UPDATE: Winner of the FREE 5-ride package from Revolve DC is Samantha! Please email me at ericka.andersen@gmail.com when you see this!
Earlier this week I decided to get super serious about marathon training and do mile repeats. The truth is, this is only like the third time I’ve actually done them for real. They should be a weekly exercise but gosh darnit, those things are hard.
I felt up to the task on Monday, though, and got on it. I can only do these on the treadmill because for some reason I feel physically incapable of keeping a fast pace when I’m running outside. Not good news for running the marathon but I know the treadmill work does pay off on race day.
In the past, I’ve tried doing mile repeats way too fast. I could do one of the miles with no repeats. So I tried it a little slower so I wouldn’t die — or just quit. Here’s how my mile repeats when down:
Warmup Mile: 8:49
Mile 1: 8:00
Half mile: 8:49 pace
Mile 2: 7:54
Half mile: 8:49 pace
Mile 3: 7:48
Half mile: 8:49 pace
Mile 4: 7:42
Half mile: 8:49pace
Mile 5: 8:00
Cooldown mile: 9:14
Total: 9 miles
How did that feel? Okay. It wasn’t too bad though the last two miles I started having major stomach issues. It’s a miracle I even did the last repeat because by the end of this whole thing I felt really sick. But I got it done and I’m glad I did.
I think I could go a little faster on those repeats. I’d like to run one repeat maybe at a 7:15 pace (that is probably just really wishful thinking!) We’ll see.
I know that mile repeats and other speed work — like sprints (HATE!) and tempo runs (can deal if they are fairly short) — are essential to becoming a faster marathoner. I know it would be worth it to invest. Lindsey says:
When I actually dig down and do this stuff it feels possible but my body so rarely wants to cooperate. Or maybe it’s my mind? After that lovely experience, I did this for a couple of hours:
Right now, I’m battling a back injury I got from flipping a heavy tire at Crossfit on Tuesday. This girl is NOT happy with that. I have a really hard time with the deadlift move and hurt my back every so often. This time it was more than normal and is very sore. It’s slowly getting better but I’ve taken the past two days off of working out to help it heal.
Really hoping it is okay by the weekend so I can run my 5k and the rest of the miles I need to get in! However, I just completed an awesome workout with P90X founder Tony Horton — who I got to meet at a private tweetup previous to the workout — and I might have not done myself any good. I modified the workout but it’s achy now. Boo. Stay tuned for the report on that, by the way!
What do you have planned for the weekend? Races? Long runs? Mud runs? 🙂