Chicago Marathon Training Recap Week #7

*Week #7, August 24-30

Monday: OFF
Best email I received on Monday.

Back to work.  I was in meetings all day so that was fun.  Here are some pictures of my room.

This one makes me smile.

Tuesday: 5 miles
The plan was to run at an easy pace.

It was my nephew’s birthday so I ran with him.  We ran 1.3 miles since he turned 13 and is officially a teenager.

I love this picture because it is of the times we’ve run together.  The one on top is when he was 6 years old and the bottom is from Tuesday.  Hopefully we’ll continue to run together.

Wednesday: 6 tempo miles
The plan was 2 miles warm up, 3 miles at 10:00 (if needed take 1-2 minutes rest in between each mile) and 1 mile cool down.

Boom.  Awesome run.  Ran 6.03 miles @10:17 average pace.  Wasn’t easy but wasn’t too hard either.  Splits are:
Mile 1-10:51
Mile 2-10:55
Mile 3-9:46
Mile 4-9:50
Mile 5-9:35
Mile 6-10:43

Thursday: 5 miles
The plan was to run at an easy pace.

Another run with Fleet Feet Chicks’ Night.  Tried to run them all easy.  I knew I would pay for it on Saturday. It was perfect running weather in the evening.  Dare I say perfect marathon running weather too?  Kept all paces under 11:00 which is not “all easy”.  Ran 5.01 @10:29 average pace.  Splits are:

Mile 1-10:29
Mile 2-10:25
Mile 3-10:32
Mile 4-10:46
Mile 5-10:17

I managed to log a total of 50 miles so I got my shirt.  Also, I got the chance to run in the new Ghosts 8. They’re OK but I was not impressed with them.

Friday: OFF

Saturday: 18 miles
The plan was to run them between 10:45-11:30 and to walk 2 minutes after EVERY 3 miles.

I was very worried because of the forecast.  I took a poncho just in case but ended up not using it at all.

Total 18 miles @11:21 average pace.  Ran faster than last week which surprised me.  It didn’t rain as much as I thought it was going to which was nice.  Also, it wasn’t hot nor sunny.  This time I ran in the Brooks Pure Flow 4 and my feet did not hurt like they did last week.  Still my right foot is giving me some problems which I think it is because of the bunion.  Ran with the 11:00 group and felt great running with them till mile 13.  My legs hurt (took 1 Tylenol at mile 9 but did not help, must take 2) so took some walking breaks. Overall, still pleased with my time and even more happy with my times for miles 16-18.  Splits are:

Mile 1-11:29
Mile 2-11:24
Mile 3-11:19
Mile 4-11:07
Mile 5-11:04
Mile 6-10:50
Mile 7-11:06
Mile 8-10:57
Mile 9-10:46
Mile 10-11:01
Mile 11-10:58
Mile 12-11:04
Mile 13-11:40
Mile 14-12:08
Mile 15-11:48
Mile 16-12:02
Mile 17-11:58
Mile 18-11:31

Thanks to a hole in my shorts (which I noticed afterwards) I chafed really bad close to my private parts.  I usually do not use Body Glide with these shorts.  You bet that from now on I will because the chafing was pretty painful and do not want to go through it again.

Sunday: Yoga and 3 recovery miles
Another great yoga class.  The instructor focused on the lower body which was exactly what I needed.  I wasn’t as sore as I was last week but I still felt great afterwards.  My plan was to run after my class but I had to get home to shower and get ready because I had a baby shower that afternoon.  Then I decided to run after the shower.  It is so weird but from one day to the next I got a cold.  Well, I came home and stayed in bed for a few hours to rest so I did not run.

*Runs on treadmill are done on 1% incline.

Thoughts:

• Surprisingly today I did not wake up as sore as I did last week.
• This Saturday is 20 miles for me.  Yikes!
• My IT band(s) don’t hurt as much anymore.  I’ve been foam rolling after every run.
• I usually get a cold about once a year.  I was already sick this summer and do not understand why I am sick again.
• After having fall like weather this week, we are back to HOT summer weather this week.

Where is the worst part/area you’ve chafed?