Grandma's Marathon Training: Weeks 14 & 15

So. Three weeks to go. Bring on the taper.

This is going to be quick and dirty - just posting it for posterity (and so I can look back on it). You won't hurt my feelings if you skim/skip it. :)

Week 14:

Monday: Plan = 5 easy. Actual = Rest

Tuesday: Plan = 6 tempo. Actual = 8 at 9:52 pace. Best. Run. Ever.

Wednesday: Plan = 5 easy. Actual = 5 at 10:52 pace with Sarah.

Thursday: Plan = Rest. Actual = Strength class. Jack's band concert was Wednesday night, so I rescheduled. It was a great kettle bell class.

Friday: Plan = 8 tempo. Actual = 5 at 9:24 pace. Freaking hot. And hard. TWSS.

Saturday: Plan = 12 easy. Actual = 6 at 10:09 pace. I ran with Kate super early to beat the heat.

Sunday: Plan = Rest. Actual = 13.12 at 11:31 pace. This was the half with Michelle.

Week total miles: 37.12 I was super pleased with how this week played out.


Week 15:

Monday: Plan = 5 easy. Actual = Rest

Tuesday: Plan = 10 tempo. Actual = Rest

Wednesday: Plan = 5 easy. Actual = 5 at 10:30 pace following strength class, where we used body weight bars to do crazy pull ups, push ups, and dips. HARD workout. Nice run.

Thursday: Plan = Rest. Actual = 5 at 9:52 pace. Everything about this run sucked. It was either running in a cloud of gnats or running into a 20mph headwind. Pick your poison. 5 was just all I could do, especially when my right calf kept spasming.

Friday: Plan = 10 tempo. Actual = rest. I opted to save my leg for my long run. Stretched a lot.

Saturday: Plan = 20 easy. Actual = 19 at 10:55 pace. This pace is misleading. The first part of this run felt so good. In retrospect, I was probably going a bit too fast. But I was hoping to hold on. At the end, I crashed hard and burned out. It was the culmination of a lot of things. I spent entirely too much time in my (stick shift) car this week. Monday, it was 2 hours in stop and go traffic. I think that;s what caused my calf to get pissed off. I was eating not horribly, but not normally either. My kids are sick, so I haven;t really slept in a week. (I feel like I have a newborn - up every hour. Suck.) So that I crashed at the end of this run was really no huge surprise. I'm thankful it felt as good as it did for as long as it did.

Splits for the curious: (10:28, 10:14, 10:24, 10:15, 10:11, 10:08, 10:16, 11:37 (gu = texting Sarah), 9:50, 10:04, 10:14, 9:48, 11:21(gu), 11:17(stomach starts its revolt), met Sarah here and stopped for potty break, 10:46, 11:05, 12:10(wheels start to fall off), 13:28, 14:00)

Considering I spent 90 minutes in my car trying to wait out a lightning storm, bailed, went home, and still managed to get this in mid-afternoon, I'm calling it an overall success.

Sunday: Plan = Rest. Actual = Rest

Week total miles: 29.14 (of a total 50 planned) Ugh.

While this week was a disappointment, shit happens. Would it have been nice to have my last week of heavy training more solid? Of course. But this doesn't diminish the work I've put in already.

Taper time! 20 days to go.