Another week down and just 42 DAYS to go. Time is flying!
My training is going well and I’m in a much more positive mindset than I was just a couple weeks ago. Positivity goes a long way in any aspect of life, and it’s no different when it comes to marathon training. My newfound positive mindset carried me through another solid week of training.
A Positive Mindset and a Great Week of Training {Marine Corps Marathon Training: Week 11}
Tuesday — 7 miles
The week began with a nice 7 miler. The goal for this run was to maintain even splits. I did so for the most part but if you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed I had a wonky fourth mile. It must have been me stopping to find a podcast to listen to because other than that I had fairly even splits throughout the run. In terms of weather, it started off humid and ended up less humid and a little chilly. Translation: the end of the run was easier than the beginning.
Wednesday — 6 miles + strength training
Wednesday was an easy run so I met my friend, Julie, for some easy trail miles. We took our time and enjoyed the weather. It was perfect for running and the scenery was so beautiful. And because no run with Julie would be complete without some sort of wild animal encounter (remember the coyote??), of course we stumbled upon what appeared to be a pelvic or shoulder bone along the way. We looked for the rest of the body but couldn’t find anything else. Also — we didn’t really look that hard because of the whole “runners always find the dead bodies” thing. I don’t really want any part of that, thank you very much. #sorrynotsorry
Thursday — 10.26 miles
As I said before, a little positivity goes a long way. The forecast was threatening cold rain all day Thursday. I had a challenging steady state run on tap, and I was not in a positive mindset if I’m being honest. But when I woke up and saw the rain shifted back about an hour, I was much more enthused for this run. I met up with my friend Candice for what I told her would be a “challenging workout.” I didn’t tell her what was entailed until we started running.
We ran 10+ miles through periods of cold, sunshine, and rain. The only thing missing from this run was hail. Despite being cold and wet, my spirits stayed high. I felt really strong throughout the run and I enjoyed it even with the elements. See? Positivity.
Friday — 1.53 miles + strength training
Wouldn’t you know the weather predicted for Friday was the same as Thursday. But lo and behold, the rain stayed away and allowed me to meet with a new client in the morning. We talked about why she wanted to start running, her history with physical fitness, and then completed a warm up. We went for a run and afterward I introduced her to some strength training exercises we will use throughout her training with me. She did great and I’m so proud of her. Afterward I went home and did a strength training workout of my own. A great day overall!
Saturday — 12.03 miles
Saturday’s run was much needed. I had 12 miles at 10:00 minute pace on my training plan and pretty much nailed it. It was a brisk day and it took a long while for my hands to warm up. I’m not a huge fan of cool weather because I’m usually completely uncomfortable, but I will begrudgingly admit that it does help my pace a bit.
Greeted the day with a beautiful sunrise!
During this run I practiced walking to drink water every two to three miles, as well as snacking. I’ll continue to walk every two miles here on out through my long runs so I can get a good idea of how I’ll feel come race day. It’s worked well in the past so I’m thinking it will work well for the future, too.
Going forward
This week I’m focusing a little on pace but more on mileage. I’ve got 20 on deck for the weekend. Fingers crossed we have some decent weather! A positive mindset going forward will do wonders for me as I’m now entering peak mileage weeks before taper.
In other semi-related news, I’m extremely excited (and equal parts anxious as all get out) to kick off a kids running program in our local school system this week. The program is called Kids Run the Nation and is a nationally recognized, RRCA running program developed to introduce school age children to running, and to encourage a lifelong love of the sport.
My husband and I will be co-coaching this 10 session program beginning this week and I’m really looking forward to it! I’m a little nervous because I’ve never had so many kids in front of me at once, but we’re going to have a blast. Nothing like a little performance anxiety to help keep things interesting, right? But a positive mindset will help me stay upbeat and focused. Plus my kids will be participating and my husband is my co-coach so it should be a ton of fun.
Looking forward to an amazing, albeit possibly exhausting, week ahead!
xo
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Linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippi Piddlin’ for the Weekly Wrap, and My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run.
