Marathon Plan Week 22 of 24

I’m in the home stretch of this marathon plan. This week is the most challenging to date. But after this is two weeks of taper before the marathon on September 24.

Week 22 plan:

• Monday: off
• Tuesday: Tempo Run, 60 minutes total with 40 minutes at threshold pace
• Wednesday: Strength
• Thursday: Lactate Intervals, 50 minutes total with 5 x 3 minutes at VO2 max pace, 3 minute active recoveries
• Friday: Alternate Cardio, 45 minutes
• Saturday: Optional Foundation Run 40 minutes; Strength
• Sunday: Long Run 3 hours (or Hal Hidgon 20 miles). I’m shooting for another 20 mile run. There is a 9 mile race near my house that morning so I will only need to run 11 miles solo. This day is also my husband’s birthday so I anticipate my day will be wake, run, stretch, nap, take hubby out to celebrate birthday, sleep.

I have 3 weeks until the marathon but I’m already thinking about what comes next. I wish that I had Julie’s love of running, that I felt the joy she does during the act of running. Yesterday my husband and I ran 11 miles. The weather was perfect, 65-70 and sunny with a nice breeze. There were ducks on the pond. The run was nice. It was a great day to be outside. It made me feel good and yet, at the same time, it was a training run and was “work.” It was not exactly fun although I feel good that it was pretty easy compared to how difficult even 10 miles was back in mid July. For me running is like broccoli. It’s OK. I know that it’s good for me and will make me feel good. So I make sure to do (eat) it but if there was not a clear upside (health) I would not do (eat) it for fun.