My week and my first 18'er!

Well folks – it’s in the record books now. I have signed up for the Wrightsville Beach Marathon because I finished my first 18 mile training run and did not die!

I have really taken the last couple of weeks easy and my Achilles has thanked me for it. I have been really good about long slow warm up runs and following my workoutsw with icing and rolling. Last weekend I did my first “ice bath” – Wrightsville Beach style. The inter-coastal waterway is currently hovering around 48°F, so all you have to do is walk in about mid thigh and stand there for 20 minutes. My buddy, Dave, and I did an easy 7 miles then stood in the inter-coastal. The ice bath really did help and Sunday my legs felt completely normal.

I worked out with Tom on Wednesday. We did alternating float / tempo 400’s. 2:10 followed by 1:55 pace. The plan was 6-400’s, 2 min rest, 6-400’s, 2 min rest, 4-400 at a descending pace 2:05, 2:00, 1:55, 1:50. Well that was the plan anyway. I did great on the 1st 6 but after two laps in the second set – legs just did not have it. I finished with 5 full laps and one cut lap to keep up with the group. And as for the descending laps – Tom cut my workout to only 3 laps and my times ascended instead of descended. It was a tough workout and not my best but it was still a good workout. I have my sights set on Mary Lou and Tracy, both run with Tom and we start in the same workout/pace group. They are fantastic runners and are consistently a little faster and stronger than I am. I can hang with them some nights or on short sprint workouts but as for tempo and longer runs – they have it all over me. My goal is to be able to pace set for a whole practice by this summer.

Saturday was my BIG day. I had not signed up for the marathon due to the Achilles issue and I wanted one good long run in the books. This was make or break time. I either finished the 18 mile run or dropped my marathon plans for the ½ marathon. The weather on Sat SUCKED. The running gods were thinking – You want to run a marathon? Well you need to get by us first! The air temp was 35°F with a drizzling to light rain all morning. Dave and I met at the beach at 6am, changed our running route to help protect us from a wicked north wind and then said – What the hell – we are up now so suck it up and run. I was much better prepared for the weather this time. I used Steve’s advice on what to wear, and did not have any real issues with the cold/rain. Dave and I meandered all over the place but finally finished with 18.01 miles in just under 3hours and 50 minutes. As for the time – who cares! Sat was all about doing the distance and besides, the weather conditions sucked and I was carrying approximately 10 extra pounds in water weight at the end.

My legs feel pretty good. I have done some serious stretching in the last two days and my only ache/pain is the bottom of my left foot. It feels like a stone bruise but it’s not too bad.

Have a good week everybody – I certainly am going to! I just ran 18 miles!!!