2016 Chicago Marathon Training Week 8

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.

Hoping everyone had a good week!

Chicago Marathon training is here!  I am excited (and nervous) to be training using the Hansons Marathon Method.  In a nutshell, this training is based on the concept of cumulative fatigue. You train your body to run often so that you are frequently running on tired legs.  The idea is to run this way so that during the last miles of a race you are prepared to push through the final miles. These plans are 18 weeks and have you running 6 days (easy, speed/strength, tempo, and long runs) a week with one rest day. 

Week #8, July 25-31

Monday:

• PLAN – 6 easy @10:52-12:16 pace
• ACTUAL – 6 miles @11:33 average pace

Too hot to run outside so did run on the treadmill.  Alternated a different song with paces of 12:00, 11:32, and 11:07. 

Tuesday:

• PLAN – 3×1600 @9:04-9:27 pace (with 1 mile w/up and c/d) 
• ACTUAL – Total 6.11 @10:33 average pace

W/up and c/d @11:07.  Recovery @13.02.  I was nervous about this run.  I mean I did run a 1 mile repeat last week but this time I had to run 2 more.  It definitely went better than I expected.  I alternated a different song with paces of 9:23, 9:14, 9:05.  

Wednesday:

• PLAN – OFF
• ACTUAL – OFF

I had an appointment for TSA Precheck.  I was there for about 5 minutes.  I got there at 11am., checked in, used the bathroom, and was sitting down for about 1 minute before my name was called. The agent then asked me to verify some information I had submitted in my application, scanned my passport, and processed my credit card to pay for it ($85).

Thursday:

• PLAN – 7 tempo @10:18 pace (with 1 mile w/up and c/d)
• ACTUAL – Total 9 miles @10:23 average pace

I really had NO desire to do this run.  I kept thinking of every excuse I could think of until I had no excuses.  But I put on a new Oiselle top, colorful Pro Compression socks, and wore new Brooks shoes and got it done.  I had to buy a new pair (size 10) of shoes because the other pair I had were a little tight and were hurting my big toe on my right foot.

W/up and c/d @11:07.  I alternated a different song with paces of 10:21, 10:10, and 10:00. 

Friday: 

• PLAN – 6 easy @10:52-12:16 pace
• ACTUAL – 6 miles @11:34 average pace

Rain and thunder outside?  No thanks.  Ran on the treadmill.  Alternated a different song with paces of 12:00, 11:32, and 11:07.  Oh and a tall iced coffee from Starbucks helped too!

Saturday:

• PLAN – 10 easy @10:52-12:16 pace
• ACTUAL – 11.02 miles @ 11:03 average pace

Wow, this run was so much better than last week.  It was in the 70s when I left my house in the morning.  It did rain for a little bit (which felt great) and luckily I had my phone in a plastic bag but I was worried about my watch.  I remember last year it rained so much during one of my runs that the built-in heart rate monitor stopped working.

Another pacer had the same shoes but I like the navy blue color more than the white.

Sunday:

• PLAN – 10 easy @10:52-12:16 pace
• ACTUAL –9 miles @11:36 average pace

Another morning to sleep in and I missed my run with Chi City Running Club.  Some were out there at 5:30am.  Me?  I think I was in my second dream or so.

I did order 3 new pairs of shoes for school.  Usually I buy shoes in black because well black goes with everything.  But now I have a pair in taupe and wine and now I love the ones on top.  I mean how pretty is that floral printed pattern?

I did make it to the gym and ran 9 miles.  I was shooting for 10.  Really.  However, then I realized I only needed 8.61 to get to the Black Level on the Nike+ running app.  Then I convinced myself to just do the 10.  Then I remembered that I did 11 yesterday when I only had to do 10.  So by doing 9 today sort of balanced it out, right?  The treadmill stopped at 99 minutes which was 8.55 miles so I started again and ran an additional .45 of a mile.  Done.

Finally at Black Level which means that I need over 6,000 miles to get to Volt Level and it will probably take me a few years to get there. 

Week 8 went well.  My tempo run went well (again) and I’m glad I did not miss a workout.  In week 9 I have 6×800 (which I am excited about) and 8 miles tempo run on Thursday.

Also, this month I ran my highest mileage – 186.27 miles.  

Total mileage for the week: 47.13 miles

Total mileage for this training cycle: 298.08 miles

Total mileage for the year: 781.14 miles

Here’s how training has gone so far:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7