Marathon training week 1

Training for Twin Cities Marathon, October 9:

Monday: Four on the Fourth race plus warm up and cool down for 6 miles total.

Tuesday: Speed work: 2 mile warm up, 5x1000 at goal 4 min with 400m active rest, 2 mile cool down. 3:59, 3:58, 4:00, 4:02, 4:00. All by myself on the track in super high humidity. My track is right next to NOPSI the Sewage and Water Board, and is surrounded by water tanks that fill the morning air with steamy dampness. I was still tired from the race, so this felt hard.

Wednesday: Off.

Thursday: Tempo fail again. Warm up 2 miles, six mile tempo: 7:12, 7:11, 7:12, 7:09, 7:14, 7:07. But I had to stop for water after mile four. I was dying. Cool down 2 miles.

Friday: 6.5 miles easy.

Saturday: 12 mile long run at 7:46 pace with 15 levee repeats. I remembered to wear a hat to protect against the beating sun on the levee, which helped. 

Sunday: 7 miles easy on dirt track. I woke up to an astonishingly cool morning, and had a pleasant run in just 83 degrees. I won't see that kind of weather again until September!

Total: 50 miles. FIFTY. I averaged under 30 per week for my last marathon (although a lot of that was due to missing weeks with runner's knee - if you exclude that, it was probably closer to 42 miles). I just think 50 is a lot. Hopefully I won't get injured. I am trying to be diligent to strengthen every day and I never miss my Myrtles!