Hanson's Marathon Method- Week 11 Rundown

61 miles this past week! Weeee! I felt amazing this week and didn't have the best Tempo Run, but nailed every other run, so I was pretty excited. My long run felt amazing (I finished and honestly felt like another 10 miles would have been easy) and my strength work-out was hard, but I powered through it. My nutrition was really great this week and I took recovery as a priority. I can't believe that we are less than 50 days out from the Rock 'n Roll LV Strip at Night! I'm super excited to be running back in Vegas at night and can't wait to see all those lights. I'm going to be traveling back to Maine for a few days this coming weekend, so it will be another week of mixing up when my runs will be, but no "long" runs are on the docket (strength & tempo runs will be the longest at 11 & 12 miles). I switched up when I did my strength & tempo runs this past week, since I wanted a weekend off (we were planning to go backpacking, but the weather looked rainy all weekend so I just ended up doing a 7 mile run on Saturday & my long run on Friday which worked out for the best).

Monday: Strength Session. 6 x 1 mile repeats at 10 seconds faster than Marathon pace with 400m recovery and 2 mile warm-up and 1.5 mile cool-down (actual: pace was: 8:34 for each split)

Tuesday: 8 mile recovery @ 10:16

Wednesday: 1.5 mile warm-up; 8 tempo miles @ GMP 8:46 (actual: 8:56); 1.5 mile cool-down. It was SO cold outside this morning (real feel in the 20's), so I think this and not extra fuel the day before really took a toll on my paces. I was a bit bummed that I couldn't get my legs to turnover like they did the week before, but that propelled me to be faster on my long run! Also did a 60 minute barre class at lunch; epsom salt bath to recover at night

Thursday: 8 miles recovery @ 10:20

Friday: 16 miles long-run @ 9:29 (actual: 9:25 min/mi). This run felt amazing & I wasn't as sore as I expected.

Saturday: 7 miles recovery @ 9:48. This was on the trails and I was a bit too fast! The weather was cooler and rainy, perfect running temps! 20 minutes of strength followed by 20 minutes of recovery yoga & epsom salt bath

Sunday: Rest Day

Hanson's Marathon Method Week 10 Rundown

This week went 10 x better than previous weeks and I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere with this training plan! I finally didn't feel defeated after any run this week and I crushed both of my SOS (something of substance) workouts. If nothing else comes out of this training plan, I'm happy to embrace the almost-euphoric runners high that I got from each training run this week. Hoping this feeling continues. I did also start to feel a bit of tightness in my left foot (thinking it's a touch of plantar faciitis- I get a few days of pain then I focus on a lot of stretching/ rolling my foot out/ epsom salt baths and it improves), but it went away after a few days of extra TLC. Otherwise, I'm feeling strong and ready to head into my one of three high mileage weeks (over 60 miles!) before the taper/ race-day (which is only 54 days away now!). 

Monday: 6 miles easy on the treadmill @ 10:20 & 20 minutes of strength

Tuesday: 7 miles. 1.5 warm-up; 3 x 1 mile @ 7:20 (actual: 7:19, 7:19, 7:23) w/ 400R; 1.5 cool-down. This run also includes two of my FASTEST MILES EVER RUN! I ran a 7:19 in my first split, then beat that with an even faster 7:19! 

Wednesday: 6 miles easy @ 10:09 & 20 minutes of strength

Thursday: 11 miles- 1.5 warm-up; 8 miles @ MGP 8:46 (actual: 8:35); 1.5 cool-down. This run felt amazing!

Friday: 10 miles easy on the treadmill @ 10:01

Saturday: 10 miles easy on the trails around the lake @ 10:30. I was super happy with my pace since this was a total trail run and on some pretty tough hilly terrain. It was perfect weather out!

