Tag Archives: marathon training guide

Future Ironman – Welcome Ethan!

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This past Sunday, my son Ethan was born, at 3:35 PM.  Checking in at 7 pounds 2.8 ounces, and 19 inches long!  I am a PROUD dad!  Ethan is my second child, as I also have a 2 year old daughter, Fiona.  I have been graced this week with not only my own little future ironman, but the ability to spend a week home from work, for some much needed family bonding time!

I am now in the midst of week 2.  Yesterday I logged an easy 4 mile run, and this afternoon a logged an 8 mile run, with a little hill training thrown in.  My splits have slowed a little, however, I think that is to be expected with the lack of sleep that comes along with a newborn in the house!  Tomorrow morning I will be running an easy 5 miles, and then Saturday, I am ramping it up to a 17 mile run.

I have began to work in a 3 ounce glass of Tart Cherry Juice before and after each run.  I have read multiple articles that talk about just how powerful the vitamins and nutrients found in cherries are.  Many athletes speak values of much faster you can recover after introducing cherry juice into pre and post workout routine.  I will follow up on this next week after Ive given it some time, to let you know how its worked!

 

Cheers!

 

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FULL WEEK IN

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This week, I have logged more miles than I have ever logged in a week’s time before.  Tuesday I ran 8 miles, Wednesday I ran 4.5 miles, Thursday I ran 4 miles, and this morning I ran 15 miles.  Much to my surprise, I am not as sore today after running 15 miles, as I was on Tuesday after running 8.  I have began using KT Tape, as I experience an occasional flare up of Arch pain in my left foot, however I did not use it today during or after my run.  Could my body be adjusting to excess mileage this quickly?

I have also being taking a fish oil supplement and drinking an occasional glass of Cherry Juice to help decrease inflammation.  My brother-in-law had suggested this, and it’s still a bit early to say if it’s helping or not.  But it’s clearly not hurting after feeling rather fresh when running 15 miles.  Tomorrow my training plan calls for a Cross-training session (I plan to swim), and then Monday is a rest day!  If you have not read any of my earlier posts, I am following the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Marathon Training Guide!

One thing I have noticed when running longer distances, is how often my mind tends to wander while I run.  I am sure anyone who reads this and runs can relate.  For the first 3-4 miles, I tend to focus mainly on my pace, and feeling in my legs to make sure everything is working properly!  However once I get into a rhythm, my mind shifts into what I call, “Imagination in High Gear.”  I think about anything from my work, family life, past and upcoming races, and sometimes things as silly as what it would be like to be a bird, I wander who’s in that helicopter, Will I ever get to experience space travel in my lifetime, and other silly meaningless things!  Once I hit about mile 10, or 75% through my run, I begin to shift my imagination towards how good it will feel to finally cross the finish line in Dover at the Monster Mash Marathon, and this always motivates me to being running at a slightly faster pace.  I think this is most important to remember when training.  If you consistently remind yourself of just how good it will feel when you finally get there, you tend to forget about your running pains, being tired, or discouraged, and become instantly motivated.

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Just how EFFECTIVE is KT TAPE

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So, a few days ago I wrote a post about registering for my first Marathon.  Since then, I have found and began following the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Marathon Training guide.  However, due to the short time (8 week) that I have to prepare, I have fast forwarded to week 8 of his guide.  While this is most certainly not recommended, due to the gradual buildup in mileage that his plan is designed around, I was already a fairly active runner, logging no less than 15 miles in a given week.

My first week calls for a total of 39 miles, and so far I have already logged 15.  I have began to feel a bit of Arch Pain in my left foot, which I believe is related to a prior injury from earlier in the season.  After contacting a friend of mine who works for Inside Track on the West Shore, he suggested I try using KT Tape.  I have seen many athletes, including football players, hockey players, track athletes, and even my own sister wearing this “neon colored tape,” but never really knew what in the world it was.  After he explained how it worked, I figured for 12 bucks, what could possible go wrong.

Today at work, I followed the instructions found on their website and applied the proper pieces to my foot where I am experiencing the soreness.  THE SORENESS WAS INSTANTLY GONE!  It has now been 6 hours since I applied the tape, and I feel like I could run right now.  I would recommend this tape to anyone experiencing soreness due to running.  Now, rest assured if my foot turns green or falls off tonight, I’ll be sure to update this post tomorrow, however, as of now I am 100 percent SORENESS FREE!

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