Marathon Training - Week 12 of 30

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

I'm training for my first marathon, which will be the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on December 4, 2011. My training week runs from Monday to Sunday. Today is Monday, which means the beginning of a new training week!


First, a quick review of last week (week 11):

• Monday - scheduled rest - completed
• Tuesday - 3.5 mile run - completed
• Wednesday - 6 mile run - completed
• Thursday - 3.5 mile run - completed
• Friday - scheduled rest - completed
• Saturday - 11 mile run - completed
• Sunday - 1 hour walking - completed
• Total distance run - 24 miles

Training went well last week. The highlight of last week was the 11 mile run on Saturday. That was only the third time I've ever run that distance (well, fourth if you count the half marathon). I was concerned going into it because I struggled with my 10 mile run last week. But I thought alot about that 10 mile run and what might have gone wrong. I decided to try increasing my fluid consumption and take a few walking breaks. I also made sure to eat plenty of carbs on Thursday and Friday. These changes worked - my 11 mile run went very well, which was a huge confidence booster for me. 


On the other hand, I found myself struggling mentally with the distance, fighting boredom at times. My route was a 5.5 mile loop that I ran twice, which may have been part of the problem. But I'll need to look into ways to deal with mental fatigue better. I'm thinking about trying to load an audio book onto my mp3 player. I wonder how I'd like listening to a book while I run?

Oh - and the hot weather continues. It's July in Texas. That's just what you expect. Can't wait until things cool down. 

Now on to this week - Week 12.

Week 12 is another cut-back week - my long run is cut back to 8 miles this week. Funny to think of an 8-mile run as "cutting back." The most challenging run this week will probably be the 6 mile pace run on Wednesday.

Here's this week's schedule:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3.5 mile run
• Wednesday - 6 mile pace run
• Thursday - 3.5 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 8 mile run
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Have a great week!