I really had to keep reminding myself that taking a few days off 2 weeks before the race wouldn't impact me significantly- nothing that I would have done during those days would have given me any super human gains in fitness or the like. If anything, I would have set myself back with over doing it. But mentally, that was hard to accept. In the end I had no choice but to rest so not to prolong the stomach issues.
Workouts:
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 12 mile cycled
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: REST
Friday: 6 mile run
Saturday: 10 mile run w/ 6x800's (5 @ 3:30, last one @ 3:20)
Sunday: 8 mile run
Total: 4:08:22 for 36 miles
3:13:52 for 24 miles running
54:30 for 12 miles cycled
Snapshots:
CB dog kept me company while I was sick on Monday.
Thursday I got 8" of hair chopped off. The kick ass thing is that I had enough to donate it. I've always wanted to donate my hair, but never thought i'd have enough. I feel 15lbs lighter which must account for at least a reduction 3-5 seconds a mile during the marathon. Also happy to no longer look like a Duggar cousin.
I received a SHFT coaching system c/o SHFT & MRC to review. All opinions are my own. It is a virtual coach- you attach a pod to your right foot and one to your chest and it analyzes multiple metrics while you run and coaches you on how to improve those scores. The first area it was having me work on was time spent on the ground- I was spending too much time and therefore not being as efficient or as powerful as I could be. As I was running, it was giving me pointers on how to reduce ground contact time- and I did reduce it a bit. I look forward to using it a few times a week to become more efficient. I'll keep reporting back about it, it seems like a really cool tool.
Sunday I ran my last longish run outside. It was a little rainy, but relatively nice for an overcast somewhat windy day. I once again overdressed to be hot on purpose to stay acclimated to a warmer temp. Carmel is looking to be in the 50-60's and I am happy that I have made myself suffer a bit with the overdressing so that on race day those temps will feel cool to me.
Post run and post Stan's donut L and I got massages. Post massage we went to Fleet Feet so I could buy a firm foam roller. Like a moth to a flame, I saw a crazy pair of Nike shorts hanging on the wall and scooted right over to check them out. The large waistband had some pockets which made my heart fill with joy. I tried them on and decided that these would be my marathon shorts. I wasn't crazy about wearing my other Nike shorts (Nike Pro) which dont have pockets and having to bring a fuel belt with me.
We met friends for dinner Sunday evening and had a blast. Since we found out 2 of them hadn't ever had Malort, we decided to change that for them.
Looking forward:
- Continue to eat and sleep well
- Wrap up my final workouts and not over do it
- Get my marathon shit together- Ipod, nutrition, outfit, etc
- Be confident with my race plan
- Not stress about the race. Keep my mind busy so not to fall into the "Taper Crazy" mentality where a lot of energy is expended for nothing.
5 days to go!
-Xaarlin
I am happy you are feeling better!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen people talk about being happy about losing weight when they are sick, it worries me. Isn't that just water weight... and does that mean you might be dehydrated? I know you say it somewhat jokingly, but I have seriously seen people brag about it, and it worries me. LOL. Moving on.
Those shorts are BOSS! Are you going to test them out this week?!
That SHFT thing seems neat! What kind of pointers did it give you? Does it actually coach you pre-run, or just analyze what you did and say how to improve? Also, YOU FORGOT TO TELL US AT THE BEGINNING AND END THIS WAS A SPONSORED POST!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! JK lol
I hate sponsored posts. Time to remove you from my feedly... ;)
ReplyDeleteUgh, I had a friend bragging about weight loss while she had the flu once, and was like "WTF?!" Although I think I did lose like 6 pounds with the worst food poisoning ever a few years back. It's rough. I'm glad you're feeling better!!! Definitely don't stress about resting up this week. I've done that before big races a few times before, and it doesn't seem to make a huge difference.
Fun fact: I've never tried malort before either!
Buahahaha
DeleteI don't get people who are serious about the flu weight loss thing... For me now being completely rehydrated & back to normal, the couple of lbs I've kept off is due to no longer being full of shit. Literally. Lolz. TMI?
That's true about rest. It doesn't make as much as an impact as we think- especially if we are eating well.
WUT!? You need to come back to a MRC run again so we can properly introduce you to Malort!!!
TMI? No way! Apparently you missed my comment to Kim last week that the poop emojii is the one I use the most when talking to T.
DeleteI mean, rest IS good! And not bad! :)
I'll be running in Wisconsin during the May MRC, and I think we're going to a suburban beer fest on the June date... but yes, one of these months ;)
I can understand how taking a few days off two weeks out is hard to accept, but you are right that there are no fitness gains to be had at this point and underdoing it is better than overdoing it. In 2012 I hurt my ankle 10 days out from Boston. Maybe it's because I was tired from all the weeks of marathon training and wasn't paying enough attention to my footing? Anyway, glad you are feeling better and running. I tested out my marathon shorts on a run Sunday to see if I could comfortably run with two packages of shot blocks in the back pocket! Glad to hear you won't have to wear a fuel belt now. Anyway, I think your SHFT coaching thing might be on to something. I think we all need to be more powerful in our running and maybe we "hug" the ground too much? It will be interesting to see if you think it helps you over time.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're feeling better! Taking the rest time is important, especially to stay healthy for Carmel and the larger training plan!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to hearing more about the SHFT device... if it gives you advice that's cool! It's been a fun challenge on learning about run cadence & heart rate over the past several years, and it sounds like this could help speed up that "learn & improve" curve.
Hurray that you are on the mend! YES, it's more important to rest while recovery from stomach issues than it is to keep training. That SHFT device sounds really cool! I can almost guarantee that I spend too much time on the ground, too. Love the new haircut! Did it feel funny washing it the first time? LOL. Those new Nike shorts are super snazzy, too. I wish more designers would include quality pockets - it amazes me how hard pockets can be to find!
ReplyDeleteThanks! The hair cut still feels weird, like I grab for a pony tail and there's nothing. Lol. The SHFT thing will be interesting- I wonder if it starts with everyone working on the ground contact time or if that was the most pressing thing for me to work on. I'll write about it periodically- especially any improvements I find. I have a pair of Lulu shorts with 2 amazing pockets on the legs- I've never seen another brand make something similar- and lulu usually only puts out similar ones every few years. These Nike ones have 2 in the waistband plus the zipper one on the back- not big enough for a phone, but ample for a few GUs.
DeleteGlad to hear you are feeling better!!!! And BEST wishes on your race. I know you will rock it!!! #virtualhighfive
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'll be sure to high five some folks during the race for extra smiles and energy :)
DeleteThose are some rad shorts and your hair looks great!!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
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