Marathon Training: Week 1

This post is a few days late.... oops.

The Philadelphia Marathon is on November 23rd which means I am on a 29 week marathon plan. Hal Higdon has a 30 week plan so I edited it to work with my schedule. I included the Hibiscus 5 miler, Maryland's Women's Sprint Duathlon, Rock n Roll Half Marathon, and the Wineglass Half Marathon. In addition to my races I have signed up for, I added cycling as my cross training and at the beginning used it instead of walking.

Hal Hidgon's plan minus the first week. This is the plan I am editing slightly to my schedule.

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice Supreme

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	1.5 m run	3 m run	1.5 m run	Rest	3.5 m run	35 min walk
2	Rest	1.5 m run	3 m run	1.5 m run	Rest	3 m run	40 min walk
3	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	1.5 m run	Rest	4 m run	30 min walk
4	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	3 m run	45 min walk
5	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	4.5 m run	30 min walk
6	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	3 m run	50 min walk
7	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	5 m run	30 min walk
8	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2.5 m run	Rest	3 m run	55 min walk
9	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2.5 m run	Rest	5.5 m run	30 min walk
10	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	3 m run	60 min walk
11	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m run	30 min walk
12	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m run	Cross
13	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	7 m run	Cross
14	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	Rest	5 m run	Cross
15	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	Rest	9 m run	Cross
16	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	10 m run	Cross
17	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	7 m run	Cross
18	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12 m run	Cross
19	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	13 m run	Cross
20	Rest	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	10 m run	Cross
21	Rest	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15 m run	Cross
22	Rest	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	16 m run	Cross
23	Rest	4 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12 m run	Cross
24	Rest	4 m run	9 m run	5 m run	Rest	18 m run	Cross
25	Rest	5 m run	9 m run	5 m run	Rest	14 m run	Cross
26	Rest	5 m run	10 m run	5 m run	Rest	20 m run	Cross
27	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	12 m run	Cross
28	Rest	4 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	8 m run	Cross
29	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Marathon

(source: Hal Hidgon)

Week 1:
Sunday: bonus day added to training- 2 miles


Monday: PT- 1 mile- 5.2 mph which is a 11:32 minute mile


Tuesday: 1 mile outside, tired after running three straight days. My body is not used to that anymore. 


Wednesday: PT- 1 mile- faster speed- 5.3 mph- had a break from Tuesday morning until Wednesday evening so felt better. Upped the speed on the treadmill to 5.3 mph (11:12  mile pace)


Thursday: 6 miles cycling- great practice because it is a bike/running path not used by many and crosses only over 3 roads but also 2 railroads (ouch). Both sides of my pelvic bones were hurting. I'm hoping they just need some time to get used to cycling.


Friday: rest day. Not normally a rest day for me, but my husband and I had to go out of town. Have to be flexible!


Saturday: long run day! 3 miles outside at 11:24 minute mile. Thought it would have been slower because it was hot and sticky out. The time makes me feel like I am making progress. Hopefully it means when the weather is perfect this weekend- low temperatures in the mid to high 40s- I'll be inching closer to 11 minute mile.


Sunday: rest day- Since it was Mother's Day I spent with my family

Goal for upcoming week: keep up with running 1 mile at PT, cross train with the elliptical and spinning bike, 4 miles Saturday- will prepare me for the 5 miler on the 25th. Hope to do 1 day a week at "speed" training. Just basically trying to run faster, more for speed than endurance. Later in training will get back to intervals, fartlek, tempo runs, etc.

Running again :)

Last Monday, I had my 12 week checkup with my orthopedist. The x-rays confirmed that my bone healed properly. The new bone looked exactly like the old bone so I am all healed! (bone wise)

He said my pelvis will always be unsymmetrical which may or may not be an issue with a natural childbirth of a large baby. The only other lasting issue would be cycling. The one broken pubic bone now sticks out a bit which is exactly where I would be sitting on a bike. He suggested if it bothers me on long rides, get a well padded seat. The good news is that the unsymmetrical pelvis will not bother me or prevent me from doing sports or running. When asked about running, he said YES and to 'go crazy.' You should never tell a runner this ;)

