boston training: week 13

all of last weeks excitement "yay i survived peak week i rule lets go run the race NOW im so excited!!!" lead to a few extra rest days in week 13. in no way am i going to say anything about lucky number 13 due to the fact that the boston marathon will be my 13th marathon. well, actually, it will be my 14th marathon, but i have only crossed the finish line of 12. so the boston marathon will be my 13th completed marathon (because no matter what happens out there in 13 days i will be crossing that finish line. 3 hours and 30 minutes or 7 hours and 59 minutes, my feet wont stop until i get that unicorn medal).

but so yeah... there was quite a bit more rest this week, easier runs, ice and epsom salt baths, screaming at the foam roller and the stick... i just needed it, both physically and mentally. i still got in 40 plus miles of running and the 2 solid workouts. whatever work has needed to be done for april 18th over the past 13 weeks is already done, this week wasnt going to be what makes or breaks my race. but i also know that this plan is laid out the way it is for a reason, so i cant be one to say theyre (hansons) plan is wrong. but im also only human... and i bleed when i fall down... xo christina perri

as a side PSA... VILLANOVA!! HOLY SMOKES! sorry all you unc fans, this duke lover cheered for the underdogs (well, ok they were a no. 2 team, but still) and seeing the highlights this am... incredible (of course i didnt stay up, the game started approx 3 hours after my bedtime!). theres now bound to be jay wright interviews for days, my dream come true.

week 13 started off dark and early on wednesday morning with slow, lonely loops around the neighborhood.

i dont like leaving my neighborhood when its dark and im alone, so i just do loops. over and over. the joys of monotony and getting "my sharona" stuck in your head. anyway, easy miles, nice and slow.

thursday was another zero dark #alarmsthatstartwith3 morning, this time at the track. more loops! except my watch malfunctioned and i wasnt awake enough to figure out that i could have timed my laps with my phone and whatever, i just ran around and around with sarah for another 6 miles and pushed my strength workout to friday. no biggie.

quite happy the update install happened now and not april 18th

and with this run, march was over. highest month ive ever had, and i really didnt feel like i had run all that much. theres something wrong with me.

it must be a march thing

despite friday being a day off from work (and my one rest day for the week!), my alarm went off just after 4 and i met sarah at the track once again. i honestly enjoy the feeling of being out there while the rest of the world sleeps (yes im convinced im the only one awake at these dumb hours, obviously) and crushing a tough workout. my legs felt good during the warm up, and the 4x1.5mile repeats with 800m recoveries felt just as good. almost easy. i knew i had wanted this workout to be outside and i am so pleased with how the workout went. and then i cried, of course. this hasnt been as emotional of a cycle as i had envisioned at the start, but as the end is drawing near i find myself thinking more and more about what im gonna feel like actually finishing this race. the emotions this week have been tested and are pretty high, and im not sure theyre gonna go away. so ill be the girl in blue and yellow sobbing when i pass by. wave and hand me a tissue!

and if someone can also just meet me at the finish with this, and a fork... thanks...

since i pushed off my strength workout a day, that meant my rest day was now saturday. i had to work saturday, sunday, and monday, which didnt bode well for a 10, 10, 13. so i did what i felt was best for my body and took saturday and sunday off. i felt the sleep was more important with 2 weeks left to race day, and i am thankful i made this decision as im fairly certain i walked over 10 miles each day at work (we were so busy!). i did get up at 445am on sunday to get in an epsom salt bath (and i had taken an ice bath friday afternoon). my legs appreciated that for sure.

look ma, no socks! i think the 20lbs of ice gave me frost bite though

monday i just ran a basic 8.5 miles on the last miles of the boston course, obviously cried, chatted with other crazy running friends who also enjoy being awake at stupid hours of the early am, then stretched and worked on some strength exercises.

cue. all. the. emotions!

i chose to do my MP run on the last day of the week since i knew it needed to get done and there wasnt a specific long run this week. of course it freaking snowed yesterday and was blistery cold and windy this am, so i opted for the treadmill. i put off this run all morning and instead cleaned like a mad woman and did no short of 50 loads of laundry. when i looked at the clock before hopping on the tm i noticed it was shortly before 11am. perfect planning for my boston start... obviously i planned it this way! (no). but it is good to know that the cheerios, banana, coffee and toast helped fuel me pretty well and didnt make me have to poop. (im seriously nervous about this. running is stupid!). i also wore the socks, shorts, sports bra, and similar tank top to what im planning on for the race... everything felt great! good to go!

im actually torn between hat and headband... help?

i ran the first 13.1 miles of the boston course, with 10 at marathon pace. it took a few miles to loosen up and i felt like marathon pace was 5k pace. not a great sign. but as the miles ticked by i felt better and better, and eventually just felt like i was on cruise control. i had a dance party with some tunes, watched chicago marathon 2014 where this whole journey started, and of course cried on my cool down (i owe sarah a whole bunch of donuts at this point). also, ya know whats so bogus... the ice cream shop and donut shop at mile 3.5, and the dairy queen just after mile 4. why, boston, why?!

last MP run, done!

week 13

4x1.5mi strength- (goal 11:20-11:40)- 11:26, 11:29, 11:21, 11:23. didnt feel like i was pushing it, was very happy to be outside and making this pace on my own. felt i could go faster but knew i didnt need to, wanted to maintain within goal range. spot on.

10 @MP- (goal 7:48-8:01)- 7:49, 7:52, 7:48, 7:46, 7:50, 7:49, 7:53, 7:49, 7:45, 7:46. 

week 13 brought to you by crow athletics and bud light...

lets get this show on the road!

#fastgirlswearbirds

speaking of tunes... heres this weeks new music

ob. freaking. sessed.

totally.

a very sad song, but for some reason i like it

as i said before, its becoming more and more emotional as the day comes closer. i keep thinking back to chicago (and via marathon) and just how much work its been to get to where i am now. what an amazing journey. and of course i feel like everything happens for a reason... so my DNF at via (not qualifying me for boston 2015 with its cold windy rain) and a random entry and lottery acceptance to chicago... it all brought me here. and of course the jackets have hot pink this year, lets not forget that!

where i qualified

what i have to look forward to

little did i know at this moment that a DNF was coming, not a BQ

and remember this?! 

the loop marathon at night with all the bugs and all the puking and NOT my first sub 4?!

my first marathon was a 4:43:13. i smiled the entire time, right through to the finish line. other marathons have not proven to be as smiley, or as slow, but the only thing that matters now is the training i have done for the past 13 weeks to get me to the finish line in 13 days. i have now all but completed the absolute best training cycle i have ever done, hands down. the dedication i have put into this is unmatchable from any other training ive done. whether that proves on race day to bring me my fastest marathon time, we will soon see. but truly thats not what im looking for. this may or may not be my only chance to run the boston marathon. some people will never get that chance. but i have rightfully earned my spot inside the barricades for this year, and this year only. i know the work i have done to get me there, and i will respect this marathon as much as any other and work as hard as i can from start to finish. i dont know any other way to do it.