Eugene/50 Miler Training RUNdown Week 13: 3/18-3/24

March 27, 2019 by Stacy McAllister in 50 miler training, Training Rundown

Happy Humpday! This week is FLYING by. I’m partially happy about that and sad because that means that my recovery week is coming to an end. I got a massage yesterday and WOW did that make a HUGE difference! I’m so glad that I listened to my body and booked one ASAP. Massages & sleep are two of my favorite ways to speed up recovery (and stay injury-free)- along with also increasing my GOOD calories. I’m eating so much lately it’s slightly ridiculous, but I know that food = fuel = less likely to get injured.

Last weeks training went pretty amazing. I was within ~.5 mile of breaking my weekly mileage training high (I peaked for MS Run The US at 67 miles!). I will absolutely cross that barrier during the next two weeks of training and then I’ll do a mini-taper for Eugene (mid 50s for mileage). Then a mini-ramp up again (mid 60s) for my 50 miler before tapering again. My training plan had the next 3 weeks as a big training block, but since I’m wanting to race Eugene I will be cutting one of those weeks out and switching back to Hanson’s Marathon Method for the two weeks leading up to Eugene (my taper). Then I’ll pick back up with the training plan from this book following Eugene (with run/walking for the first week or so to aid in recovery). I’ve done something similar with my MS Run The US training, but using myself as a guinea pig (to hopefully someday become a running coach!).

Monday, 3/18: 6.36 miles easy 10:11 328’ RUNch. Ran to the library & back!

Tuesday, 3/19: 12 miles with 1.5 warmup / 9 miles @ goal marathon effort (8:30 today)/ 1.5 miles down & strength

Wednesday, 3/20: yoga to start the day & 6.95 miles easy 9:58 198’ up RUNch miles

Thursday, 3/21: 8 miles. 20 minute warmup / 4 x 6 min uphill (3 min 6% run & 3 min 12% hike) with 3 min recovery / 5 min easy / 3 x 2 min 3% run (90 sec recovery)/ 5 min easy cool down & a tiny bit of strength. I tried to get this done in the morning, but got a mile into my run and was STARVING. So, I took that as a sign and cut the run to get in some good fuel. Had the afternoon free, so got my run in on the treadmill instead.

Friday, 3/22: 10.16 mi easy 10:45 min/mi 169’ up. I struggled with this one. There was so much black ice that I had to cut it after 6 outside (and my plan for my long long run this morning) and then got in the remaining 4 on the treadmill.

Saturday, 3/23: 22 miles easy 11:37 3, 329’ up & strength. This run was on the slower end, but mentally I felt AWESOME. Who else can run 22 miles on their own with insane hills like that?! This run was a HUGE mental boost for my 50 miler because it gains around 5,000’ in elevation so I didn’t have too many more hills left to go to get there (and that’s spread out over 50 miles!). Recovered with some delicious brunch, foam rolling, legs up the wall, and epsom salt bath. Loving Spring Energy as fuel, but I didn’t fuel as much as I really should have for this run (so much weather elements- wind, rain, snow, ice, sun, clouds!)

Sunday, 3/24: Rest day! Yoga.

Total Mileage: 66.47 miles

Total Elevation: 5, 031’ up

Eugene Marathon/50 Miler RUNdown Week 12: 3/11-3/17

March 20, 2019 by Stacy McAllister in 50 miler training, Training Rundown, marathon training, Hansons Marathon Method

It’s so funny how the beginning of training feels like it takes forever to get through each week and then somewhere (always around 50ish days left or so) it just FLYS BY. We’re less than 40 days out from Eugene and I’m over my training hump. Most of my miles are already in the bank, this week is one of my last building weeks before the marathon (and then I’ll have a few more slightly bigger weeks before my 50 miler). It’s exciting to look ahead and see how little is left (compared to what I’ve done thus far)! I’m so happy with how my body is handling the mileage (it kinda feels AMAZING and I feel really freaking strong —> loving this point in a training cycle). Eugene will be the first time I’m running 26.2 since last year’s Salt Lake City PR (over a year ago!) - I cannot wait. Bring.on.the.miles.

Monday, 3/11: 5 mi RUNch easy 10:28 68’ up

Tuesday, 3/12: 1 mi warm up/ 4 x 1.5 mile repeats (8:07/ 8:07/ 8:04/ 8:15) / 1 mi cooldown. 10 miles & strength in the AM. Felt amazing!