Sunday: Rest day. 6 mile hike with Stella

Sunshine Goods:

• Hit my Tempo Run with pace 11 seconds faster than expected
• Hit my mile repeats on the track (with no cheer squad)
• Fit in 2 strength training sessions
• Foam rolled the majority of days
• Took 3 epsom salt baths
• Diet was on-point & super hungry all the time!!
• Running schedule is finally starting to feel easier and less overwhelmingly hard/difficult/impossible to fit it all in
• Sleep was priority

Gloomy Goods:

• Foot started to hurt a bit after my amazing tempo run
• Always hungry!! 
• Chafing. Ugh. This should just always be a negative to any training

Hanson's Marathon Method Week 9 Run Down

Week 9 is complete and I'm starting to get back into my groove (despite a pretty tough long run this week)! I can't believe that the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Strip At Night will be here in less than 63 days! This week was really challenging because I tried to fit in my Monday Mileage (was on the schedule to do 8 miles) throughout the week since I could only fit in 2.10 miles before we left Yellowstone and were stuck in the car for 10 hours. It was also really difficult because the wildfires made for harsh air conditions and not the best for running outside (so I did most of my runs on the treadmill). I was able to make it outside for my Track Tuesday speedwork and for a few nighttime runs near my neighborhood (which is farther away from the haze and smokiness that surrounds Steamboat currently). The good news is that the haze has gone down and I can run outside again! My cold is slowly improving (finally gave in and got some Mucinex-D, which dries me out like no other), so that's another plus!

Monday: Scheduled to do 8 easy miles; Actual: did 2.10 miles around the campground in Yellowstone & fit in 3 miles Tuesday evening & fit in another 2.90 miles Thursday evening

Tuesday: 1.5 warm-up; 6 x 800 @ 3:40 (with 400R); 1.5 cool-down. 7.5 miles total. Splits were: 3:35, 3:35, 3:39, 3:38, 3:40, 3:38 I was SO happy with this work-out considering I did it a few weeks prior and it didn't go as well. It's the little things : )

Wednesday: 7 miles easy on the treadmill @ 10:10 & 20 minutes of strength training

Thursday: 1.5 warm-up; 8 miles @ MGP 8:46; 1.5 cool-down. 11 miles total. Actual pace was: 8:41. Had to do this one on the treadmill due to the poor air quality.

Friday: 8 miles easy on the treadmill @ 10:20 & Power Barre Class

Saturday: Rest Day. I volunteered at the Run Rabbit Run 100 miler and had to work a shift from 4am-10am (meaning I had to get-up at 3am and was so tired, so I decided to push my long run to Sunday instead). I was seriously so exhausted I slept for almost 12 hours on Sunday to make-up for it!

Sunday: 15 miles at 9:29. Actual: 15 miles @ 9:45. This run was pretty terrible. I was super dehydrated and it was hotter out than I was expecting. I think I was so off from my strange hours on Saturday and dried-out from the mucinex that I just couldn't push myself. I had to stop a few times and finally finished my run with the last 3 miles on the treadmill to try and cool myself down (didn't really work too well). Oh well, next time is another opportunity!

Sunshine Goods:

• Hit my track paces perfectly and still felt like I had a lot more gas in the tank!
• Fit in one strength training session & one barre class
• Did 3 Epsom Salt Baths to recover
• Nutrition was really good
• Sleep was better than previous weeks
• Tempo run felt hard, but I powered through
• Foam rolled 3 times last week= SUPER WIN!

Gloomy Goods:

• Long run sucked. just totally sucked.
• Oh the chafing. so.much.chafing.
• Headcolds & mucinex= no fun.
• Unpacking after a fun-filled weekend, no fun either

Hole Half Marathon Recap & Life Updates

My HOLE HALF MARATHON RECAP is here! Shimmy on over to my Race Recap page to check it out- you definitely don't want to miss how amazing the finish venue looked and where I finished in my age group!

I'm sharing some of my favorite photos that I took over the weekend from Yellowstone up on the blog tomorrow, so make sure to check back. Here's a little sneak-peek ; ) 

I finally feel like I'm starting to get back into a groove-again after our vacation in July. It's so crazy to me how long it takes to get back on track! No wonder why so many of those who suffer from addictions or weight loss or irregular workout plans struggle so much- it's really HARD to get used to a schedule and stick to it. After 8 weeks of marathon training, I finally feel like I've gotten adjusted to it and am not nearly as exhausted as I was when I first began training. 

Hanson's Marathon Method definitely takes a lot out of you and is a really big time commitment compared to other training plans! I'm just hoping all this running pays off on race day (it's only 66 DAYS AWAY!!!!- that's only a little over TWO MONTHS!). 

We've been so busy trying to fit in camping and hiking and backpacking on the weekends and squeezing-in as much fun summer activities as we can. We just got our second kayak fixed, so hopefully we can take both out on the lake this weekend!

