Baltimore Marathon Training Week 10

Tuesday: 8 Miles  (1:08:05)

Running is more and more a mental endeavor, especially with your mind in a haze. This morning I was expected run 6 miles, but over the last few weeks, I have continued to push that with the help of Stephanie and Losey and today was no different.  Jen, someone who I have seen post frequently on another running groups page also ran with us this morning, so it was nice to have new company to run with. The first few miles were difficult. As I said earlier, my mind was already moving and I was struggling to remained focused, but luckily their conversations filled the silent morning and I was able to slowly eliminate my thoughts and listen to their conversations as we made our way down Little Blue Parkway.  While I was not the most energized this morning, the splits showed that my muscle memory carried me this morning.  I am still at times baffled that I have made it this far, what once would have seemed like an accomplishment has almost become the norm and anything less would be a less than mediocre performance.   

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:14

Mile 2: 8:23

Mile 3: 8:29

Mile 4: 8:20

Mile 5: 8:34

Mile 6: 8:25

Mile 7: 8:40

Mile 8: 7:54

Overall Time: 1:08:05 & 8:30 Pace  

Quote of the Day:

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Wednesday: 7 Miles (58:26)

The run this evening took place at a new venue, Summit Rehab & Wellness, in Lee’s Summit.  Wanting to get in a few extra miles before the actual event I met up with Ashley and Stephanie and we proceeded to get in 3.5 miles before meeting up with the other runners. I didn’t feel like it at the time, but looking at our pacing and the overall time, we did maintain a much faster pace than our typical Wednesday runs.  Ashley was feeling it, or as she said, just ready to be done with the run, having already ran that morning and Stephanie had already ran 13 miles, so needless to say I was only person without a remotely good reason not to speed up!  A storm was also brewing as we ran and we were met with some thunder and lightning off in the distance as we completed our run.  If that doesn’t make you speed up, nothing will!   

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 8:43

Mile 2: 8:23

Mile 3: 8:19

Mile 4: 8:06

Mile 5: 8:16

Mile 6: 8:20

Mile 7: 8:15

Overall Time: 58:26 & 8:20 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“Remember everyone looks at the world from their own perspective.”

Saturday: 10 Miles (2:53:01)

With several of runners participating in the Royals’ 5k event, I decided to meet-up with Stephen and run 10 of his first 20 miles with him on the Little Blue Trail.  His group, or a group that he is part of, Team World Vision, also was running that morning. It was neat to start off with a prayer, which I can always use and to meet new runners in the community. The run was down Little Blue Parkway, since the storm the night before had flooded most of the trail making it impossible to run on, though parts of the sidewalk looked as though we were doing a brick workout! (Term used for Triathlon training, look it up!) The part that i thought was the most interesting was looking back at last week’s 20 miler with Stephanie. The 6th mile of both runs was at an 8:31 pace and really, the other splits were within seconds of last week as well.  At this point in the training I am realizing that my muscle memory is taking over and now I can truly begin to focus on the mental aspect of pushing the barriers, aches, and pains of training to see what my body can actually achieve.  With my goal of achieving an average of 8:45 the marathon, I wouldn’t expect for my training to always be below that, so I am attempting to reanalyze what I am capable of achieving without running myself into the ground and not being able to recover.  With next weekend’s 22-23 run, I am going to push my tempo and see if I can maintain a pace closer to 8:30, we shall see what I am able to do.    

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:22

Mile 2: 8:44

Mile 3: 8:41

Mile 4: 8:29

Mile 5: 8:38

Mile 6: 8:31 *

Mile 7: 8:31

Mile 8: 8:29

Mile 9: 8:33

Mile 10: 8:18

Overall Time: 1:26:22 & 8:38 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“Sometimes burning bridges is awesome. It eliminates you from ever going back to the places that you have absolutely no need to visit again.”

Sunday: 6 Miles (50:50) & 5 Miles (54:48)

For Sunday’s run, I wanted to add additional miles as I was completely off my schedule for running this week, I was happy with the total miles for the week considering that I was only able to run 4 days.  Thought the first 2 miles were relatively slow, Stephanie and I were able to pick up the pace and finish with a respectable pace.  I am still amazed at Stephanie’s ability to log so many miles each week, especially with a cracked rib, I couldn’t even big to imagine what that would feel like!

