Marathon Training Synopsis – Week 3

Had a good week of training with excellent mileage and good average pace being logged.

Sunday: A comfortable 18-K run at a slower pace. The goal of this run was to get some good mileage at a comfortable pace – essentially to get the legs used to running longer distances.
Monday: Off
Tuesday: A fast run a of about 4.8-K. My Garmin was showing only 4.65 but I know it was 4.8. The watch seems to have some trouble downtown, especially when it was as cloudy as it has been in Calgary.
Wednesday: This week began the steady increase of mileage to be completed during the weekdays. Today was an awesome 9.6-K run that felt awesome. Over the next few weeks the Wednesday and Friday runs will increase in length. This will be a challenge to complete as my work commitments will no doubt make these runs difficult to get it.
Thursday: Another 4.8-K (again with the watch reading wrong downtown), this time at a slow pace. This run was a struggle as I was tired and not into the run.
Friday: The second longer run during the weekdays. This was a great run – I ran fast and it felt great. I went 9.6-K.

This was a good week of training and I felt that I became a stronger runner as a result. The next number of weeks will be challenging as the mileage increases.

As a follow up to this post, I had a body fat test done at the gym I weight train at on Friday morning. The result – 16.5% body fat. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition I am well within acceptable guidelines. As I can’t see abs yet, I am not at my goal but I will get there. It may take awhile but I will do it.

Missing a Scheduled Run

I, as usual, had a crazy day at work. My days are usually filled with meetings and today was no exception. Usually I try to run at lunch, but today I ended up having to conduct an unscheduled interview over the lunch break that made it impossible to get out for my run.

This was a very stressful for me. I love to get my runs in and feel guilty if I don’t. It is not an obsessive thing or anything like that (ok, maybe a little bit) but coming from where I have come from – 60 pounds heavier and unable to run even 2 and 1′s – it is very important that I do not let my schedule slip.

I did however manage to get my run in anyway. My wife was kind enough to “let” me go out before dinner. I completed the 4.8-K and feel much better. Now if my day will only go as planned tomorrow so that I can get the scheduled 8-K in…

Motivation to Run – Eat a lot of Crap

Sometimes the best motivation to run is eating a lot of crap during the weekend. This weekend was one of celebration as my son turned 5 and we had family and friends with us. Of course that meant there was a lot of food – chips, dips, pop,etc.

Although I was a little worried about how my run was going to go, and it took a little extra energy to will myself to get out there, I went for my 16-K Sunday long run. Knowing I had some extra calories to burn off made it that much easier – it was an awesome run.

I ran slow (average pace = 6:00 minute kilometer) and listened to an audiobook on my iPod. The first few km’s were a bit rough but I got into a rhythm and I started to feel like I was before my week and a half break. About time! The cool thing was I burned about 1200 calories. Give me another piece of cake.

Lunchtime Running

Running over the lunch hour helps me accomplish a couple of different things.

1. It allows me to get my runs in at a convenient time of the day. With a couple of kids and busy job etc. my time is always at a premium so making sure I maximize all hours of day is crucial. Getting my run in at lunch allows me to spend time with my family as well as focus on work in the mornings when I am most productive.

2. Relieves stress better than anything I have ever tried. My job is extremely demanding with every minute I am at the office being totally consumed with calls, vmail, email, meetings, etc. This is very stressful as I strive to meet my client’s needs in a timely and effective manner. Getting away for an hour at lunch to run completely recharges my mind and prepares me for the afternoon. It also allows me to solve some problems and identify creative solutions for issues that I many not have come up with without my run.

Overall, if I were to recommend a time for anyone to run, it would be at lunch. However, keep this in mind. It takes even MORE discipline to make sure you get your runs in as it can be very easy to say that you are too busy to do that run. I actually schedule it into my Outlook calendar and treat it like an appointment. Works for me.