crisp temperatures (finally!) and watching the Chicago Marathon on a live stream over the weekend while tracking runner friends really made it start to feel like marathon season. Or at least, marathon season in NYC with the buildup towards the first Sunday in November. I’m super excited to run the NYC Marathon this year – watching from the sidelines in 2014 (since I ran Chicago a few weeks prior) was fun, but I’d so much rather be running.
after the San Francisco Marathon in July, I took a week off completely to rest and then started building slowly back up to be ready for November 1 without feeling burnt out. So far so good, and I’ve got one 20 miler left this weekend before a two week taper – I’ve done this a few times and find I like it better than a three week taper. Throughout the last couple of months, I’ve been trying to pinpoint what worked so well in San Fran and in my training this past spring before finally breaking 1:40 in the half. Here are a few consistent factors:
more yoga
last winter I started doing more yoga, and it quickly became a constant in my weekly routine. It has really helped stretching and strengthening all of the different muscle groups (both running and non-running ones), and it also works wonders for my brain and anxiety-prone self. I look forward to going and never regret a class – on average, I probably make it to three or four classes per week and am happy to say my handstand game is almost as strong as the old gymnastics days.
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bliss at my favorite yoga studio
less mileage
kind of related to yoga, I’ve been running a little less on yoga days so as not to overdo it, which means my weekly mileage has been lower than previous training cycles. In the past, I’ve topped out at 70+ miles and always thought that more equals better/faster/etc. Now, mileage is more around the mid-50s to low 60s at most, and it’s working pretty well for me. I would rather be able to fit more yoga and the occasional barre or spin class into my routine to get stronger overall than to push the envelope with more miles. Not to forget, of course, actual rest not involving any of the above activities. That’s an important part of training not to be overlooked (because I’ve definitely never done that before, cough cough).
no stress
above anything else, THIS. I haven’t gone into any of my races this year with a “plan” or even really a goal pace, and although I wear my Garmin I don’t really pay too much attention to the splits. Obviously I’ve wanted to break 1:40 in the half and BQ in the full marathon, but it hasn’t been the be all that ends all. I knew/know that if whatever time doesn’t happen, I will still be ok, nothing will really change and I’ll still have run X amount of miles so I better damn well enjoy it. I’ve gone into these races with the only goal of doing my best, having fun and being aware and grateful for my surroundings. When I do that, things have just seemed to click.
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central park in the fall!
I’m a competitive person by nature, so I do like to push myself and train pretty hard (for me), but I also try to look at the big picture. What I want to get out of these races in the long run is more than just a time on the clock, but experiences that I’ll be able to look back on for a long time.
dr. levine/ART
I’ve been going to Dr. Levine for ART and the occasional Graston for four years now (!!) and he never fails to help get rid of aches, pains and prevent injury. He’s the best, hands down.
goals for new york?
make it to Staten Island in time to pee 100 times before the start, avoid freezing too much and any gnarly chafing, be cheered for, fuel well and run strong with a smile on my face. A course PR wouldn’t be so bad either, though…