My main PT was not working Tuesday so Wednesday I gave her the good news. She then said ok we'll try the treadmill today. I honestly thought I would move up to the elliptical or treadmill in the pool, but nope. Straight to the treadmill! I was nervous and excited. They started me out at 3.5 mph walking then they upped me to 5.2 mph (about 11:32 minute mile). I could not stop smiling. I felt rusty but otherwise good. I only ran for about 7 minutes but I was sweaty and huffing and puffing. It's amazing how much harder it is to run right now. Two PTs were watching my run (part of the same team that have been helping me) and said that I was very symmetrical. A worry was that my weakness in my right leg might have my limping while running or favoring my left leg. Luckily I did not have this issue. 

man this is way more difficult than it used to be

Friday I continued running on the treadmill by completed 1 mile (still at 5.2 mph). I felt great doing it so I planned on my first outdoor run this past weekend. Previously I refused to go less than 3 miles, now I was looking forward to 1.5 miles. With a chance of rain, I added to my lengthy process to get ready.

favorite running capris... check

Brooks waterproof jacket... check

Garmin 620... check

heart rate monitor... check

waterproof Nike Pegasus.... check

RoadId... check

plastic bag for my iphone (yep I'm high tech like that).... check

running cap... check

I was going part of a normal route for me and a really familiar way out of my neighborhood. My mind kept wanting me to go faster, but my legs would only go so fast. It was a weird surreal feeling. I can safely say it felt a lot better going faster than a walk. I would take forever to get to a mile walking, but in no time I was at a mile and decided to turn around. I knew I would be going 2 miles instead of the planned 1.5, but I felt great. One thing that did bother me were my allergies! Ugh Spring! At least the view was nice.

In the end, I was a bit sore. My muscles felt like they ran much further, but at least it didn't hurt! I noticed no pain or aggravation in my pelvis. Cardio wise, I could have kept going so that is another positive. I was not sure how fast I would be after my injury, but it seems like 11 1/2 minutes is what I will be around. I guess that is better than the 12 - 13 minute range I thought I might be in. 

My goal all along was to start running in May. I actually was ahead of my own schedule starting April 30th. Hal Higdon has a 30 week marathon training plan. 29 weeks puts me at November 23rd which is the Philadelphia Marathon. There is no way to tell if my muscles will get better fast enough to really be able to train. One thing I can try to train for is the Hibiscus 5 miler (vacation race!). Game plan: 3 mile long run this weekend and 4 miles next weekend. Add some 1 to 1.5 mile runs and cross training with the bike and elliptical.

Until next time...

New Jersey half marathon recap

I originally had signed up for the New Jersey half marathon (Long Branch Half Marathon), but since my accident there was no chance I was going to be able to run or walk it. My friend, who was to run the half as well, and I decided to downgrade to the half marathon relay. She would run her half and I would walk my half. Leading up to the race I started adding distance to my long walks and worked up to 4.6 miles the Thursday before the race. The half marathon relay is split into 6.7 miles and 6.4 miles segments. I decided to walk the shorter of the two distances. I was extremely nervous about this race since I was not sure how my hip, leg, or knees would hold up. I also did not know if we would be able to run under the minimum time requirement. I had been walking around a 20 minute mile with a couple of 17:30 minute mile walks. 

The expo:

The expo had maybe a dozen vendors including two other races (Bermuda and Miami). Not going to lie, as soon as I got home I started looking up the Bermuda races. I loved Bermuda! January would not be warm enough to lay out (average high of 69, although I thought it felt warmer than the temperature), but a heck of a lot warmer than back in PA in January. The expo had one vendor selling Thorlo socks 3 for $36 (cheaper than Amazon!). I also snagged two new sock brands (made in the USA as well)-Wrightsock and Swiftwick. Can't wait to try them out. 

Another expo purchase- bondi bands. I have never tried them but have heard so much about them. 

I swear I'm not a lush! 

Pre-race:
To save a few bucks, my friend and I stayed in Belmar about twenty minutes away. The Tandem Bike Inn was adorable and the owners were so friendly. They even set out breakfast for us since we were going to be up well before they were to serve. The nice part was we were right near the beach. Not quite as warm as the Dominican, but I'll take it.

