Marathon: My personal journey

This week my training plan was designed to test my limits. It sure did! I learned so much this week. Perhaps the most valuable lesson came with the interval training. I was afraid of it and performed well. It gave me so much confidence for the rest of the week.

My long run was a great test so far. I survived the run, but need some more work to get in marathon mode. Thank God for 10 more weeks!

My cross training efforts were solid and have really paid off. Here's to a nice rest day!


Image source:
http://nicktumminello.com/2014/03/supramaximal-interval-training-vs-high-intensity-interval-training/

Tomorrow is the first day of something new for me. Interval training. The mileage will be lower (3.3 miles), but my intensity will be HIGH. YIKES!

Look forward to my recap later in the week, GO INTERVALS!

Image source:
http://runningmagazine.ca/high-intensity-training-makes-better-runners/

Most weeks, I run a consistent route in my neighborhood. I don't see anything crazy, so it's fun to run in a new area. I was running in Chicago and ran into some cool people!

I ran into Bob Newhart on Navy Pier! We took a selfie together.

Then I ran into a local pirate, so we had to take a selfie.

I have two running idols and they are +Shalane Flanagan and @scottjurek. One reason why I love both of them, they both run fearless. They love running too. Today, Scott Jurek broke the Appalachian Trail running record by more than 3 hours. It took him 46 days, 8 hours and 7 minutes. WOW! Scott is an amazing athlete and incredible person. I read somewhere that this was going to be his last competitive race before trying to have children. I love so many things about Scott. A ton of lessons to be had with his race accomplishment. #1- handling adversity and pushing through challenges. This run was just short of 2,200 miles and was incredibly difficult. He ran injured through most of the race, as he tweaked his knee at mile 205. He averaged over 50 miles a day.

This week, I pushed myself and ran 45 for the entire week. Just to give you some context. :)

I first learned of Scott Jurek, while reading the awesome book "Born to Run" by https://www.facebook.com/ChrisMcDougallAuthor. I highly recommend this book, more on that in later posts. You can tell by everything you read, that Scott Jurek loves running. He cheers others on, stays late at races to cheer people and has an incredible spirit. Today, I say congratulations. This is an amazing accomplishment and you truly inspire me. You make me a better runner. By the way, Scott's book "Eat and Run" is phenomenal! Learn more here: http://scottjurek.com/eatandrun/

As I push toward my next goal of the Quad City Marathon, I will use your accomplishments to help me be a better runner.

Read the runner's world article about this awesome feat (I pulled some of the statistics from this article):
http://www.runnersworld.com/trail-racing/scott-jurek-breaks-appalachian-trail-thru-hike-record




Image source:
http://thefearlessmind.com/the-fearless-mind-of-a-ultra-running-champion/

Find Shalane Flanagan and Scott Jurek at:
https://www.facebook.com/ScottJurek
www.scottjurek.com
https://twitter.com/scottjurek
His awesome book:
http://scottjurek.com/eatandrun/
http://blog.scottjurek.com

https://twitter.com/shalaneflanagan
www.shalaneflanagan.com
https://www.facebook.com/ShalaneFlanagan
Her new cookbook here:
http://www.runfasteatslow.com

What a week of training! I really put in the mileage this week and it felt great. On my long run, I ran 14 miles. It was a difficult long run, as I decided to space my water break out too far.

This upcoming week, I will focus more on my pace, fueling strategy and hydration. I will slowly start incorporating speed work in the mix too.


Image source:
https://www.pinterest.com/keener64/snoopy/