Reflections on Marathon Training: What I Did Right

I began training for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon on July 25 with a training plan based on Hal Higdon's Novice I program that looked like this (click to make it larger):

I finished the marathon on December 4 after having completed the training plan like this:

I knew all along that my training wouldn't exactly follow my initial plan, and I prepared to be flexible and not freak out about making changes.

I skipped a few runs. I moved things around. I added a triathlon and a 5K race. I got sick. I bailed out on all cross-training after the tri. Speed intervals, tempo runs and hill repeats were practically non-existent.

But even though my training wasn't perfect, I never walked during the marathon, I finished strong and I hit my 4:15 goal time. I'd say I did a few things right.


I MADE TRAINING MY #1 PRIORITY.

It wasn't always easy...

For 19 weeks, I lived and breathed marathon training. I worked full-time right up until the Wednesday before the marathon and got home around 6 p.m. every weekday. I was usually out running or at the gym by 6:30, and oftentimes I'd run and then go to the gym to lift weights. I'd get home around 8 or 9, depending on how far I had to run, then shower (sometimes...), have dinner and blog about my workout on Dev on Running. Then I went to sleep.

Those were my nights, every night.

I had the advantage of being single and generally fine with only seeing my friends a few times a week — on my rest days and on weekends. If I didn't want to miss out on an event, I would just switch around my workouts and take a rest day on that day. I also spent time with friends new and old by doing many of my long runs with buddies, which was really great.

I spent lots of good money on the marathon registration fee, flights and hotel — I wasn't about to half-ass my training! The commitment really paid off in the end.


I DID ALL MY LONG RUNS.

Right after my 20-miler — 3:15 of running.

I ran 12 miles in the pouring rain, 14 miles while extremely hungover (the run went great; the aftermath... not so much) and 18 miles immediately following four days of being completely flattened by an illness.

A few of my long runs went awry, but most were fantastic. The most important part was that I did them all!

It's not fun to wake up early on the weekend knowing you have two or three hours of running ahead of you, especially if you're training in Seattle's cold, gray autumn months. But long runs are so important because they help your body get used to the stress of racking up double-digit mileage, and they're essential rehearsals for figuring out how you'll drink, fuel and pace yourself in the actual race.


I RESTED WHEN I NEEDED TO.

Hammocks save lives.

I tried to stick to my training plan, but I didn't beat myself up if I felt really exhausted and needed to take an unplanned rest day.

I listened to my body and learned to recognize the difference between when I actually felt worn out and when I just had a crappy day at work and needed to suck it up. Sometimes I genuinely needed an evening in my hammock; other times, a speedy 10-mile run made me feel good as new.

This is why I abandoned pretty much all cross-training after my triathlon. Long runs took a lot out of me — I needed the whole rest of the day to recover — and the other weekend day, I wanted to relax and have some non-training fun! Super-serious marathoners may look down on this, but the extra rest days really kept me from burning out.


I FOCUSED ON WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO MY RACE.

The Las Vegas marathon course was almost entirely flat, and I cut out all my planned hill repeats because of this (and because wet leaves + running up and down hills = death).

As for tempo runs and speed work... I just got lazy. I did some speed intervals during treadmill runs to keep from getting too bored, but I didn't make a concerted effort to become a faster runner during this training cycle. I was more concerned with hitting my planned mileage each week and remaining injury-free.

If (when...) I run another marathon, I'll shoot for a sub-4:00 finish and definitely focus more on hill endurance and becoming speedier.


I KEPT UP WITH MY TRAINING WHILE TRAVELING.

Priorities!

I did most of my training in Seattle, but I also ran while on vacation in Vancouver, B.C., and in New York City. I even racked up 14 miles while I was in California for my granddad's memorial service.

This goes back to the most important thing I did right: I made marathon training my #1 priority.*

I packed my running shoes first. I brought everything I needed, including my fuel belt, Clif Shots and Nuun. I always ran first thing in the morning to get it out of the way. Trust me, it can be done!

*When I went to California, spending time with my family was my #1 priority. Running never interfered with family time, and it really helped me work out the stress and sadness I felt over my granddad's passing.


I ATE RIGHT (MOST OF THE TIME) AND CUT OUT DRINKING FOR A MONTH.

My first drink in Vegas after the marathon. Has a margarita ever tasted so good? I think not.

I ate A LOT during training, but I stuck with proteins, fruits and vegetables rather than carbs. Sure, I ate tons of bagels in New York City, but things like bread and pasta generally make me feel bloated and lethargic — exactly how I don't want to feel while running.

My go-to foods were apples, bananas (at least two a day), Larabars, almond and peanut butter, yams, asparagus, zucchini, salads, soups, chicken, fish and candy (I blame Halloween for that one). And then after long runs, I ate whatever the heck I wanted, like an entire box of Stovetop Stuffing after my 20-miler. Yum.

The point, again, is to listen to your body and do what works for you. Carb-loading isn't necessarily vital to marathon training, although some people swear by it. I found that generally avoiding bread, pasta, etc. and dairy (even though cheese is my lover) made for happy, cramp-free runs.

