TIART - Marathon training plans

Having just finishes my first marathon, I am in no way a marathon expert. Prior to starting my marathon training, I did a great deal of research trying to find a plan that matches my lifestyle (full time working mom, with a very demanding job), is not too high in mileage (because I get injured easily), and one that would help me look forward to my runs (rather than dread them). After much research I found the perfect plan for me - The FIRST plan, put together by the Furman Institute. The plan is based on research, and has been tested on numerous runners since it has been developed. It has only 3 weekly runs (called key runs): a speed session (max 4 miles of speed, as part of a max 7 mile run), a tempo run (usually 6-7 miles, but 2 weeks of 11 miles), and a long run (13-20 miles). The plan also requires 2-3 crosstraining days, of cardiovascular activities that are non impact (e.g. running, swimming or rowing). The authors recommend setting aside 30-40 minutes for crosstraining, and going for intense intervals (e.g., low bike resistance and high cadence, swim fartleks), and are aimed at increasing aerobic capacity.

The program allows you to figure out a projected marathon time, based on 5K, 10k and/or 1/2 marathon pace. Once you figure out your target marathon pace, the speed of each of the key runs are given to you based on your marathon pace and prior performance. If you have not run a 5, 10, or 1/2 marathon race, the authors provide alternative ways of figuring out your marathon goal and paces.

The program worked very well for me. I looked forward to all my runs. I did not have a twinge of pain aside from muscle soreness. The maximum mileage of 36 miles/week (average 30/week) was manageable for this busy working mom. And the result? I ran my first marathon in 3:44:39, a BQ at Boston Marathon (which I ran as a charity runner).

Other things that have helped me with marathon training:
1) Strength training - I did pilates 2-3 times a week, for 15 minutes.
2) Icebaths - one after every long run, but toward the end of training one after every run.
3) Using a foam roller after every run
4) Eating healthy and timely - within 30 minutes of a long run.
5) Sleeping - taking naps after the long runs.
6) Making training a priority after family and work.
7) Wanting to run a good race, really, really bad!

Boston marathon 2009 pictures!

Sue C and I getting off the bus. I had to lift my shirt so they can see my number!

Running, running, probably at the begining of the course, given that there aren't too many cups on the ground

Crossing the finish line? Honestly, I don't remember if the final mat was red or blue...

Transition point at mile 19. Check out the determination on my face, and my mom in law handing me the Nuun bottle.

All done! Check out the difference in the face expression! I am so happy here!

My incredible support team! My husband Chris in red and my gorgeous son Petru (he was more interested in the crosswalks than runners; he kept telling people to stop shouting because "It hurts my ears".... but I still hold hope that he'll be a runner someday!) . He has the body for it:)

My First Marathon - Boston 2009; My BQ Race Report (part 1)

Premarathon day:
I spent the entire day on Sunday waiting for the time to go by. Oh, and also nursing a head cold/allergy type thing. I tried hard to carbo load, but since I did not work out I was not hungry. I ended up having a turkey sandwich for dinner. Off to bed at 10pm, along with "Once a runner". Eleven pm goes by and I am still reading. My husband is already asleep - he knows he has a tough day ahead, full charge of an active 3 y old, and support for me. At eleven thirty I turn the light off, knowing I will not sleep. I toss and turn, maybe sleep a bit. It's 4 am and I am wide awake, happy to hear my son yelling "I want to go to mommy and daddy's bed". This gives me an excuse to get out of bed and get him into ours. I fall asleep deeply at 4:30, and then I hear my husband's voice "Hon, it's time".

Marathon day:
It's 6:30, time for the show to start. I get ready, I eat my oatmeal, I drink my coffee. I put my pace tat on. At 7:30 we are off the door, and go pick Sue C up. Chris drives us to exit 21B in Hopkinton, and then we hop on a bus. It's 8:47 and we are at Athletes Village. Not taking the 6:15 MGH bus was such a great idea! We have to pee really badly, and the porta potties have long lines. We head to the bushes and join several other runners. Off we go, when a policemen approaches us asking for our numbers. We innocently tell him the numbers, and then he tells us : "You are going to be penalized for indecent exposure". Are you kidding me. I find another policemen and ask him what is going to happen. He says he does not know. OK, they only wanted to scare us. I hope.

