This week I finally started Boston marathon training by doing a long run longer than 10 miles – yes! I think I was secretly wondering if this would ever actually happen, since as of last week I wasn’t in run-mode at all, followed by the germ takeover this week leaving me exhausted.
Let’s get right into the workouts and then look at a few scenes from the weekend.
Boston Marathon Training Week 1
Monday – 5 miles in the snow easy, 23 minute morning yoga flow with Tim Senesi. I should have run on the treadmill, no joke. This run was hopping, leaping, and high-knees-through-the-snow more than it was actual running, and it’s a good thing I didn’t time it.
Tuesday – 5.5-ish miles, first 2 uphill. I’m going to start doing 5-6 miles on this route once per week while training to get some hill work in. Luckily after driving around on Monday I was able to see what areas were safe and run-able to make for a much more pleasant and normal run than the day before!
Later on, 30 minutes Total Body Yoga Workout 2. This one still leaves be with sore abs for the next day at least! I’ve been up to about 3 days per week of some sort of core work, and I’m noticing the difference and feel noticeably stronger and more balanced than just a couple of weeks ago.
Wednesday – Earlier than usual 5 miles after a night of not much sleep due to a sick Emily. Later on while she napped, I did this 34 minute Total Body Yoga Workout.
Thursday – Finding routes to navigate around the snow means I don’t know exactly how far every run is, which is fine. I have no desire to time my short weekday runs for 2 reasons –
1.) They’re done at an easy pace and I’m not concerned with the distance as long as it’s 5ish miles and
2.) I don’t want to wait for the GPS to start in the cold! Or have to take my mitten and glove off to start the MapMyRun app. Yes, I’ll make that effort for my long run, but for the others I’d rather just run out the door and not think about it.
So, this run was on a different route, a bit hilly and probably a little bit longer than 5 miles. I’ll definitely be running it again since it was nice and quiet and clear of snow and ice for the most part.
Later on, I squeezed in this 22 minute Well Rounded Yoga Flow – just perfect for 20 minutes.
Friday – Total rest day! I slept until 6am, which was awesome and made me realize that I need more sleep in general. Well, that and the fact that I’ve been clearly sleep deprived all week. Sleep is something I’m almost always deprived of and I still haven’t figured out a good solution. What works for a few days just doesn’t stick longterm, and it’s not just a single factor interrupting it. I would love to get a solid 7 hours per night, but I’m always hovering in the 6 hour range on average.
Saturday – 1st official long run for marathon training! Of course I picked the coldest point of the entire weekend to do it, but that’s when I had the time and it’s always nice to get it out of the way, regardless.
I decided on 13 miles (yes I was sort of OCD and went for 13.1) and will probably go for 14 next week.
This run was interesting because I started out much slower than I typically would, and hearing the paces made me feel defeated because I had no desire to run any faster. I also was nervous about how 13 miles would feel since I haven’t run more than 10 since November 1st!
But, running is SO, SO mental – it still surprises me. Once I got to the point in my route (about 4 miles from home) where a part of my brain clicks and I know I’ll finish the run (based on dozens of long runs on this route) I suddenly sped up without trying to, and the last 4 miles were progressively faster, while somehow feeling easier. I hope this experience sticks and gives me the confidence to make my long runs enjoyable over the next 11 weeks!
Sunday – No running, early morning yoga. It seems to feel good to keep the day before a long run a total rest day with no yoga, and save a longer yoga practice for the morning after. Today it was Vinyasa Yoga for Strength and Balance. This video has some very tough core work in it that I could barely complete – Tim Senesi does not mess around with core work.
And, because there are a lot of food pictures waiting for you on my phone, here’s a few of my meals from the weekend!
I’m having fun getting the most mileage possible out of my Maple Chipotle Ketchup! It can go with everything, if you want it to. For this lunch I cooked sweet potatoes, bacon, and broccoli together in a pan and topped with a nice dollop of the ketchup. This was sooooo good 🙂
I was having some serious savory cravings this weekend both days for breakfast, and decided to use green plantains instead of ripe one to make a hash – I’m wild, we both know that.
I crisped up chopped bacon and plantains in the same pan and then added some chopped kale at the end and covered the pan. The result (topped with 2 crispy eggs) was savory breakfast heaven, in my opinion!
This is basically the same thing but with sweet potatoes, skin on for extra crispiness! I’ll save the rest of the food for WIAW for both of our sakes.
The other highlight of my weekend was FINALLY getting a darned haircut after literally 7 months without one. About time right? Not a good idea to go that long, especially since I use my flatiron a little bit every day, and my ends were dried out and dead. Luckily Meredith reminded me in her post Friday that this needed to be high on the priority list for the weekend!
Nothing like a post-haircut car-glamour-selfie, right? I’m allowed, since I only cut my hair twice per year. The moment is fleeting of course, and now the day after, the “volume” they created is now just the top/back part sticking straight up, and the rest is flat. I never get good blowouts that last, there’s something wrong with me.
Do you take a selfie after getting a haircut?
How was your week of workouts? Anything new in your routine?
Best meal of the weekend?
