Fitness Swellness: Countdown to the Chicago Marathon and Nike Women’s San Fran Half-marathon

Wake up on my own, well rested and then I enjoy a satisfied yawn as I stretch. Ahh…Then spring out of bed and go out into the glorious weather and enjoy the fresh air as I run, run, run carefree and like it’s the easiest thing in the world for me. Get home and shower, and eat something yummy. Eventually sit down at the computer and write…

This is how a friend of mine told me she envisions my days. It made me giggle, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s usually more like: Get jarred out of sleep by my alarm and resist crawling out of bed until I feel too guilty to still be in bed. Then fret and put off my run most of the day. And why’s that?

Because I don’t love running. And it doesn’t come easy to me. I know. Most everyone assumes I love it. I don’t. What I do I get from running is a sense of accomplishment and I am motivated to continue running as my main fitness regimen as I’m driven by competing against myself, but it does not bring me the immense joy I know it brings some runners. It never has.

And now, with less than three weeks until my fall races–I run the Chicago Marathon on October 12th and the Nike Women’s Half-Marathon in San Francisco on October 19th, it’s go-time, and I’m struggling more than I have in ages.

A little update on my training: Ever since I ran my first marathon in 2012, I’ve been running one each fall and spring season (with the exception of last fall when I ran two marathons one month apart). Every year, I run the race, take a few weeks off and then start the four-month program from the beginning again to run the following season’s marathon.

It can be a grind, but for the most part, it’s so much a part of my routine now; it’s like I’m on auto-pilot. I practically know the four-month training program off my heart.

This year, I decided to enter the lottery to run the Chicago Marathon as the Windy City is one of my favourite cities and I was in need of a fall goal race. I got a spot through the lottery, yay! And one of my good friends is now joining me so we can take in the art, eat amazing food and frolick together, double yay! This will make the Chicago Marathon my seventh marathon. And then the opportunity came up through Nike Canada to run the Nike Women’s Half in San Fran and I couldn’t turn that down (triple yay!), even though the race is one week after the Chicago Marathon. I’m trying to consider the Nike San Fran half as one I’ll do for fun (although when it comes down to it, I know my competitive side will want to PB).

I’ve been lucky enough to train with my running buddy for most of these 3.5 months; she is a similar pace, and somehow she doesn’t mind doing nearly all of the training, even though she is not registered for a race. Her motivations are different than mine when it comes to running. I need to have that goal race.

I’ve been very consistent with my training. I’ve even added the occasional 4th run a week here and there (I usually can manage only three runs a week — remember? I don’t love it!), and I’ve been attending Nike Training Club classes on a weekly basis, and have noticed a difference in my strength. My pace and endurance seems similar to me, but my running partner says I’m faster.

The last few weeks, though, have been difficult. Life has thrown a few curve balls, and I’ve been distracted and stressed, my focus is not on that finish line in Chicago. Getting proper sleep, hydration and fuel has gone out the window. The one thing I have been able to maintain is fitting in my training runs consistently, and that’s even with the travel that has kept me busy. And this I consider nothing short of a miracle since all I feel like doing is curling up in bed. I guess if there’s one thing I am it’s diligent when it comes to sticking to the actual runs that my training calls for. Some days, the running helps to clear my mind and relieve some anxiety, and some days it doesn’t help at all.

With 17 days to go until the Chicago Marathon, I’m uncertain if a personal best is within reach. As I spend the next couple of weeks tapering, I know I will be agonizing over what my body can achieve, but more so what my mind is capable of on October 12th.

On the bright side, this weekend, I travel with my #werunSF Nike run crew to New York City for a training run in Central Park, so maybe this can help me feel more motivated, race-ready and focused. Follow me on Instagram (I’m @healthandswellness) for updates from the Big Apple.

17 days until the Chicago Marathon…

24 days until the Nike Women’s San Francisco Half-Marathon…

Leave a Comment September 25, 2014

Fitness Swellness: Marathon training tips from Nike Master Trainer Marie Purvis

One fall 2013 marathon down, one to go!

Yeah, you read that right. About two months ago, I decided I’d run not just one marathon, but two, this fall. One month apart.

I ran the first one a week and a half ago — the Nike Women’s Marathon in  San Francisco. And I PB’d! Sweet!

My next one (which will be my fifth marathon — me. the girl who struggled with one minute of running in 2007!) is on November 17 in Philadelphia. I was a bit nervous about racing four weeks after NWM so I spoke to Nike Master Trainer Marie Purvis for some advice.

1. “You only have three more weeks of work,” she said. Purvis recommended one week of recovery post-NWM (Ah, a blissful week of rest and two massage appointments!), and then looking at the following three weeks as tapering. Let me tell you, framing it as a month of tapering sounds most excellent to me!
2. “Run the three times a week as you have been doing, and add some cross training.” The distances for the once weekly long runs: 18 miles, 13 miles and 10 miles (that’s 29k, 21k and 16k). For cross training, she suggested yoga and swimming.
3. “Decide which race is more important for you.” If it’s Nike San Fran, then go all out in that one, and then just recover and do what you can in Philly, said Purvis. If it’s Philly, then use NWM as a training run.
4. “Eat clean.” Purvis followed a mostly paleo diet for one marathon and drank wine and ate non-paleo for another marathon and found it made a huge difference in her performance.

Most of this sounded great to me…until I realized that one week post-NWM, the 18 miles she told me to run is practically 29k (I had to whip out my little metric conversion app). Faced with running 29k a week after NWM was daunting mentally, so I decided on 27k instead last Sunday.

I’m also not so thrilled about the eating-clean  bit…and I just can’t. I  love all sorts of food (healthy and the occasionally not so healthy dishes) too much to give it up. Plus, I’m traveling the week prior to the Philly Marathon and I’m not willing to give up eating the delicious meals I have in store for that trip. If that’s what’ll keep me from a fast marathon finish, you know, I’m ok with that.

And with that — there’s 18 days to go until the Philly Marathon…!

6 Comments October 31, 2013

Mid-marathon training report

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oQ7NFDjQfIs]

I’m about halfway into my four months of training for my second marathon and here’s how it going:

Training in the summer sucks. Big time. I wish I could be a little more chipper about it, but I can’t. Yes, training in the heat now will only help me during the race (by then temps will have dropped), but every long run, when I’m miserable and dripping sweat and suffering in the hot, hot, hot sun, all I can think of is how maybe I just shouldn’t train for a fall marathon. I have to run 29k this Sunday and I’ve already started to dread it. That’s a whole week of dreading it.

Forgoing a fall marathon would mean it’d be easier to travel (I have a few trips planned and doing long runs when away is difficult, so I’m finding it hard to fit in trips). This weekend, I decided I’m only cut out to train for spring marathons…and then I remembered that both the New York and Chicago marathons are fall ones and I’d like to do both someday.

Frick.

Double frick.

Anyhow, since I’ve already done half the training, I’ll keep on going. Two more months. I can do it. Right? Right…

In the meantime, my pal Sarah (she’s a holistic nutritionist) is in this video talking about how to survive training and racing in the heat. She pipes up at the 2:40 mark. Have a look-see.

Leave a Comment August 14, 2012