The weather (despite the current wildfires that is creating a constant smokey, haziness that is unfit for any extended outdoor activities) has been so beautiful with mid-80s during the day and low 40s at night. Perfect for early morning or late afternoon runs : )

September is a VERY busy month for us and we only have one weekend free (which I'm sure we're going to fill-up with a camping or backpacking trip). Alex is working at the Telluride Blues and Brews festival next weekend (hoping I can go down and camp there/ spend time with him, but still up in the air) and I will be going back to Maine at the end of the month for my grandfathers service. This weekend is a bit crazy as well because I am volunteering at the Run Rabbit Run 50 & 100 mile races from 4-10am (sleep will definitely be off) on early Saturday morning. 

That's all that's been going on with me, what about you?! Any fun plans for September? 

Favorite season? Mine is definitely Fall- bring on all the apples and layers!

My Running Wish-List Right Now & Tips to Fitting in High Mileage!

I kinda wish every week was only 4 days long because it's already Thursday and tomorrow is FRIDAY! I used to work at jobs where I would always get Fridays off and I kinda think I need to start that trend at my current job too- having that one extra day is really REALLY nice! Then we have one day to relax, one day to do errands/ cook, and one day to do something fun. It's a win-win-win. Hmph, someday !

I wanted to share with you a few things that are on my running wish-list right now because it's Fall and that means we need some new running gear heading into the cooler months (AKA winter). 

• Brooks Ghost 10 - Because running high-mileage means I need another pair of these Ghost 10s (and they are seriously SO amazing). I wish wearing running shoes to work was appropriate. 
• Brooks Juno Sports Bra- Finding good sports bras is difficult and I've had some in my dresser for ummm... 6 YEARS?!? If only I had all the money in the world I would try this highly recommended sports bra and when I found the perfect fit, I would purchase 10 of them and just throw out all my other ones. Someday....
• Oiselle Flyout Long Sleeve- I live to layer on the run and this long-sleeved tee has the perfect cuts and thumbholes
• Oiselle Caty Lady Racerback Bra- This just looks so amazingly comfy and warm that I know it will become a part of my wardrobe this upcoming winter season. I actually could picture myself wearing this in the summertime too because the girls are always a bit chilly...
• Oiselle Wazzie Wool Base Layer- Another fantastically warm-looking base layer from Oiselle that I know I would live in come Fall/Winter/Spring (these seasons kinda just melt together here in the Mtns...). Perfect for those chilly runs or on the mountain or I would definitely wear this to work too. It's on sale right now, bonus!
• 2xu Compression Run Socks-  Coming upon sock season, these are a must-have for recovery and I also really love to run/race in them. These are also on sale right now and look super cute when paired with a costume!

Kinda was a mistake for putting together a wish-list because now I know how many of these things are on sale and now I just want them all! But hopefully you are able to enjoy them for me and let me know how fantastic they are for running.

I also wanted to leave you with a few tips that I have for increasing your mileage since I've gone from consistently running 30-35 miles per week to 45-55 miles per week. 

• Follow a training plan and slowly build up to your 1st week of training. Do NOT just jump into a training plan unless you've been consistently running that mileage each week. I like to put together my training plan calendar then go back 3-4 weeks from when actual training starts and take a few miles off from week 1 of training each week until I am at a normal weekly mileage for me at this point. 
• Know yourself and when works best for you to fit in your runs. For me, I know that I tend to find more excuses if I wait to do my run later in the day. I also know that if I want to sleep in that morning, then I need to get my run in later in the day and plan everything else around that. Be flexible. I sometimes switch around my rest days too if I have something upcoming on the calendar that I know will be difficult to run on that day or maybe I'm just not feeling it. Know that it's OK to not stick to your training plan day by day. Each week is a new beginning!
• Have a great support system. Alex is really great with knowing that I need to get my run in and I like to not put it off all day on the weekends, so he helps me get it in. Whether that means picking me up 8 miles down the road an hour later or dropping me off, running some errands, then picking me up somewhere else. 

Race recap of the Jackson Hole Hole Half is coming to the blog tomorrow! Get excited to hear all about it and don't forget to add it to your race calendars next year!

Have any tips for fitting in higher mileage weeks while training?

Favorite running gear? Did I miss anything that you LOVE to RUN in?