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Richmond Marathon Training: Weeks 18 + 19: My Marathon Week Brain

It’s hard to believe that in four days, I’ll be running my second Richmond Marathon (and my third marathon in total)!

4 days until Richmond Marathon

I wrote an article for the Richmond Marathon event guide. I believe every participant gets a copy of this in their goody bag at the expo. Here’s the online version – my article is on pages 21-22:

The Magic of the Richmond Marathon

My thoughts are a jumbled mix of the race, my training and reflection on the last 19 weeks (seriously, how was it been that long?).

Before I expose you to the crazy insides of my brain, here’s how last week’s training went. I’ll recap this week’s plan later in the post:

Week 18: November 4 – November 10

  • Monday – 15 min w.u. 6 x 1000@MP with 1 min rest. 10 min c.d.  (6.3 mi)
  • Tuesday – Refine Method
  • Wednesday – 40 mins easy + 4 x 100m strides (3.6 mi)
  • Thursday – OFF
  • Friday – 40 mins easy (4.27 mi)
  • Saturday – 10 mi (1:47:46)
  • Sunday – OFF

Total: 24.17 miles

Most notable in week 18 are the 1,000 meter repeats at marathon pace (which ended up being a bit faster than MP). It was a very cold, insanely windy morning and I was glad I thought to wear my running wind vest. 1,000 meters is a strange distance, and I felt really great about my splits. Especially just two days after running 18 miles!

The other notable workout last week was Saturday’s 10 miler. My plan actually called for 10-12 miles, last 2 at MP. I always go for the top of my ranges, but by the second mile I knew this would be a 10 miler. Everything hurt. This run sucked.

My knee bothered me the entire time. This knee pain is strange; it started at the Portland Marathon as a sharp, outside the knee pain that I’d experienced many times before. While my knee hasn’t felt right since then, the pain’s been totally different. It moves around. Sometimes it’s in the front of my knee off to the side. Sometimes it’s right above or below the back of my knee. Sometimes it moves down to my ankle.

It doesn’t feel like an injury so much as it feels like super tight muscles that never fully recovered from Portland. I have a massage on Wednesday with my brilliant massage genius healer. I expect this, along with the insane amounts of icing I’m currently doing, to help a little. I even added “advanced methods of icing” to my Target shopping list on Sunday.

That brings me to Week 19:

Week 18: November 11 – November 16

  • Monday – 30 min easy with 6x100m strides (3.14 mi)
  • Tuesday – OFF (skipped tempo)
  • Wednesday – Scheduled: 30-35 mins easy +4x100m strides (Might skip)
  • Thursday – Scheduled: OFF
  • Friday – Scheduled: 20-25 mins easy + 4x100m strides
  • Saturday – RICHMOND MARATHON
  • Sunday – Mac and cheese

I skipped today’s tempo run. I’d been looking forward to this run for a few weeks now — 15 minute warmup, 2 mile tempo, 2 mins slow jog, 800 meters @10K pace, 3 minute slow jog, 2 mile tempo, 15 minute cooldown. This is unlike any tempo I’ve ever done and I love how varied it is. I probably would have been focused and never bored.

But I knew, especially after Monday’s 30 minute run, that I needed to skip this tempo. While Monday’s run felt so much easier effort wise than Saturday’s — I felt like I was flying! — my knee still felt off. And it continued to bother me for the rest of the day.

I emailed my coach Steph and she confirmed skipping this run was the right choice. I’m not losing any fitness at this point, she said. I’m also considering skipping tomorrow’s 30-35 minute run.

I will do my Friday shakeout run because I found it to be a really helpful strategy in Portland. I also have lots of foam rolling plans once I get to my hotel in Richmond on Friday. And I expect to be good to go on race day. At least, I hope!

And now, a peek inside my marathon week brain:

