Aesthete Runner

The last few weeks since the GRT 50k have been full of rest and active recovery. They have also provided me with time to go back and review my training, think about what worked well and what didn't, and look forward to the next training cycle. There is a definitely lack of solid 50k training plans available, so I think it is important to share my thoughts on the McMillan 50k plan so others may decide if it might be right for them.

ONE WEEK!! In some ways I feel like this point in training would never come, but in other ways it has flown by. Right now I am feeling good in my first week of taper, and mentally I am excited and ready for race day.

Two weeks!! I am both excited and relieved to be over with the heaviest portion of training. It feels really great to be in the "taper" phase. There is no doubt that the warmer weather has brought about a lot of struggles in training, but I have my fingers crossed that it will be nice and cool on race day. While my overall mileage hasn't dropped significantly, I did make several adjustments to the plan to accommodate the Ragnar Trail Relay I was participating in.

I can't believe the marathon is a month away! A few weeks ago it felt like there was still a lot of time to train, but suddenly I look at my training schedule and see that it is almost time to taper. Fall is my favorite time of year, and now that the weather has started to cool off and all things pumpkin have popped up, I am ready to run in my favorite season.

I made it - the fourth and final week of the Daniels Blue plan. It was by far the most difficult week, but the past few weeks have prepared my body well and it feels good to have completed a challenging speed work training block.

I did it! I ran my first 50k on Saturday. It has taken a few days for me to reflect on the race. I experienced so many intense feelings within one race that it was very difficult for me to even understand or identify how I feel about that day. I listened to a podcast a few months ago that talked about failure. How we often are afraid to do things where failure is a real possibility. Often times in training, we select plans or goals that are challenging enough that we feel pushed, but where we can finish feeling satisfied that we accomplished what we set out to do. We rarely select races or goals where we could fail, and as a result, we never learn to be better. Failure is not bad. Failure is not the end of the world. When we do fail, we learn how to be better. We learn that it is ok to fail, but then we pick ourselves up and try again. I knew signing up for a 50k raised the real risk of actual failure. I felt this more than any other race I had signed up for. Contrary to my fear of...

This past week was the first time I felt challenged beyond what my body was capable of. I started out the week feeling great after the long run, but by the end of the week I was exhausted. This week's lesson was in rest and recovery.

February 25, 2014 I went out for a run. Due to a doctor's appointment that was delayed over an hour, I rushed home, checked my work email, and anxiously got ready for my scheduled run. I quickly put on my running gear and headed out the door so I could be home in time to start dinner. The weather was fairly warm for February and all of the snow was melting.

I often joke that a person is not a "runner" unless he or she has experienced an injury. While this is not true, the reality is that most runners will experience an injury at one point or another. Whether it is merely a shin pain that lasts for a day or two or a fracture, injuries still suck.

To read my recap of the race, visit my previous post . Now that I have had a few days to recover both physically and mentally, I have really thought about my performance during the race. Clearly I have too much time on my hands being unemployed, but I think it is natural for anyone who commits to a goal for a long period of time to dissect things to understand what went wrong and celebrate what went well.

Rest and recovery is one of the most important aspects of training, yet runners often tend to neglect this more than anything else. It is often a common fear that taking a rest day will derail training, or that there is simply not enough time in a day for recovery. Especially with a plan like Hansons with only one scheduled rest day, it may seem hard to fit in yet more time to focus on other aspects of training. Yet without rest and recovery we cannot be the best runners possible. Having fallen victim to injury a few times in my life, I know how important it is to listen to your body and make time to take care of yourself. Here are my suggestions for incorporating rest and recovery into your training plan. Listen to your body There is a difference between lacking motivation or not "feeling" like going for a run, and actually needing a day off. If you feel unwell or you have pain that is not typical soreness, take a day off. One or two days off will not cause you to backtra...