Training Update and Girl Scouts!

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Hey everyone! I hope you all got a good start to the week!

Mine took an interesting change last night.. our power went out! Aka my fridge is slowly warming up… I was actually so anxious about it I couldn’t sleep.. at all. So I think a nap when I get home will be in order.

I’m pretty excited about today since my office is going on a boat cruise!!! Although the high is 96… Haha good thing there’s an indoor section of this boat. Plenty of sunscreen is already packed in my bag…

  

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When I was at my training run this past weekend, one of the coaches mentioned that we are 1/3 of the way through training! That got me really excited since I am so ready to run this marathon!

First of all, if you’re new to my blog then check out this first post where I explain that I’m training with CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association). I actually get to train with them because I’m running for Girls On the Run as a Solemate! Be sure to check out my fundraising page!

I also thought this would be a great time to update all of you with my training! Here has been my schedule so far:

Week 1	3 miles	3 miles	3 miles	6 miles (8)
Week 2	3 miles	3 miles (4)	3 miles	7 miles (8)
Week 3	3 miles	4 miles	3 miles	5 miles
Week 4	3 miles	4 miles	3 miles	9 miles
Week 5	3 miles	5 miles	3 miles	10 miles
Week 6	3 miles	5 miles	3 miles	7 miles

( ) means what I actually ended up running

Long runs are at a 10 min/mile pace, short runs are at a 9:30 min/mile pace, and the mid-week run is at a 9 min/mile pace, which is my “goal” pace.

As you can see, we’ve been slowly building up the mid-week mileage (it will get up to 10) as well as the long-runs but with a couple cut-back weeks. This cut back week fits perfectly because I have the Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon this upcoming weekend! This week’s training plan includes 2 three-mile runs and 1 six-mile run, and then I’ll have two rest days since the half is on Sunday morning.

One thing that’s important to remember about training plans (especially for me to remember!) is that it’s OKAY if you miss a run! Even if you miss a long run! This past week I was EXHAUSTED come Friday because I ran 3 miles Thursday morning (after running Tuesday and Wednesday) and then went to spin class Thursday night! My 7 miler was not pretty Saturday morning and the exhaustion was partly to blame.

Week 5’s 10 miler was actually cancelled due to excessive heat. I left earlier that morning and ran it myself, but several people missed the run all together. My coach included this in his e-mail to us that week and it really hit home for me:

We have been getting questions on how to add the miles missed because of last week’s weather.

When Sunday is over, that training week is over. Move onto the next week. Do not add extra miles in this taper week to make up mileage. For new marathoners, the next phase of training is a huge escalation in mileage. By the end of last week, if you have run every mile, you will have completed 84 miles, by the end of Saturday’s run the total will be 104, By the end of week 12 total mileage is 267 miles.

Total training is 434 miles. Adding mileage now will not help you later.

I really appreciated hearing this from our coach (who literally spends the entire long run running up and down our line of about 40 long and 2 across runners) because I get so nervous about missing runs! I need to remind myself that it’s okay NOT TO BE PERFECT. Striving to be “perfect” results in injury, stress, anxiety and disordered thinking, especially for me! So for those of you out there training for any kind of race – remember that in the long run, if you had to miss that one run because of travel, injury, illness or just plain exhaustion, It’s okay!

Speaking of running, I was sent an e-mail from the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, asking me to share with all of you their Cookie Classic 5k, coming up on September 8, 2012 in Chicago!

Girl Scouts is launching a movement to achieve gender equity in leadership in just one generation. This mission bursts into action on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, with Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana’s inaugural Cookie Classic 5k in Chicago’s Grant Park.  It is a great race for beginners, an enjoyable race for seasoned veterans, and an event to which you can bring the whole family! Each runner receives a box of Girl Scout cookies and a T-shirt, and there is a celebration afterward with food, entertainment, and fun. Interested participants can register here: https://register.gorun.org/cookieclassic5k

Personally, I was a girl scout for many years and really loved the experience! Granted, my troop was more about having fun and not so much about badges… Haha we were brownies for years and only became Junior Girl Scouts when our leader had to stop being our leader, so they went ahead and “graduated” us! Haha, but I always had a blast and I think it’s an amazing program! My sorority, Kappa Delta, even works with Girl Scouts as one of our philanthropies! Plus, who doesn’t love those cookies? Haha.

 

Do you ever worry when you miss a day of your training plan?

Were you a girl scout, or did you do anything similar?