Tag Archives: New York City Marathon Training

Week #19 & 20 NYC Marathon Training: Good Butterflies

As we head into the last few days of training before hopping on a plane to NYC, I’m feeling charged, organized, and ready to take on 26.2 once again. I’d be lying though, if I told you that butterflies weren’t getting busy in my tummy.

Even after all these years of running and all these races, they still visit like clockwork, and that’s a good thing because it means I’m still excited (understatement), and a wee bit nervous, fully acknowledging that the challenge ahead is big enough to push me beyond my everyday limits. No matter how many marathons you run, covering 26.2 miles is still a test of mind, body, spirit.

While a marathon is obviously meant to be a race, it means a whole lot more to me than just that. In fact, if I’m honest, I’m not really “race” racing this one in the classic sense, but rather focusing on fully absorbing the experience again, and looking at it as a celebration of my longevity in running and my everlasting love of the sport.

Being able to circle back to New York 25 years after I ran my first marathon there is truly a gift; and to run it with my dear friend Janet as she crushes her first marathon while also being part of a team raising funds so kids across the nation can fall in love with the sport we love so much, it doesn’t get any better.

And those electric butterflies circling? They are ones of deep, deep gratitude for my health and fitness, which I never take for granted, especially on this journey back which has been filled with some bumps along the way. And they are butterflies of tremendous joy that I GET to do this again. How lucky am I (and the 50,000 other runners who are taking on this challenge)? For a 57-year old runner, this feels like a fantastic gift. #pinchme

After this last post, I will catch you all on the flip side of the race and let you know how it went. Your good thoughts for #24080 and her badass sidekick #24198 are appreciated!! Woot! Woot!

In the meantime, here’s a look back at Week 19 & 20 training schedule (Oct 23-Nov 5):

  • Mon 10/23: Run 4.22 miles with the second half at a “controlled discomfort pace”
  • Tues 10/24: Spin class 60 min medium/EZ, core & mobility 30 min
  • Wed 10/25: Run 4.45 miles on undulating hills, walk 1.5 miles w/ my hubby
  • Thur 10/26: Rest, core & mobility 20 min
  • Fri 10/27: 5K self-timed TT, core & mobility
  • Sat 10/28: Run 7.75 run with Becca
  • Sun 10/29: Rest & recovery day (walk with my hubby)
  • Mon 10/30: Run 4.17 miles with 2 x 5 min @ 10K pace
  • Tues 10/31: Cross-train 30 min ez, core & mobility
  • Wed 11/1: Run 3 miles easy
  • Thurs 11/2: Travel day
  • Fri 11/3: Expo
  • Sat 11/4: Shake-out run
  • Sun 11/5: RACE DAY!!

Monday: It was a blue bird day to kick off the week, and no better way to find my happy place. The schedule called for a 40 min run, with the second half run at a “controlled discomfort.” I ran it thinking about the last 4 miles of the marathon, visualizing powering through the last 2.2 miles and finishing strong with a smile on my face. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Tuesday: Knocked out another of my favorite spin classes with Kristine, one of the most positive, funny, motivating instructors you’ll find. It’s always a joy to take her class and get my butt kicked. I followed it up with a short and sweet core & mobility sesh at home.

Wednesday: It was a cool autumn morning, perfect for 45 minute scamper with some undulating hills, starting and ending at East Beach. Once again, I focused on visualizing race day, getting up the last hills in Central Park at the end of the race. I tested out a new pair of Zensah calf sleeves too, to make sure they would feel good for race day. Yep.

Thursday: It was a rest day with some core & mobility work, but mostly it was a “stop and smell the roses” kind of day. My sweet sister-in-law, Jess, and brother Scott, sent me a surprise package in the mail with this cute run shirt, along with pampering foot mask socks and CHOCOLATE to celebrate the journey. Totally made my day, and reminded me once again that it’s the little things that are the big things.

Friday: 5K time trial. It was fun to see my progress since the beginning of this training cycle, even though I intentionally didn’t run full throttle (just 3/4 throttle). At this point in the game, it’s more about keeping sharp and healthy and avoiding injury. I found a happy balance that left me feeling confident and energized.