As for alcohol, I quit drinking for a month prior to the marathon. I'm not a huge bar/club/party person anyway, so it wasn't difficult. However, that very month was also when I was in the midst of quitting my job, and I often got super-stressed and frustrated at work. I would've loved to have several glasses of wine on many occasions... but I just ran instead. I also got lots of quality sleep and didn't have to plan my long runs around hangovers, so it was a total win.


I FULLY BELIEVED I WOULD KICK ASS.

I didn't come up with this, but I wish I did.

Every marathon training guru will tell you that the focus of your first marathon should just be about finishing, not hitting a certain time.

I chose to believe in myself more than that.

Call me crazy, but based on my typical long run pace (9:40-ish) I identified a reasonable goal (a 4:15 finish), then trained for it and hit it. I think self-confidence had just as much to do with it as training.

Regardless of my finish time, I wanted to run a race that I would feel proud of, and I knew I would be proud of pushing myself. If I went into it with the mindset of, "Well, I'll just try to finish," I probably would've let myself slow down and walk multiple times. There's nothing wrong with that — a marathon is tough, people — but I know I'm capable of more.

I had an incredible network of family, friends and blog readers who encouraged me throughout training and assured me the race would be great. I can't say I would've had the confidence that I did without their support!

Completing the physical training is only a piece of the puzzle; having the mental strength going into the race is what really carries you through to the finish line.

***

Since I hit my goal time and truly had a great race — aside from the factors I couldn't control, like the overcrowded course and the depleted water stations — I wouldn't change anything about the way I trained for my first marathon.

Will I run another one? Of course! ...eventually. I need to forget the pain of the first one before I can even think about signing up for another.

Aside from my post-race stomach issues, I could barely walk the next day, and later my feet and ankles swelled up like crazy. It took a lot of rest, ice, compression and elevation to get them back to human proportions. Now, five days post-race, I'm finally feeling back to normal, and I'll probably go for a slow and short run this weekend.

Even though I won't train for another race for a while, I just can't imagine my life without the rhythmic sound of running shoes hitting the pavement.

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###

Marathon Training: Week 18

I have only one week of training left, and it includes three runs under five miles, three rest days and... hmm... what's the other thing? Oh yeah — the marathon.

I keep forgetting that I'm actually running this thing. "How can that be?" you ask. After 18 weeks of training for this event, one would assume I'd be thinking of nothing else.

Pro tip: Schedule two huge, life-changing events in one week. You'll be so terrified of both events that you won't be able to focus on one or the other, leaving you in an eerie, almost laughable state of calm.

You know how very high-pitched sounds are inaudible to humans? My anxiety is so intense right now that I can't even feel it.

Or maybe — just maybe — I don't feel anxious because I'm genuinely not.

Maybe I actually do feel prepared to kick butt at this marathon.

Maybe I'm incredibly sure that I've made all the right decisions that have led to what's going down this week.

Maybe I realize that the most difficult training runs are far behind me, and all that's left is to ride out this week, fly to Vegas and run 26.2 miles.

If you plan to spend the evening of Dec. 4 waiting anxiously to find out how the marathon went (...anyone?), be sure to check my Twitter and Dev on Running for updates. I'll also write a full, exhaustive recap of the race itself after I return from Vegas (next Tuesday) and/or after I sober up from all the post-race celebrating (to be determined).

And please come back here on Wednesday to learn more about the other exciting thing that's happening this week. Trust me... it's good.


WEEK 18


Monday: Strength training — core

Check out this Runner's World video of elite runner Josh Cox demonstrating his typical core workout. Then try to do it.

This is what I did attempted to do on Monday, and it was just one of the many times that I've realized people with rock-hard abs don't get them by accident. Ouch.

Fun fact: In January, Josh Cox won a marathon in 2:17:32, then kept on running to beat his own U.S. record in the 50K. I just... can't even...


Tuesday: 4-mile run + strength

I kicked off this visit to the gym with a quick weight-lifting session, then ran a great 4 miles on the treadmill at an 8:46 average pace. That's kind of fast for me on the treadmill, and I was surprised since my legs were so tired after Sunday's 12-miler.

I guess Meg was right in that running fast helps me... run fast. And I think starting off with weights always helps me run a bit faster since I'm already warmed up. Anything that gets me through a treadmill run faster is a great thing!


Wednesday: 6-mile run

I headed home Wednesday evening to get a head-start on Thanksgiving relaxation, and of course I kicked off that relaxation with a nice run on my mom's treadmill!

Note to self: Turn off the heat beforehand, especially if there's a vent right next to the treadmill that will kick on midway through your 55-minute run. I finished with a 9:12 average pace and sported an obscene amount of sweat.


Thursday: 3-mile run

Sorry for the gross, sweaty picture, but this isn't new here. And it's good to kick off Thanksgiving with a little sweat, right? (I actually turned off the heat this time and still got sweaty.)

My training plan called for 3 miles and I made sure to do them first thing in the morning before The Eating began. Even a run as short as this one made me feel better about filling my entire plate with stuffing and a small side of turkey. When else can you eat eight pieces of bread in three bites and feel good about it?

