Pooped!

Well my training is back in gear, and last week I completed 31 miles, which included a 14 mile long run on Saturday. I know, that's not much for most marathon runners, who would consider that off season training mileage. But for me, that's all I can handle. I don't mean all I can run, heck I could double that no problem if I was able to get outdoors more. But since all of my week night runs are on the treadmill, I can't possibly face mid week 10 mile runs....not without having therapy to go along with it, as surely I'd lose my mind.

My plan actually only has me go as high as 45 miles, and that's only once! It's not a lot of mileage but it seems to work for me. I qualified for Boston (almost twice...missed this year's by 4 seconds), and I keep achieving PR's so I stick with the plan, at least until I can get outdoors. Here's the snapshot of my marathon performance, based on my Intermediate Level 1 training plan





Now that I'm heading to Boston though, I am trying to pull up my socks a bit and while I can't increase my mileage, I can try and increase my speed.

What I have changed is that I've started interval training this cylce. The plan always called for intervals, I just ignored it. That's not to say I did no speed work, I try to register for 5K races, and try to increase my speed on the treadmill so that my fastest running is at the end of a run. There's certainly benefit to that. I'm not going to change those things but I am going to add the intervals as well.

So far I've done 3 interval runs, and boy they're tiring. Last night I was supposed to do 5 x 3 minute intervals in a 5 mile run. I could only muster 3. I was just too tired. After the 31 miles last week, the first heavier week of training, I was just too pooped. I'm not giving up though, I'll continue and wait and see what Boston brings me in April!

Happy Training!