Filed under: 2008 NYC Marathon Training | Tags: Hydration, Miles, Pace, Pittsburgh
Down to the final 6 weeks of training and feeling pretty good!
It’s been awhile since I last posted and the past 3 weeks have been up and down. Was finally able to update the training log (had some issues with Google docs) and you can see that I had one good week, one bonk and then last week was pretty solid. In terms of long runs (which I base the success or failure of a week on), I completed 18 miles of a scheduled 18, 13 miles of 20 and then 21 miles of 22 just this past Sunday. There is no question that running the 21 miler with my buddy Jeff Babich made it a success. Having someone else to talk to when you’re running over 3 hours straight is HUGE and once again he took the trouble to map out the route. Thanks again Mr. Babich and good luck with the Columbus Marathon!
The week prior my sister came to the burgh, we partied & I bonked. I didn’t sleep enough and underestimated my need for hydration leading up to the long run. Having a Guinness or two on a Friday isn’t a big deal, but 4 or 5 Sapphire & Tonics the Saturday night before at Mardi Gras (a Pittsburgh dive notorious for stiff beverages) was just plain dumb. I did bounce back 2 days later though with a quick 5.9 miler. Got it done in 45:33 (7:11 pace) and wasn’t really going for it.
So, this is a step back week (16 miles for the long run), then 2 weeks of building (22 & 24 miles) and I’ll finish it all off with a 2 week taper. I signed up for a couple of races last night, Pittsburgh’s Great Race and the 2008 Tecumseh Trail Marathon. Why am I doing another 26.2 only 5 weeks after New York, I’m not really sure, but my old college buddy and fellow endurance freak, Chris Cahee talked me into it. I’ve never done anything this long off road (especially in the beginning of December) but somehow I’m pumped up for it.
To wrap this up, I bought some new Asics GT-2130’s last night, and plan to run at least NYC and Tecumseh in them. I really like the Asics, they just seem to fit better than any other running shoe and there’s plenty of room up front for when my toes swell.