Flashback: I ran on Thanksgiving last year as well, except I used a hotel treadmill in California. I meant to run 3 miles, but could only manage two. Wow.


Friday: Rest

While many people went nuts with Black Friday shopping, I spent time manning the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation booth at the Seattle Marathon expo. We're recruiting super-cool people to join DetermiNation and train for the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and Half-Marathon in June.

I loved being at the expo because was full of my people — crazy runners. I heard some great stories from people I spoke with, like a guy who's lost more than 240 pounds (!!) through running and was about to run his first half-marathon.

Unfortunately, I also learned about the many ways cancer has touched so many people's lives. I heard about friends and family members who have survived and who have not. I heard about radiation therapy and double mastectomies.

And then I spoke with a young guy who had just lost his mom. He told me he was running the Seattle half-marathon because he was unable to train for the full marathon while taking care of her. I held back tears as he said he'd be interested in joining DetermiNation to finally train for that full in her honor.

I felt like hugging him, but instead I just squeezed his arm and wished him luck on Sunday as he walked away.

I'd say my time at the expo was time very well spent.


Saturday: 8-mile run

This was my last long run before the marathon, and honestly, it was tough at first. I think running on the treadmill has not done me any favors. I tried to stay slow and steady to avoid pounding my legs into oblivion (see: last Sunday), and I ended up running 8 miles at a 9:12 average pace.

I usually rest my legs after long runs, but on Saturday I went straight back to the Seattle Marathon expo to work at the DetermiNation booth for three hours. Luckily, The Stick booth was right next door, and a very nice Stick representative worked on my leg muscles during a short break.

I'm not sure whether my legs were sore because of all the post-run activity I did or because of my taper-induced paranoia, but it sure was unusual and a bit worrisome. I'll be resting, elevating my legs and wearing my compression sleeves quite a bit this week just to be safe!


Sunday: Rest

I had Seattle Marathon fever, and the only cure was more cowbell!

I went downtown to Memorial Stadium to watch my best friend Carly and her siblings complete the half-marathon, and man, did I go nuts with the cowbell when I saw them run down the finish chute!

The weather was cold, rainy and windy, so I was pretty happy to not be running. The electric race atmosphere certainly helped me get excited for next weekend, though.

Ahhhh! Did I just write next weekend?!?!?



WEEK 18 TOTALS

Miles run: 21
Strength-training sessions: 2
Rest days: 2
Servings of Thanksgiving stuffing: 2 (serving size = entire plate)
Weekend days on which I woke up before 8 a.m. to run or attend running events: 4


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 417
Miles biked: 68
Swims: 7
Yoga sessions: 1
Strength-training sessions: 22 + 2 shower scrubbings


PREVIOUS TRAINING RECAPS

Weeks 1-4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###

Marathon Training: Week 17

Two weeks from the moment I write this (Sunday night), I will become a marathoner.

HOLY. CRAP.

This week, I got to thinking about the last mile of the race and how I might feel. I'll probably be in pain — my legs will be tired, my feet will be grouchy — and each tenth of a mile will seem to take forever.

At the same time, I think I'll feel overwhelmed with joy and pride. I'll have run farther than I've ever run before, and pushed my body to its limit only to find that its actual limit is somewhere much farther away, waiting quietly at some distance I can't even conceive of.

No, I will not hit that limit on this day.

On this day, I will run through the neon Las Vegas night with my heart and mind set on reaching the finish line at Mandalay Bay. On this day, I will not let myself quit. On this day, I will smile and laugh and probably cry my way to achieving a goal that was 19 weeks in the making.

On this day, I will become a marathoner.

Only two weeks to go. It's starting to get real.


WEEK 17


Monday: Strength training — core

The day after running 20 miles, I let my legs recover and instead put a hurtin' on my rarely worked abs.

This involved doing three core-focused segments of Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones DVD, as well as a Runner's World core workout. The whole thing took about 45 minutes and felt like a solid effort. And on Tuesday and Wednesday, my abs felt like they'd been jabbed with a rusty switchblade, so obviously it was effective.

I also cleaned two bathrooms in my townhouse and gave my mildewy shower a good, much-needed scrubbing. Maybe it's sad (and gross) that I count this as a workout, but you should have seen how bad my shower got in college. Progress.


Tuesday: Rest

Long story short: On Tuesday evening, I was chosen to model Brooks Running clothing in a runway show at the company's internal planning meeting. Whaaaat?

Long story long: Read all about it. It's a good one!


Wednesday: 5-mile run + strength

On Wednesday morning, I spent a few hours modeling outfit after outfit at the Brooks planning meeting. This involved walking down an actual runway in front of a bunch of people — one time wearing, my God, booty shorts, a tank top and arm-warmers — and ignoring any shred of self-consciousness I have left in me. I may have also danced to a Pink song and "raised the roof" at one point. Don't ever put me on a stage again.

Again, you can read the full story, plus check out more pictures.

That night, I hit the gym for 5 miles on the treadmill and a strength-training session with free weights. (I had changed clothes next to this girl about 15 times that morning, so finding the motivation to go to the gym was not an issue.)