We go through the athlete's village and get to the MGH tent. Heated tent. We end up spending our time sitting in line for the porta potties. I know it's anxiety, but hey, the music in the tent is too loud. I pee at least 5 times. At 9:45 we go to meet Sue M and Andy. At 10 we start moving toward the finish line. I need to pee again. Into the bushes, along with other runners. Back to the start line. we start walking. And we walk, and walk, and walk, up hill. Holy cow! We are at the end, about 1 mile from the start line. This is going to make for some sloooooooooooooow miles. But, the view is beautiful. Helicopters are cruising the sky. Looking down from the top of the hill, I see masses of runners all the way down. I feel inspired and energized. I want to run!

10:30 OFF WE GO.
I ditch my clothes. I feel excited. Sue C, Sue M and Andy are close by. The plan is to run together the first few miles, and maybe more. My plan is to be on pace (8:35) by mile 6, keep up that pace up to the hills, maintain the pace on the uphill and speed up on the downhill. Speed up even more after mile 22. Hmm, it did not work out quite like this.

Miles 1-3.
We are moving slowly, and end up zig zagging a lot to pass runners. My R shin hurts. Weird! Then I look at the road, it is tilted to the R. The course starts with a downhill, pretty steep. I tell myself to take short and soft steps, to save my quads. Then I see hills. Hills? Aren't the first few miles supposed to be downhill? By mile 3 I get on pace, 8:35. But, at mile 3 my Garmin shows 3.2. I check my pace tat, and I am behind. I know that this will be at least a 26.5 marathon. Need to pick up the pace.

Miles 3-6.
Pain is gone. I pick up the pace. I feel great, but I know this does not mean anything at this point. I take my first gel at mile 5. I feel it immediately. I am on pace, on the "new pace", that is 8:29. OK, lets enjoy the race. I hi five all the kids, I listen to the blasting music. I see the woman with the sign: "My kenyan legs are broken". I still have to zig zag a lot to pass people. I am also learning that I need to run in the middle of the road, so that I don't interfere with the runners who stop to take water on the sides of the road.

Mile 6-10
Uneventful. I feel great. I take another GU at mile 10. I am starting to worry I feel too good. Should I go faster? The crowds are yelling and yelling. I want to go faster, but I manage to keep myself on pace. "This is your first marathon".

Miles 10-13
Entering Wellesley. Both sides are 4-5 people thick. I get to see the hamburger guy runner, and also the 2 chubby guys in speedos. I feel great. I am on pace. I am smiling and taking it all in. I take my second GU. I know I am approaching Wellesly because I hear the screams. they are getting louder and louder. This was my favorite part of the race. Those women are amazing. They get your attention. They call your name. They scream. They are passionate about cheering you on. It's their mission to get you moving faster. They kiss lots of guys, including one of the chubby ones in speedos. I need to tell this to Chris, maybe he'll consider running

Boston someday.

Miles 14-16
I start speeding up, pace is now 8:29 or so, then 8:27. I check my pace tat at all mile marks. I am doing well. I feel great. A bit nauseous, but still great. Those Wellesley girls energized me. Or maybe the gel I took at mile 15. We pass a steep downhill and then a long uphill. I knew about these and worked hard to save my quads on the steep downhill by taking short steps and not braking hard. I feel great. My pace is not affected by the hills. I am running out of Nuun and water, but I know Chris is going to be at mile 18. At mile 15 my Garmin shows .4 mile extra. I feel too good to worry about this now. "Just stay on pace, check the pacetat, and you are going to be fine. Don't go faster than you need to."