Saturday: What a treat to knock out my last long run with my friend Becca on another spectacular Santa Barbara morning. Becca is one of those unassuming “beast” runners, someone who is super sweet, but unknowingly pushes you to be a better runner. Thank you Becca! My legs were a little heavy, perhaps from Friday’s time trial, but my heart was light, appreciating what a beautiful journey this has all been, and knowing that next weekend I’ll be in running through the streets of NY.

Sunday: It was a rest & recovery day, and a perfect morning to catch up with a dear friend Kimberly for coffee. Thank you friend! And thank you taper days for giving me so much more time and flexibility to be able to do this again without rushing to squeeze it in.

Monday: Yesterday was a classic autumn afternoon in which I celebrated the end of this training cycle with a big high five and a chuckle as I cruised through a neighborhood ablaze with Halloween humor and cheer. Janet and I have officially made it! Phew! Now it’s on to the starting line on Staten Island to enjoy our victory celebration through New York’s unforgettable 26.2 mile street party!

As I sign off, I want to thank you all again for your incredible support, uplifting messages, good humor, and especially your overwhelming generosity in supporting Team for Kids. Together we raised $3,050 to help support free youth running programs across the nation. I will circle back around after the race to let you know how much our team raised in total during this event. I think you may be surprised.

Onward we head to the Big Apple!!!!!

xo Becky

PS: If you’ve missed any of my previous NYC Marathon training posts, you can click here to check them out:

Kicking off 20 Weeks until the NYC Marathon

Week #2 NYC Marathon Training: Patience & Grace

Week #3 NYC Marathon Training: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Week #4-11 NYC Marathon Training: The Good, the Bad & the Evolving

Week #12 NYC Marathon Training: Showing Up

Week #13 NYC Marathon Training: Staying the Course

Week #14 NYC Marathon Training: Honing the Details

Week #15 NYC Marathon Training: Upping our Game

Week #16 NYC Marathon: Counting Down, Visualizing, and Keeping It Moving Forward

Week #17 NYC Marathon Training: Peak Week

Week #18 NYC Marathon Training: Sharpen and Trust

Week #18 NYC Marathon Training: Sharpen and Trust

After 17 weeks of slowly, steadily building up endurance, strength, and mental toughness, it’s now suddenly time to taper back down on mileage and intensity as we head into the last two weeks before finally reaching race day. It’s not uncommon to struggle with this stage of marathon training. It may bring on panicky feelings, wondering if you’ve trained hard enough, thinking it might be a good idea to squeeze in one more 20-miler, even though it would likely cause more damage than add more fitness. Or you may suddenly feel weird pains you’ve never felt before, or worry that your gear isn’t quite right even though you’ve been training with it just fine all along.

This is the time to block out the tapering crazies and lean into your plan.

Repeat after me: TRUST YOUR TRAINING.

Instead of doing more, focus on sharpening and fine-tuning everything, from your final training workouts to your nutrition, your mental strategies to your organization and logistics preparation. Most of all, focus on resting and pampering your body so it’s as primed as it can be when you finally toe the line on race day.

Here’s a look back at Week #18 training schedule (Oct 16-22):

  • Mon 10/16: Run 1.5 mile (test run for my grumpy foot)
  • Tues 10/17: Spin class 42 min medium EZ, core 30 min
  • Wed 10/18: Run 3.5 miles on the treadmill (testing foot again)
  • Thur 10/19: Run 7.5 miles
  • Fri 10/20: Core and mobility 30 min, walk
  • Sat 10/21: Run 11 miles
  • Sun 10/22: Rest & recovery day (walk with my hubby)

Monday: My foot/ankle/anterior tibialis tendon was strained and grumpy after last Saturday’s 18-mile run, so after resting on Sunday, I simply went on a micro scamper (1.5 miles) to see how it felt being taped up and wearing compression sleeves. Not too bad! I didn’t want to push it so I called it good for the day. See, I’m heeding my own advice and using restraint!