Our pre-race meal was at La Dolce Vita which overlooked the boardwalk and beach. The restaurant was packed and required reservations. However, they found two seats for us at the bar.  I enjoyed some lovely peach sangria and a carb loading pasta dish. I laid out my clothes and attached my relay bib. 5:15 am was going to come too soon...

Race Day:
We purchased a $5 parking pass at the expo. If you don't, it will cost $10 which they collect as you leave. We did not hit too much traffic and got to the Monmouth Race Track in good time. The race track has plenty of parking and is where the start of the race is. There is a shuttle to the transition and to the finish line. Just check which school buses are going where. The buses left after the race started and we got to the transition area about half an hour before the first races started going through. The transition area is by a park where there are a few porta potties, but the buses drop you off in the parking lot of a Catholic school. Luckily the doors were open and a few of us went in to use the toilets. Soon enough my friend arrived and I was off.

My "race":
I think their 6.7 mile segment was slightly off because I was hitting the mile markers before I should have been. Just after the transition area I was at mile marker 7. The first couple of miles (mile 7, 8, 9) were through neighborhoods. It was easy to take pictures since I was walking, but these miles looked all the same. 

I estimated going out around 19 - 20 minute mile so I would save my leg strength. Naturally, I didn't listen to my plan and went out around a 17 minute mile. I felt good so I just kept chugging along. The first mile of my segment I had a couple of runners try to encourage me to run. I wish I had a big sign saying that I could not run and was planning on walking. I really would run if I could! Mile 10 is about when you start going through a little town. There was a band playing and there were some more people around this area. I was still holding steady just under 17 minute mile pace. 

Mile 11 is where I started getting excited. I had not walked more than 4.63 so I was getting to my walking record. This is also where the marathon leader passed us. It was one guy and he had a police escort. Shortly after that is where the half marathon and marathon split. The half marathoners turned towards the shore while the marathoners kept going south. 

The beach was oh so close. My time starting picking up and I was at 16 1/2 minute mile.

We went up on the road/walking path and ran (or walked) along the shore the rest of the half. I love, love, love the beach so I had a smile on my face the rest of the way. I also knew I was so close and was going to finish the race with no problem. Mile 12 I really picked up the pace and was 16:10 minute mile. We eventually got onto the boardwalk. I started hearing music and seeing boardwalk shops. Not sure if they were rebuilt after Sandy, but they looked really new. 

By mile 13 we were hitting a large crowd. The runners who were walking started running again to finish the race strong. I so wish I could have joined them, but I was a good girl and didn't run. I finished the last .38 miles strong and my split was 15 1/2 minute mile!

love the medal. the star spins!

Team Double Trouble finished in 2:42:34. My Garmin and RunKeeper not surprisingly didn't agree. According to my Garmin I walked 6.22 miles in 1:45:41. According to RunKeeper I did it in the same time (ok 2 seconds slower), but 6.38 miles. Not sure which is correct. Anyone know which is more accurate???

The course:

Flat. There is no other way to describe it other than flat as a pancake. I do not recall even a hint of a hill. Between mile 11 and 12 you start going towards the shore which is where the wind picks up. It was pushes us back which was not ideal towards the end of a race. However, I was not affected by this since I was walking and not tired. I actually really liked this course. It felt fast and easy. I loved being by the beach and seeing the various coastal area of New Jersey. In my half of the half marathon, there were a bunch of people out cheering you on. 

Final thoughts:

The race seemed well organized. There were 10,000 runners between the New Jersey Marathon and the Long Branch Half Marathon, but it never felt overwhelming. I am a big fan of the couple of thousand to 10,000 runner races. My only negative thoughts on the race were the lack of goodies. No goodie bag and the food afterwards was pretty weak- small piece of bread, banana, and a powerbar (and only for the last person in the relay). However, I definitely want to come back and do the half marathon or marathon here. It was tough not to think about how I should be running the half. Trying to focus on the fact that I was even able to walk as far as I did. 6 weeks before the race I was finally able to put two feet down on the ground and 5 weeks before the race I finally started walking unassisted. Small victories.... Next race: Hibiscus 5 miler in Honolulu. Previously was the 15k, but downgraded to the 5 miler. Hoping to be able to run most of that one.