Larry Gary space heater

  • Larry Gary really loves the space heater
  • I have to get my bangs trimmed before I leave for Richmond
  • Why doesn’t this wraparound ice pack stay cold for longer than 5 minutes?
  • Why doesn’t this new cold wrap get cold at all?
  • WHAT KIND OF “ADVANCED METHOD OF ICING” IS THIS?!
  • Am I doing it wrong?
  • How do people foam roll for more than 30 seconds without dying of boredom?
  • Why do no foods ever appeal to me at lunch, resulting in my consumption of multiple Picky Bars as lunch?
  • How many other people spend over $50 on coconut water during race week?
  • My goal is unattainable. 4:05 is for fast people.
  • I really wish there was a 4:10 or 4:05 pace group.
  • Maybe my goal is conservative and I am actually faster than I think!
  • But then why are my “easy” runs so slow?
  • My goal is probably somewhere between slightly ambitious – completely doable.
  • My watch GPS is always off in real time (but correct at the mile split). How am I supposed to pace myself?
  • I can’t believe the new Garmin I ordered, that was supposed to arrive by November 7, still hasn’t shipped.  So much for having it on race day. CANCEL.
  • At least now I can take advantage of the Garmin trade-in program and get the new watch now that I don’t need it right away.
  • This marathon can be the last hurrah for my weathered Nike+ GPS Sportwatch.
  • Maybe I can find someone else with the same race goal and stick with them?
  • I WANT MAC AND CHEESE.
  • Why did I make this arbitrary “no dairy during race week” rule? I don’t even know for sure if dairy bothers my stomach. My stomach is almost always bad regardless of what I eat.
  • I didn’t eat any dairy the week of Portland and my stomach was still a mess that day.
  • I chose not to blog about that part of the race.
  • Maybe just a little mac and cheese?
  • Maybe mac and cheese can be my post-race meal!
  • But what about the pancakes??
  • I need to buy ShotBloks at the expo.
  • I hate all lunch foods.
  • I hope I don’t spend too much money at the expo.
  • I wonder if they sell Richmond Marathon dog shirts at the expo?
  • I wonder if they sell macaroni and cheese at the expo?
  • THEY SHOULD SELL MACARONI AND CHEESE AT THE EXPO!
  • Who can I talk nonstop about the marathon with?
  • I’m sad I missed out on a chance to get my favorite running tank top in bright purple.
  • My daily eBay checks failed.
  • I hope Andy can easily spot me in my ugly mismatched race outfit.
  • At least my shorts are orange.
  • I love the race day weather forecast! It’s perfect! I hope it sticks.
  • I hate being cold.
  • I should pack a hat in case the forecast changes to rain.
  • What if the race feels easy and I can beat my goal?
  • What if the race feels easy at first and I think I can beat my goal but as a result I injure my knee worse and then the race sucks and I sabotaged it for myself?
  • Why do I only remember bits and pieces of the course? Is my brain non functional? Did I black out mid-marathon?
  • No, I actually remember a lot now that I see the course map. I remember most of it! I remember specific turns. I remember being at mile 18 thinking “this is when I had to drop out of NYCM.”
  • How will I find Andy after the race? I am not running with my phone. We need to pick a meeting spot! I wish I knew what vendors would be there so I could say “meet in front of X vendor…”
  • It’s OK  that my last long run before the race sucked because I was due a bad run. Now there is less of a chance the marathon will suck.
  • But that 10 miler depleted most of my confidence. Why did it feel so hard to maintain 11:30 miles? Why did my marathon pace effort miles at the end feel like I was huffing and puffing and sprinting and still going so slow?
  • STOP IT. I thrive on race day. I thrive on race day. I thrive on race day.
  • I need to pack my neon green with pink tye dye headband. And maybe I will buy a new one at the expo too.
  • I wish they made orthopedic UGGs.
  • I hope Larry enjoys spectating for over four hours.
  • Larry is a boy.
  • We should bring a space heater with us to the hotel for him!
  • I AM SO SMART.
  • I know I didn’t think the Richmond Marathon hills were bad at all two years ago. What if I was wrong??
  • Whatev. I killed that hill in Portland. I’m awesome at hills.
  • Having bangs means I can wear my hair in a bun and not look a balding boy.
  • Do people still shop at Esprit?
  • Why am I completely unable to foam roll even when I know it is the only thing that might save me?
  • What is wrong with me?
  • Ugh.
  • I’m looking forward to training being over so I can take lots of Refine and fit back into the jeans I wore last December for my engagement photo shoot.
  • I’m looking forward to start marathon training again in March when I am stronger from lots of Refine, and not coming off injury like this cycle.
  • I am glad I was smarter and didn’t gain as much weight this time around as the last time I trained for a marathon. That sucked.
  • Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon Marathon
  • I LOVE RICHMOND.
  • My knee is the only thing getting in my way.
  • Running the Portland Marathon as a training run was totally worth it, despite the lingering pain (a risk I was willing to take)
  • GOAL RACE GOAL RACE GOAL RACE GOAL RACE GOAL RACE GOAL RACE GOAL RACE
  • I am so happy we made our hotel reservation in February and are staying right by the race start.
  • I am so happy the hotel allows pets.
  • Why do I sing “Ice Ice Baby” to myself every time I get out an ice pack?
  • I am excited for pre-race dinner with Danielle and Amelia. I am excited for them to meet Larry. I am sad alcohol cannot be involved.
  • I AM GOING TO BRING THEM A COPY OF MY WEDDING SONGS CD FAVOR!!!!
  • That will make them like me. Also, cookies.
  • I already brought my packing list home. I will begin a supplemental packing list on smaller paper so I can copy the items over to my main packing list.
  • NOTHING GETS CROSSED OFF THE LIST UNTIL IT GETS PACKED.
  • Adding “foldover sandwich bags” to the supplemental packing list! This is what I forgot to bring to PDX and it sucked!
  • This giant robe my coworker gave me months ago will be perfect to bring for before the race!
  • I can’t believe this race is the only thing I’ve blogged about for 18 (soon to be 19 and likely 20) weeks.
  • What will I blog about after?? Do I even have anything to say? I am not interesting.
  • A major perk of the Richmond Marathon is that I don’t have to go to work on Friday. Four-day week FTW.
  • Saturday will be awesome. The Richmond Marathon will be awesome.
  • I hope to be able to say to the Ander mid-race, once again, “I AM LOVING THIS!”
  • I am running a marathon on Saturday!!!!!!!!

