Are We Peaking Yet???

Peaking is both exciting but also tough.

Marathon training, that is. I have been running marathons for five years, and it's not so much the race itself that is demanding, but the actual training to get to the start line. Within that training is the peak month...the final weeks where the mileage escalates and the weekly long runs seem unrelenting. Thankfully, there's the reward of the taper to look forward to.

Such was this past week.


#nevermissaMonday
Having just returned from my whirlwind weekend in Philly (at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, thank you very much), Monday morning arrived much too quickly. I got out for a very short walk before heading to the office. After a long, though productive, day at work, I finally was able to lace up and head out for three easy miles in some very warm summer-like temps.

some like it hot, especially me

Tiresome Tuesday

Nothing too grandiose to report...a few early morning "fasted cardio" miles walked through the 'hood and that's all she wrote. Although my muscles were feeling pretty well recovered from the Sunday's R'n'R Philly 13.1, my overall body was feeling a bit tired. Even though I had run all those miles in the heat and humidity, I think the real culprit was all the riding/driving (3+ hours!) after the race and then the flight home (2.5 additional hours of cramped sitting).

the shirt may say "I run for fun," but on Tuesday I was walking

Wednesday's weekly #5at5

I finally had my energy back by Wednesday, and met Barb for our ritual early morning 5-miler. The temps were a bit chilly, but the sky was clear. All went well.

Five mile, courtesy of the Knuckle Lights and light-up arm bands

Thursday's thirst for speed

A new strategy I'm implementing  in these final weeks of marathon training, is to alternate HIIT workouts and speedwork (instead of doing both each week). I wasn't feeling like doing either Thursday morning, but had an extended lunch break...so I headed over to the college. There's a span of sidewalk that is the length of two city blocks. I do a lot of fartlek repeats on that 2-block expanse, but this week I had the idea to do the repeats for a 1-block distance instead (and jog the remaining distance as a recovery). Back and forth five times netted me two miles of sprints/recovery (for three cumulative miles including warm-up and cool-down). And, with the crazy heat, I was a massive sweaty mess...but felt quite accomplished for my efforts.

Thursday's thirst for speed = massive midday meltdown

Finally Friday
It wasn't just a typical Friday in my world...it was the eve of that landmark training run most marathoners-in-training look forward to AND dread at the same time...the 20-miler. I did some walking, but spent as much time as possible stretching and foam-rolling to prepare my body (and mind) for those 20 miles.

Saturday's Plot Twist!
I came back from lunch on Friday, and found two football tickets on my desk for the Iowa State vs. Akron game...which was happening at 11:00 the next morning. Okay...how would I do the 20 miles and be done in time to be on the road for the game (70 miles away)? I'd have to rise and shine (in the dark) at 4:30 in hopes of being done around 8:00 to allow for showering/clean-up and drive time. UGH. Not ideal. Barb had run her 20 miles the weekend prior, so she wasn't planning on running 20 miles again...so I'd be on my own for some of these miles. Not too keen on running all those miles alone in those early hours, I decided to put the 20-miler on hold for 24 hours and give myself a stress-free morning. The hubby and I slept in (somewhat), took Max for a walk, and took our time getting to the game. Problem solved.

Saturday, Sept. 22nd, also was the 5-year anniversary of my first marathon, so I dug out the (retired) Mizuno Wave Inspire 8's

Sunday's entrance to Tapertown
I really hate putting off long runs such as this 20-miler. I'd rather just get them done on Saturday (and not have them "hovering" over me) and then spend the rest of the weekend relaxing and recovering. None the less, I didn't feel the usual trepidation as I got up and prepared for the morning's adventure. I met up with Barb just after 6:00, and we set out to conquer all the miles. She was hoping to run 18, but would finish all 20 with me if things felt good at that point. The temps were slightly warmer than Saturday (50F) and there was a slight breeze. Fortunately, all my body parts (especially those grumpy glutes) felt fine and in full working order. We kept our pace easy, but it did progressively get slower as the miles wore on. The final miles did bring me a little bit of hip strain and some weird twinges in my shins...but we ran the final two miles strong and finished what we'd started.

20 miles done!!!!! Yes, I kissed the hydration pack goodbye...I won't be needing that anymore for this training cycle.

So, I am officially in taper mode! Let me just reassure you how fantastic it feels to be there. Marathon training is tough (as it should be), but it is so rewarding to reach that peak mileage and really see what your body is capable of doing. No looking back, full steam ahead! My mileage this week maxed out at 31 (running) miles and my walking was at 17 (at the time this goes to press, that is LOL...I will be walking a few more miles later to work out any residual kinks from the morning's 20 mile excursion). I think the extra rest day (Saturday) was a solid move; my body had more time to recover from Thursday's speedwork and that additional day of stretching/foam rolling was beneficial.

In case you missed out, here's the posts from last week:
Summer's Last Hurrah
R'n'R Philly Half Marathon Recap
You've come a long way, Voldy

In other news:
Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post (on Instagram)? Although Labor Day has long since passed, I still wear white (and am not afraid to do so). Besides, there's something about the classic black and white color combo that is timeless. I'm just glad the white skinny jeans are still trending, because they are one of my wardrobe favorites, year round. Add a few pieces of chunky and funky jewelry, and we're good to go! As always, you're free to join the Friday Fashion party...post a pic of a featured outfit (it doesn't have to be your actual Friday outfit), grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and give me a tag (@Runningonthefly). It's fun to see what everyone's wearing!

Saturday's football game was at Jack Trice Stadium (Ames, IA). Although the hubby and I are both University of Iowa grads, we support our inner state rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones. The game held a special tribute to Celia Barquin Arozamena, the slain student from the golf team. Attendees were encouraged to wear yellow to the game to honor Celia.

I don't have much for yellow, so I had to cover the "contra ban" with my red scarf

And, finally....as mentioned above, September 22nd was the 5-year anniversary of becoming a marathoner. I ran the Quad Cities Marathon on a beautiful, sunny day and was blessed with a totally fantastic experience. Little did I know what a slippery slope I had just landed on...

My first of seven marathons

That's the latest and (mostly) greatest in my little corner of the universe. 

Talk to me....How was your week? Have you ever postponed a long run due to a scheduling conflict...or did you just suck it up and make it happen? What do you think is worse...the training for a marathon (or any long distance event) or the actual race itself? 

I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. This weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us!

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