Chicago Marathon Training Recap Week #10

*Week #10, August 3-9

Monday: Spinning and 3 miles at easy pace
I did not feel as tired as I normally do on my run.  It must have been because I took it easy in the spin class. Total 3 miles @11:13 average pace.

Tuesday: 5 miles

The plan was: mile 1: 11:00-11:30; mile 2, 3: 10:00 with 2 min walk in between (pause Garmin while walking); mile 4: 11:00; and mile 5: 11:30.

Great run!  Temperature was in the mid 70s which helped.  Felt great and surprised myself I was able to hold the 10 minute pace miles (miles 2 and 3).  Splits are below:

Mile 1-11:06
Mile 2-10:02
Mile 3-9:58
Mile 4-10:46
Mile 5-10:56

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 6 miles

The plan was all easy miles.  Ran with the girls of Fleet Feet Chick’s Night.  Total 6.02 @10:58 average pace. Did good keeping a consistent pace.  Weather was a little warm but wind along the lakefront helped cool me down a little.  Almost negative splits. 🙂

Mile 1-10:58
Mile 2-10:51
Mile 3-10:44
Mile 4-11:49 <——Stopped to walk twice.
Mile 5-10:47
Mile 6-10:41<——-Happy that I ran (without stopping) a small hill/incline.  In the past I’ve had to stop and walk.

Friday: OFF

Saturday: 15 miles

The plan was to do negative splits.

These are the runs that worry and scare me because it makes me wonder how I will manage to run 26.2 miles.  I know I can because this isn’t my first marathon but it still makes me feel that way.  Total 15.18 @12:39 average pace.  My last 15 miler was on 8/16/14 and I did that run @11:36 average pace.  Then the next week I ran 16 @12:20 average pace.  Not sure why this one was slower. Splits are below:

Mile 1-10:36
Mile 2-10:47
Mile 3-11:17
Mile 4-11:23
Mile 5-10:54
Mile 6-11:38
Mile 7-12:55
Mile 8-12:57
Mile 9-13:44
Mile 10-13:15
Mile 11-13:53
Mile 12-14:20
Mile 13-15:53
Mile 14-14:01
Mile 15-12:32

After my run I took an ice bath.  Not fun but it definitely helped with my recovery.  It could be the combination of the compression socks and the ice bath but I feel so much better today.

Sunday: Yoga
I foam rolled and did a couple of exercises to work on my IT band.

*Runs on treadmill are done on 1% incline.

Thoughts:

• I ordered two new shoes – Brooks Launch 2 and Brooks Pure Flow 4.  Currently I run in the 3s and like them.  But lately I’ve been feeling more pain in my feet than usual.  I write down every run and have run almost 230 miles in them.  So I guess it is time for a new pair.
• I dropped my Ipod nano yesterday morning.  It still works but it cracked on one corner.  Thinking of replacing it with a shuffle since the new Nano is bigger and more expensive.  I have an older version of the Nano so it is pretty small.  I like running with music but also enjoy running without it. Decisions, decisions.
• The Chicago Marathon is in 9 weeks.  Yikes!!