Richmond Marathon Training: Week 14 – I LOVE REST

After running a marathon as a training run, there are no sweeter words from your coach than REST WEEK written out in caps where the weekly mileage normally is.

I really needed that rest.

Steph gave me the option to run three times, but instead I ran twice and went to Refine once.

My quads were sore through Wednesday. By the time I woke up on Thursday to go to Refine, they didn’t hurt anymore. At Refine we did an exercise with a mini band around our thighs, sliding back and forth on the floor with our feet on sliding discs.

My butt was sore through Sunday.

But I didn’t fail at rest. I love rest, and working out only three times in a week IS rest (pre-2010 me would laugh at that one).

What I’m suffering most with, though, is how slow it’s taking me to bounce back. I’m still exhausted from the Portland Marathon. After the race, I spent 7.5 hours in the airport, then took a redeye home, then went to work. After a full week of work I had the busiest weekend, having to wake up early both days.

I haven’t had a day to just sleep and do nothing. I need a true full recovery day.  That day won’t come until Sunday.

So while I am currently in week one of the three most intense, challenging weeks of my training program, my body isn’t there yet. My runs are slow. My knee/IT band still feels off. My neck started hurting again out of nowhere. My body still feels tired.

I’m hoping tonight’s massage and Sunday’s couch day snap me back into shape because the tempo runs on my schedule for next week and the week after are insane. I get scared just looking at my plan.

I want to be able to conquer those tempo runs. I want to feel great during my last three long runs. Now is crunch time and I want to make the most of it!

Here’s how my rest week workouts went:

Week 14: October 7 – October 13

• Monday – OFF
• Tuesday – OFF
• Wednesday – 35.39 min (3.33 mi)
  
• Thursday – Refine Method
• Friday – OFF
• Saturday - 45 mins easy (4 mi)
  
• Sunday – OFF

Total: 7.33 miles

As much as I’ve loved training this season, I’m ready for it to be over. Not only is it dark when I start my morning runs, it’s dark when I FINISH.

After these three  intense weeks, I get two weeks of taper — which I am VERY much looking forward to, I don’t get you taper-crazy people — and then it’s Richmond Marathon time. I’ll be happy when the scary-looking tempo runs are done — not only because they won’t be looming over me, but because I’ll know I completed the hardest parts of marathon training.

Do you love rest/taper weeks? Or does resting drive you crazy?