Thursday: 8-mile run

This is what marathon training looks like, my friends: BIG SWEAT.

In P.E., I used to hate sweating because it meant that I'd ruin my hair, my makeup and any hope of smelling pleasant for the rest of the school day. Now, I think of giant sweat stains as badges of honor, and I imagined that everyone else at the gym was impressed by my treadmill-induced perspiration.

They probably just wanted me to shower and swipe on some Lady Speedstick ASAP, but I can dream.


Friday: 4-mile run

I like going to the gym on Friday nights because even though the parking lot is full (hellooo, everyone taking advantage of their parking passes to go out in Ballard), the machines are mostly empty. That means I have no competition for the treadmill directly in front of the TV playing Real Housewives of Atlanta.

This was a nice and quick run. Time flies when you're watching a fellow gym-goer do burpees and all you can think is, "Thank God I'm not doing that!"

The rest of my crazy Friday night involved making a massive omelette, watching a very cute romantic comedy and hitting the sack before midnight. Life without alcohol is very peaceful and satisfying, indeed.


Saturday: Rest

Three consecutive days of running called for a rest day on Saturday, and it started off with my best friend's little brother's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. It's a really big deal to become an Eagle Scout, and tons of friends and family showed up to support Conner's achievement. I almost cried several times.

In his speech, he threw out a Steve Prefontaine quote ("The only good race pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die") in a nod to his hardcore love of cross-country, and a shoutout to Jean-Paul Sartre. No big deal.

Later, I went for a two-mile walk along the Burke-Gilman Trail with my camera and spent quite some time taking photos and watching the sun set along the Fremont Canal. This is one of my favorite places in Seattle, but I'm always running by and never stop to appreciate it.

It was a very nice, unhurried afternoon.


Sunday: 12-mile run

I'll admit it: I knew Meg would kick my ass on this run. She's super-fast — she'll be a 3:40 pacer at next weekend's Seattle Marathon, which is a Boston-qualifying time for women ages 18-34 — but when she invited me for a bRUNch at her friend's house, how could I refuse? I can't say no to anything involving running and food.

I ended up running 12 miles with Meg and her husband at a 9:03 pace, which is 6 sec/mile faster than my half-marathon PR pace. Basically, I raced it, which is not exactly part of the tapering process.

But I felt pretty great throughout the run, and I can tell I've come a long way in terms of speed and endurance from that half-marathon in September. It's easy to get stuck in a comfort zone and think, "This is my pace and I'll run it every time," but Meg has consistently told me I can run faster if I only let myself. It's nice to have a friend who believes in me like that.

This run reminded me of the Neale Donald Walsch quote that I always want to keep at the front of my brain, so much so that I've had printed on a t-shirt and inscribed on my RoadID: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."


WEEK 17 TOTALS

Miles run: 29
Strength-training sessions: 2 — core, free weights
Rest days: 2
Bathrooms cleaned: 2
Random runway shows: 1


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 396
Miles biked: 68
Swims: 7
Yoga sessions: 1
Strength-training sessions: 20 + 2 shower scrubbings


PREVIOUS TRAINING RECAPS

Weeks 1-4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###

Marathon Training: Week 16

The completion of Week 16 marks four whole months that I've been training for this marathon. That's one-third of this year!!

This was my peak of training — a 40-mile week, including a 20-mile long run — and from here, I scale back in mileage and intensity until race day. Looking back, I'm so thankful that:

• I've stuck with my training plan.
• I've loved it.
• I haven't gotten injured (knock on wood).

I spent Saturday at the TEDxRainier conference at the University of Washington, where I heard 30 speakers discuss every topic you can think of — business, travel, religion, happiness, grief, sex, the environment, neuroscience and more.

Will Hewett spoke about the year he spent singing for 15 minutes every single day. At first he had to work to complete the 15 minutes, but eventually singing grew to be such a joyful activity that he sang for an hour at a time, oftentimes in public.

He said two things about this practice that stuck with me:

• "It was like a fire that the rest of my day gathered around."
• "Time bows to authentic commitment, and it stretches to accommodate it."

This is how I feel about running. It is the fire in my day, the light that draws me to lace up my running shoes even when it's dark outside. It is my authentic commitment, the one thing I refuse to wipe off my schedule when other activities come knocking.

Sure, I've missed a few miles along the way, but even through a breakup and a death in the family, through a funeral and a vacation, through scorching sun and freezing rain, I've kept running. It strengthens me when I feel weak and gives me purpose when I've lost aim.

All of this is about so much more than a finish line.


WEEK 16


Monday: 5-mile run

I started thinking Monday about the finish time I could aim for. Many people say the only goal for your first marathon should simply be to finish, but I already have a 4:30 course time limit hanging over my head — and I think I can do better than that. There are so many things that can go wrong on race day no matter how well someone trains, but I'd love to shoot for 4:15!

With this goal in mind, I did a Yasso 800 workout on the treadmill. Runner’s World guru Bart Yasso says that the amount of time it takes a person to run 800 m can predict his marathon finish time; therefore, one can train for his desired finish time by running 800 m repeats at a certain pace.