Tuesday: Back doing my favorite cross-training…zoom, zooming on the spin bike.

Wednesday: Testing out my ankle/foot tendon again by running 3.5 miles on the treadmill. Fortunately, it felt okay! Phew.

Thursday: As we count down the days and hours to race day, I’m trying to do more runs around the time I know I’ll be running through the streets of NY. I started at noon for this run when the temperature was 69 degrees with 68% humidity. Sounds like pretty great conditions, but it quickly felt much hotter than that, offering me ample opportunity to work on cooling techniques and staying laser focused on hydration and salt intake. With my tender anterior tibialis taped up again, I wanted to test out how it would feel to wear full compression tights and compression socks pushed down during the race on a warm day. Although it felt a little “sausauge-like,” the extra support was also nice as I knocked out 4 miles on the soft surface of SBCC’s track, then 3.7 miles on the waterfront bike path.

Friday: This was another day of listening to my body, knowing that sometimes the best workouts at this stage in training involve a “Less is More” approach. I simply did a short core/mobility/foot strengthening routine, then went for a nice walk with my hubby in preparation for Saturday’s last long run.

Saturday: It felt really good to knock out the last double-digit long run of this training cycle with my friend Becca. We started at 8:30, did a 1-mile warm-up run on the track before running 10 more out and back along the waterfront. It was a glorious Santa Barbara morning and we did not take it for granted. The best part is the big mental boost you get when 11 miles now feels easy (compared to when we started training all those weeks ago). Becca is training for a half marathon and conquered her longest run yet, adding an additional mile at the end to round it out with 12 miles. So proud of this gritty warrior!

As we head into the last two weeks of training, as you can imagine, I’m feeling all the feels: excited, grateful, relieved to have gotten through the longest and hardest training days, a bit nervous (even after all these years and races), and most of all thrilled that I get to take on this challenge again, and honored that I get to do it with my dear friend Janet, and also share it all with my family.

Onward we go…sharpening, trusting, and slightly losing our minds with excitement. It’s getting real!!!

xo Becky

PS: If you’ve missed any of my previous NYC Marathon training posts, you can click here to check them out:

Kicking off 20 Weeks until the NYC Marathon

Week #2 NYC Marathon Training: Patience & Grace

Week #3 NYC Marathon Training: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Week #4-11 NYC Marathon Training: The Good, the Bad & the Evolving

Week #12 NYC Marathon Training: Showing Up

Week #13 NYC Marathon Training: Staying the Course

Week #14 NYC Marathon Training: Honing the Details

Week #15 NYC Marathon Training: Upping our Game

Week #16 NYC Marathon: Counting Down, Visualizing, and Keeping It Moving Forward

Week #17 NYC Marathon Training: Peak Week

Week #16 NYC Marathon Training: Counting Down, Visualizing, and Keeping it Moving Forward

The one-month countdown is on until our big day on November 5th, and I couldn’t be more fired up! The NYC Marathon and Team for Kids both do a great job of posting inspiring messages and Instagram videos to get us dreaming, visualizing, and staying pumped up to reach our goals.

Although my goal may have drifted and morphed into something wildly different than when I started daydreaming about it months and months ago, and then when I actually started training for it twenty weeks ago, I truly believe this is one of the best goals I’ve ever set: simply to have fun and fully enjoy the experience with my friend Janet. It feels perfect.

My training days now feel light, even on the most challenging days, because my entire focus is on enjoying the journey back to the starting line. I’ve thrown out the pressure of what I feel like I “should” be doing in terms of pace and outcomes, and have embraced the place I’m currently at in my mind, body, and spirit. It has been utterly freeing.

As I visualize myself running with Janet from Staten Island, over the Varrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, then up to Queens, then the Bronx, and finally back down into Manhattan, the overwhelming thing I see and feel in my mind is giant smile on my face and so much joy and gratitude wrapped around my heart that it lifts me ten feet off the ground.