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:09

Mile 2: 8:59

Mile 3: 8:18

Mile 4: 8:04

Mile 5: 8:10

Mile 6: 8:06

Overall Time: 50:50 & 8:28 Pace

The actual Sunday morning running group was met with Jennifer and I running a 5 miler together as she prepares to tackle the Plaza 10k. Though the splits were less than stellar, I was imperative for Jennifer to spend this time today struggling. With work and other elements, Jennifer has struggled to get all of her mileage during the week and with new shoes for today’s run, her body wasn’t exactly happy with her!  This helped her realign her thinking and keep in perspective that the run is very real and it is coming sooner than later! Next weekend, after my long run Saturday, we will be tackling a 6 miler, her longest so far in training and I am excited to see if we can maintain a pace much quicker than today. I know she can do, she has proven it, she just has to continue to herself that throughout the run.   

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 10:00

Mile 2: 10:24

Mile 3: 10:45

Mile 4: 10:50

Mile 5: 12:45

Overall Time: 54:48 & 10:57 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“The moment that you realize how important time is, your entire perspective changes.”

Final Thoughts:

47… the number of days remaining until Baltimore. With 354 miles in the books for training, I am excited to break into the 400 mile club next week with my next 20 miler scheduled for Saturday. (22-23 miles) Though I was only able to run 4 days this week, i still managed to accumulate 36 miles and was happy with a daily average of nearly 10 miles a day.  Though I have not successfully followed me “plan” the last couple weeks, I am realizing that I have built a solid base during my training. Before, 2-3 miles was a solid base that I thought I had acquired, but often fatigued when I tried to push past the typical runs that I accumulating now. Now, I am not saying it is easy by any stretch of the imagination, but logging double digits in back to back days isn’t killing me like it used to. Part of me feels as though I might be giving myself some false hope as a little voice in my head is beginning to challenge me to push my pace and increase my miles rather than following my plan.  I think this is where I have to exhibit some restraint, my life story you might say, to ensure I don’t rush the process and mess up all that I have worked for. It’s funny, the parallels to running and life, both test you, shake you, and at times break you, but it's only to reveal something more beautiful than before. I have fallen apart, but got back up time and time again, each time stronger than before and with a greater sense of purpose. Life is what you make it, as is running and at this point I am willing to fall apart to see what my body can endure.      

Baltimore Marathon Training Week 9

Tuesday: 6 Miles  (51:38)

I have always felt that my mental fortitude is quite resilient.  With my first 20 mile run upcoming Saturday though, I am already thinking ahead and have found the mental battles already beginning.  My Tuesday runs have conditioned my body to know what to expect, while I didn’t feel 100% this morning, I did feel good knowing however that I wasn’t going to endure the mileage that Stephanie and Losey were putting themselves through with a double digit run planned for the day, silver lining thinking.

With the first official week of school underway, I am Mentor to teachers, so I spend the majority of my day moving from room to room, along with the miles piling up, dead leg is becoming a real thing.  Usually, the first mile allows me to iron out all of the kinks and soreness, but I found today that it took longer to eliminate these feelings and for most of the run, I felt like my legs weighed a ton.  Though the pace wasn’t terrible, I struggled with maintaining my pace throughout and had moments where I would have preferred to walk, usually for my first run of the week. I need to be mindful of recovery over the next few weeks to ensure that my body can endure the pounding it will take with running and work.  Mentally and physical fatigue at this point I could live without, but I know it will become my reality by the end of this week.  

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:36

Mile 2: 8:53

Mile 3: 7:57

Mile 4: 8:27

Mile 5: 8:22

Mile 6: 8:12

Overall Time: 51:38 & 8:36 Pace  

Quote of the Day:

“Run in the morning… Before your brain figures out what your doing..”

