Tag Archives: New York Marathon training

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 #15 NYC Marathon Training: Upping Our Game

With just five weeks to go until race day, we are now heading into our peak weeks of training before we start tapering back down to get our batteries fully recharged before our big event. This is both an exciting and grueling few weeks because while we’ve been steadily building up our bodies to be able to handle the load, no matter how disciplined we’ve been with our training, we are still doing long runs of 18 and 20-miles in addition to all our other usual training. GREAT stuff all around.

These are also the weeks when we focus on putting it all together in earnest, working intently on our mental game, fueling our bodies well, and trying to get as much rest as possible.

I’ve said this numerous times before, but endurance events are 85-90% mental. If you skimp on training your mind in addition to your legs, lungs and heart, you will do yourself a great disservice. Long runs offer us perfect opportunities to work on steeling ourselves to the challenges and discomfort that come with this sport. How will you respond when fatigue hits hard? What will you do to keep moving forward when your feet are telling you they have other ideas? What kind of discipline and focus will you have to remember to fuel and hydrate like clockwork so you feel your best? What mental techniques will you use to help you reach your goals when the going gets tough?

For me it’s mantras, counting steps, visualizing, singing, focusing on what feels strong, not letting my mind wander too far so that I don’t space out my nutrition, and most of all it’s about swimming in gratitude. It’s celebrating the fact that I GET TO DO THIS and be part of this remarkable moment.

Never underestimate the power of gratitude. It has a way of wrapping itself around your pain and reminding you of how lucky you are that you get to experience this incredible journey–the one you so boldly signed up for so long ago, and trained your heart out to get to where you are. So many other people will never know the beauty of this adventure, so be in the moment and appreciate it all, especially during the hardest moments.

Here’s a peek at my Week #15 training schedule (Sept 25-Oct 1):

  • Mon 9/25: Run 6 miles (w/ 2.5 mile pick-up effort in the middle), strength 45 min. (Kim Miller Fitness legs/glutes)
  • Tues 9/26: Spin class 55 min EZ (15 miles), mobility work 25 min
  • Wed 9/27: Run 6 miles, undulating hills
  • Thur 9/28: Active recovery day–yoga, core, & foot exercises 35 min, walk with Jeffrey
  • Fri 9/29: Run 5 miles with 4x80m strides, core and mobility work 25 min.
  • Sat 9/30: Run 18 miles
  • Sun 10/1: Rest & recovery day, yoga, walks

Monday morning, short on time, I set out directly from my house instead of driving somewhere scenic, and knocked out a 6-mile run on nothing but concrete and asphalt. It wasn’t the most exciting route, but it was good mental practice for running through the streets of NYC. In the middle of the run I pushed the pace for 2.5 miles.

Feeling stronger each week, and spending time focusing on my mental game.
Monday afternoon was a quick strength and core session after seeing a chiropractor and getting my Covid vaccination.

Tuesday was another fun outdoor spin class at the gym with Kristine. I intentionally took it easy and used this workout to simply flush out my legs from Monday’s run in preparation for Wednesday’s run. I came across a quote somewhere the other day that said something like, “The sign of a maturity in a runner is knowing when to reign it in, and also having the discipline to do it.” I’m definitely a work-in-progress in that department, but today was a win.

Refueling after spin class with a garden salad and a fruit smoothie with protein.

Wednesday I felt strong after taking it easy on Tuesday, and knocked out 6 miles of rolling hills in the early morning. Repetez, s’il vous plait: “I like hills, I eat them up. I like hills, I never give up.” Mantras aren’t just for race day! 🙂

Testing another new pair of shoes (Hoka Rincon 3s again), still trying to make my feet happy for the long haul. Up and down hills today, getting my quads ready for the bridges of NY and the final push in Central Park.

Thursday was an active recovery day after yesterday’s hills, and in preparation for Friday’s 5-miler and Saturday’s 18-miler.

Mash-up yoga, core, mobility, foot exercises, and balance. Still trying to embrace pigeon pose and get past the “oy.”
Went on a nice morning walk with my main squeeze (aka my hubby Jeffrey, who also happens to be my #1 supporter). Clearly we’ve been married a long time when we meet up and discover we’re wearing the same kind of vibe. Next thing you know we’ll be wearing matching silk baseball jackets. 🙂

Friday morning was a steady 5-mile maintenance run, topped off with 4-5 strides at the end. I countered our gray weather with cheery color, fiery tunes, and thoughts drifting to race day.

Chasing the gray away and embracing the journey by being transported to NY in my mind during my run.

Visualization is a powerful training tool I lean on often for endurance events. For NYC, I begin by imagining myself at the starting line on Staten Island, swimming in gratitude, feeling all the feels, then taking off, light on my feet, soaking up the experience, smiling, running strong and steady, turning the crowd’s energy into my own, remembering to fuel and hydrate as I cruise through each borough, powering over the “forever long and quiet” Queensboro Bridge, and then being lifted off the ground by the indescribable energy reverberating from throngs of spectators as we turn onto 1st Avenue; making it all the way up to the top of the course at mile 21 then turning left and heading back down 5th Avenue into Harlem, knowing this is where it gets especially real; thinking about how I will focus on the parts of my body that feel strong, then count steps to stay focused, remind myself of tall posture and good form; then finally, oh finally, turning into Central Park where there last two miles will feel like forever, but knowing my mental toughness will help me find another gear to get across the finish line, all the while savoring every second and appreciating all that has gone into getting to this moment.

Saturday was an 18-mile dry run for race day, starting with carbo loading the night before, trying out shorts I plan to wear, practicing my fueling and hydration, testing out the shoes I’m hoping will work, and working on my mental game. This ended up being a great learning day, for which I’m eternally grateful, because some things did not work well for me. Traditional carbo loading did not feel good on my run so I will adjust that to a lighter pre-race meal and start with small carb meals/snacks earlier throughout the day. The shorts I had to planned to wear on race day continually felt like they were going to fall off (which Becca and I laughed about hysterically. Thankfully I discovered this during our quick warm-up loop not far from my car, and had also thrown in a back-up pair of shorts in my car so I was able to remedy the annoying problem before knocking out the other 17 miles.

Team B & B (Becca & Becky) sharing laughs on our long run.

Sunday is a whole lot of aaaaah (ie-rest, recovery, and reset) after yesterday’s long run. The deeper we get into training, the more important this day feels in order to be ready to knock out another run on Monday. Today is all about good food, nice walks, and friends and family.

Things I’m Loving Right Now

Training for a marathon takes a lot of time, as we well know. Finding time to make gourmet meals to replenish our bodies isn’t always easy, even with good planning, so I thought I would share a few ideas here that I have leaned on recently when there aren’t enough hours in the day (or energy in the body).

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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