Dori-Richmond-finish line

What’s your craziest pre-race thought?

Richmond Marathon Training: Week 15 – My Training Favorites

While I recently wrote a post about my favorite running gear, there are a few very specific items I not only associate with my Richmond Marathon training, but that I can no longer imagine training without. I’m not going to repeat any items from the last post because boring, but every single item in that post also applies here. Especially Oiselle Roga shorts – I cannot and will not wear anything else. (Thanks Theodora for the post idea)

Dori’s Shiny Training Favorites

CamelBak Arc Quick Grip – CamelBak sent this to me for free to review, and I am really glad they did. I was using a much heavier, less comfortable running water bottle. Before that, I was using one that spilled all over the place. Unless it was really hot or humid, I wouldn’t bother bringing it because it was too annoying. The first time I used the CamelBak Arc Quick Grip I felt so relived that a running water bottle could be so easy. It’s lightweight, is molded to the palm of your hand, is easy to adjust, easy to drink from, doesn’t spill, is easy to clean and has two pockets. One of those pockets fits my iPhone 5 if I choose to bring it.

CamelBak Arc Quick Grip

Photo credit: Runningwarehouse.com

I now bring it on every single run, no matter what the weather is or how short the run is. I love having easy access to water (or in my case, Ultima. More on that next) and it forces me to stay better hydrated since I want to make use of the thing I am carrying.

Ultima Replenisher, Grape – When the Portland Marathon announced that the official electrolyte drink at the race would be Ultima Replenisher in Grape, I figured I should practice with it. I am SO glad I did because I love this drink! I take it on every single run (even short ones) and I drink it during the day at work or home. It’s been crucial to my hydration strategy this marathon training season.

Ultima Replenisher - Grape

Photo credit: http://ultimareplenisher.com/%5B/caption%5D

I would never choose Grape on my own, but I’m glad PDX did it for me because I love the way this tastes. It’s not too sweet and it is really delicious.  It also includes actual grape skin as an ingredient. It is sugar- and artificial-sweetener free.

[caption id="attachment_10801" align="alignnone" width="480"]Ultima Replenisher - Grape - Nutrition Facts Photo credit: http://ultimareplenisher.com/%5B/caption%5D

Zensah  Compression Leg Sleeves – My motto about compression sleeves is this: “They can’t hurt.”

Whether or not they help is up for debate, but I can tell you that wearing these makes me feel like I’m doing something to keep my injuries at bay. That mental comfort is good enough for me and if they actually DO help physically, even better! These serve an added bonus of keeping my legs warmer since it’s cooler out lately and coming in fun colors and prints, making them a favorite running accessory.

[caption id="attachment_10729" align="alignnone" width="269"]Neon pink tie dye compression sleeves I got compliments on these neon pink tie dye compression sleeves during the marathon. It made me happy.

Picky Bars – I used to think I couldn’t eat before a run, now I don’t think I can NOT eat a Picky Bar before one. I’m a member of the Picky Club which comes with some fun swag (if you join, size up on the t-shirt. Mine is too small to ever wear!) and 18 bars a month. My favorite flavor is Smooth Caffeinator. Not only does it contain caffeine (ideal since I don’t drink coffee before a run) it is HAZELNUT.

I have another motto:

“Everything hazelnut flavored is delicious, while actual hazelnuts are just OK.”

Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bars

Photo credit: PickyBars.com

These bars further prove my motto true. The hazelnut pieces and chocolate chips are SO GOOD. This is my favorite snack even when I’m not running.

Injinji Compression 2.0 – I hate my feet feeling bound, and standard compression socks are like torture for me. This is why I am so thankful that Injinji (the original toe sock) makes compression socks! Not only can I not run (or Refine or walk my dog or do anything requiring socks) without Injinji socks, their compression socks are a lifesaver for me after long runs.

