Hanson's Marathon Method Week 18 Rundown

LAST WEEK OF TRAINING BEFORE RACE DAY has come and gone! Thanks for your patience while I catch up on sleep and get back to reality after traveling/race day. Here's my final week rundown and next Wednesday I'll have a full review of the Hanson's Marathon Method up on the blog (so make sure to check back!). Next week I'll be reviewing my trip and both 5k/marathon, so you definitely won't want to miss it!!

I did only easy runs this last week and tried to keep my pace super easy. I did most days on the treadmill (because of icy roads/cool weather), but played with the incline a bit. I also did one day of strength training and made sure to do a LOT of foam rolling/ icing/ legs up the wall. 

Monday: 6 Miles easy @ 9:59 on the treadmill

Tuesday: 6 miles easy @ 10:00 on the treadmill

Wednesday: 5 miles easy @ 10:01 on the treadmill; 60 minute Barre class at lunch

Thursday: 6 miles easy @ 9:50

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 3.15 miles (5K) @ 9:40; 2 miles easy with last mile alternating every .10 pick-ups 20 seconds below goal race pace & .10 easy @ 10:00-10:20) 

Sunday: RACE DAY!

Sunshine Goods:

• Kept easy runs easy (5k was a little too fast)
• fit in a Barre class
• Kept recovery a priority
• Nutrition was on-point & drank A LOT of water throughout the week/ weekend leading up to the race

Gloomy Goods:

• No complaints! No taper-tantrums and felt strong/ ready to run, but not overly exhausted or tight anywhere : )

Hansons Marathon Method Week 17 Rundown

Second to last week of training and I really began to taper (especially after Wednesday)! I decided that I would get in my SOS (something-of-substance) workouts and run by feel on the other days (so if I didn't get to my full mileage planned, then that was OK). I want to get to the start line feeling fresh, rested, and hungry to run FAST. 

Monday: 10.5 miles (planned 11.0 miles); 1.5 warm-up; 6 x 1 mile repeats @ 8:25-8:36 (8:30, 8:27, 8:24, 8:26, 8:32; 8:32); 1.5 cool-down. Felt strong and nailed my splits!

Tuesday: 7.5 miles easy in the SNOW!

Wednesday: 13 miles. 1.5 warm-up; 10 @ GMP 8:46 (actual: 8:52); 1.5 cool-down. I was a little disappointed that I didn't nail my pace, but I was dealing with stomach issues and almost threw in the towel at mile 5, so I'm proud that I pushed through and finished it out. If anything, it will give me even more fire to push my pace at the race; 60 minute Barre class

Thursday: 6 miles easy @ 10:20 on the treadmill catching up on my shows!

Friday: 7 miles easy @ 10:16 in the afternoon. Slept in and did this outside in 55 degree SHORTS weather! This will probably be the last time that I will wear shorts here in CO until March...

Saturday: 8 miles easy @ 10:02 on the treadmill; 60 minute CoreReformer Pilates Class; followed it up with getting some marathon nails!

Sunday: Rest Day

Sunshine Goods:

• Hit my strength workout paces
• Fit in 3 strength training sessions this week
• Legs felt fresh and kept my easy runs easy

Gloomy Goods:

• Didn't get my pace on my last tempo run

Hansons Marathon Method Week 15 Rundown

738.05 miles in this training cycle thus far and another week is done! This was my final peak week and it went really well. I took a lot of time to focus on recovery and nutrition (and getting a good amount of sleep)! 

Monday: 10 miles; 1.5 warm-up; 3 x 2 miles @ 8:34-8:36 (17:06; 16:49; 16:47); 1.0 cool-down. I cut a mile off of this work-out so I could get 18 miles in on Friday for my long run (rather than the 16 on the schedule). Felt strong at the end. 

Tuesday: 8 miles easy @ 10:06

Wednesday: 1.0 warm-up; 10 miles @ GMP 8:46 (actual: 8:44); 1.0 cool-down. This one was definitely one of my stronger goal marathon paced workouts. Holding that pace for a longer period actually felt possible; 60 minute Barre class at lunch

Thursday: 8 miles easy @ 10:20 on the treadmill (catching up on How To Get Away With Murder)

Friday: 18 miles @ 9:29 (actual: 9:24). Started before 5AM and finished just before 8. I was feeling pretty mentally tired going into this run, but knowing it was my last long run made it MUCH more manageable. 

