only human.

Tuesday, July 3:

Workout: 5 mi slow + 6x20 s sprints + 20 min core strength training

Eating Habits: After my loss of control the day before, this was a surprisingly good day as far as eating habits go. 

Wednesday, July 4:

Workout: Went to the driving range with bae

Eating Habits: Also pretty good. Went to a new taco place with the bf after golfing and it was like... subway but for tacos. So decently healthy, as far as fast food goes.

Thursday, July 5:

Workout: 9 mi (2 mi slow / 6 mi fast / 1 mi slow)

Eating Habits: Really good today!! Like damn, am I queen of health???

Friday, July 6:

Workout: 45 min weight training + 8 min on the row machine

Eating Habits: Okay is probably the best way to describe today. I did snack a bit more than usual, but definitely within reason.

Saturday, July 7:

Workout: 6 mi slow + 6x20 s sprints + 11 km bike ride to get groceries

Eating Habits: Hella good today.

Sunday, July 8:

Workout: 10 mi steady

Eating Habits: Meh. Long run days are always iffy for me. I’m at this crossroads between eating enough and eating too much and eating too little and what do I eat? BUT YA KNOW.

Overall Summary:

MY LEGS RECUPERATED A BIT. God bless. Just in time for Hell Week 2/3.

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 6

Starting to hit a wall...

This has been a more chill recovery week and it was definitely a week of ups and downs. Keep reading for my training diary :)

June 4:

Workout: none, it was a lovely rest day!

Eating Habits: definitely felt REALLY hungry. It’s kinda weird going from a really long run day where I’m eating 4000 calories into a rest day of just half that.

June 5:

Workout: strength training in the morning + slow pitch softball in the evening with some friends

Notes: my strength training sesh was all right but definitely not the most productive one ever. Softball, however, was super fun!!

Eating Habits: Overall really good :)

June 6:

Workout: 5 mi slow with 4x30 s sprints to finish + 25 min weights

Eating Habits: again, really good!! Finally finding a comfortable diet :)

June 7:

Workout: 2 mi slow / 6 mi fast / 1 mi slow (9 mi total)

Notes: So... this run sucked ass. I didn’t drink enough water throughout the day, I ate my pre-workout snack way too fast, and my electrolytes made me feel like puking. My legs felt like lead. It was a rough one and kind of a blow to my confidence, but I know that a lot of it was because of things I can control so at least I know what to work on.

Eating Habits: did really well today!

June 8:

Workout: 42 min weight training + 15 min incline walking on the treadmill

Eating Habits: So today was a major cheat day. Lab picnic = day drinking + eating my weight in Doritos. My stomach hurts BUT treat yo self right?

June 9:

Workout: real easy 5 mi trail jog + core work + 45 minute bike ride to get groceries

Notes: even this jog felt a little tough, but I credit that to my poor diet the day before...

Eating Habits: I did really great today! Yay go me :)

June 10:

Workout: steady 8 mi trail run

Notes: I FELT SO GOOD. I’m soooo happy. I was definitely feeling a little down about my performance this week but I think it was just an adjustment to the faster paces. LOOKIN FORWARD TO THAT 20 MILER.

Eating Habits: Really good today too!!

Overall Summary:

So this week started a little rough but now at the end it’s finally picking up again. I think my body just needed time to adjust to these faster paces. I’ve definitely never pushed myself this hard before, as far as speed goes, so I just need to be patient with myself and trust in my training.

Shape Update:

Haha rip I forgot again this week. I’ll have one next week for sure!

[marathonerchronicles]

Edmonton Marathon 2018 Training (Sub-3:30): Week 5

Aaaand here’s this last week!

Felt pretty great this week, although my knees are looking forward to a more chill week next week. Keep reading for more :)

May 28:

Workout: none - rest day!

Eating Habits: my rest day diet is suuuper weird to me now because it’s so much less food than my long run days and my stomach is like whaaat but I ate pretty healthy :)

May 29:

Workout: 7 mi + 5x20 s sprint intervals + a lil bit of core strength conditioning

Eating Habits: soooo I ate a lot of salty food (again) haha oops I really need a replacement for this

May 30:

Workout: slow 4 mi + half an hour of weight training

Eating Habits: overall pretty healthy day :)

May 31:

Workout: 3 x 1.5 mi intervals with a 2 mi warm-up and 1 mi cool down

Eating Habits: Getting better! I am now having some oatmeal every evening whenever I get any kind of cravings. Fibre with a little salt and cinnamon instead of sweets or chips :)

June 1:

Workout: 1 hour of weight training

Eating Habits: super good day!! 

June 2:

Workout: slow 5 mi + 20 min of core strength training + 11 km bike ride to get groceries

Eating Habits: Went out for dinner and a movie with the bf but kept it relatively healthy :)

June 3:

Workout: 13 mi!

Eating Habits: pretty good, but after such a long run I had to reward myself with some amazing Elk Crossing ice cream!! 

Overall Summary:

Fun fun fun week of running! Really proud of how my eating habits are improving, and I’m starting to rebuild some lost muscle mass again - wooo progress!