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Marathon Training Week 9

So this week was week 9 of Madison Marathon training.  After running 15 miles on Saturday and feeling like I could hardly walk afterwards, I began to doubt myself and my ability to run 26.2 miles.  I was having some serious anxiety!  What if I can’t do it?  What if I let myself and everyone else down?  What if I have to be driven to the finish line--to my family waiting for me?  What if? What if? What if?  Plus I felt so exhausted and sore after running only 15 miles that I thought, how can I ever run 26.2 miles?  

Sunday 8-30
Today I woke up still sore from running 15 miles on Saturday.  Plus I was so tired after starting back to school last week that I just wanted to sleep in.  My kids were in the bed with us and I just wanted to snuggle them!  So I rested for most of the morning and then couldn’t take it any longer.  I wanted to make some dill dip but I didn’t have any sour cream, so I decided I would walk up to Kwik Trip and get some.  I took a longer route that I knew would be 2 miles round trip.  I also walked past a local farmer selling produce. On my way home from Kwik Trip, I picked up some sweet corn and pears.  I forgot that I had to carry it back home, but at least I got a fairly decent arm workout out of it.  Later that evening, hubby took the kids out to run an errand so I hit the weights a little bit.  I had been researching a little bit about the 5X5 lifting method to increase muscle as suggested by a friend of my and fellow runner.  I decided I would try it out and see how it worked.  I did some bicep curls, hammer curls, and crouching curls with 30lb weights doing 5X5.  Boy was that tougher than I thought it was going to be!  But I am excited to keep at it little by little right now.  After marathon training is over, this winter I am going to be all about the muscle growth.  Not sure what program I’m going to follow yet but we’ll see.  Not sure if I want to stick with P90X or try something different.  I’m a fan of different and challenging myself though, and P90X is starting to not be challenging enough.  Oh well!

Monday 8-31
Today, as every Monday, was leg day.  I really truly do love leg day!  Today I decided that I would try something different.  Again I wanted to try to lift heavy and not worry about the number of reps I was able to complete.  I wanted to make sure I was lifting as heavy as possible and with proper form.  I still did P90X Legs and Back and I still love it and I love the challenge of lifting heavy with good form.  But my legs were not as sore afterwards as I would have thought they would be, so I am questioning if it was enough or if my body is becoming used to this workout and it is not effective any longer. Even my deadlift routine didn’t leave me as sore as I would have thought.  I’m going to try it again next week and see then if I need to change things up.  

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Tuesday 9-1
Today was the first day of school for me and my babes.  I needed to run off some of my anxiety for sure.  8 miles were completed in the steamy humidity that is 4 am.  It sure felt good to have that over with!  It was really foggy this morning also and the lights on my vest have been getting very dim.  Good thing I can replace them!  My pace wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be but this heat and humidity are really not helping things.  I know that right now, I just need to get through these runs and that my pace will improve as the temperatures drop this fall.  In the big picture of things, I know all this hard work will pay off on marathon day!

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Wednesday 9-2
Today was another 7 mile training run.  And surprisingly that is exactly what my plan called for!  I’m getting better at getting up in the morning to ensure that I have plenty of time to complete these runs and get everything else done in the morning.  However, I am so not enjoying the fact that I am dripping sweat all over my kitchen floor while I make coffee in the morning.  Is it fall yet?  In all seriousness, this was a fairly decent run.  My legs felt strong and powerful!  If I weren’t so sweaty and had to go to work, I would have run farther.  Of course we all know that about me by now.  I’m already thinking of running more miles on Saturday.  The plan calls for 12 but I’m already thinking of maybe 13 or 14 for that day!  I know, I know, I’m crazy!

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Thursday 9-3
Today’s run was supposed to be 4 miles, but as we know I can’t just run 4 miles!  So I did 7 miles again.  I had time, so I figured why not.  Again it was super humid and I was drenched by mile 3.  I’m not enjoying this, or the fact that I have to wear my head lamp.  It hurts my head.  At about mile 6 my head is throbbing and I have to suffer through because it’s still too dark to take it off.  I don’t know if my head is just not used to it or if last year when I wore it, it was mainly during the winter and spring and I had my hat on.  Oh well, it will get better or I’ll just get used to it, I guess.

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Friday 9-4
I so did not want to wake up this morning, especially because I knew I didn’t have to run and that I was only doing an arm workout.  I really wasn’t feeling P90X today and I was rapidly running out of time, so I chose to try something new.   I used the 5X5 rule again with 30lb. weights.  I did bicep curls, bench press, bent over rows, sitting bicep curls, hammer curls, and more bicep curls.  It took longer than I wanted it to as I was taking too much time in between sets, so I have to work on that, but I can definitely feel it in my arms.  I am hoping to do something like this again on Sunday.  

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Saturday 9-5
So today was another long training run.  Not as long as last weekend but still long.  My plan called for 12 but we all know that I have a hard time following the plan.  Especially when I know that I don’t have to rush to get home.  So I ended up running 13 miles. I slept in until 6:00 and didn’t really get going until 6:30, quarter to 7.  That was a bit of a mistake!  It was getting hot and humid already!  But I had my route mapped out and knew where I could fill up my water bottle so I was all good!  My pace was not what I would have liked (12:13) but it’s a training run and not a race. I know this heat will be gone by the time my marathon is here in November and that these training runs are preparing my body for the beating that is running 26.2 miles, but I feel so slow all the time!  This humidity is really taking a toll on my confidence in myself.  I know I can do it and it will all be alright.  I just need to get past this late summer heat.  It will get better and my runs will get better.  I am thankful that I didn’t have to run any more that 13 miles today!  I am looking forward to the day when I can say I only have to run 13 miles!!  

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We spent the afternoon at the Walworth County Fair.  It was so hot, but so much fun!  The kids had a blast!  We ate good food, played games, watched the horses, and enjoyed each other’s company!  It was a truly awesome day!

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As always, thanks for reading and remember:

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Run On!!

Laura

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