Tag: NYC Marathon Training

NYC Marathon Training Week 13 – Let’s get ready to taper!

As I mentioned before, when I taper, I usually try to do a two week taper. I cut my mileage from the 70s to 50s and then I try to do about 20 week of the race. Last week was my part one of trying to stay in the 50s. The weather was beautiful and I finally had some free time after work to get extra running done so it was a struggle to keep myself away from my running shoes.

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – 10 Miles
74 minutes for an average pace of 7:26. Kept the run relatively steady around the flat lands of the Charles Esplanade. I’m not sure if you’re suppose to taper at your race pace for that long but I wanted to test out my legs a bit on the only straight trail I have nearby.

Photo: Happy taper!

Wednesday – 8 Miles
I didn’t target this to be a fast run. In fact, I started out at a relatively slow 8:15 pace and I was planning on keeping it but I found myself getting progressively faster. It does help that I end the run on a downhill and start on an uphill. Progressive speed? Yes, progressive effort? I’m not sure.

Thursday – 8 Miles
Slower 8:07 paced run around the neighborhood. It got dark before I finished so my last mile was on my treadmill.

Friday – 7 Miles

Friday after work run on the work treadmill. Incline was set to 3 so I was surprised that I was able to run as fast as I do on incline 2. I guess that’s tapering for you. You feel stronger as you rest up.

Saturday – 4 Miles + Barre Class

I was half asleep when I started running that I didn’t realize I had my glasses on, until mile 3! I’ve never run with glasses before but good to know I’ll have options as I get more blind.

I took a Exhale – Barre Class (core fusion) in the afternoon that left my arms and chest feeling like jello. Who knew there’s a muscle near my sternum? 

Sunday – 15 Miles

Ghost Train 15 Miler race at average pace of 7:47.Ghost Train Liana 2Check out the full race report for the details.

Total Mileage – 52 miles

Total Feeling – Feeling good, feeling fast, Physically I’m ready, now I just need a little luck to get me there!

My Taper Final Plan

I read this article on Runner’s world about tapering and my plan is a slight modification of it. Since my average mileage is a little higher than the average marathoner, I added a little bit of extra miles. Most miles will be run around comfortable to easy pace

Monday – 5 Miles

Tuesday – 4 Miles

Wednesday – 5 Miles

Thursday – Rest

Friday – 4 Mile Run

Saturday rest

Sunday – Marathon!

NYC (lack of) Marathon Training Week 6 and How I learned to use clip in pedals

Last week’s training was so nonexistent that it doesn’t even warrant it’s own post.

Monday – Ran 6 Miles

Recovery run after Mt. Washington. I recovered by making pizza!

Tuesday – DOMS!!!

Delayed onset muscle soreness is no joke!! I couldn’t even get out of bed and I was sick too.

Wednesday – Ran 6 Miles, swam 1,000 yds

I don’t know how, but I got the energy to run 8 minute miles.  I also swam a bit after work but it was my first time using swimming earplugs so I had some difficulties. I found I missed hearing all the sounds fully and sometimes I would knock them out.

Thursday – Ran 3.5 Miles

I was going for 10k but I felt awful half way through and stopped.

Friday – Nothing

No excuse, I just got dressed to run but then ended up not leaving the house.

Saturday – Biked 60 Miles

Overslept my time to run but instead I learned how to bike in clip in pedals

Sunday – Nothing unless walking counts

Walked about 7 miles at the Cape in Provincetown between the town center and beaches,

How I learned to use clip-in pedals

First, I want to say they’re clip-in pedals and anyone that calls them clip-less is confusing me since they are anything but lacking in a clip. Now for the steps

Step 1, either on a trainer, or with someone you trust hold the bike, test clipping in and out. While you’re doing that, take extra steps to avoid ramming yourself into certain um sensitive areas with your seat because that my friend is highly unpleasant.

Step 2 Practice with one pedal!

Yup, I’m a complete and total pansy! Clip in pedals felt and still feel very unnatural to me. I rode with one normal shoe and one clipped in shoe for 15 miles because I was that scared! While having control of one foot, I practiced stopping and going with the clipping foot. I found for me personally that clipping in and getting yourself going was harder than clipping out.