Here’s a peek at my Week #16 training schedule looked like (Oct 2-8):

  • Mon 10/2: Run 5.25 miles (w/ 2.0 mile pick-up effort in the middle), walk with Jeffrey
  • Tues 10/3: Spin class 55 min medium EZ (21.5 miles), leg weights
  • Wed 10/4: Run 6 miles, undulating hills on Mt. Drive
  • Thur 10/5: Rest day
  • Fri 10/6: Run 5 miles with 4x80m strides, core
  • Sat 10/7: Run 14 miles (cutback week for the long run before next weekend’s 20-miler)
  • Sun 10/8: Rest & recovery day

Monday: I was still a little creaky on Monday morning after last Saturday’s 18-miler, but once I got moving, everything worked itself out so it was an enjoyable 5-miler with a push in the middle. Later in the afternoon, I went for a nice walk with my hubby and kept my body in motion, which usually helps, along with healthy nutrition and continuing to focus on recovery. This body isn’t 29 any more, but with some gentleness, It can usually be cajoled into finding its stride.

Tuesday: Just like last week, I used my spin class for an easy/moderate cross-training day to get my heart pumping and my legs flushed out. Normally I start my base around gear 13-14 and build up from there into the high teens or low 20s, but on easier days like this, I start more around 10 and keep the cadence high and lighter. Even when holding back, it’s still a sweatfest that leaves my heart pumping and my energy high. Days like this are about working with your body instead of grinding it down.

After spinning, I did a quick leg workout in the gym: extensions, curls, adductions, abductions, squats.

Wednesday: Just a straight-forward 6 miles of rolling hills on Mt. Drive, getting the legs ready for the course’s five bridges, and hills in Central Park.

Mountain Drive always puts a smile on my face with its windy road, oak trees, bougainvillea, scenic vistas, and unique houses, like the one in the top photo with a succulent garden on its rooftop, and mailboxes like this cyclist, whose bottom opens up for deliveries.

Thursday: On this rest day, I think I finally landed on a pair of shoes that may work for my sassy feet. It has been a lonnnnng time coming, with a lot of trial and error, but hopefully the fifth time is a charm–actually sixth (I forgot I tried the Hoka Challengers before this long line of shoes). Let’s go, Mach Xs. Please, oh please, work for me! I’m starting to feel like the Prince and the Pea.

All shoes lead to New York: Hoka Cliftons, Hoka Rincon 3s, Saucony Triumph 21, Saucony Kinvera, Hoka Mach 10

Friday: I started early on Friday because we are being hit with kooky hot October weather (definitely not sweater weather). 🙂 It was a really nice run, knocking out 5 miles at a gentle pace with 4 x strides at the end.

There were many highlights on this run, especially testing out these Mach Xs, which I really like.

Saturday: With our heatwave, I started early on my long run, which I was hoping would pay off in droves. Sure enough. So much joy. So much beauty. So many other runners out training along the waterfront. Did a 9 mile loop, refilled bottles, then another 5 mile loop. Soaked my legs in the ocean afterward and stretched on the beach. It’s mornings like these that take marathon training up a notch or two.

14 miles goes by quickly when you’re surrounded by beauty.
It has been a challenge to stay hydrated, but I try to stay prepped and ready to roll…

Sunday: Today is an active recovery day, walking, chilling out, eating good food, getting organized and prepared for the week ahead. I value this day immensely, and so does my big brown four-legged baby, Doodles. Recharging the batteries does wonders for one’s ability to believe that everything will come together beautifully on race day. When your body has a chance to absorb the load from the week and get fired back up to hit it again on Monday, you feel unstoppable.

Review of SIS (Science in Sport) : The course fuel for the New York Marathon is SIS Isotonic Energy gels. I had never heard of SIS, nor could I find it anywhere in my town (it’s from the UK), so I had to purchase it on Amazon to try it out in case I need to rely on one during the race. Here’s what I thought of it:

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Week #14 NYC Marathon Training: Honing the Details

Running a marathon is simple at its core: lace up your shoes, train for 16 to 20 weeks, then conquer 26.2 miles, hopefully while creating unforgettable memories all along the way. Obviously there’s a whole lot more that goes into it though: the details–and the details are what can make or break your level of enjoyment during the race, and training in general. This week has been about noodling out some of the details of the race, from fuel and hydration to shoes and clothing choices to timing and logistics, while at the same time consistently plugging away at training, one day, one work-out at a time.

