#Road2CIM Marathon Training: Week 9

This week, we hit the halfway point in the 18-week training plan. Phew. I cannot believe there are only two months left until race day. There was another mileage increase this week. We only added one more mile (for a total of 16 miles for the long run), but this one mile represented another new milestone for me, again my longest run yet. Mentally, it’s still a challenge to get myself out the door for these long runs, but once I am on my way, my mind thankfully calms down and I can enjoy the ride run. My strategy for the long run was using a bunch of shorter Peloton runs to mentally break up the distance. I had six 20- and 30-minute music classes stacked to divert my thoughts from the overall distance and duration. It worked well.

Focus for the week:

This week included another speed interval session with slightly longer durations and increased mileage for the long run.

WORKOUTS

Monday –  15 min meditation + 15 min yoga flow + 15 min full body mobility

Tuesday – 30 min strength +  6.1 mi easy + strides @ 9:34 min/mi (morning temp: 61°F) + 10 min yoga + 30 min cycling

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

Wednesday –  5.63 mi – 4×3 min speed intervals @ 8:53min/mi (morning temp: 64°F)  + 10 min yoga 

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

Thursday – Flash 15 + 30 min strength for runners + 30 min bike bootcamp

Friday –    4.49 mi easy @  9:42 min/mi (morning temp: 61°F) + 45 min bike bootcamp + 10 min core strength

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

Saturday – 5.71 mi @ 9:38 min/mi (morning temp: 64°F) + 10 min yoga

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

Sunday – 16 mi @ 9:42 min/mi (morning temp: 66F) + 10 min yoga

Fuel/water:  32 oz of water + NUUN, fruit crusher at miles 4, 7, and 9, and ProBar Chews at miles 12 and 14.

TOTAL: 37.9 mi/  61 km
MARATHON TRAINING MILES: 264.6 miles / 426.2 km

Marathon Nutrition

Again, I woke up 1-2 hours early, had Graham crackers in bed, and then got up for my long run. I took three apple mango fruit crusher (from Trader Joe’s), and ProBAR Raspberry Energy Chew with me this week. I took the fruit crusher at miles 4, 7, and 9, and the energy chews at miles 12 and 14. It was pretty warm this time (66F/19C already when I left the house), so I decided to try out the hydration bladder again instead of just carrying a handheld. I had a total of 32 oz of water + electrolytes during the run.

More thoughts on fuel options: I am willing to try a couple more other fuel options that some of you recommended, but I am also happy to know that the fruit crushers and energy chews seem to be solid options for me. The fruit crushers have a lower carb count, so I might have to carry more of those but at least they are easy to take while running and they don’t irritate my stomach.

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,  70g of fat, and  267 g of carbs per day. I continue to keep a pretty consistent macro count without 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 completed my first 16-mile run. I continued with regular cross-training, yoga, and stretching and so far my body seems to take the training load very well. I also try to not sneak in too much other stuff (like bootcamps and cycling) and be mindful of my body’s need for rest/sleep.