#Road2CIM Marathon Training: Week 8

I can’t believe I already completed Week 8 of the 18-week training plan. We’re almost halfway through! There was no mileage increase this week but I had another opportunity to practice 15 miles. Part of my brain keeps thinking ‘you’re running a casual half marathon, and then some, on a regular Saturday morning and don’t even earn some bling at the end. What is wrong with you?’. Haha. But honestly, the long runs – as intimidating as they are – really boost my confidence and I think I am getting the hang of this fueling situation. It’s amazing to feel good throughout the run and like you’re sustaining your energy level. Sure, I am tired at the end but not totally spent. 

Focus for the week:

Speed intervals. Interval intensity was supposed to be slightly faster than my 5K pace. Workouts at this intensity increase aerobic power and challenge your body to adapt to process more oxygen during activity.

WORKOUTS

Monday –  10 min meditation + 20 min yoga flow + 15 min spinal mobility

Tuesday – 30 min strength + 6.12 mi easy + strides @ 9:32 min/mi (morning temp: 64°F) + 10 min yoga

Fuel/water: Graham crackers (2), didn’t carry water.

Wednesday – 5 mi speed intervals @ 9:00 min/mi (morning temp: 61°F)  + 10 min yoga 

Fuel/water: Graham crackers pre-run, didn’t carry water.

Thursday – 30 min strength for runners + 30 min cycling + 10 min yoga

Friday –  30 min bike bootcamp +  4.4 mi easy @ 9:48 min/mi (morning temp: 57°F) 

Fuel/water: Fasted, didn’t carry water.

Saturday – 15 mi @ 9:42 min/mi (morning temp: 70°F) + 10 min yoga

Fuel/water: 3 sheets of graham crackers + 16 oz water one hour before my run. During the run, I fueled with a fruit crusher at mile 4, ten energy chews between mile 9-10, and a GU gel at mile 12. I drank 12 oz of electrolytes.

Sunday –  5.8 mi @ 9:31 min/mi (morning temp: 57°F) 

Fuel/water: Fasted, didn’t carry water.

TOTAL: 36.3 mi/ 58.5 km
MARATHON TRAINING MILES: 226.7 miles / 365.2 km

Marathon Nutrition

My current ritual before my long run is this: wake up 1-2 hours early, eat Graham crackers in bed, then get up at some point and get warmed up before heading out the door. I also made sure I had a carb-heavy meal the night before. I took an apple mango fruit crusher (from Trader Joe’s), Scratch Sour Cherry Energy Chews (trying something new), and a GU Gel (different flavor than last time). I took the fruit crusher at mile 4, ten energy chews between mile 9-10, and a GU gel at mile 12. I also drank 12 oz of electrolytes.

Thoughts on fuel options this time: I liked the energy chews and they seem to work well for me. The GU Gel, again, was kind of gross. I thought maybe the flavor (lemonade – I like anything citrus-y) would make a difference, but it again was too gooey and too sweet. It really is a taste/texture thing for me, I did not have any stomach issues from gels (yet). However, the fueling pre-run and during the run definitely paid off again and I felt good the whole time and was able to sustain a steady pace.

On Tuesday, I also attended a “Hydration & Fueling” webinar this week that was hosted by Fleet Feet and presented by my coach Nichole. It was a great presentation and very informative. They confirmed what I previously said I couldn’t believe: I *should* get about 460g of carbs per day. That seems like so much. I have decided to focus on a carb-heavy diet but not sweat about hitting that specific target. If I am performing ok and feel like I have enough fuel, that should be good enough. People are different, these are guidelines. I still can’t believe how many carbs I am supposed to consume, haha, but I am not mad about it. If you’re a carb-loving girl like me, might I suggest training for a marathon? You then can indulge in all the carbs guilt-free (<– I hope you know I am kidding. I don’t believe in guilty feelings over food.)

My daily macro needs per day (calculated from this marathon nutrition guide).

Protein	105 g	4-5 servings	25g/serving
Carbs	462 g	18-19 servings	25g/serving
Fats	66 g	6-7 servings	10g/serving

This week I averaged 104 g of protein, 87 g of fat, and 223 g of carbs per day. Again, I am generally very happy with where my macros are without really trying too hard.

How I refueled after my long run

TL;DR – summary of the week:

I had another solid week, completed all my training runs, and ran another 15-miler. My old self would be like “What? Two half marathons, and some extra miles, two weekends in a row?” But I guess this becomes the norm when you train for a marathon. All the running has its own impacts, but this training is also a wild mental ride, y’all. Who knew?