So here we are, less than two weeks out from the Chicago Marathon. I haven’t been great at tracking my training here (or anything else!) – my job, other side projects and life in general has taken precedence the past couple of months and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Part of the reason why I started this blog was to talk about my “journey” towards becoming an RD and all things I loved about nutrition. Now that I’ve been a dietitian for a while, I don’t feel as much of a pull towards writing about it here. Partly because I talk and write so much about food and nutrition all day, sometimes it’s the last thing I want to do once I get home. Plus, there’s usually something work-related I could be doing. Since I’ve started this career a little “late” in life I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do experience-wise to see exactly where I fit in the nutrition and dietetics world and to get there with a great knowledge base and reputation. I just got promoted to a “senior dietitian” at the hospital, and in addition to my full time gig there, have about 3-4 side jobs going which mostly involve nutrition counseling and a little writing.
kale break at my once-monthly Saturday counseling sessions for uninsured Harlem residents
Needless to say, things have been busy around here. Still, maybe could have written about my training more. But to be honest, I’ve kind of liked keeping it to myself and not feeling like I had to document every long run, workout and weekly mileage total along with my thoughts. I just did it, and it’s been feeling pretty good.
Even so, I do like having something to look back on when it comes to training and race recaps, and still feel the urge to write about nutrition-related things here from time to time. Right now, all I can think of is how much I can’t stand this whole “bullet proof coffee” nonsense. But that tangent is definitely for another day, so instead here’s the low-down on Chicago training lately.
Peak week (9/15-9/21)
I planned a traditional three-week taper this time around. Before the Buffalo Marathon in May I did a 20 miler two weeks before the race, which I don’t think gave me a sufficient enough recovery time before race day. So, this was peak week and here are the highlights:
- Long run: 21.5 miles – 8 mile warm-up, 10 miles at marathon pace range (8:00-8:10), 3.5 miles cooldown with a few pick-ups. This run was exactly what I needed confidence-wise, as I felt a little tired but still strong enough to hit my goals. Bring on the taper!
- Total mileage: 71.5 – I’ve been trying not to stress too much about mileage this cycle, but will always be a believer that more is better as long as it’s done in a logical, non-injury provoking way. And I won’t lie, double digit pre-dawn weekday runs are my jam.
Taper week 1 (9/21-9/28)
Cut my peak mileage by about 20 percent and hit around 58 miles for the week. Didn’t really feel like much of a step back, which I think is a good taper strategy as too much of a cut in mileage can leave you feeling sluggish. Highlights:
- Workout: 2 mile warm-up, 5 miles at tempo pace of 7:30-7:40, 2.5 miles cooldown. This run felt good, and the tempo miles completely manageable.
- Long run: 16 miles with 6 at marathon pace. Due to an unplanned trip to Boston, most of this was done pre-dawn on Saturday morning when more people were walk-of-shaming than running. Legs were a bit fatigued, but still had no problem holding marathon pace, which was a good test for those last 10 miles on October 12.
This week the plan is to cut peak mileage by about 40 percent, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m also making an extra effort to get good sleep, minimize the alcohol intake (won’t be hard…) and continue my usual (mostly) good nutrition plan with adequate vegetables, fruits, carbs and proteins.
go-to breakfast, always