Training: Week 11

Week 11: Sunday: 12k race and yoga; Mon: REST; Tues: REST; Weds: unplanned rest; Thurs: Taught Spin; Fri: REST; Sat: 7 miles

Wow, week 11.  Race day is almost here.  I know that taper is a slow decrease in miles and not a cliff, but that is hard in a way.  It's strange not to run as much, but in a way I almost want to not run at all....too risky!  I am terrified in the back of my head that I am going to somehow injure myself and not be able to complete the 26.2 and all this hard work will go down the tubes. 

I started out week 11 with a 12k race.  Racing is prob. not the best during taper but since I am competing in the DC Road Runners Snowball Series, I have no choice.  I have to race if I want to win a series age group award!  I ran a great race and I was happy with myself and performance.   I came in third in my age group (F 30-40) and was only four seconds off the second place runner.  I felt I had a bit more in me to push it, but I kept telling myself, "This is not THE race, your marathon is".  I knew I had to protect myself and not risk burnout and injury.   Most of the race was on a trail through the woods, so I was dodging roots and mud and knowing that I had to protect my still unstable ankle (since I've already sprained it twice during marathon training!)

My runkeeper GPS was acting super funky and was a mile behind when I finished the race.  This of curse threw my average pacing off and since I had it programmed to give me average pace every 1/2 mile, it was telling me I was running 10:20 miles, which in a way was really mentally dragging me down and causing me to beat myself up a bit.  Because I definitely FELT I was running faster (turns out I definitely was, I was at 8:09 per mile!).  I guess that's when technology can have a down side and those runners who say they run naked (without technology) here's a definite reason they probably do! 

 The afternoon after the race, my husband and I head to our favorite fast food place, SweetGreen, for a Misoba bowl and then to the Sunday afternoon Yoga class.  I took rest days on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday came as an unexpected rest day.  I was set to teach 6am Extreme Fit at the Bethesda Y, but with impending bad weather, Montgomery County closed schools and the group fitness follows their schedule.  Turns on we just got wet snow that quickly turned to rain.  I would have gone out for  a run if it was real snow, but that wet stuff was heavy and would get stuck to my face and was just yuck.  I probably should have taken a spin on the treadmill, but didn't. "Snow" days just make you feel lazy :-)

Thursday night I taught my spin class and really felt like I gave myself a good workout.  I was covered in sweat!  Friday I took a rest day.

Saturday, I went out for a quick 7 miler.  It was a GORGEOUS day here in the DC area and I ran in the sun in short sleeves and it was everything that reminds me of why I love to run.  It was just what I needed.  Took the rest of the day off in anticipation of the early 10k race in the morning (and even earlier with that time change). 

It's really starting to feel real now.  The test of 26.2 is so close!