Even though this will be my 10th marathon (including two I ran during IM races), I still get nervous/excited like it’s my first marathon all over again. The one thing that wraps me a warm blanket of calm on race day is hammering out all the logistics well in advance. Having an awesome training partner like Janet helps in that department, even though we live 900 miles apart (she’s in OR and I’m in CA). Texts and DMs have been flying back and forth during the week with thoughts and questions, all of which are coming together in my mind and then landing squarely on my hand-written “Race List,” something I always lean on for races and big events. Without my list, my mind spins in overdrive.

As John Wooden once said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” Taking the time to think them through and test them usually pays off tenfold.

Here’s a peek at my Week #14 training schedule (Sept 18-24):

  • Mon 9/18: Run 5 miles, strength 45 min. (Kim Miller Fitness legs/glutes)
  • Tues 9/19: Spin class 60 min (23 miles), strength 20 min arms
  • Wed 9/20: Run 7 miles (track) 1.5 mile warm-up, 5x800s w/ 400 RI, 2 mile cool down, core 15 min.
  • Thur 9/21: Yoga 30 min, rest day
  • Fri 9/22: Run 5 miles, core and mobility work 25 min.
  • Sat 9/23: Run 12 miles, walk 1 mile with my hubby afterward
  • Sun 9/24: Rest & recovery day, yoga, walks

Monday: Nothing feels quite as good as starting the week strong, and being able to enjoy another fab fall-like run. I chose a new route to keep it fresh, which included a few little hills, knowing NYC includes five bridges with sneaky inclines and descents, along with several deceptive hills in the last few miles near Central Park. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Kim Miller Fitness app is helping me keep my strength workouts short, sweet, and focused

Tuesday was another heart-pumping outdoor spin class with my favorite instructor, Kristine. Good tunes, great vibes, and a killer workout with hills and sprint intervals, always leaving my spirits high and my body drenched in sweat. Afterward I did a short dumb bell arm workout session at the gym.

Wednesday was a “hurt so good” kind of training day with a 7-mile track workout, starting with a 1.5 mile warm-up followed by 5 x 800m intervals with 400m recovery intervals, finishing with a 2-mile cool down. Good stuff. Felt great to finally move my feet a little faster.

What started out as a cool morning quickly heated up so I had to lose the hat, peel off my arm sleeves, and consume two bottles by the end of my workout.
It has been a while since I’ve done speedwork so I was especially diligent with stretching, foam rolling, Theragun’ing, and rolling my calves with “the stick.”

Thursday I opted for yoga and foot exercises, and then went on a 1.5 mile walk at Lake Los Carneros with my hubby. All in all, a nice recovery and reset day.

Rest is good for the soul. Since I’m not planning to win New York :-), I’m trying to settle into my training plan and tweak it to fit where my body is at so I get to the starting line in one piece.

Friday was a 5-mile maintenance run, which I chose to knock out on Mountain Drive, a scenic, windy road in the foothills of Santa Barbara. It never disappoints with its views and gently rolling hills.

Later in the afternoon it was time for some core and mobility work.

Saturday’s long run was shorter this week (12 miles) to get the body rested up for next week’s 18-miler. I had the pleasure of running the first 8 miles with my friend Becca (the other B in Team B & B), who is currently training for a half marathon. Yay Becca! We ran from Leadbetter Beach to Montecito and back on another spectacular SB morning. The miles flew by so quickly, we almost blew past our turnaround point. That’s the power running partners. Afterward, I finished up with 4 more miles–up Shoreline Drive on the Nite Moves course and back. It was noticeable how much longer those 4 miles felt solo.

