Here’s how last week ended up:
Running Miles: 21
Bike Miles: 20
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 5 miles speedwork, Strength for legs
Wednesday: 20 on bike
Thursday: 6 miles
Friday: Yoga, Strength
Saturday: Rest, well golf
Sunday: 10 miles
So. New York City Marathon training officially OFFICIALLY starts today. Although I’ve been hedging for weeks. Who am I kidding? I’ve been keeping a half marathon training base all year in anticipation of this day. So now we begin. With a rest day. Ha! I get questions. So many questions. About how I’m training, what I eat, really everything about prepping for this marathon. So, for the enquiring minds out there, here’s an outline of what’s happening:
Training Plan
Going: Run Less Run Faster. Although this plan has served me very well, I don’t think the intensity serves the (hormonally challenged) runner I am now.
Adding: I’m working with NYRR coaches who have customized a plan for me. Being a coach myself, rest assured there may be twerking…I mean tweaking…as we go.
Adding: Hill training. Because NYCM is a hilly sucker with all those darn bridges. Good cuz I love hills….said no one ever…well not me.
Crosstraining
Staying: Strength. I enjoyed 3 days of heavy lifting for the bench press showdown. I’m planning to keep 2 days of solid strength training in the mix, not as heavy, but more than I’ve typically done during marathon training.
Staying: Bike. At least one vigorous bike ride or spin class will stay in the mix.
Adding: Yoga. I’ve fallen away from doing yoga as much as I know I need to. The plan is to add at least one class, ideally two, back in.
Fuel
Staying: BCAA’s. I started taking BCAA’s from SD Pharmaceuticals to help my strength training, and they did.
BCAA’s are also a valuable recovery tool so I’ve been taking them immediately after hard runs. I notice less soreness, “fresher” legs sooner, so BCAA’s are staying.
Adding: Electrolyte tabs. Maybe I’m last to the party on this but I first started dabbling with Nuun and ZYM last summer. I’m a salty sweater so these make a big difference in those steamy long runs.
Self-Care
Adding: Ice baths. Nothing says marathon training like a dip in the cubes.
Adding: Regular massages. Monthly, at least.
Staying: Regular foam rolling and dynamic stretching
Last but not least, let’s talk Shoes
Staying: My Mac daddy distance shoe, which I’ve run all of my marathons in: Mizuno Wave Creation. I’m stocked up…sort of.
Staying: Newton Gravity is my go-to speedwork and tempo shoe.
Adding: I’ve been so impressed with the Asics Gel-Electro33, they’ll be sharing the shorter mileage runs with my Newtons.
What are you training for? Have you changed up your plan? How? Still time to enter my giveaway!
Your plan doesn’t sound all that different from mine..whew! Hard to be a 51 year old marathoner, those dang hormones. I’m glad I get to stick with the bike as well. I’ll take a pass on the ice baths tho…
It sounds like an awesome plan! I am so pumped to see you tackle NYC! I’ve heard the hills are killer, but it sounds like you’re ready for them! Woohoo!
Twerking is a “must” for your marathon training plan.
These hormones are pretty exciting…like a freaky rollercoaster. From hell.
Actually…I DO love hills. LOVE them. Love.
Sounds like you are doing an awesome job getting prepped 🙂
Yay for marathon training!! I’m so excited for you!
Whoo Hoo for the start of training! I love how much cross-training you’re planning to do – I’ll be borrowing a page from you book as I get back to training!
You’ve got all your bases covered there. It’ll be interesting to see how the training plan goes compared to what you’ve done in the past.
Yes, the Creation is my distance shoe too.
Staying: Wave Creation for long runs
Adding: Wave Rider for normal runs
Adding: Wave Sayonara for speed work
Staying: My over eager desire to have lots of running shoes.
Isn’t it funny how so many training plans start out with a rest day on Day 1? I have heard a ton about Run Less Run Faster and am thinking I’d like to give it a whirl one of these days. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it this time around. It sounds like you are very well-prepared with all of your cross-training, nutrition, hydration, and gear thought out!!! You are going to ROCK this training!!!
Ah, I love it when I can write down and organize all of my thoughts regarding training. In fact, I’ve filled out many-a-calendar doing so. This is brilliant, though! You’re so experienced, you know what you need to do and what not to do. NYC will be lucky to have you!
Love the beginning of training, when the plan is shiny and new. You should do a follow-up post halfway and let us know of any changes!
Sounds like your training is on point!! I am only training for a half, and my goal is to just keep my hubby movin’ since this is his first half marathon!
Your adds sound good. What are you deleting? I’m interested to read about your tweaks since I’m training for my first marathon. Thinking of adding the massage.
BOOM! you are ready to rock!!! and yay, we will meet! My plan is similar to yours. 1 tough spin, icing/ice bath/ice box therapy, massage monthly, chiro every 3 weeks, barre/pilates 2-3 week, eat right. I think I need to work on my muscle recovery with products though. That’s on my list!
I’m so excited for you that it is time to start the actual marathon training – I know that all of the other training you have already done this year is going to help a lot.
That strength work seems to be key these days – at least for me to stay healthy.