If I want to run a 4:15 marathon, I need to run 800 m (half a mile) in 4 minutes and 15 seconds — that’s 8:30 pace. This was my workout:

* 1 mile warmup — 9:30 pace
* 4 x 800 — 8:27 pace, with 800 m recovery at 9:40 pace in between

Total: 5 miles, 45:45 (9:09 pace)

I usually plod along at a steady pace on the treadmill, but this run left me dripping with sweat! Even if I don't get my 4:15 finish time, this is the type of workout that'll help me become a faster runner overall.


Tuesday: Strength training

I hit the free weights once again after two-and-a-half weeks off from strength training. Lifting felt good, but, man, my arms burned Wednesday and Thursday! It was the good kind of burn, though. I'll have Michelle Obama arms in no time. : )


Wednesday: 10-mile run

I was really in the mood to crawl into bed as soon as I got home from work, but I had 10 miles on the schedule. I had to pull out all the mind tricks to head out into the darkness: "Running will help clear your head!" and "You never regret a run!" are favorites.

Lo and behold:

I negative-splitted the crap out of this one. The last four miles were super-fast for me — I just felt great and wanted to push it.

I remember the first time I ran 8 miles — back in January or February, maybe? — and how horrible my knees and hips felt toward the end. I'm pretty sure I finished the run by shuffling pitifully, and then I could barely walk for the rest of the day. Now I can run 10 with no problems and finish fast just for fun. Making huge progress is one of the greatest things about running!


Thursday: 5-mile run + core workout

Don't worry, I fully realize this is a ridiculous photo. I just wanted my roommate to help document The Crazy that is my nighttime running outfit.

I headed out for 5 recovery miles (recovery = slow), but found it difficult to rein in my pace after a fast warmup mile (9:01). Finally I fell in behind a slower runner and his dog and resisted the urge to pass them. Problem solved!

I also did a core workout from Runner's World in a vague nod to my complete lack of abdominal strength. I'll be honest: I half-assed it because I had pasta on the brain. I'm not the stereotypical runner who eats a lot of pasta — I hardly eat it at all, actually — but I had a really strong craving for angel hair pasta with meaty tomato sauce.

I zoomed through a few planks for the workout, then zoomed over to the grocery store for all the fixins'. Naturally, I made enough pasta with meat sauce to feed at least 20 people. Extremely good decision.


Friday: Rest

I kicked off of work to spend the day with my dad since I hadn't seen him since September. Unacceptable! We gorged on delicious food at The Maltby Cafe, hit up the George Nelson exhibition at the Bellevue Art Museum and gorged on even more tastiness at Cinnebon. Now you want a Cinnebon, right?

That night I went out with a bunch of friends to Pecado Bueno, a new Mexican place in Fremont that serves yummy food and $3 margaritas. That means I nursed my Cinnebon food-baby and a glass of water while watching all my friends eat yummy food and drink $3 margaritas. I then pulled duty as The Greatest Designated Driver Ever and drove them all to their next destination in my seven-seat minivan. Pro tip: Don't make fun of minivans if you have a sober friend who drives one.


Saturday: Rest

I became obsessed with TED talks a few months ago when I realized I could listen to them while working and learn all kinds of new, interesting and inspirational stuff. I love a good conference and was all like, "I want to go to there!"

Guess how much it costs to attend the main TED conference in Long Beach? $7,500! Wheeee!

Luckily, independently organized TED events crop up all over the place, and I was able to attend TEDxRainier on Saturday (admission: $50). I got to hang out with my friends Vivek and Mike and soak up knowledge and fascinating stories from 30 amazing people.

My favorite part of the day was when surprise speaker Rick Steves showed up to give a hilarious and eye-opening talk, complete with a slideshow of photos from his world travels. His best quote? "Fear is, to me, for people who don't get out very much."


Sunday: 20-mile run

I've appreciated fall more this year than ever before since I've spent so much time outside admiring the leaves! "So much time" means 3 hours and 15 minutes when it comes to running 20 miles, in case you were wondering.

This is the face of a girl who's super happy to be done running for the day!

This 20-miler was the longest run of this whole training cycle, and a personal distance record by two miles. It was by no means easy — my legs felt tired for the whole second half, and my feet hurt for the last few miles — but I'm very happy with how it went. Check out the full recap and mile splits over on my running blog.

Toward the end, some extra energy kicked in and I flew home for the last mile, thinking I could run 6.2 more (although it wouldn't be pretty). I'll definitely need some race-day adrenaline to get me through this marathon!

I can't believe I ran 20 miles and that my training tapers down from here. At this point, my next two weekend long runs — 12 miles and 8 miles — don't seem long at all. I've read about runners feeling antsy during the taper period because mileage scales back so dramatically, but I have a feeling I'll welcome the rest... particularly considering how my legs feel right now!

All R.I.C.E., all the time.