Time zips by when you’re laughing and telling stories. On the last part of my run, when I was solo, I finished my audiobook, A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York, which not only got me even more excited about the race, but got me circling back to honing the details.

Here are a few of the details that are getting sculpted into shape…

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Week #13 NYC Marathon Training: Staying the Course

“Stay the course. When thwarted try again: harder, smarter. Persevere relentlessly.”
~John Wooden

This week is a celebration of staying the course and persevering despite a fairly bumpy start to this marathon training cycle. Nothing out of the ordinary–just injuries, family events, scheduling logistics…life–little frustrating setbacks and challenges that multiplied over time and caused enough friction to make me question myself and my ability to pull off another 26.2 mile adventure.

As I write this post however, I am feeling relentlessly optimistic again, knowing that Staten Island will see my toes, and my running partner Janet’s toes, on the starting line in six weeks. And what a moment we will share as we run through the five boroughs of New York and cross the finish line in Central Park!

To any of you who might be struggling with your training, you’re definitely not alone. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t bump up against at least a few of these common obstacles during a 16 or 20-week training program. Life happens. It’s how you manage to keep your chin up, your head on straight, and your eyes laser-focused on the prize–that glorious starting line.

Progress, as we know, isn’t always linear, and it’s okay to step back, regroup, start again, and/or figure out a new approach all together. It’s your story to write, and your journey to enjoy, so make it fun and make it work for your lifestyle. Most importantly, stay the course and keep moving forward in some form or another. You will get there!

Success isn’t always linear, and it’s often in the midst of all the twists and turns that we learn the most.

Here’s a peek at my Week #13 training schedule (Sept 11-17):

  • Mon 9/11: 5 mile recovery trail run at Ellwood Bluffs, core 30 min.
  • Tues 9/12: Spin class 50 min, strength (leg weights) 25 min.
  • Wed 9/13: Run 6 miles hills and fartleks
  • Thur 9/14: Yoga 30 min, rest day
  • Fri 9/15: Run 4 mile trail run at More Mesa, core 25 min.
  • Sat 9/16: Run 16 miles
  • Sun 9/17: Rest & recovery day, walk 2 miles w/ my hubby

Monday was the 22nd Anniversary of 9/11, and even after all these years, it still hits hard. After being glued to all the tributes on TV, mid-morning I opted to lose myself in a trail run. Nature cures much.

Running through the eucalyptus-lined trails of the Ellwood Butterfly Preserve in Goleta, and venturing out to bluffs overlooking the ocean below, a sense of calm and joy always washes over me. It’s the perfect place for a easy recovery run, especially on a Monday morning when my heart was heavy and my body was feeling a little creaky. Five miles later and I was ready to conquer the week.

Tuesday’s cross-training was another high-octane spin class with my favorite instructor Kristine, who always brings the energy. It was a sweatfest, then it was leg day in the weight room.

Morning fuel before spin class: oat yogurt with dates, a banana, and almonds.

My favorite run this week was Wednesday’s late afternoon run. I don’t usually like to run in the evening nearly as much as the morning, but it took me allllll day to get out the door, so when that happens, you get what you get. Thankfully what I got was an incredible run, and I credit that in part to “letting down my hair,” changing it up, and turning it into a “free-form” run (ie-anything goes).

I went to a location I had never run, but often cycled, a nearby rural neighborhood with a couple steep hills, dreamy flats, and a few tiny rollers. The beautiful late afternoon light added to the awesome autumn vibe. My choice of music–some of my fav old rock-n-roll like the Stones–and my choice of hills and fartleks (unstructured and playful speed intervals) had me smiling from ear to ear for the 6 miles I knocked out. It just reminded me once again, that hard work doesn’t have to be torture. It’s a win/win when you push yourself, and still feel the joy bubbling through.

“I know, it’s only rock-n-roll (and fartleks), but I like it” ~ Rolling Stones
To read more about the rest of the week click here

Week #3 NYC Marathon Training: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate reminder this week. Credit: Leo Soleoado

It has been a week of highs and lows and a whole lot of recovery, reflection, and rollicking fun.