Wednesday: 6 Miles (50:50)

This run gave me the positive momentum that I needed with my 20 miler upcoming this weekend. Looking at the splits for each mile, I was definitely in a groove and it didn’t hurt that the weather cooperated this morning. It is incredible what happens when the humidity is low and the temperatures are cool to start the morning.  I am feeling more and more reassured that I can run a much faster race if the humidity and temperatures are low in Baltimore, but I know all of that remains to be seen.

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:12

Mile 2: 8:36

Mile 3: 8:33

Mile 4: 8:20

Mile 5: 8:15

Mile 6: 7:49

Overall Time: 50:50 & 8:27 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“Running is nothing more than a series of arguments between the part of your brain that wants to stop and the part of your brain that wants to keep going.”

Thursday: 6 Miles (51:07)

The magic number this week seemed to be 6 and though it wasn't part of the plan, it has been neat looking at my splits and overall time to see how close each has been.  I have also been able to run with several different members of the running group and that continued today with a new running friend, Ashley. She is one of the quicker runners with the Saturday group, so i was a little concerned as to whether or not I would be able to keep pace with her. (If you are noticing, this is a common theme I have with the majority of the people I run with, nothing like ensuring I am constantly pushing myself.)

The run was fairly typical, though we did start the 1st mile faster than I normally would, which probably came from the anxiety of running with someone new,  It was nice being able to learn about another runner within our group as I typically don’t keep up with Ashley and the group she runs with during the weekend.  It is definitely neat to see common threads with all of the runners and feel the “family” mentally that everyone as, as each is there to motivate and push the other to achieve their goal.  Though different in their way of doing it, I know I wouldn’t be where I am at this moment without the support of all of these amazing runners.         

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 8:39

Mile 2: 8:25

Mile 3: 8:43

Mile 4: 8:38

Mile 5: 8:24

Mile 6: 8:14

Overall Time: 51:07 & 8:30 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“The difference between dreams and reality is called discipline.”  

Saturday: 20 Miles (2:53:01)

The anxiety that came with this morning was unlike any other.  I tend to do a fairly decent job of hiding my emotions and not really sharing a lot of my feelings, but today, I was scared as hell for it to begin. This date has been circled on my calendar, taunting me and making me second guess everything that I have worked for this far in training.  I would like to say that I can remember all of the thoughts that ran through my head, but I spent the first several miles talking myself off my own mental cliff and didn’t do much talking with the group.  Analyzing my splits, I am beginning to know identify when the best times will be for me to rehydrate and take in calories to ensure that my body doesn’t flat line.  It appears that my nemesis is mile 14-15 and while the pace didn’t drop substantially, I know that I struggled to mentally fight past some cramping and ideas of simply stopping.  Thankfully, my running buddy continued to hold me accountable and keep me from thinking to long about anything that would deter me from finishing all 20.  I am definitely thankful for having Stephanie continue to run with me when I know that my pace is much slower than what she can actually run.  Having this network of like minded friends has definitely helped me push past mental obstacles and for that I am forever grateful.  

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:27

Mile 2: 8:52

Mile 3: 8:41

Mile 4: 8:36

Mile 5: 8:23

Mile 6: 8:31

Mile 7: 8:21

Mile 8: 8:35

Mile 9: 8:24

Mile 10: 8:29

Mile 11: 8:26

Mile 12: 8:39

Mile 13: 8:30

Mile 14: 8:55

Mile 15: 8:50

Mile 16: 8:48

Mile 17: 8:39

Mile 18: 8:55

Mile 19: 8:25

Mile 20: 8:22

Overall Time: 2:53:01 & 8:38 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“Everything you need is already inside.” ~ Nike

Sunday: 4 Miles (39:53)

It has been quite some time since I have been able to run with Jennifer and today couldn’t have been any better. With her training coming closer and closer to an end for the Plaza 10k, I have enjoyed listening to her tell her story and see the enthusiasm in her voice.  When we first began, our runs were short and often quiet as Jennifer focused on breathing and not so much a conversation, fortunately, this has all changed.  Looking back on it all, I feel fortunate that I could be apart of her journey and have enjoyed seeing her see success in her running.  Her goal for the 10k is to finish within an hour and though I don’t want to sound overly confident and jinx her, I know that she is going to kill it, I can’t wait to see her face when that happens!    

