Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Marathon Training Halfway Mark

We're a little over halfway through the marathon training schedule. I didn't join the fun until about four weeks in, but this is half way point for me. Here's a list of each long run and a little comment.


[ 9 miles ] Saturday, January 9
This was my test run to make sure I was actually up for this thing...guess I was. Following this run, I texted my marathon inspiration, Hannah Harris and said, "Send me the training schedule! I'm in" ...or something like that.

[ 9 miles ] Sunday, January 17
It was 17 degrees on the BCT (Bear Creek Trail) for this one and it was cold, cold, cold. I remember following three sets of footsteps in the snow along the trail and tracking my own as I ran back. At one point, I poked my butt and couldn't feel a thing. I came home, took twenty minutes undressing with frozen fingers and then spent over an hour "thawing out."

[ 11 miles ] Sunday, January 24
Beautiful, perfectly wonderful weather - after the last two cold runs, it was nice to see so many people out on the BCT. I got all caught up on the second season of Serial and even ran into Mark (my co-worker) by Albert-Oakland Park!

[ 10 miles ] Sunday, January 31
Another lucky day for weather. This time, Mark met me about six miles out and ran the last four with me. Thank god, because I was strugglin' and needed some encouragement.

[ 13 miles ] Saturday, February 6
In honor of the Roots 'n' Blues half marathon we ran back in September, I did the same route for this long run. It felt great compared to just four months ago! I love this route too because you cover just about all of Columbia: Stephen's Park, the MKT and downtown.

[ 14 miles ] Sunday, February 14
Blair and I ran on the MKT in the powdery snow for this one. On our way back (about mile 10) a dog started following us. We couldn't see anyone that could be his owner, but there wasn't much we could do. He would scope the area, bark at approaching walkers and generally protect us. Two miles later, we decided we had to stop and called Animal Control. After a bowl of water, a game of fetch and an awful lot of explaining our leashless-friend to strangers, Animal Control finally showed up and took our little follower to the Humane Society: probably my most eventful run yet!

[ 10 miles ] Saturday, February 20
This was the weekend Mom and I spent in Kansas City for Oscarfest. Before we began the movie mania on Saturday, I woke up early and ran 7.5 miles all through downtown Kansas City. We were staying in the River Marketing, which was just a hop from lots of city sights. I had initially planned to follow the "Riverfront Trail," but it was impossibly hard to follow when you didn't have a very clear idea of where you were going. So, instead I just roamed through the city and enjoyed the change of scenery. However, I am really starting to notice an achy pain in my knees as the runs get longer.

[ 16 miles ] Saturday, February 27
Weather changed pretty drastically from the time I left at 7:30 a.m. to when I returned at 11:45 a.m. I finished my 16 miles a short distance from home and as I walked a police office passed me and then turned around. "I've seen you all over town this morning!" he declared, and he wasn't wrong! This run felt GREAT!! I took my time recovering though, with some electrolytes and a bath before the Rootin' Tootin' Chili Cook-Off later that day.

[ 12 miles ] Sunday, March 6
After a long day of True/Falsing downtown on Saturday, I drug my self out of bed on Sunday morning and ran. This one HURT. Like everything: knees, calves, breathing, feet. By the time I finally got back and was about two miles from home, it took everything I had not to stop and walk...it was probably a pretty pathetic sight.

Still to go, I've got eight weeks of long, long runs.
[ 18 miles ]
[ 14 miles ]
[ 20 miles ]
[ 14 miles ]
[ 22 miles ]
[ 10 miles ]
[ MARATHON ]  Sunday, April 24

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