Wednesday, 3/13: yoga in the AM- 5.15 mi easy in a BLIZZARD 11:07 92’ up with the last ~.5 with Stella.

Thursday, 3/14: 8 mi EZ AM after getting into the Beach 2 Beacon lottery / 3 mi EZ PM / strength

Friday, 3/15: REST DAY! Travel to Moab. Here’s something cute.

Saturday, 3/16: Race Day! 7 mi easy / 13.2 (according to my garmin) at 7:56 pace 815’ up

Sunday, 3/17: 11.07 miles easy 11:34 1, 192’ up. Super easy. Super tired. Happy to have got it in though!

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How’s the weather where you are?!? —> we’re FINALLY seeing some mud and warmer day-temps.

Favorite part of a training cycle? —> This. right now. I don’t hate the taper, but I’m still unsure how long my body ideally needs to taper (10 days? 7 days? 14 days? 21 days? ) —> what does your body love for a time for tapering?

Eugene Marathon/50 Miler Training Week 11 RUNdown: 3/3-3/10

March 13, 2019 by Stacy McAllister in 50 miler training, marathon training, Training Rundown

Happy Humpday! Last week’s training went really well! I felt strong and while my long runs were definitely at a super conservative easy pace (there were MANY hills!), I never gave up. I’m still focusing on getting 3 strength training exercises a week and at least one at-home yoga session a week. Nutrition will start to be even more of a focus (we’re less than 50 days out now from Eugene)! I have to keep reminding myself that even though maybe my paces have slowed, I’ve gained SO much elevation AND am training at a crazy-high altitude (where we live is at ~7,300’ and Steamboat is around ~6,300’). Very excited to see what I can do when I’m down at lower elevation!

Monday, 3/3: 5.02 mi easy @ 9:48 382’ & yoga.

Tuesday, 3/4: 11 miles (1.5 mi warm up / 8 miles @ 8:37 / 1.5 mi cool down) & 30 minutes strength. I had trouble (mentally) getting into this run, but I never gave up (which I’m super proud of).

Wednesday, 3/5: 7.01 miles easy 10:39 114’ So wet. So slushy. Pretty cold.

Thursday, 3/6: 8.05 mi 918’ up (20 min E / 3 x 7 min Hike @ 12% 3.7 mph (3 min Recovery run) / 10 min E / 5 x :30 hard (60 sec Recovery)/ 15 min E. 30 minutes of strength. I felt WORKED after this run!

Friday, 3/7: Rest Day!

Saturday, 3/8: 10.15 miles 1, 235’ 11:23 / Wasn’t in to this run from the start and kept slipping on the icy loose-packed snow on the roads. 30 minutes of strength

Sunday, 3/9: 18.06 miles 1, 384’ up at 11:12 / Epsom Salt Bath to recover & lots of foam rolling! This run felt surprisingly good. Albeight, it was slow and certainly hilly, but my mental state was sooo much stronger than it has been before. I really want to focus on keeping these hilly runs at a lower heart rate (building up that cardio endurance)!

Total Mileage: 59.29 miles

Total Elevation: 4, 033’

Also how cute are they?!

Eugene Marathon/50 Miler Training RUNdown Week 10: 2/25-3/3

March 06, 2019 by Stacy McAllister in 50 miler training, Hansons Marathon Method, marathon training, Training Rundown

Another recovery is behind me! You would *think* that after running almost 60 miles the week before, I would welcome the recovery with open arms, but honestly it was TOUGH. I love my schedule and when I have these cut-back weeks I don’t know what to do with all the extra time! I feel like I should be RUNNING, not lounging about or cross-training. It feels like the taper except that I’m especially tired, but restless at the same time (I guess that’s normally how I feel in the taper too TBH).

I was SO HUNGRY at the beginning of my recovery week and probably ate something like 5 meals a day and my legs felt tired, but still not too bad. By mid-week, my legs felt dead and had no pep —> AKA why my speedwork on Friday felt especially amazing (…completely sarcastic). It’s also been really hard to see all these other runners on social media posting their ‘monthly mileage’ / hitting ‘x’ amount of miles / hitting ‘x’ paces (all OUTSIDE too? Does it not snow and ice and hit below 0* temperatures there or something?!?), while I’m over here on my recovery week waiting for my muscles and brain to feel ‘normal again’.