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 9:57

Mile 2: 10:01

Mile 3: 9:48

Mile 4: 10:01

Overall Time: 39:53 & 9:57 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman

Final Thoughts:

With 7 weeks remaining until Baltimore I have surpassed 300 miles (318) after logging a total of 42 this week.  With the new school year in full swing and other stressors rearing up, this week was more mentally taxing than physically demanding.  I experienced many moments this week where I felt as if my head were in the clouds and I was simply trying to just make it through.  While I have developed a love for running, it has also been my outlet to get away from life, if even for a little while.  Don’t get me wrong, running is still very much a time that I can go out and test myself, but I do enjoy and need that time to slip away from life and just be in that moment.  Even in pain and discomfort, I find an eerie sense of peace that I have never been to find anywhere else.  I do often wonder what other runners think about while they run, are they battling anything internal, escaping something personal, or are all they just happy as a clam to be out and running.  I also wonder what keeps them running, what is their motivation and drive and how do they maintain it.  Feel like responding, let me know, I’d love to hear it.  

Baltimore Marathon Training Week 8

Wednesday: 8 Miles  (1:09:42)

If you have been following along, you know Monday is my rest day.  This week however, I found Monday and Tuesday to be needed to adequately give my body the rest that it so desperately needed.  I am not good at taking days off, I am learning that about myself, but also understanding that I am not a college kid that has the quick recovery time, though I would like to believe that I am. Skipping Tuesday’s run, I knew that I had to make the miles up and as fate would have it, Wednesday morning rolled around and I was unmotivated to run in the morning knowing that i would need to add those miles onto the Wednesday night run. Fast forward to Wednesday evening with a temperature in the 90’s and heat index hovering around 100 and I was set to tackle 8 miles.  My goal was to get in 4 before the group started the run which would allow me to rest, rehydrate and hopefully find some additional mental fortitude to tackle the rest of the miles.  

The first 4 miles, sucked. It was hot, my headphones were messing up and falling out and I had no water to rehydrate myself.  After returning I quickly tried to rehydrate but found that I was sweating out what was I replenishing just as quickly.  If you can visual a drowned rat in runners clothing, you have the accurate visual to describe the way I look and felt.  The last 4 miles were logged with Chuck, Hanna, John, and Maria.  I love these people, mild mannered, happy go lucky people that just enjoy being around each other.  They most certainly helped me get through the last  4 miles with their conversations as I struggled to keep my shorts up as the sweat and made me appear as I was a backup dance in a rap video trying to hold my pants up.   And with that visual, we end the post for today. :)

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 8:54

Mile 2: 8:19

Mile 3: 8:39

Mile 4: 8:40

Mile 5: 8:53

Mile 6: 8:47

Mile 7: 8:49

Mile 8: 8:35

Overall Time: 1:09:42 & 8:42 Pace  

Quote of the Day:

“When your legs can’t run anymore, run with your heart.”

Thursday: 3 Miles (25:43)

I strongly dislike running in my neighborhood.  Not because of the neighborhood or traffic or anything else other than I have ran it so much, I know exactly where I am and it makes the time feel as slow motion while I run.  The temperature and humidity were dreadful and though I had brought water just in case, halfway through the water was hot and didn’t help keep my body cool.  With the first day of school officially over, I was already mentally exhausted which didn’t help with persevering when it became difficult, my mind had enough thinking for the day and my body was angry because of the heat and steps I put on it flying from classroom to classroom to assist teachers.

The best way that I can describe this run is, over. I need to become even more intentional with my hours of the day because I can not run in the evenings and maintain a successful training schedule.    

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 8:44

Mile 2: 8:38

Mile 3: 8:19

Quote of the Day:

“Running is nothing more than a series of arguments between the part of your brain that wants to stop and the part of your brain that wants to keep going.”

Saturday: 10 Miles (1:22:27)

First and foremost, the pacing for today’s run is very discombobulated, if you couldn’t already tell.  My goal was to start the day with the early morning running group, but it didn’t work out.  When I arrived, I knew that I needed to get in some extra miles before the start of the 7 am group, so I took off down a familiar road that I knew I couldn’t get lost and wouldn’t be abducted, which clearly I don’t need to worry about the latter.