WEEK 16 TOTALS

Miles run: 40
Strength-training sessions: 2 — free weights, core
Rest days: 2
Alcoholic beverages: 0
Nights I got great sleep: At least 4... directly correlated to the previous metric


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 367
Miles biked: 68
Swims: 7
Yoga sessions: 1
Strength-training sessions: 18 + 1 shower scrubbing


PREVIOUS TRAINING RECAPS

Weeks 1-4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###

Marathon Training: Week 15

This was my first week back to marathon training after being really sick, and I got all my runs in for a total of 33 miles — woo-hoo! I didn't, however, do any strength training or cross-training.

Ever since I completed my triathlon in September, I've been pretty bad about cross-training (cycling, swimming or yoga), and I've now abandoned weight-lifting for more than two weeks. With just four weeks of training to go, I really want to get back on track to run the best race I can!

I've also given up drinking for the rest of my training cycle (you'll find out why below...), and I've started thinking about a time goal for the race. More on that next week, since Week 16 will be my all-important peak of training and when I'll do my longest run yet — 20 miles!


WEEK 15


Monday: 5-mile run

Ahh, Halloween — my favorite holiday! The cold weather kept trick-or-treaters away from my house (sad!) and drove me to the gym for my run. From the comfort of a treadmill, I caught up on all the Kim Kardashian divorce drama on TV as I ran my 5 miles at a 9:13 average pace.

At one point I had to honor of catching Anderson Cooper saying (paraphrased): “Kim Kardashian is laughing all the way to the bank. Even if she locked herself in the bank vault, you could hear her laughter floating up to the street, where Kris Jenner is busy double-parking her Bentley on your soul.”

I nearly fell off the treadmill laughing. I love Anderson Cooper.


Tuesday: Rest (skipped strength training)

I spent the evening in a dark room with Brad Pitt. (OK, I saw Moneyball.)


Wednesday: 9-mile run

A mild day turned into a horribly cold, dark, rainy and windy night. Those kinds of shenanigans make the treadmill look pretty darn good for a 9-mile run!

Running for 1:24:51 on a treadmill ain't fun, but breaking up the mileage into two shorter runs helped trick my brain into thinking it wasn't so bad. And even though I never listen to music while running, I popped in my headphones for this one — it was so necessary and so helpful.

I'm not ashamed to admit that Miley Cyrus helped me get through it. It's a Party in the U.S.A.!


Thursday: 5-mile run (skipped strength training)

The nasty weather let up in time for me to do this run outside, and it was surprisingly tough for the first few miles. Either my body was getting too used to running on the treadmill or it was just tired from doing 9 miles the previous night.

I realized I've been very lucky to have fresh-feeling legs for almost every run during marathon training; the initial fatigue I felt on this run was unusual. After two miles I fell into a nice groove and finished feeling great, but I definitely looked forward to resting on Friday!


Friday: Rest

I try to keep Friday nights low-key since I almost always do my long runs on Saturday mornings, but I totally disregarded good sense and drank alllllll the beer in Seattle. Or at least most of it. Hey, I had fun!


Saturday: 14-mile run

I wouldn't recommend boozing face the night before a 14-mile run, but this run actually went really well!

I ran the first 10 miles with my super-speedy friend Kory, so I couldn't help going a bit faster than usual, and I felt great the whole time. I even ran a few sub-9:00 miles at the end because I felt so good! Craziness.

The beautiful weather certainly didn't hurt the situation. Seattle might be in its peak of fall glory right now. I couldn't help stopping to admire some stunning scenes along the Burke-Gilman trail.

Run time: 2:08:44 (9:12 pace)

Unfortunately, the aftermath of this run wasn't so pretty. I didn't take in any fuel besides Nuun during the run, which is unusual for me, and I needed some calories when I got home. Even though I wasn't hungry, I had a few bites of a banana and an apple slice... and had, um, mixed results with keeping it down.

Remember all that beer I drank? This was my punishment.

My stomach finally accepted a piece of dry toast, and I napped away the hangover. Can you believe I was able to have such a great long run and then feel so horrible afterward? I think I'll call this phenomenon a Delayed-Onset Hangover, or D'OH!.

It was during this D'OH! that I decided to give up alcohol until after the marathon. I felt great when I stopped drinking for several weeks prior to running my sub-two-hour half-marathon, and it's definitely a worthy sacrifice for my first marathon. Plus, it's a very easy decision to reach when you feel like death.


Sunday: Rest

I spent much of Sunday at a training session for DetermiNation Seattle volunteers. We're gearing up to represent DetermiNation at the Seattle Marathon expo in November, and actual training for the 2012 Rock 'n' Seattle Marathon and Half-Marathon starts in January, so there was lots of information to cover and planning to be done! Many of my teammates from the 2011 season are now on the volunteer committee as well, so it was great to be able to catch up with them now that we're not all freaking out about our races.

There's only a few more weeks to go until I start freaking out about this one.


WEEK 15 TOTALS

Miles run: 33
Strength-training sessions: 0 (gotta get back on track!)
Rest days: 3
Hangovers: 1 — hit with Category 5 strength
Pieces of Halloween candy eaten: Numbers don't go that high


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 327
Miles biked: 68
Swims: 7
Yoga sessions: 1
Strength-training sessions: 16 + 1 shower scrubbing


PREVIOUS TRAINING RECAPS

Weeks 1-4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###

Marathon Training: Week 14

I spent most of Week 14 plotting to hook myself up to an IV drip of chicken-noodle soup. I was sick, people. Really sick.