Mile 16-20
The start of the hills. Really? What have we run so far? I did not see any flats on this course, only rolling hills. I still feel great. I am starting to feel my quads, but nothing concerning. I am nauseous, but nothing too bad. The crowds are screaming. "We know how to do hills". I am feeling the headwind more and more. I feel I have to push more to keep up the pace. I start looking for Chris at mile 17.5. By mile 18.5 I start thinking I might not see him. The crowds are 4-5 people thick on both sides. I am disappointed, but switch to problem solving mode. I pick up a few water cups and start drinking, but it's hard since I don't want to stop. I grab more water cups and I pour them into my water bottle. I know I have some Nuun with me, so I can chew on that if I have to, later on. And then I see Chris, along with some friends, Petru and my mom in law. I run by, pick up the electrolyte bottle, give him the empty bottle, and surge ahead. I am afraid to stop. As I run away, I start feeling guilty for not stopping or thanking them. Later on my mom in law told me I looked determined. My quads are starting to hurt more and more. Hmm, I've run these hills before, what's up with the pain? All is manageable, though. "You can do this". I don't want another GU but I force myself to eat it. I am so glad I have my electrolytes with me, because I am feeling lightheaded. Pace is 8:26.

Mile 20-23
More ups and downs. I am not even counting the hills. I am hurting badly. With every step, sharp knives are carving into my quads. I worry about cramping, even though I have never cramped before. Heartbreak Hill is approaching. I hear the crowds yelling a warning. Then I look up and see masses of runners up and up into the horizon. My quads are screaming. I put my head down and start counting "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10', and again, and again. I am fine cardiovascularly, but my legs are becoming very weak. "You'll feel better after the hills". I slow down to 8:27. I am on pace for a sub 3:45. "You are not going slower than this. You are going to keep up this pace. Just keep your head down, and plug along. You can do this.". At mile 22 there is a bit of downhill, but then another hill. "How come I did not see this before? I've run the last 20 miles of the course 2 times". I hurt so bad that I am considering stopping. I know I will not, but it is comforting to thing about taking the T, or stopping for a minute. I keep drinking the Nuun, but I am lightheaded. My laces come undone and I need to fix them. Not the stop I was hoping for. I lean down, and I get dizzy. My hands are shaking. "You need to lace them well, so that you won't need to stop again". I do that. With shaking hands. And blurred vision. Off I go. I feel awful.

Mile 23-26.2
More ups and downs. Hills are v small but they seem so big. I check my mileage at mile 23, and it looks like I will be running.5 m more. "It's OK, you can do it". The crowds are starting to bother me. They seem so loud. I can't make out what they are saying, I only hear noise. I want quiet. I don't want to see more uphills. I put my head down and count. This seems to work well. I keep checking my Garmin for pace. I am on pace. "Only 3 more miles, that is less than 27 minutes. Only 2 more miles, that is less than 18 minutes. Only 1 mile, you can do it. You have 10 minutes to make it. You can do it". I take the R on Hereford. It's on an uphill. My legs are like rubber. I turn L on Boylston. I see the finish line and it seems so far away. I try to speed up and I am not sure if I am actually moving faster. My legs are done. everything is foggy. I decide to put my head down again and count. I start looking up only when I am a few feet away from the finish. I try to speed again. I cross the finish line. I did it. Garmin shows 8:27 pace for 26.7m, time 3:44. I don't feel the emotion I anticipated. I am glad to be done. I am hungry. I eat 1 bagel and 1 Powerbar Recovery bar in the 15 minutes I have to walk to pick up my medal. There are lots of wheelchairs and medical tents, and people looking very bad. I start feeling great. I limp a bit, and try to stretch. I put my medal on. It feels great.

I walk to Prudential to meet my friends and Chris at Fitcorp. I take my Asics off and discover that all but one toe have bloody blisters. I send Chris to buy me flip flops. He comes back with these soft BAA superexpensive flip flops. Hey, i deserve them. People make comments about my toes, but I don't really care. They don't hurt. But my quads do! My friend Sue C shows up and she does not look good. We go to the medical area and they take care of her. I show the doctor my toes and ask him if he's seen anything this bad: "Sure", but his face says otherwise. He gives me band aids to wrap my toes. I think everyone is grateful for that. Sue M shows up later, after a visit to the medical tent. Andy showed up earlier, not looking good. Everyone did great and PRed, though. We end up having a little party in the food room. No room in the car and Chris has to take the train home. He left 2 hours before we did, and we got home at the same time. He is the most supportive husband!