Step 3 – Make the transition

I didn’t want to give up my security shoe but I was starting to noticed that my right foot was feeling a lot more tired than the left. I knew that if i was going to make it home, I needed to balance my feet. Ideally I wanted my right regular shoe but I left that at the campsite. Yup, I was traveling with two bike shoes and one regular shoe.

And you know what?

I made it. I’m not a pro. I had a few close calls but I biked through it. I biked 3 times my normal distance. The time isn’t really reflective of pace because it includes all learning. I did have the advantage of practicing on a paved flat rail trail so that was nice. Do I think I’m ready for city streets? No, not yet, but I think there’s hope for this scaredy cat!

NYC Marathon Training Week 3 – Flat & Fast Training

After spending months training on trails for my failure of a 50 miler experience, I’m kinda enjoying some flat and fast running. There’s plenty of downsides to avoiding hills, but in the mean time I needed something to boost my confidence. During the weekdays I took advantage of the more mild Fall weather we started getting.  As much as I am loving the cooler days (I don’t do well in heat), I still shed a tear as it starts to be dark by 8PM and I must end my run/bike etc for the day.

I don’t mind the cold, but the shorter days get heartbreaking as I’m more of a daylight than a night time type of gal.

I had a few great fast medium runs.  At the same time, I had a mentally and physically brutal long run and a lower double digit recovery run with a great group of friends.  On the bad Liana side, I once again avoided the pool.  The Malden Y repulses me more than ever, but my laziness or cheapness to go anywhere else keeps me there.  Once again no swimming this week.  I did bike a little over 10 miles one night at a relaxing pace as we checked out some roads around the neighborhood.  However, after changing my mind on what pedals I want, my road bike is still MIA.

The run down

Monday – 8.4 Miles
About 68 minutes, 8:02 pace. I debated a rest day since Sunday was my brutal long run, but the weather was nice and decided to go with it. Sometimes it’s a struggle to decide what is best for my running goals vs. my running love. I love to run and the biggest struggle is getting myself to take a day off to have more energy for the next day. Sometimes I weight my options. I knew the week was only going to get hotter so I wanted to take advantage of the weather even if it harms my performance for my ultimate goal.

Tuesday – 8.4 Miles + 10.7
The weather stayed chill & so did I! Legs felt better than Monday. 65 minutes, or 7:44 average pace. 7 miles at 7:33 pace before warm up & cool down aka stop lights..In the evening we biked for 55 minutes.

Wednesday – 7 Miles
Reintroduced myself to the treadmill. 7 miles, incline 3, Was going to do progressive but lost patience & turned into interval run. I’ve just been digging the faster runs more than easy pacing. Took about 58 minutes or 8:20 pace.

Thursday 12.2 Miles
8 fast miles on incline 2 on the treadmill. I think I hit a pace PR for my work treadmill. 63 minutes, 7:49 pace. Added 4.4 Miles in the evening for a little bit of road hill work. Times were slow and insignificant.

Friday – Rest day – I love resting the day before my long run, just a personal choice

Saturday 18 Miles

The summary is above. The long story? Well, I had a birthday party Saturday so I knew that with lack of sleep, I would be useless for a long run Sunday. So I set my run for Saturday. However, I was hardly better Saturday. The temperature once again hiked up to 80s, which to me is hot. I know you Florida, Texas etc people are laughing at me but 80+ is heat flashes for me.

One of our friends wanted to try out trails, so we did one reservoir loop in the fells. About 7 miles. The boys called it a day and I drove back with them before heading back onto the road. However, either the trail wore me out, or the beating run, and running out of water had me home within 8.5 miles to lay on the couch in front of the fan. I sat for a bit, tweeted, & continued being lame before I decided to try walk/run on my treadmill in the basement while watching Hart of Dixie. My basement was hot, but it was nice and dark at least. Before I knew it, the 2.5 mile run was over and I felt accomplished because I spent the majority of the run trying to find an excuse to quit.

Sunday 13.25 Miles

Another trail run with the TARC group where North (of Boston) met up with South (of Boston) for a run and BBQ. Good times.  The South Shore TARCs shared some beautiful trails with us and I got to make some new friends.

Total Miles – 67

Total Feelings – Better than usual. I bumped up my mileage a lot this week but am feeling much better as long as I stay out of the sun. I think the trail high mileage agrees more with me than the road long runs.  I love my fast road runs, but I need the shade for anything over an hour.

What’s your favorite thing to watch while running?