Take it from me: Running in the rain is pretty badass until you get walloped with a sneezy, runny-nosed, sore-throated illness that leaves you flattened for days. OK, so it probably wasn't just running in the rain that did me in; a serious lack of sleep and several beers last Saturday night definitely contributed to the mess. Don't be like me!

Rather than trying to push through my misery and stick with the training plan, I took four solid rest days to recover. And then, on the day I resumed training, I ran 18 miles. Crazy, party of one!

That strategy could have been an epic disaster, but it actually worked out well. I guess my efforts over the past three-plus months have conditioned my body to traverse ridiculous distances despite horrible illness. Good to know.


WEEK 14


Monday: 5-mile run

Ben Davis crashed on my couch Sunday night during a brief stop in Seattle en route to his home state of Arkansas. We stayed up late chatting about his book deal, his Runner's World cover and people we know from the Interwebs, so I went to sleep feeling completely exhausted and a bit under the weather. But someone wanted to run on Monday morning and I was too stubborn to say no, even when the sky threatened end-of-days-style rain.

I felt fine as we ran five soaking wet miles, but after I dropped off Ben at the airport, cleaned up and had lunch with a friend, I was very clearly sick. I then passed out for about five hours — thank goodness I had already taken the day off from work!


Tuesday: Rest (missed strength-training)

I chugged water, tea and chicken-noodle soup and used an embarrassing amount of Kleenex. I also took this day off from work.


Wednesday: Rest (missed a 9-mile run)

I went back to work, but still felt miserable. Meh.


Thursday: Rest (missed 4 miles + strength-training)

At this point I started itching to run again. Three whole days off from my training plan? Are you kidding me?


Friday: Rest

I finally felt well enough to run again, but I held off to really make sure that I was better. Also, taking it easy was a welcome change after more than three months of marathon training!


Saturday: 18-mile run

All week long, my only goal was to get better and be able to complete this long run — and it would be my farthest run ever. About 90% of me thought that this run would suck horribly and that I wouldn't finish.

But, oh, I finished. And I kicked some butt.

(Please forgive the duck face. I was too tired to smile.)

18 miles took me two loops of Lake Union, two chocolate Clif Shots, five bottles of water and nearly three hours to complete. I ended up running at a 9:41 average pace, which is right on target with the best long runs I've done so far. Against all odds, this run went about as well as a long run can go.

That's not to say that it was easy. I did two identical 9-mile loops of Lake Union since I'm very comfortable with that route, and the end of the first loop brought me back within a quarter-mile of my house. My body was ready to pack it in at that point, and I knew the remaining 9 miles would be all mental.

Since I don't run with music, I rely on internal cheerleading when things get rough. Here are some of the things I told myself over and over again during this run:

• "You are kicking the shit out of this. Keep going!"
• "Only 10K left to go... only 5K left to go... that's nothing!"
• "Honey badger don't care!"
• "You can do anything for 2.5 more miles!"

Mile 15.5 was the toughest point. I wanted nothing more than to lie down on the grass and take a nap. I just thought about how badly I want to finish my marathon and how I'll have to push through the wall in Las Vegas, and that helped me push through this one. When I finally got home, I collapsed onto my concrete patio and it might as well have been a Sealy Posturepedic mattress. Heaven.

This was my first run wearing my new CEP compression sleeves, and I think they really helped reduce shin pain, leg fatigue and swelling. I also wore them during my incredible post-run nap and as part of my "runner" Halloween costume that night (please try not to faint from my creativity). Consider it love at first wear.


Sunday: Rest

I rested my legs on Sunday and was extremely pleased to find that they were not sore at all, save for a little creakiness in my knees. I stretched, foam-rolled and iced my knees immediately after the 18-miler, and completing those good practices in combination with wearing the compression sleeves made me a very happy runner.

I finally carved me a pumpkin the day before Halloween, and I will totally count all that sawing and scooping action as strength-training! OK, maybe not, but a girl can try.

Now there are only FIVE WEEKS and one more really long run — a 20-miler — left to go before the marathon!!


WEEK 14 TOTALS

Miles run: 23 (I had scheduled 36)
Strength-training sessions: 0
Rest days: 5
Days I thought I might die: 2
Boxes of Kleenex I demolished: 2 or 3? I'm not joking


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 294
Miles biked: 68
Swims: 7
Yoga sessions: 1
Strength-training sessions: 16 + 1 shower scrubbing


PREVIOUS TRAINING RECAPS

Weeks 1-4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###

Marathon Training: Week 13

During Week 13, I realized that October would be my first month of running more than 100 miles! If I stick to my training plan for the rest of October, it'll actually be a 139-mile month.

CRAZY.

You can see from this Daily Mile graph just how much I've ramped up my mileage since beginning marathon training in late July.

I feel like I barely trained for my June half-marathon in comparison!