** Pictures are part 2 coming soon!

I BQed at Boston Marathon

I did it. It was tough. And frustrating. Being a charity runner I was at the end of the pack, and ended up running 26.7 miles (@ 8:27), rather than 26.2. Official time 3:44:39, 8;34 pace. Full report to follow. Feel great! Ana-Maria

Getting ready for the big show

I ran my last tempo run today. I short 3 miler @ 8:14. It was beautiful. Everything came together and made the last official workout of the marathon training cycle perfect; it was a cool but sunny afternoon, the air was crisp, my legs felt fresh and strong, my mind was clear and focused. The premarathon anxiety has dissipated for the most part. I still feel nervous at times, but I am mostly excited. I am going to be part of an amazing collective experience, and I am ready for it. I am going to embrace whatever the race will bring, including the pain, nausea and queasiness inherent in running well. I am going to run smart and I am going to run hard. But mostly, I am going to enjoy the experience.

Back in January when I started training, I set several goals for the marathon. These goals have not changed.

A. Get to the finish line healthy.
Fear of injury was what kept me away from running a marathon during the past 3 years, when I became "serious" about running and switched identity from a "jogger" to a "runner/racer".
The 2 stress fractures I had after a series of hard races where a function of this transition from running easy to running hard, which my mind needed time to wrap around. It was also a function of being uneducated about running smart, running schedules, crosstraining, strength training, etc. But live and learn, and I surely learned a lot from these experiences.
I have trained smart for this marathon. I made a few mistakes, pushing a bit too hard at times, but following a schedule and crosstrainig allowed me to recover and get stronger and faster, without breaking my body down.

B. Finish the marathon
26.2 miles are intimidating. Although I have trained hard, the reality is that I have never ran 26.2 miles. I don't know what it's going to be like to run over 23 miles, or over 20 miles at a faster pace, because I have never done it. Reading about others' experiences helps, but it is not the same as going through it. For me, just finishing would be a huge accomplishment.

C. Finish in less than 4 hours.
OK. I have trained for an 8:23 pace. I have done this because the schedules for the slower paces
seemed too easy for me. However, I am not even going to try to get close to that pace for this marathon. Boston is hard, and I am going to run it conservatively. There will be other flatter races for faster times.

D. Finish in 3:45 or less and qualify
I know I should be able to run the race at an 8:35 pace. My last long run was an 8:29, and it did not feel hard at all. The hills did not leave my out of breath. I think this is a realistic goal, but it will depend on how things come together on race day (weather, adrenaline, gi, etc).

I have also raised over $3000 for pediatric cancer research at MGH. My dad died of lung cancer and I will be running this race for him. I work at MGH and I think it is one of the greatest hospitals; I am amazed at how brilliant the people I work with are, and how stimulated my mind is by just being in such an environment. I have never raised money before, and I have learned a great deal from this experience. At times I felt a little "unworthy" of running the Boston marathon because I did not run a marathon before or qualified. However, I really believe that raising this amount of money was a qualifying marathon in of itself - the time, energy, planning, organizing, juggling, worrying, "running" around - and I am glad to be able to contribute in this way to such an important cause. I will no doubt run for MGH again, hopefully as a qualified runner:)

Good luck to all running Boston or another race this weekend!

Random thoughts

It's amazing how a few weeks can change feelings about training, about wants and needs when it comes to a run (and others, but lets stay focus on the run). I guess it comes down to the saying: "you want what you can't have". I remember clearly how much I wanted to be done with the long runs, and come to this point in my training, when there is less training, less juggling of schedules, and more free time. Now, when I am running much less (23 miles this past week) and my longest run this past Saturday was only 11 miles, it's hard not to think about and miss the enthusiasm and strong feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing a long run. At the same time, the "extra" time has become a time of fretting over the upcoming race, checking out running websites on the marathon, over analysing every ache and pain...not v productive. I've managed to catch myself and redirect my energy toward work and family, and that has helped put things in perspective, but there are still chunks of time that are not accounted for. Where did that time go?
*
The run yesterday was OK. Not spectacular. Legs felt fresh and great. I am confident that they will feel ready to race by next Monday. I stayed on the target (8:23), and ran negative splits, but was happy to be done with the run. I am nursing a cold, so that most likely contributed to the 'low energy" feeling I struggled with during the run. It's interesting, but it seems that every Boston marathon runner I know is struggling with 'something': gi issues, a cold, sleep problems, an injury, irritability, etc.
*
This upcoming week I have about 10 miles or so of running, and will swim and bike less, too. I am probably going to stop "boston mania" (aka searching every video and article on line) in the next few days. Logistics are being discussed now: how to get there, pace tat or no and what pace, who to meet at which mile, how to get back home, would a 3 y old be able to handle the marathon craziness, is all in order for my trip to Canada on Tuesday morning after the marathon(this includes a presentation that I am still to write for a conference up there).
*
Those running Boston, check out this 2007 Runner's World article on the Boston Marathon course - one of the best I have read.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-379--11717-1-1X2-3,00.html

