This is week 15 of an 18-week training plan that will hopefully get me to the marathon start line ready to have an amazing race, and maybe even PR!
This is a big week! Not only do I have my third and final 16 mile run, but Lior and I are flying home on Thursday. Since I know Thursday-Saturday is going to be a bit hectic, I’ve made Thursday my rest day and put two of my three shorter runs on Friday and Saturday. This means that I need to hit my three workouts/longer runs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This is not ideal from a training perspective, but it does mean that I will enjoy chill, easy runs on February 7-9. Delayed gratification at its finest!
Monday, FEbruary 3
Last night I had trouble falling asleep, so I took a melatonin. I woke up feeling surprisingly not groggy…but also not bursting with energy. Too bad, today is speed workout day! Once I got out the door, I surprised myself and had a great workout, which totalled 10.5 miles:
1.5mi warm up 3 * 2 mi @ marathon goal pace – 10s; .5mi rest 1.5mi cool down
My splits were way under goal MP – 10s, but I felt great and wanted to push, so I went for it. This is a drastic difference from last week, and my motivation during the workout makes me optimistic for the next two days of high mileage runs.
I also received my bib number and corral info for the marathon! It’s exciting–I’m almost there!
Also, today I bought my very own Israeli cell phone plan–to be collected/activated once I return to Israel.
Tuesday, February 4
Today, I went to my last yoga class in London. I then ran my 12 mile tempo run…as a regular run. I felt kind of tired/low energy, but mostly held it together. Then I washed all of my running gear!
In the evening, I went to going away drinks with Lior’s coworkers, and then we went and got our last Five Guys of our stay in London. I then did more laundry and mostly finished packing. Seriously, packing is way easier when you’re leaving someplace, because all you have to do is shove your stuff into the bags…except Lior is judgy about my clothes folding technique (and also my clothes are clean and I don’t want them to come out of the suitcase all wrinkly) and I also need space for gifts and kitchen stuff we bought (like nice knives! Wow, being an adult is boring sometimes). The point of this is that I am almost all packed, and I did it in a mostly organized way.
Wednesday, February 5
Today, I completed my long-awaited last 16 mile run of the training cycle! I planned well and actually ate a full meal (Sainsbury’s pumpkin gnocchi with cheese on top–so good!) and properly digested before my run. The run went great–I had a surprising amount of energy, my fueling went well, and I brought long a Kind bar that I didn’t even need. Today I also tested out my marathon outfit–a long-sleeved purple running shirt that I’ve had since 2016, my new lululemon shorts, and the NYRR Global Running Day buff. I lucked out–today was in the mid-high 40s and sunny. This was the perfect way to end my stay in London, and I even got bit teary eyed around 14.5 miles in, acknowledging the end of my time in London.
From the knees up, this is probably what I’ll wear for the marathon!
Speaking of that, check out my post about the things I’ll miss from the past 4 months!
This run was yet another major confidence booster for Tokyo. Being able to run 16 miles on tired legs–and feeling much better than yesterday–shows that my body is ready for 26.2 miles in 25 days!
Thursday, February 6
Lior and I are now HOME! Stepping outside of the airport, having it be relatively warm, and feeling like I’m finally HOME was the best feeling, ever.
First, we went to his parents’ house to pick up his car keys. Upon arriving, we heard a dog bark, which meant that Lior’s sister was there…WITH HER KIDS. One of Lior’s nieces was born just after we met, and not seeing her for four months means that she has more teeth, a little more hair, and walks now! She spent the visit walking from person to person, basically flinging herself at them. I was into it. She knows a few words now, and if you ask where her various body parts are, she points to them. Basically, she is a genius and someone should alert MENSA.
When we left, we got shwarma! Lior and I were thinking about this shwarma for a long time, and it was totally worth it. The soggy chips that I would have rejected in London? Amazing. Also, I love amba (pickled mango sauce), and got my fix. We got home at a reasonable hour, meaning that for once in my life, I actually unpacked the day I returned home from a trip.
Friday, February 7
After sleeping in a bit (I had trouble falling asleep last night so I took melatonin), I went for the most magical run of all time. It was 7 miles of bliss. Sure, on the way there my hair was coming out of my braid and blowing in my face. Sure, on the way back I ran into a headwind for most of the time. But the weather was beautiful, I ran along the Mediterranean Sea, and it was just incredible. I’m so happy to be home!
Saturday, February 8
Today I was supposed to run 6 miles, but I felt a little congested and a bit out of it. Instead, I took some medicine and a nap, and felt better afterwards! While Thursday was technically a rest day, traveling isn’t exactly relaxing! I’m glad I trusted my gut and completed all of my major workouts earlier in the week. At this point in my training, missing one 6 mile run isn’t going to make a difference.
Also, I booked my and Lior’s travel insurance, and somehow, coronavirus fear didn’t drive up the prices. Not complaining!
…Lior started getting sick in the evening, and then later in the evening, I got it, too. Colds don’t bother me too much (I sleep, take medicine, and eat soup, and eventually they go away), but this was nausea and bathroom visits…it brought me back to the stomach bug I had back in September, and I was not happy.
Sunday, February 9
Last night was rough, for both me and Lior. It turns out, we (along with most of his family) caught a 24(+) hour bug from his niece. I guess she is also a genius at being infectious! There was a lot of tossing and turning. I went to bed feeling nauseous, and luckily, at some point in the middle of the night that went away, and then I “just” had a cold. I’ll take it! Lior called in sick to work, but still worked basically the entire day (“I slept in late, so it’s not actually that much work…” LIES!)
I took cold medicine, slept in until almost noon, took a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, and ate some delicious chicken soup. My temperature slowly went down throughout the day, and by the time we went to sleep, Lior and I felt much better.
Total Distance: 45.7 miles, 1 yoga class
Most of the hard work is over! I still have two speed workouts and two 12 mile runs (and a 10 mile run that is being done as a 15K race), but those distances will be much more evenly spaced throughout the week. I am very pleased with how my Monday-Wednesday workouts went, and I’m beginning to feel like I’m actually ready to run the marathon!
I also am super grateful to past Sarah, for the forethought to front-load all of my workouts. Missing two easy runs doesn’t make a difference, and I definitely needed the rest!