Chicago Marathon Training Week 16

We are now at less than 24 hours until the marathon! How quickly this week passed. My training this week was very light, with a focus on mobility, rest, and nutrition. Overall this taper was much needed after some hard weeks of training, and it is one of the first where I can say that I truly enjoyed all the extra rest.

Here was how my last week of training went:

Sunday: 3 easy miles, Jasyoga - Recovery Boost for Runners
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Cruise Intervals - 4 X 1000m with 200m recovery and 3 X 200m with 200m recovery, with a warm up and cool down
Wednesday: Sports Massage!, Jasyoga - Flexible Running Hamstrings
Thursday: 3 easy miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 20 min easy run, Jasyoga - Preventative Medicine for Legs/Feet, Taper Meditation
Total: 13.44 miles

The Cruise intervals were just the ticket to keeping my legs moving and I enjoyed the feeling of some speed in my legs. I struggled with the assigned pace for the 200m repeats, but I was also running on wet pavement during a storm, so I probably could have pushed myself more under different circumstances.

The remainder of the week's runs were easy and light, and I tried to take them as leisurely as I could. I focused a lot of visualization - on how I would feel seeing and crossing the finish line. I thought about different points in the race where I might struggle, and what I would do and say to myself to pull through.

There have been a lot of comments regarding the weather for race day, and while I won't lie and say I had hoped for cooler weather, I also know that I can only control my own performance. This is why I run in the rain, cold, snow, heat, etc., so that I am prepared for anything. Considering I ran my last 20 miler in very hot temps and still managed an average pace slightly faster than goal pace, I have this to pull from if things get really hot during the race.

Overall, my nutrition this week remained the same as other week's, with a higher focus on carbs the last 2 days (around 70%).  I have been sticking with meals that I know work well for me, while also focusing a lot of hydration. To kick the cold I had at the beginning of the week, I drank a lot of green and ginger/turmeric tea which really boosted my immune system and helped hydrate me throughout the day.


Marathon Expo

On Friday I headed to the expo, which was fantastic as usual, but extremely crowded. Last year I went on Friday as well, but earlier in the day and I was able to walk around without dodging the crowds. I can see why some people spend hours at the expo as there is just so much to see and do, and there are lines for everything. As much as I would love to spend hours at the Runners World Stage or meet up with my Oiselle teammates, I really like this time to get my race day gear in order and focus internally on what's coming. Instead of focusing on all things running, I actually enjoy distraction.

Marathon Goals

I reviewed my 2016 goals and many of them are the same. Here is what I plan to focus on specifically:

• Do not go out too fast! This always remains my #1 goal because it is so easy to get caught up in the crowd. I remember running the first few miles last year feeling as if I was running so slow, only to see that I was running faster than I should. Greg McMillan sent out an email a few weeks ago about the consequences of banking time. A lot of runners think that they can get ahead early in the race to compensate for slowing down. I've also tried this approach and it never works. 
• Stick to my hydration and fueling strategies. Especially since it is going to be hot, and I was dehydrated last year. I plan to carry a handheld with Nuun and drink from this every 2 miles, alternating with water from the water stations. I am going to carry an extra package of Nuun performance to refill my bottle if needed. 
• Ideally, I have been training to take 14 minutes off my time from last year. Based upon my training and long runs, this should be doable, assuming the weather does not greatly impact my performance. In the event that I find this to be unreasonable, my goal will be to finish faster than my time in 2016.
• Have fun! This is always a goal, but it is an important one. I want to enjoy the experience. This will most likely be my last Chicago Marathon. There are so many races to enjoy and I want to experience them. I want this to be a memorable Chicago marathon, as I take in all of the city.

Overall, my main goal is to finish a marathon and not feel defeated by it. For 2 years I have struggled with this distance, which is not to say that it will be easy or that struggle will not occur. However, I would like to finish the race feeling as if I achieved what I strived for in training. In the past I have finished and felt disappointed with my performance or how I handled some of the mental or physical aspects of the race. Time goal aside, I would like to finish knowing that I did my best and followed the goals I set for myself. I would like to stare discomfort in it's face and come out of it knowing that I defeated it, rather than being defeated. I am keeping this tucked away in my brain to pull out during the race when it gets hard.

So there you have it. 16 weeks of training. I feel ready, and I feel confident. I really enjoyed the McMillan training plan, and despite less overall mileage, I feel more prepared than I did last year. I am in a better spot than I was mentally last year having just been laid off from my job. I feel ready to tackle the distance, and have confidence that I can do it.