Training for Marine Corps Marathon: Weeks 12 and 13

Week 12, on paper, went almost as planned. However, it did not end as planned!!!

The week started off fine, I had an easy recovery run on Monday and things were feeling good.
I headed out on Wednesday with a plan to do a few mile repeats- I was shooting for 4, as my speedwork mileage has not been high. It was the warmest day we had had in a while, and HUMID AF. I felt genuinely dreadful. My calves returned feeling awful like earlier in the season (like, tired/crampy) but my stomach was the real trouble maker. I felt progressively more nauseated as the workout progressed, and after the 3rd repeat I called it a day. GROSS.

I actually had a really good long run on Thursday. The calves were a touch rough at first, but it was an overall good run, on a nice day. The 8:44 pace felt pleasant, and I was really optimistic.

On Saturday I went for a short, easy run. Nothing of note occurred, it was actually an extremely boring little outing.
And as soon as I got home, my troublesome shin/calf turned into CRAP. I was pretty surprised by this event. While it had not been feeling "perfect" it was far from what I would call an "injury."

WELL. When I awoke on Sunday still LAME AF, I declared myself injured and put myself on the DL.

So, Week 13 consisted on some bike trainer miles, and a looooooong horse show with a shit ton of walking. The crap leg was CRAP until Saturday the 21st when it suddenly snapped out of it and stopped hurting completely.
The other weird thing that's happening, was that my foot was super sore as well. Basically, my leg hurt from the arch of my foot, through my calf and shin. I am old, it is a shame.

I don't really trust it at this point. I have no plans to take to the pavement to test out it's integrity for several more days. Or maybe a week. Who knows!

So here's the good news:
-Crap leg does not hurt at all anymore. At any point. Not when I get up. Not when I walk. Not at all.
-Crap leg is really just being a bitch. I never could "pinpoint" a spot of pain, there was never swelling or bruising, I never actually did anything stupid to myself other than living my best life.
-I can do other activities
-I'm smart enough to FULL stop when something stops being a little annoying, and becomes stupid

The bad news:
-Despite this clearly not being a sprain/stress fracture, it still sucked.
-I do have a marathon in a month.
-I did take 2 weeks off in august, to try to mitigate this issue, and it clearly did not work. Hence the trust issue!

Well, the other good news:
-I'm not at all stressed about this
-I'll go to the marathon anyway
-I'm not sitting on my butt
-Luckily, while I do enjoy running, I do not require it. I can exist happily on no running.

This has put my notion of an MCM BQ on hold, but I am still feeling confident that I can show up healthy at the start, and talk myself into finishing. Shit happens, and this is really not a very big deal in the big picture.

After all, there is a HUGE macaroni and cheese festival (who knew this was a real thing!!) in DC the day before the race, and that alone is worth the trip!

Training for Marine Corps Marathon: Week 11

Somehow, I have no recollection of last weeks training.

From what I recall (foggily) It was another nice, cool week of training and my calf/shin was reasonably cooperative. I managed to do all my workouts and fit in a small hike.

I shall now refer to Strava.

OK right. It was a good week!

I started things off on Monday with a treadmill run because it was a cold, rainy mess. Normally, this would REALLY not be a good way to begin the week (I am REALLY over the treadmill) but it was actually a solid 5 miler.

I did 6x800 for probably the 300th time this season. Every time I do this workout, I have plans to up the length of the repeat the following week. THEN, something happens to keep me from doing that. So anyway, they were fine, and hopefully this week does not such and I can run some damn mile repeats.

I ran a 15+ long run on a gorgeous day. 68 degrees, dry, sunny and wind. Doesn't get better, and the whole run was very solid.

Massive post run beer, haha

We did an 8 mile power hike on Saturday. This was NOT counted as a run, even though we ran some of it. A rugged 3500+ of elevation too. It was our first time this season in the Northern Presis, and they never disappoint.

Heyyyyyy

Sunday was another gorgeous day, and I finished the week up with a pretty casual 10 miler.

So it was a decent week. The next couple are going to be really challenging. Work is insane, I mean INSANE. (like, 10-11 hour days 6 days a week and then Finals, which is basically a week long.)
I'm pretty determined to get the work done. Marathon time is drawing near, and I certainly can not afford another significant break at this point. (and then, I'm traveling early October... so lots of potential pitfalls. noooooooo!!!!)
The cooler weather is making me feel much more like myself. (and at the same time, fills me with dread because it is going to suck when it is suddenly 85 again!)
And as far as my calf goes.... It is no worse. It hates it when I am on my feet teaching for hours at a time, but it needs to suck it. I literally have no time to listen to its bitching.

Boston registration is this week. I'm looking forward to seeing what the cut off times are, after the qualification standards became tougher this year. Clearly, I would love to mosey to DC and low key (on low key training, haha) BQ. I think the next two weeks will be really telling in whether or not that is a reasonable goal. I have 9+ minutes in hand for 2020, so I am confident that I'll be lining up on April 20th.

Stats:
Miles: 38
Hottest day: Not hot at all. No hot days. Pretty chilly. 
Longest run: 15+
Hiking miles- 7.9

Training for Marine Corps Marathon: Week 10. Oh shit

OK. So time is moving terribly fast.
While my off time was completely required, I am feeling a bit behind in the marathon training department. We shall see if I can whip myself into shape in the time remaining.

So the good news: my calf/shin is certainly better. Not 100%. But close enough, and doesn't seem to be responding negatively to work.

I had a couple basic runs Tuesday and Wednesday to get back into the swing of things. I did unintentional speed work on Wednesday, in an attempt to out run some rain.

Thursday was 11 mile long run day and it was fine. A short "long" run, but it went well.

Saturday, we climbed Moosilauke which was right around 8.5 miles.

How we enjoy a day off

And then on Sunday.... We headed out to preview the course for this absurd race that Eric is signed up for. "Ridge to River" I believe.
Words of wisdom: Don't do it, but instead spend the day repeatedly closing your feet into a piping hot George Foreman grill.

I was expecting a "trail run" and it was a god damn mountain climb. Almost 4k of elevation in 10.5 miles.

You can't even tell how steep it is

It was shit. Like actual shit, not like "the shit."

View from ABOVE the chair lift

And we didn't even make it the whole way! Which, of course, pissed me off and I'm planning how to conquer the whole trail.

You made me upset, trail

So let's see.
What is good:
-the leg is getting better
-as long as I can actually run, I am doing my best
-the weather (much cooler) (also, see bad)

What is bad:
-Well, I would like to be more fit
-At this point I would like to see both my speed work, and long runs longer....
-The weather: if it is hot on race day this nice cool spell will spell certain doom!

Stats:
Miles: 31.2 (with one million feet of elevation)
Hottest day: Not hot. I think my warmest run was 79
Longest run: 11
Hiking miles- 8.5