Because I had arrived at an odd time, I ran the first 4 miles solo, which was a blessing in disguise.  I had a lot on my mind and the temperature was optimal, a divine intervention you might say and exactly what I needed to begin the day. I don’t recall much about the scenery while running, but I can say that my thoughts fueled my pace and though I don’t prefer that to be the case every time, it was nice to allow my frustrations to fuel my fire while I managed through my thoughts.  

The next 5 miles were with Mark, which I always enjoy as our topics vary , but I also enjoy them nonetheless.  The 5 miles had rolling hills throughout with sprinkler cool down but the coolest aspect of the run was watching all of the cyclists that were riding for a cause beside our route.  A Tour De Lee’s Summit you might say, for an aspiring cyclist, meaning I would love to ride with others and not crash into them, it was a neat spectacle.  As we arrived back to our original turn off point, I went in the opposite direction and decided that I would push myself and see what I could get my last mile completed in.  With 10 miles this week, I knew I still had enough energy left in the tank to push myself, I just needed to get out of my own way.  Luckily, as I turned around to head back another runner, Ashley, was finishing up with her run and I made it point to catch her as a way to keep myself motivated and to get back in the best possible time.  Thankfully she was part of the early morning start group, so she was finishing up with her 16 mile, so I was able to catch her, but I’ll tell myself it was because I was actually faster, though not true, I like the sound of it.

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 8:38

Mile 2: 8:13

Mile 3: 7:25

Mile 4: 7:08

Mile 5: 8:56

Mile 6: 8:39

Mile 7: 8:51

Mile 8: 8:28

Mile 9: 8:27

Mile 10: 7:33

Overall Time: 1:22:27 & 8:14 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Sunday: 8 Miles (1:08:48)

After a tumultuous week adjusting back to my work schedule and attempting to continue to juggle what is life, this run was the least favorite of the week.  With the 10 miler Saturday morning coupled with a volleyball tournament, my body was less than pleased to rise this morning.  The pace maintained today is still below my goal for Baltimore, but I felt like death for the majority of the run.  Fortunately, Hanna and I were able to run together and chat, which helped pass the time.  

Reflecting over the mile by mile paces, I am beginning to see a consistency with my times rather than the roller coaster like pacing that i began with during the first few weeks of training.  Though I felt less than stellar today, I was able to feel as though my body was on autopilot for portions of the race maintaining the consistent pace through the 8 miles.   

Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:

Mile 1: 8:53

Mile 2: 8:37

Mile 3: 8:38

Mile 4: 8:27

Mile 5: 8:39

Mile 6: 8:18

Mile 7: 8:38

Mile 8: 8:30

Overall Time: 1:08:48 & 8:35 Pace

Quote of the Day:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right.” ~Henry Ford

Final Thoughts:

I am halfway to Baltimore and staring straight ahead to the 20 miler that awaits me next weekend.  At the halfway point, I have logged 276 miles and am astonished at the growth I have made both physically and mentally.  The amount of preparation that has gone into these last 8 weeks is unlike any training I have experienced.  While grueling it has also been very rewarding.  I have already accomplished more this year that I could have ever imagined and I have given myself another level of confidence that I thought was impossible to tap into.  When I look back on why I began running, it is almost laughable.  A dare you might say that has turned into a lifestyle change and has ultimately shifted my perspective on life and how I approach each day. 4 am used to be time I arrived home or an accidental alarm that signaled I still had time to go back to sleep, but now, 4 am is the start of my magnificent obsession as CT Fletcher would say. I am obsessed with becoming better each and every day and for that, it is worth getting out of bed before the sun rises.   At the halfway point, I will leave you with a quote from a song, not a running song but lyrics that speak to me and my feelings at this very moment.  “In these bodies we will live and these bodies we will die, and where you invest your love, you invest your life.”  Thank you Mumford and Sons for illustrating exactly how i feel both physically, mentally, and spiritually at this time.  I will let you draw your conclusions from these lyrics, but if it draws anything less than a smile to your face and a deep thought, you might want to analyze what stopped you from smiling, it could be what you are investing in.