A friend recently asked me how I find the time to do all this running. The answer is that I've made it my top priority. Right now, running a marathon that I'm proud of is my number-one goal, and I'm laser-focused on making it happen. Everything else in my life fits in around training.

It's probably easier for me than for many people for several reasons. My friends are all very busy, so we tend to converge only on weekend nights, and that fulfills my need to be social. I'm single, which frees up a lot of time. I rarely work late, and I never have to take work home with me. I enjoy running at night to shake off workday stress, so I don't often dread weekday training.

All that said, my success with training so far boils down to commitment. I've heard a million times that if you really want to do something, you'll find any way possible to do it. If your heart's not fully in it, however, you'll find any excuse to avoid it.

There have been incredible runs and incredibly crappy runs. There have been times when I felt like I could run forever and times when I literally felt like I was going to die.

No one will tell you that training for a marathon is easy. Most, I think, will tell you that it is absolutely worth it.

WEEK 13


Monday: 5-mile run

Since the days are quickly growing shorter, I've been putting in extra effort to get back out the door to run right when I get home from work. These dark evenings are exactly the kick in the pants I need to quit procrastinating and GO!

I think this may have been my last evening run that featured a shred of daylight, though — it was fully dark when I finished just before 7:00.

Since I hate the treadmill, I'll be doing lots of night running, so I picked up a headlamp, blinky light and RoadID to stay visible and safe on my runs. The RoadID is something I think everyone should have for running and cycling, whether it's dark out or not — I've heard way too many stories about people who've been hit by cars or who have crashed their bikes and had to be rushed to the hospital. I feel more secure knowing that my parents will be contacted as soon as possible should, God forbid, anything happen to me!


Tuesday: Rest

I spent the evening at a wonderful panel discussion about world travel. It featured all types of travelers, from a young couple who spent seven months having adventures abroad to a professional travel writer who presented tips about staying safe and respecting other cultures.

Just over a year ago, I realized that I really want to see the world. I always love meeting people who are actually doing that because they inspire me to make that dream a reality.


Wednesday: 4-mile run + strength

Earlier this year, I trained for and ran my first half-marathon with the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation team and had an awesome experience. Now I'm volunteering with DetermiNation to help out with PR and social media for the 2012 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and Half-Marathon!

On Wednesday I went to my first volunteer committee meeting, and then I went straight to the gym to lift weights and run. It was a very packed night that left me eating dinner at 10 p.m., but I didn't mind since I was busy doing things I enjoy and am passionate about.


Thursday: 9-mile run

This was my first night run with the new headlamp! I think it might be magical because I ran my fastest 9-miler ever — 1:19:49, 8:51 pace.

The headlamp worked perfectly to help me avoid slipping on wet leaves and tripping over sidewalk cracks. It left me with a fun little forehead welt, but I'll take that over a broken ankle any day!

I realized after this run that I much prefer 8- or 9-mile runs over 5- or 6-milers. They're just long enough that I can do a loop around Lake Union instead of an out-and-back somewhere, which keeps me from constantly checking my Garmin to see when I can turn around. Also, I'm crazy. That's the only logical reason why anyone would prefer to run that far, right?


Friday: Rest

Sometimes life just hands you fun gifts, like a free 10-course Chinese dinner! My roommate's boss bought a few tables at a fundraising auction for the Bruce Lee Action Museum, and she invited me to come along on Friday night as her "plus one."

If there's anything I like to do more than running, it's EATING, and this dinner was amazing! I usually don't carb-load or eat anything special the night before long runs, so I was a little worried about how this feast would affect Saturday's 12-miler, but I ended up feeling fine. Ohhh, what a delicious gamble.


Saturday: 12-mile run

I did this great long run with Lindsey, a public defender from Connecticut who had emailed me earlier in the week to ask about Seattle running routes since she would be in town for a conference. I know how intimidating it can be to run in a new city, so I invited her to run with me and we had a blast!

We braved some truly icky, rainy weather at 7:30 a.m.

Welcome to Seattle, right? But Lindsey came prepared with her game face and rain jacket, and the downpour eventually let up and didn't bother us too much. We chatted away for the nearly two-hour run, and, as per usual, a relative stranger became a fast friend through running.


Sunday: Rest

My roommates and I threw a big ol' Oktoberfest party Saturday night, so Sunday was a low-key recovery day — as in recovery from the long run and from all the beers I enjoyed. I had brunch with all my best friends at Hunger to celebrate my roommate's birthday, and then I took a great nap.


WEEK 13 TOTALS

Miles run: 30
Strength-training sessions: 1
Rest days: 3
Ridiculous injuries: 1 headlamp welt
Nights I got enough sleep: Zero-ish


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 271
Miles biked: 68
Swims: 7
Yoga sessions: 1
Strength-training sessions: 16 + 1 shower scrubbing


PREVIOUS TRAINING RECAPS

Weeks 1-4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12

###

New here?

• Here's the lowdown on My Story
• You can add Answering Oliver to your feed reader
• Feel free to subscribe to Answering Oliver by email
  
• Liking Answering Oliver on Facebook is also a valid option
• Perhaps you'd like to follow my stream of randomness on Twitter
• Or just hang out. That's cool, too.

###