You hair looks great! I only get my hair cut about twice a year as well. Its really bad and every time I wait that long whatever hairdresser I go to is appalled. I do take selfies if it looks good, but whether or not I post them depends on how the actual picture comes out:) I can’t believe your back to marathon training! Its always around this time of year that I am glad I don’t have any big spring races scheduled because of weather and lack of motivation.
That’s how I felt last year – I was so glad not to be training! There’s no way I’d be able to put real training pressure on myself now though because I’m just not feeling it. And I always say I’ll get haircuts more often but realistically I just don’t do it!
i am so glad we both got haircuts! And I am glad it’s already 50 degrees this morning – I think the snow is going to be gone for good by Friday. So happy for my running lol
I guess you know you’re a runner when you see melting snow and only think of how it benefits your training because I do the same thing!
One nice thing about having long hair is you don’t need to cut it very often! I can’t remember the last time I cut mine. Eek!
So true – people say short is easier to manage but long requires almost no maintenance at all!
Taking selfies is an art that I haven’t quite mastered yet…;-) But I do love your new hair! Hair cuts are a treat! Mommy time + kind of a head massage = awesome feeling! Training for half marathon no5 starts next week…excited and a little bit scared… like I am every year right before it starts all over again 😉 Best meal this week? I’ll go with the sirloin steak with sweet potato fries, grilled cauliflowers and small glass of italian red wine on Saturday night. Delicious!
That sounds like the most perfect meal – especially with that red wine 🙂 And thanks about my hair!
My hair is so sosososososo overdue for a cut. I think this is my week to bite the bullet and get that ish taken care of. I’m also going to try to start doing some yoga this week!
Yay for yoga! And haircuts – I’m really the worst at putting it off and if it weren’t for Meredith mentioning it I probably would’ve gone longer.
i feel ya on the sleep! 6am is amazing! let’s focus on getting more. and congrats on week one!!
I seriously need someone to MAKE me go to sleep by 10pm every single night!
You absolutely killed your long run! I feel like I’m the same way with getting to a point and realizing I can do it so it just becomes easier. I love your hair cut!
Thanks Margaret 🙂 Running is just so mental it’s almost annoying!
Great job with your first week of training! Also, I’m not sure if it’s new but I love your side pic! And your haircut looks great!
Yes that one is new! My old one was the first one ever on my blog so I figured it needed an update. And thanks about my hair 🙂
Maple chipotle ketchup sounds amazing. I’m a ketchup girl, put it on just about everything. Good job with your long run! I totally agree with the mental, familiarity part. If you’ve done it before, you can power through those last miles!
I ate that ketchup with almost every meal last week and now I need to make it again!
I totally take a post-haircut selfie too. It looks great! I wish I could just say “don’t worry about your mile splits as long as you feel good,” but I know that wouldn’t work on me. Still an awesome run!
Thanks Emily 🙂 And actually right now hearing that does work on me, because I’m saying it to myself too a lot of the time. It really doesn’t matter, it’s sort of a relief 🙂
Your hair looks gorgeous! I used to be so good about getting mine trimmed regularly, but I fell off the wagon and now it’s a good year if I manage to do it twice 😆 I’m due for one big time, so hopefully I can work up the motivation to get that done soon.
Thanks! I have to twice per year and I know I’m overdue when I start seeing split ends out of the corner of my eye. If Meredith hadn’t mentioned it in her post though I probably would’ve put it off even more!
I haven’t had a haircut in ages, I always just get a trim of the split ends so it never looks much different. I’ve heard people need less sleep as the years go by…I need a solid 8-9 hours to feel really refreshed which I never get, I’m in the 6-7 range these days as well. It’ll have to change when I start training for NYCM, otherwise I just won’t make it!
I feel like if I stick to 7 I’m okay, once I dip below 6 things get rough! I don’t know how I survived all the sleep deprivation when the kids were babies and toddlers, that said I think most of the time I was hanging by a thread.
Your haircut is so pretty! I only get 2-3 cuts a year also so I definitely take selfies afterwards. It’s too much time anytime else to do a full blow out also! Great job in your training this week! I think the more laidback and effort-focused training will be really great for you – and your long run already shows that!
Thanks Laura! I agree about the blowout – even though it wasn’t how I’d do my own hair I still didn’t wash it for a couple of days. I’ve noticed most of my runs are super slow in the beginning and then speed up considerably in the end, if only because I’m ready to go home!
I always loved getting to the 4ish mile mark too 😛 I knew the only way to get back home would be to go another 4 miles back!
That’s one reason I like doing out and back routes, too – once I’m halfway I feel like I can definitely get back!
Your hair looks great. My ends are fried as well and each week it is on my to do but I am so lazy about it. I don’t think I have cut mine since May of last year.
Thanks! I was June, it was definitely time! I actually had a free afternoon so figured it was now or never.
Whoa, great first week of training! Nicely done. And your hair looks perrrrrfect!
Thanks Suzy!
Michele your hair looks great! I love the energy and race anticipation of the beginning of a training cycle.
Thans Jill! I do love that feeling of beginning a plan and waiting to see what’s to come 🙂
Your new blog picture is gorgeous! And so is your new haircut.
Thanks so much Amanda! Glad you hear from you again!
I dont think theres ever been a time since i have owned my own phone that i havent taken a just got my haircut selfie…haha! Your hair looks amazing! So beautiful!
I think it’s the rule – it has to be! Thank you!