November: A Training Update

I turn the page in my daily journal and peer at the numbers written at the top of the page. I flip a few pages ahead, one page per week, and realize that the number I'm seeing isn't a mistake. After almost two months of training mileage between fifty and seventy-five miles a week, this week requires my legs to travel only forty miles. The California International Marathon really is only three weeks away!

Sundial Bridge in Redding

As most training cycles do, the taper sneaks up on me. I'm so focused on completing one day at a time that I lose sight of the big picture. Each workout gets longer, the fatigue builds, and then just as I'm about to beg for an easy week, the weight of training is released.

The real goal of any marathon training plan. Check!

My legs are happy for the break. I've got a few nagging sore spots, one in my right hip, and my left IT Band, that would appreciate more time on my cushy yoga mat and less time on concrete sidewalks.

Brooks Launch training group

Here's a quick overview of the numbers. Included are a couple of taper weeks leading up to half marathons, a few missed workouts because my allergies kept me running easy, and paces for each of the longer workouts I completed. In some cases, a race was counted as a  marathon pace workout.

Click to see the bigger version.

November, as is always the case, offered a reprieve from my allergies and nearly every workout between the first day to the taper has been strong. I had some lovely track workouts that felt almost a touch too easy.

My marathon pace runs, where I struggled in October, have returned to their usual pace and effort level.

My long runs, for the most part, have been strong. For a change of scenery, Matt, Rachel, and I traveled to Redding for twenty-two miles of bike path without many stoplights. Trees along the Sacramento River were at their peak fall glory and I spent a lot of energy taking photos and then catching up to Matt and Rachel. It was worth it.

Mt. Shasta is looking white again!

Turtle Bay

Sacramento River Trail

We even managed a few pickup miles at the end and then tackled a huge hill in the last half mile. All of the miles felt strong and I loved it.

Ribbon Bridge

Delirious at mile 20.

Mile 21.5 with big sign that says "Steep Hill"

MADE IT!

The next day I finally came down with the cold Matt was nice enough to share with me. Of course.

My final week, intended to be seventy miles, was just over sixty and I cut a few from my long run on Sunday. Seventeen miles was all I could muster and probably more than I should have done for the day. Even as I write this post, I take frequent coughing breaks as I try to hack up both lungs.

I'm still not sure what my goal will be for CIM. Barring any complications from this cold (read: sinus infection or bronchitis), I'm probably going to start out at the pace I finished with this spring: 7:55/mi. Strava also has a promotion that if you run a negative split the second half of your marathon, they'll give you a free pair of New Balance shoes so that idea has been floating around in my mind too.

Since the paces felt more comfortable and less challenging, I think that I might be ready to nudge my training paces faster again and really work hard for that 3:25 marathon in the spring.