Rehoboth Beach Marathon Training Week 15 – Started from the Bottom Now We’re Here

Good morning! It’s Thanksgiving week (for you American types) so work will likely be a bit relaxed and I am too. Week 15 was peak week for my marathon training and now it’s time to cut back a bit. Unfortunately, this is also the time of year that caloric intake goes through the roof! I’ll make it work. 🙂

Let’s recap my week in running, if I can keep your attention for that long. If you want the good part, just go to Sunday!

Monday – Planned 5 miles/Actual 5 miles

Nothing like a good treadmill run to start the week. 5 miles is about the point at which I start to really grow tired of it. It didn’t help that I was a hot and sweaty wreck by the time I was done. I was STILL dealing with some discomfort in my left quad. That’s getting old in a hurry.

Tuesday – Planned 8 miles/Actual 8 miles

I had to run though some discomfort pain for several miles. I called it a 3 on the pain scale, so I’m not super concerned (yet). I ran at 5:30am all alone, but I could have used some company for this one.

It had rained a TON, but miraculously the rain stopped as soon as I got out of my car and never started back up, so I guess I had that going for me.

Wednesday – Cross-Training

I bailed. My stupid leg was bothering me and I didn’t want aggravate it any further, especially knowing that my longest training run was this weekend. I promised Jill that after Rehoboth I’m going to cross-train hard. I like the progress and I’m excited to focus on it a bit more. Rest day.

Thursday – Planned 6 miles/Actual Rest

This 33 degrees and rain thing is getting REALLY old. Some of us considered braving it and getting our run/coffee in but eventually the decision was made to move to Friday. I woke up and it wasn’t raining so I thought about going for it, but the second I did it started POURING. Good call…

Friday – Planned Rest/Actual 6 miles

I’m really happy to have running and coffee with friends at least once a week. The runs are nice and easy and the conversation afterward is great. Runners are really great people. I’m not just saying that because I’m one of them. 🙂

I MAY have overdressed a bit and had to shed some layers mid-run. That’s kind of my thing.

Saturday – Planned 6 miles/Actual 6 miles

My plan was to wake up to run at 7:30 then have coffee with Wade at 8:30. I could tell my wife needed some extra sleep, so I stayed home and played around with Benjamini for a while. That meant coffee THEN run.

Fancy coffee is the best kind of coffee.

The coffee got me nice and amped up for my 6 miler. I averaged a 7:30 with a fastest mile of 7:08. I’ll take that! It didn’t feel like I was working overly hard and that’s a good sign. My hip/quad thing did bother me some, but I’m pretty much getting used to that as my life now. I’ll fix it after Rehoboth, I guess.

Sunday – Planned 18 miles/Actual 18 milessssss!!!!!

I was kind of happy about my run. I wanted to tell EVERYONE.

This was it. 18 miles is the peak distance for my marathon training, with all of the setbacks I’ve had this is about the best I think is reasonable to do. I’ll be honest, I was nervous and a little afraid. I wasn’t afraid that my Achilles (either of them) was just going to rupture again (though I’ve had those thoughts). I fear that my body just isn’t built for marathons and that it’s going to tell me that in the worst way possible, by stopping me. It was so hard to be away from running and I don’t ever want to be away from running again.

I ran the first 7 miles with friends. It was pretty awesome. We used to run “lake loops” together on most Sunday mornings, but that has faded away (I blame the post-run Starbucks that was destroyed by a tornado). Out of nowhere, my buddy Sam sent out a group chat and we were BACK.

From the first step, my quad/hip thing was about a 3 or 4 on the pain scale but it never got any worse. After the first 7 miles, I really thought I wouldn’t make it through, or that I probably SHOULDN’T make it through. I grabbed some Gus and a drink and said my goodbyes to take off for part 2 of the run. 11 miles solo.

I picked a route that I hadn’t run in a very long time and that was just what I needed. It gave me that old sense of newness and adventure that my runs had been lacking. I ran with joy and enthusiasm! The miles just kept melting away, one by one. By about mile 10, I knew I’d finish.

This guy didn’t know if he’d run 18 miles again.

I was so happy to get it done! After tearing my Achilles, it’s been a long and tough road to get back to this. I know that 18 is a long way from 26.2, but now I have the confidence that I need. Rehoboth, I’m comin’ to get ya!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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