Eventful track workout

Speed work for today called for 6 miles, w/ 5X1000m @ 6:46. Piece of cake, right?

After a cloudy and chilly morning, the afternoon turned out to be perfect for speed work. I was really excited for it as I always am after 2 days of swimming and biking. My plan was again to run a mile, do one of the repeats on the bikepath, the other 4 on the track, and run back home.

I also wanted to take it easy and not to run too fast, definitely not faster than 6:40min/mile.

Repeats:

1. 1000m @ 6:39 min/mile
2. 1000m @ 6:40
3. 1000m @ 6:33
4. 1000m @ 6:38
5. 950m @ 6:40

So what happened with the last repeat?

The Arlington Highschool track team, which trains on the track I normally go to, has left hurdles out on the 3 outer lanes of the track. When I first saw the hurdles I thought it might be fun to try them out, but, given my level of clumsiness, I decided to wait until after the marathon. I ran all the repeats on the inner lanes of the track. During the last repeat I was feeling great, in the zone, practicing one of my "you are getting close to the finish line" scenarios when all of a sudden, sharp pain in my L knee and R thigh, and boom, on the ground I go along with two of the hurdles. I get up and move my knee around. Pain is strong but the knee works. I try to put weight on it, and it is fine. I start walking, but I can't do it without a limp. F&#%. I roll the knee a bit more, massage, and start to walk again. Much better. Finally, I manage a slow jog home, and the knee feels better and better.

As soon as I realized the knee is going to be fine, I started laughing out loud. How funny is this, to manage not to get a "real" running injury, and then when you are almost done with a workout to have a silly fall like this?

My knee is still a bit sore, and I bet there will be a bruise in my future. I'll add it to the numerous cuts, and falls, and bumps I have acquired over the years. Lets just hope that I will not be tripping on an empty water cup or collide with another runner during the marathon. With my level of clumsiness, these scenarios are totally possible!

Thoughts on a midlong run

The first week of taper ended with a 13 mile run, for a total of 26 miles, 7 miles less than what I ran last week. I know this is nothing compared to the 50-70 miles that others run as preparations for marathons, but hey, I did 5 2osh milers during this training cycle, so that is something to be proud of.

After a 6 mile tempo @ 7:38 (goal pace 7:50) on fairly flat grounds, I was ready for some hills today. Sue M and I debated whether to go on the course again or not, but I wanted to be home on time so that Chris could play some tennis. As such, we decided to avoid the commute, and, for old time sake, run our winter course Arlington, Cambridge (Fresh Pond), Belmont hills and back in Arlington. My plan was to run 13 miles @ 8:23 or so.

I had a terrible night sleep. Sleep is one of the best things I do, and I normally can sleep on command, anywhere, anytime. We had friends over last night so I went to bed around midnight (it's taper, right, I can get away with less sleep). I did some running related reading (aside from work, this is my reading these days), turned off the light, and was wide awake. All I could think about was the race, but in an excited, rather than nervous kind of way. So even though I was unable to sleep, I actually enjoyed myself and was not concerned about running on little sleep. At 3 am Petru started calling that he wants to sleep with us...he was actually good and getting him into bed helped me sleep soundly until 6:45 am, when it was time to get up. After my usual breakfast, I ran .5mile to meet Sue M. We started on our way a bit too fast, and ran @ 8:10 on the downhill of the bikepath, slowed down to an 8:20, and then to an 8:29 by the time we hit Belmont. Getting on pace when I run with others is always difficult, because I tend to accomodate their pace, or what seems natural, rather than keep paying attention to staying on my pace.

