Portland Marathon training week 1 of 16

I have the number 1 bib in the Wednesday night 5k races all summer.

Here we gooooo!

Monday 6/19/17: Bouldering at the climbing gym before work, plus foam rolling.

Tuesday 6/20/17: First run of training! 4 miles before work in super humidity with training buddy F, followed by heel dips and then some yoga/balance at home.

Wednesday 6/21/17: I started the first day of summer with 7 miles on my bike to try out my fancy new padded bike shorts. They’re … weird but good? I think I appreciate the back part of the padding more than the front part. After work I did a 5-mile run, the middle 3 miles of which were our running club’s Wednesday night 5k race. I was supposed to run 10:15-10:30s but actually did really consistent 9:45s. Gotta get the pacing sorted out. Did strength work (myrtls, pushups, planks) at home post-run.

Thursday 6/22/17: Morning bouldering session (plus breakfast) at the climbing gym. Easy 4-mile run after work, plus heel dips and then foam rolling at home. Feeling tired and glad tomorrow is a rest day.

Friday 6/23/17: A rest day is a rest day is a rest day.

Saturday 6/24/17: A torrential downpour turned into high-humidity sunshine just as some friends and I were starting the 5-mile Front Runners Pride race in Central park this morning. I ran the 5 and added 3 at the end for a total 8-mile long run, aiming for a 10:45-11:15 pace. Average was right around 10:45, though I didn’t hold it quite as steady as I should have: race miles were faster than the sad, lonely, second-time-through-Harlem-Hill miles at the end.

Sunday 6/25/17: Epic bike ride through the Hudson Valley, 45 miles total. This was my second year doing the Discover Hudson Valley bike ride and I’m a huge fan of it. There might be a separate post about the ride if I can find time to write it.

Totals: 21 miles running, 52 miles biking, 2.5 hours rock climbing. This feels like a solid start to training.

Portland Marathon training: GO!

I haven’t been posting here regularly since last summer/fall when I was training for the Steamtown Marathon. But here I am, 16 weeks out from the Portland Marathon, so I’ll start doing weekly training logs again!

This will be my third marathon. Here are some random thoughts and intentions for this training cycle:

  • I’m using NYRR’s Virtual Trainer program this time.
  • I’ll have much more free time on weekends this go-round, so hopefully less stress about squeezing in long runs.
  • 4 runs per week, plus a goal of 2 rock climbing sessions, 2 bike sessions, and light yoga/strength work.
  • I’ve been meat-free, other than occasional fish, for a year and a half now, and I want to stay focused on eating healthy while training (no, cutting out meat doesn’t automatically make your diet healthy!)
  • Weekday morning runs have been working really well for me (thanks to an awesome running buddy) so I’ll continue with that.
  • In the interest of getting up early (see above), no alcohol on weeknights, unless I’m out with friends.
  • I hope I can knock at least a half hour off my previous marathon time, bringing it down from just under 5 hours to around 4 and a half.

My husband, my dad, and a friend are also all running Portland – first marathon for all of them. This is going to be an awesome adventure!