Marathon Training Update - Week 1

Now that I’ve started getting serious about marathon training again, I’ve suddenly become less serious in keeping this blog and my surplus of fans updated on my progress. Now, instead of throwing out the usual lame excuses about too much work, too much running, and too much sports this weekend (i.e. Mets-Phils, U.S. Open, NFL Kickoff Weekend…jeez, so much intrigue, so little time), I’m just going to announce that I’m posting weekly updates on my training, right up until race day. I figure this will be a good way to keep myself accountable (yes, you have my permission to mock me unmercifully if I don’t keep up with the schedule…) as well as keep my people informed of my progress. Feel free to motivate, comment, or ridicule at your leisure. Hopefully, it’ll be a win-win situation for everyone involved. We’ll see what happens.

Week #1 (9/1-9/7)

What I Planned:

Tempo Run: 7 miles with 5 miles at 6:35 min/mi pace

Hill workout: 6 miles with repeated loops at Harlem Hill

Double weekend run #1: 8 miles at long run pace

Double weekend run #2: 12 miles at long run pace

Total week 1 distance: 33 miles

What I Ran:

Tempo Run: 8.3 total miles with 5.2 miles at 6:30 min/mi pace

Hill Workout: 7.0 total miles at 6:53 min/mi pace over Harlem Hill

Double weekend run #1: 7.2 miles at 8:43 min/mi pace

Double weekend run #2: 12.9 miles at 8:15 min/mi pace

Total week 1 distance: 35.4 miles; avg pace – 7:47 min/mi

How I Ran:

Started week 1 with basic set of runs at low total mileage. Started off too fast on my tempo run and faded somewhat at the end (first mile – 6:19; last mile – 6:40…yikes!). Hill workout was my first attempt at hill training and also had trouble sustaining an early fast first loop effort into the second loop and third loop. Weekend runs were kept slow and easy because I was running with friends. Overall, this was a good steady effort week for me. On to week #2.