Saturday: 7 miles easy @ 9:50 (a little too fast) on the trails. I'm always too fast the day after a long run (at a faster pace), but I think it's also knowing that tomorrow is a rest day is a BIG motivator

Sunday: Rest Day

Sunshine Goods:

• Peak week is done and gone!
• Hit all my paces this week
• Felt strong in each run
• Kept easy runs at a very easy pace
• Made it to one Barre class
• Did two strength training sessions
• Foam rolled several times throughout the week

Gloomy Goods:

• Nothing is complain about here! Finished out the week strong

Hansons Marathon Method- Week 14 Rundown

Less than 30 DAYS until the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Marathon! Eeeek! I cannot believe time has gone by so quickly! This week is my LAST 60+ mileage week and then I begin to taper. This training cycle has gone SO well and I'm just focused on finishing it out strong and remaining positive. Also I'm really trying to work on my mental game as well, since this was my weak part of my Revel Rockies Marathon. I want to stay in the moment and fight through the tough parts (NOT give up on myself). 

This week I hit both of my SOS (something-of-substance) workout paces and kept my easy runs at a conservative pace. I did half outside and half of my runs on the treadmill (it snowed on Monday and the temperatures were SO chilly during the mornings). 

Monday: 11 miles total; 1.5 warm-up; 2 x 3 mile repeats @ 8:36 (actual: 8:34) w/ 1 mile recovery between sets; 1.5 cool-down; 20 minutes of strength training. This training run was pretty difficult, but it always feels harder on the treadmill rather than outside ???

Tuesday: 6 miles easy @ 10:06 pace

Wednesday: 12 miles; 1.5 warm-up ; 9 miles @ GMP 8:46 (actual: 8:43); 1.5 cool-down ; 60 minute Barre class at lunch. I felt SO strong during this run and really needed it as a confidence booster. 

Thursday: 10 miles easy @ 10:10 pace on the treadmill (6.5 on the treadmill in AM; 3.5 outside after work)

Friday: 10 miles easy @ 10:20 pace on the treadmill; 60 minute Barre class after work

Saturday: 7 miles easy on the trails around the lake @ 9:36 pace (a little too fast, but I'm SO ready to crush my last long run pace!!!)

Sunday: Rest Day

Sunshine Goods:

• hitting my SOS paces & feeling strong in them
• fit in 3 workouts of strength training
• 55 mileage weeks feels really do-able and EASY!
• 2 epsom salt baths this week

Gloomy Goods:

• 3 Treadmill runs this week = ugh so much harder than running outside

Hanson's Marathon Method- Week 13 Rundown

32 DAYS UNTIL VEGAS!! ONE MONTH! This is seriously SO crazy to me. I cannot believe how fast time has gone and now I only have one more peak mileage week left (above 60 miles) and have run 620.05 miles during this training cycle. I'm still feeling really strong and not burned out/ injured, which is amazing! I'm still really loving this training plan and definitely think I will try it out again for my next race (regardless of how this one goes). It's getting harder to fit in these longer runs in the mornings before work, but I knew that October would be rough to fit in the mileage so I'm just taking it one day at a time and know that after-work runs is always another option. I'm thinking I may try my tempo run after work this week since the cooler weather really seems to be putting a damper on my paces (my legs just cannot seem to warm up for some reason even with lined tights)- unless it is expected to be warmer, then I'll re-assess. But I think it's always good to switch-up whenyou run (especially since the race starts at 4:30pm anyways! 62 miles for the week and 620.05 miles in the bank for marathon training!

Monday: 10 miles total with 1.5 warm-up, 3 x 2 mile repeats @ 8:26-8:36 (800 R), 1.5 cool-down. I did this run back in Maine and the weather was PERFECT for it. I felt amazing. Splits were: 17:06 ; 16:49; 16:47 . Negative split them and hit my paces. I had to cut my cool-down 1 mile short (due to time constraints), but that was fine because I wanted my long run to be a mile longer anyways.

Tuesday: 8 miles easy on the treadmill after work since I got in at 11pm the night before. Pace @ 10:01. 

Wednesday: 1.5 warm-up; 9 miles @ GMP (8:45-8:55) actual: 8:54; 1.5 cool-down. This run felt better than the week before, but my legs still felt frozen and just not able to ever warm-up fully. Did a 60 minute Barre class at lunch

Thursday: 8 miles easy on the treadmill Pace @ 10:20

Friday: 17 miles (planned was 16 miles @ 9:27-9:35) @ 9:33 with a few hills to concur. This run was AWESOME and I definitely could've kept going for the remaining 9 miles. I really wasn't too sore afterwards, which was also a huge bonus

Saturday: 7 miles easy on the trails by the lake @ 10:08. I was really realllly tired on this run and could feel it. It was warmer out than I expected and my legs felt like lead.

Sunday: REST DAY! This was my first complete rest day in 13 days and was SO needed. I tried to limit my activities (we stacked wood and went kayaking), but I iced twice and took an epsom salt bath. 

Sunshine Goods:

• Strength work-out went really well
• Long run felt awesome
• Kept my easy runs at a slow recovery pace
• Nutrition was strong this week
• Sleep was a priority
• Did a 60 minute Barre Class

Gloomy Goods:

• Tempo run didn't go so well (but is improving...)
• Only fit in one strength session this week
• Foam rolling was limited