On Monday I launched into the week fired up, ready to take on a speed work session that I knew would push me hard: 16 x 200s on the track. And indeed it did. When it was all said and done though, I left tired, of course, but feeling strong. The best part was that it was an excellent mental boost pushing through the discomfort that comes with trying to regain running fitness. I ended the day doing 40 minutes of core work and foot exercises, then focused on recovery—eating nutritious food, re-hydrating, stretching, foam rolling, soaking, massaging my legs with my Theragun, then elevating them on a wall, and finally, going to bed early. Boom. All good stuff.

Monday pushing around the red oval followed by core and foot exercises.

Tuesday was the 4th of July and I was happy to be able to give back to our running community by volunteering at a local 5k trail race, the Semana Nautica at Elings Park. I loved seeing many of my friends crush this tough course–with smiles on their faces, no less!

Race day on a cool, gray 4th of July. Go John and Ashlee!!!

My Tuesday training schedule called for cross-training so in the late afternoon I did a short run on our ElliptiGo in the garage followed by some upper body strength work and stretching. After yesterday’s toughie at the track, I took my recovery day seriously.

Tuesday ElliptiGo cross-training, arm weights and stretching.

Wednesday is when things took a turn. An easy 6 mile run was on my schedule with a prescribed 10:37 pace. While I felt good during the run, hitting not only my pace down to the second during those 6 miles, and focusing on my cadence and technique, I knew in my heart of hearts that the pace I was running was not truly “easy”—especially on a warm afternoon with little sleep the night before. You know where I’m going with this…

A warm afternoon 6 miler on a blue sky day. Loved some cool watermelon afterward.

At about mile 4.5 my body let me know. Specifically, my left S.I./glute/hip started feeling a little jacked up, and even though I knew better, I pushed to the end because I told myself that it wasn’t that bad. How many times have we all said those same delusional words to ourselves over the years, only to pay the price for our stubborn determination? Or is that just me? Argh.

Needless to say, it did not go well. By the time I got out of my car back at home, I could barely put weight on my foot without shooting pain to my hip and lower back. Out came the ice, Advil, arnica, foam roller, lacrosse ball and yoga mat for stretching. This chica was not messing around. Later it was a soak in epsom salts and more arnica and ice.

By morning, it felt a little better so I optimistically foolishly decided to head to my Thursday spin class where I cranked out some high octane miles. I did relinquish high gears and climbing out of the saddle, but still put in a significant effort. Afterwards I did a quick lower leg weight session on machines where I could sit. The universe did me a favor and saved me from myself though, when a phone call pulled me away from the gym and sent me to go work on something that needed immediate attention. It’s a good thing because a short while later, my lower back/glute/hip was completely off the rails.

Here’s where the logical, smart person in me finally took over…

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Week #2 of NYC Marathon Training: Patience & Grace

Like the sign says at Women’s Athletic Club of Santa Barbara, “It doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger.”

Getting back into marathon training shape has felt harder than I imagined it would (and should) be, but as I give myself grace, relax about my current pace, and just focus on the purpose of each run, enjoying the journey along the way, I’m starting to feel like I’m heading in the right direction again.

Small differences. Sweet moments of joy. Tiny increases in my speed and cadence. A little less huffing and puffing. A little more gliding. Each contributing to a renewed sense of positivity.

The hardest part is being patient with myself, even though I know full well this is not a sprint, but rather a long, winding marathon adventure, filled with zigs and zags, hills and valleys, and a whole lot of time to think and appreciate the process.

What made the difference this week, besides patience and consistency, was adding in a little speed work, reminding my body that it could get out of first gear and hold up to the additional load. Nothing crazy, just some up tempo running and a 1-mile time trial. Even more than the physical gain, the mental gain was just what I needed to reassure myself that my body could hold up to the strain. Having a history of injuries during marathon training over the years, I’ve likely been overly cautious as I’ve been building back up, but now I know as I ease into it, I can trust my body, which is unbelievably freeing.

Here’s what Week #2 of training looked like:

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