The monster .8 m of the Belmont Hills seemed hard, but easier than it felt during our last encounter. Both Sue M and I agreed that training on these hills has made the Newton hills seem like cake by comparison. At mile 9.5 I said good bye to Sue M and decided to pick up the pace so that I could get to the target pace of an 8:23. I was still fatigued from the hills, but knew that I would feel better on the flats, and then there are some short rolling hills coming up that I wanted to run on to get my quads ready for the last few miles of the marathon course. My pace got faster and faster, and my legs felt strong on the downhills. I ended up with an average of 8:16 - does it ever happen to you that you start running faster and faster but the perceived effort stays the same - and walked .5mile home sipping water and doing lunges. I rushed into my icebath and even managed a shower before Chris had to leave. I streched a bit, while Petru played his guitar, had some food and played with my boy for the morning. We both took a much needed nap. My legs feel a little sore, probably bc of the faster pace, but nothing that a good strech and roll later can't fix.

Looking ahead, I'll have 22 miles next week, and 10 the week after. I will probably swim and bike less during the last week as well.

On a different note, I got some information on transportation during marathon day. Looks like the bus will leave from MGH at 6:30 (yikes) which means a 4:30 wake up time for me if I want to eat and take care of bathroom issues (yikes, yikes). Those travelling to Boston, I suggest getting a hotel in Hopkinton or Natick, so that you don't have to wake up at the wee hours...it is going to be a long day!

Don't let the word "taper" fool you...

Taper officially started on Saturday, after the last 20 miler! My mind frame has switched from training to tapering immediately thereafter. So on Monday afternoon, I decided that since I am not officially training any more, it is OK to take it easy and bike indoors, rather than brave the rain as I normally do. This made running on Tuesday a must. I normally study the running schedule a week before - it helps me to get over whatever worry I may have about the workouts - but did not do it this time. It's taper time, workouts should be oh so easy now. Well, I was wrong. On Tuesday I was faced with a 7 mile run, with 4 miles of speed, 8X800 meters @ 6:46 average pace. Let me tell you, this took me by surprise, and I was not happy about this. It's like thinking you are done with all the hills in a race, and all of a sudden another one appears on the horizon. I did not have a lot of time for pity parties, so I had to get it together quickly. The weather was beautiful and I focused on that. It was too cold for shorts, but I still wore them. I warmed up for a mile @ 8:50, and started to run the repeats on the bikepath, on the way to the track. It is so much easier for me mentally to run repeats on the road rather than on the track (something about how oh so boring it is to run in circles), but everyone says the track is easier on the legs, so i decided on a compromise. The 3 repeats went really well. I have gotten much better at not going out too fast, and I am more relaxed if the average pace approaches the target pace.
1. 800 @ 6:42, 3:27
2. 800 @ 6:41, 3:26
3. 800 @ 6:34, 3:21

Once at the track, I was really hot. Shirt came off, and I ran in shorts and a sports bra. The field in the middle of the track was occupied by the Arlington Highschool Baseball team. Balls were flying left and right, and I debated whether I should be running on the track at all. On the other hand, it was nice to have some company, something to watch during the repeats. I had to skip over a couple of balls, and that added a bit of excitement to the run.

The 5 repeats went well.
4. 800 @ 6:42, 3:20
5. 800 @ 6:43, 3:21
6. 800 @ 6:43, 3:21
7. 800 @ 6:35, 3:17
8. 800 @ 6:33, 3:15

I was happy with myself that I finally learned how to run at a consistent pace, and not go out too fast. The repeats were faster than I had planned, but they felt so easy this time around. I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I did not feel out of breath or tired in any way. This experience was very different form the "all out" feeling I used to experience during these repeats. I guess the program works.... It would be interesting to run a 5K again, as I think I have gotten speedier:)

I ended the run with 2 cool down miles @ 8:30. It's funny that 8:30 is my cool down pace now:)
My mood was much happier than when I started it. I have since learned that "taper" only means decreasing number of miles ran, not intensity. Rather, intensity needs to be maintained so that one does not loose fitness. Aha, now I get it... So next week, when I have to do another 7 miler with 5 X1000 meters repeats, I'll have time to adjust mentally and I won't be surprised again.

The rest of the week should be easy, 6 mile tempo and 13 mile long run. Bring it on!!!!