…and training resumes…

This morning I headed out for a 16 mile long run, the first attempt at anything in the double-digits since my marathon two weeks ago.  The weather wasn’t bad for a morning run: drizzly, cloudy and not terribly hot or humid.  I had company for the run – my new friend Terri who is also training for MCM with the =PR= training group.  Our group is meeting on Saturdays for long runs but with my kids’ sport schedules (Abby has soccer and Will has tee ball) I have to move my long runs to Sundays from here on out.  This week Terri needed to fit her miles in on Sunday too, so we were both happy to have company.  Terri is a mom of three like me and she is also preparing for two fall marathons (MCM and NYC).  We have only run together a couple of times and are still getting to know one another so our conversation really made the miles tick by.  I am truly grateful to have someone to share this journey with.

I felt good going into this run.  We averaged a 9:42 pace and ran an even split the whole way.  I wanted to execute the run this way since it was my first time “going long” in a while and I haven’t been running much these past two weeks while I’ve been recovering.  My legs felt tight and a little heavy towards the end of the run, but I’m hoping this is just part of the recovery process.  My long runs prior to LVM were averaging about a 9:00 mile consistently but with negative splits (some of them I was finishing the last miles around and an 8:00 pace or even faster).  I didn’t even try to do this today – today’s run was about the long slow distance and reminding my body what training feels like, because I am getting back into the swing of things for a couple of weeks before it’s taper time.  I also used this run to work on my long run nutrition and I’m happy to say that I had zero issues today.  I am so determined to not let my stomach ruin my race day like it did at LVM.

This week I plan to run about 40-45 miles (my long run will be 22 of those miles) and will be doing some speed work also.  I haven’t done speed work in 3 weeks and am really looking forward to mixing up the pace and letting my legs move faster again.  It is funny how just a few weeks of recovery time can leave me wondering what I’m capable of again.  I feel like I need a confidence-boosting long run and some solid shorter runs/speed work sessions under my belt before I taper for MCM.  I want to feel GOOD and STRONG going into MCM. 

So, that is the goal right now.  Get back into a groove.  Have some workouts that remind me what I’m made of and what I’m capable of.  I want to get to that start line feeling confident and ready to give it all I’ve got.  Ready to set another PR in the Marathon.