Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Week 3 Marathon Training Recap: All the Emotions

WWeek 3 was a doozy!  Seriously. Every. Single. Emotion. I went from thinking what the F I was doing to maybe I can run an ultra. Yes, it was that crazy.

I learned one thing. I don't like running more than 4 miles by myself. This might be a problem as I have 6-7 milers during my lunch hour coming up. I'll figure it out I'm sure.  I better because this marathon isn't going to train or run itself.

Week 3 Day 1
5 miles

This was tough.  I was anxious for non running reasons and I just couldn't get my head into it.

Week 3 Day 2
Yoga DVD

I ended up doing a yoga DVD on Tuesday night because I was with S while she got her MRI in the morning.

Week 3 Day 3
5.5 miles

Thankfully these were not solo miles as my dear friend R, at work, did these crazy hilly miles with me.  If you know downtown San Diego, you will understand.  I ran Grape Street!

Week 3 Day 4
5.5 miles

This was a decent run.  The weather was good and I changed up my regular route a little bit. I know I know.  How can I complain of boredom when THIS is my view?!

Week 3 Day 5
10 miles

This was one of those runs where I felt good.  GREAT even.  I could keep going forever.  And why?  Because of dear friends that keep me company, the gorgeous sky and the sheer joy of running.  The weather didn't hurt either.  The threat of rain, low moisture and cool breezes.

Total for the week was 26 miles.  26 miles is also almost a marathon.  So this is the first week that I thought, "Okay, maybe I CAN do this!"  I just need the solo runs to be a little easier and not so defeating.

Ended the week with an awesome Stretch & Foam Roll Clinic at Road Runner Sports and America's Finest Run Bloggers. Nuun and Mamma Chia were on hand for delicious beverages and treats!  More on this to come!

And thanks to a good friend Sue's advice, I have been throwing in some extra cross training on Day 6 (Sundays).  Mostly light yoga and body weight strengthening!

Does anyone have any tips on how to make solo runs easier?  Or at least, not so discouraging?

Thank you and as always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom


  1. It's funny because almost all of my runs are solo and I never really thought about it...I've actually only run with others a few times. Something I've done on my long runs recently is began listening to an audiobook on Audible.com. It really allows me to focus on something else besides running and running.

    During my marathon training I also found that I push harder when I'm in public so finding public routes always helped me to have a diversion (even just cars driving by or houses to look at made a difference).

    Ultimately, I think what helps the most is variety...when I change it up it doesn't feel stale so I'm busy looking at new stuff or listening to new stuff instead of thinking about the passing miles.

    You're doing great with your training so far!! Keep it up!

    1. Kristen! Thank you so much for always taking the time to help me out with tips etc. This week I went right instead of left so that has already helped. I need to download a book or something. That is a great idea!

  2. You're doing great! As for running alone (which I almost always do, as you know) load up on good music and podcasts. I love to get lost in the music while I'm running.

    1. I do great with music for 4 miles. More than that, I start to feel itchy. But I might mix it up with podcasts and audio books!

  3. Ha those thoughts! Why do I run half marathons instead of 10Ks to OMG I think I should sign up for a marathon (in my case since I've never done one)! lol seriously. I hear you regarding the solo run! What helps me is my playlist. Also, enjoying my own pace, just enjoying the run and peace and quite...alone time with our own thoughts, can be nice. Happy Marathon Training Smitha!

    1. Thanks Diane! I am thinking of switching it up to inlcude podcasts and audiobooks. We will see.

  4. ahhh yes, ALL the emotions, I know that all too well. You are doing great! And thanks for the shout out!!

  5. I'm also in training for my first marathon and seem to be one week behind you in mileage. Your enthusiasm is contagious and I hope it works out soon to tag along on a weekend long run. We have not met in person but I see your posts on the SD MRTT Facebook page; it just hasn't worked out yet for me to be at an event.

    I've had wonderful runs solo, and wonderful runs with friends. You describing your solo runs sounds like me when I treadmill run. It is a struggle! My strategy for running solo is to listen to a podcast. I like the Another Mother Runner podcast. It's conversational with a good mix of humor. I'm on the lookout for more podcasts that capture my attention. I've been contemplating listening to an audiobook (the AMR podcast is usually under an hour).

    Wishing you a GREAT week of running. :)

    1. Kristen! Which one? Let's do some long runs together! Please email me at RunningwithSDMom at gmail dot com so we can connect!