Chicago Marathon Training: Week 10 Recap

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon Training and tagged with , , ,

Yeah, so this work thing…

It has been pretty crazy having started work and trying to fit in marathon training, kids, and life….can I go back to summer vacation please??

Last week I was still able to squeeze in a few runs despite my new, busy schedule.

I replaced my bike cross training on Monday and picked up a 5 miler with a buddy. It was a scorcher (it was only 100 degrees but felt waaay worse) and my legs were still a little tired from the Humphreys Hike but we gotter done.

Tuesday I met up with a local group for a quick 3 miler that was way tougher than usual. It coulda been the Nikes I tested–it was Nike demo night. They. felt. AWFUL. Despite the throbbing I felt, I still managed to average a sub 9 pace. But yeah, Nikes will def remain fashion footwear only.

Chalking these up as a big, fat NO.

Chalking these up as a big, fat NO.

Despite feeling the back to school fatigue, I made it out to track on Wednesday for some more Yasso’s. I wanted to increase my sets as I’d been doing 6x800s and wanted to go 8. I did a mile warm up (which I hadn’t been doing other times) and got started. It was another ridiculously hot day

Screen Shot 2015-08-17 at 9.17.08 PM

IMG_20150812_210733

and it honestly felt worse than on last week’s excessive heat warning days. These were by far the hardest Yassos I’d done to date. They weren’t pretty at all.

4:00, 4:02, 3:56, 4:01, 4:04, 4:06, 4:01

and I missed the 8th. Total TMI but I had to use the restroom.

I was bummed because I really wanted 8 and I also really wanted to do a mile cool down but when you gotta go, you gotta go (and I wanted to go at home.)

The plan was to bike on Thursday since I moved my run to Monday but by the time Thursday came, I was over everything. It was record breaking heat at 117 degrees and there was no way in hell I was going outside.

Screen Shot 2015-08-18 at 6.29.33 AM

Since 2013….2 years ago…

Fridays are my typical rest days and I relished it. It was another scorcher.

I had 12 on the schedule Saturday with 3 miles at Marathon Goal Pace (which I still haven’t fully decided what that is). I set my alarm for 3:30 a.m. so I can meet up with other crazies at 4.

I ran 5 miles with them and felt pretty good but when we met up with the five o’clock crew, I started going downhill. I don’t know if it was stopping mid-run like that or if the heat was getting to me (it was 88 degrees at 4 in the morning!!), but I was not feeling the run anymore. At all.

Mile 6 was a get-it-together mile before my MGP would start and I didn’t hit the mark with any of them at 9:18, 9:30, 9:18. I had been shooting for a 9:15 so I was technically close with two miles but they were major struggle buses. In fact, after those three miles, it was just a make it back to the car run at that point. I registered two 10:30s and an 11 minuter getting my butt back. It was awful.

So awful that when I was done, I sat down on the curb and shed a few tears. I think I was just tired and overwhelmed from life, work, and training and quite frankly, I think I just needed a good cry. I felt a lot better afterward (and after a good convo with friends).

Quote-11_2872393c

I had a big day the next day, Sunday morning, with my Moms Run This Town group which I’ll detail later. I didn’t run but it was a very fun, eventful day. Just what I needed after my previous tough long run.

And that was my week– 24.5 miles. Despite the bad long run, I was very pleased I was able to get some good runs in my first week back at work. I knew that it was going to be tougher; I just need to make sure I carry the momentum of a long summer of hard work.

#igotthis

–How was your running week? Ever run in 117 degree weather (not me!)?

–Ever cried after a run/race?

–How do you recover after a less than stellar run?

I hope everyone has a great week!! ❤ , helly

 

 

36 responses

  2. Aw Helly, the heat you have to deal with is absolutely insane!! I really don’t know how you do it and I think it’s so inspiring that you still get out there for your runs. When it’s that hot, don’t worry about pace and how much you’re struggling. The good thing is that your marathon in Chicago will be much cooler! 🙂 Just stick with it and give yourself a break in those tough long run conditions. You are doing fantastic! (P.S. Yes, I’ve cried after a horrible run before too! It tends to help :))

    Reply

  3. It’s so hard working, being a mom/wife and training for a race! I totally get this. Hope you weather is more manageable for you soon. Yesterday was a scorcher for us 34C (93F) but felt like 39C (102F) – brutal…and today’s not going to be much better 😦 So glad I got my run in early this morning.
    One training day at a time…you’ll get there.

    Reply

  4. rough week!!! Wow! Way to power through it though. You still amaze me running in that weather and starting school and being a mom. Seriously I don’t have half those things on my plate and can’t get it together!

    Reply

  5. I like summer (I actually have a post to that effect coming up) but that isn’t summer, that is the sun. You have a bajillion things going on, and as much as marathon training can give that chaos structure, it also can greatly complicate life. So keep doing what you are doing, cut yourself some slack, and you will be on the road to kicking ass again soon!

    Reply

  7. Ok. How ANYONE runs in Arizona in that heat is beyond me. We’re high 90s today with hideous humidity and they’re putting out a STAY THE F*CK INSIDE WARNING. The hottest I have run in was 100. I biked 70 miles in 105 degree weather and cried. I feel you with sitting on a curb and crying. In fact, I started bawling during my 15 mile run on Sunday. Why? I was over tired, over heated and just plain OVER it all. Those are the best kind of cries. I felt like a whole new woman after that. You can do it Helly. I’m so impressed with your training. xooxoxo

    Reply

    • I hit send too soon… Please don’t beat yourself up, Helly. Heat and chaos aside, you are really killing this training. And just think: It will be nice and cool come Chicago! Next time you need a good cry, facetime me! We’ll pop a bottle of wine and let the tears flow!

      Reply

  11. I was chatting with my sister-in-law who goes back to school this week. I also have a school schedule and we both were discussing how surprisingly exhausting it always is when you first come back. It hits you hard! I have most definitely cried during and after a few runs. Once in the middle of a brutal 17 miler. It wasn’t pretty. I think the best thing you can do is try to forget about it and remind yourself that tomorrow is another day. Odds are that it won’t be anything like that last run.

    Reply

  12. 117 degrees. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN DEGREES. What the actual F. OMG. I would find a pool and permanently camp out in it. Or in front of an air conditioner. No way in hell. OMG. I think you had a great week – 88 degrees at 4am is just plain MEAN! You are one hardcore chica! I re-join the workforce on Monday…eeek! I want summer back too!

    Reply

  13. Aw, sorry you felt down, but sometimes a good cry is cathartic and necessary. You’re training in crazy hot (I have warm, you have HOT, HOT, HOT) weather. Use this calculator (use the advanced feature to correct for weather) and you can see what your equivalent pace would have been in cooler temperatures. This always makes me feel better.

    Reply

  14. SO that makes sense why you wake up so early to run. That is fkn HOT. Whoa. I have family in AZ and we’ve been there a zillion times and yes, I ran there but no, not when it was that hot. Maybe 104, tops. GAH. You did so well though! Such a BAMF.

    Reply