Janae posted this the other day and it really resonated with me. I just need to keep reminding myself of how much fitter and stronger I feel overall this training cycle than I ever have before and that the results will FOLLOW.

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Monday, 2/25: 5.06 miles easy @ 10:03 with 120’ up during my lunch! Decided to get some extra sleep this week (one thing I do love about recovery weeks! All the extra sleep) and got my run in outside in the sunshine. It didn’t feel as challenging as I anticipated it feeling.

Tuesday, 2/26: Rest day. Opted for a rest day because I started to feel a cold coming on and I really want to avoid getting a full-blown sickness.

Wednesday, 2/27: 11 miles with 1.5 warm-up / 8 miles @ goal marathon effort (8:16) / 1.5 cool down. It was mentally challenging, but I felt oddly really strong. Also got in 30 minutes of strength

Thursday, 2/28: Rest Day / Yoga. Another rest day! Did some yoga to not feel like I was completely out of shape (ha —> isn’t it crazy how your mind always goes to that after taking an extra day or two off?)

Friday, 3/1: 6.1 miles with 1.5 warm-up/ 3 x 1 mile (7:52/ 7:45/ 7:30)/ 1 mi cool down & .5 mile cool down hike @ 12% incline 3.7 mph & strength. My legs felt completely dead and it was a struggle from the start. Glad I never completely gave up even my paces just were not there today.

Saturday, 3/2: Cross-training day! HIked up our ski mountain in Stagecoach (1 mile —> 800’ up). Was oddly VERY sore after this!

Sunday, 3/3: Still sore from skinning up the day before. Also a blizzard outside with sneaky snow-covered ice in spots and unplowed several inches of snow. 6.36 miles at 11:30 with 811’ up. Kept my pace easy and had to walk several spots because I kept slipping (didn’t want to wear any spikes today) on the ice-covered uphill sections. Still so beautiful out. 30 minutes of a new strength training program!

Total Mileage: 28.51 miles

Total Elevation: 931’ up

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How do you stop the comparison game when social media makes it so challenging?!

Favorite cross-training activity?

Eugene Marathon/50 Miler Training Week 9: 2/18-2/24

February 27, 2019 by Stacy McAllister in 50 miler training, marathon training

Happy Hump Day! I’ve felt a bit of a cold coming on, so I’ve opted to get the majority of my runs this week in the afternoon (so I can get more sleep). I was still on the fence on whether to get my 8 miles at marathon pace in the morning (on the treadmill) or try to get it in this afternoon (it could be sleeting)- so still up in the air as of last night! I WILL be getting it in regardless though. I’m also getting my haircut today! I was still trying to decide if I should get some bangs (they looked so cute on me in High School, but are also a super pain-in-the-butt!), but I’m definitely excited to get some fresh highlights (it’s been since October!) and shorter hair again. Photos to come tomorrow ; )

Last week really tested my patience with the weather. It was in the negatives every.single.morning and a high of low 20s the entire week. I had a crazy busy work/personal life week, so mornings were the only time I could run (for the most part), so I was on the treadmill a bunch (hoping to only be on it ONCE this week!). Not ideal- but do what you can right?

Monday, 2/18: 5 miles easy on the home treadmill while catching up on the news.

Tuesday, 2/19: 1.5 mile warm up / 8 miles at goal marathon pace (8:15) / 1.5 mile cool down. 11 miles & strength. Felt really good even after getting kicked off the treadmill for 10 minutes. Gotta love the 6AM treadmill rush that lasts 10-15 minutes. Sigh.

Wednesday, 2/20: 6.5 miles on the ‘mill. Normally I try to break up my goal marathon paced miles & speedwork, but this week was funky and this is when I had time. SO I did the repeats mainly on an incline (same benefits as a faster pace, but less strain on your body).

Thursday, 2/21: 13 miles in the morning on the ‘mill & then had a unexpected free afternoon, so decided to just go for the remaining 7 miles to get 20 for the day! Happy to get some afternoon miles outside : ) Plus some strength afterwards.

Friday, 2/22: 9.37 miles in a BLIZZARD in the morning (I didn’t think it was supposed to snow?!?). I took it slow because I was TIRED and it was icy (didn’t have my spikes). I ended up cutting it short in the morning and then got in the remaining 6.63 in the afternoon on the treadmill (still super icy out), which felt MUCH better. 16 miles for the day.