Injinji compression socks and flip flops

At PDX waiting for my flight after the marathon. Injinji toe compression socks and flip flops. Sorry boys, I am married.

I have both the first version (pictured above – what other compression socks can you wear with flip flops!) and the brand new Compression 2.0 (pictured below) which improved on the original and comes in fun colors. Ideal for anyone who wants proper toe alignment (so… everyone?).

Injinji Compression 2.0

The new & improved Injinji Compression 2.0 and a pup.

Birkenstocks – As an injury prone runner with a bunion, I cannot say enough good things about my Birks. I bought myself a pair of Suede Arizona Birkenstocks last year after being diagnosed with my bunion and it was like night and day! These are by far the most comfortable, supportive shoes I have ever worn — more comfortable than any sneakers — and I don’t want to ever wear anything else.  Not only can I tell an immediate difference in my bunion pain between these and other shoes, but I can tell the difference in my calves and knees too. Birkenstocks take off so much leg pressure associated with other shoes, and I truly believe they kept my injuries from getting worse throughout this training cycle.

Birkenstocks at the NYFW Oiselle fashion show

Birkenstocks at the NYFW Oiselle fashion show

I randomly won a second pair (pictured above, the Cortina Black Gizeh) at the NYRR Fitness Magazine Mind, Body, Spirit Games 4 Mile last year! I got to the race early (what else is new) and had some time to kill, so I waited on line and spun a wheel and won a pair of Birks.

Life is good.

I haven’t found any other shoe that comes close in support and comfort, which is actually frustrating because true Birk weather is over. I stretched it out as long as I could, probably longer than appropriate.

I did get one of their closed shoe styles (the Dundee) which are great with yoga pants and flared or boot cut jeans but not with any straight pants. I hope they make a tall boot.

I also ordered their inserts so EVERY SHOE CAN BE BIRKS. But they don’t work well with every shoe. So instead, some shoes can be Birks.

In an ideal world, I would live in climate where every day is Birk weather and I would work in a job where Birks are appropriate office attire (which is actually true of my current job).

Lululemon Run Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve – This top is way too expensive, but I managed to get all three that I own on sale. And for that, it is so worth it. Very lightweight and breathable with thumbholes, this top is perfect for chilly morning runs. It is on the longer side, which I prefer because it doesn’t ride up and looks more flattering. It’s also super comfortable, soft and not too tight. I have a issues with many long sleeve shirts (and running crops/tights) because my skin is extremely sensitive. Many tight fitting long sleeve tops make me either itch or feel restricted and uncomfortable.

I also wear these as regular shirts — including on my very first nachos date with Andy — and find them to be very flattering in the boobage area. Just FYI. It worked for me. That’s all I’m saying.

Dori with her nephew Harrison wearing Lululemon Run Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve

Here I am wearing the Run Swiftly Tech in PDX with my nephew. I actually never took it off from my run. Oops.

Last week’s training

As for my training, last week was the first of three intense weeks before I taper. Because my knee was still hurting from the Portland Marathon, I had a massage on Wednesday and I skipped the 35-40 minute run scheduled for Friday. I almost did that run on Sunday and then realized that would not be the best decision. My knee won’t recover from a 14 mile run without rest. I am not (always) dumb.

Week 15: October 14 – October 20

  • Monday – OFF
  • Tuesday – 15 min w.u. 12 x 1 min on, 2 mins off 15 min c.d. (6.1 mi)
  • Wednesday – 50 mins easy + 4x100m strides (4.41 mi)
  • Thursday – Refine Method
  • Friday – OFF
  • Saturday – 14 miles easy (2:36)
  • Sunday – OFF

Total: 28.3 miles

Because I skipped a run and ran extra slowly, my mileage is lower than I’d like so close to race day but it was a solid week of training. That speed workout killed me; I started each ‘off’ with a walk until I could get myself jogging again because I was so spent from each interval. I kept telling myself I could stop at 10 (coach put 10-12 on the plan) but what’s two more brutal minutes? Of course I did it.

Unrelated notes: My husband Andy has a new Twitter account to coincide with taking over Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks.  Follow him and enjoy your new twice-daily procrastination tool. My only complaint is it needs more of his face.

Andy Gray's face

Speaking of procrastination tools, I just started a(nother) Tumblr: The Gray List. I haven’t done much with it yet but I intend/hope to. So far, I’m enjoying it as a way to aggregate news stories that would otherwise be scattered across the internet in a much friendlier way than a news reader.

What one item can you not live without while training?

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