MY FAMILY 💕
TRAINING:
Hello everyone! Welcome to WEEK 8! Half marathon week! I had a much better week and made some major changes this week to promote healing and to prep better for my long run this weekend. Here we go!
My goal this week was to NOT run on pavement all week. My quad was getting worse, and I needed to figure out how to get to the start line this weekend without pain. I chose to do a 5 Mile bike ride on Tuesday to work on my legs and cardio without the motions of running. I love to bike and swim in place of shorter training runs. Low-impact exercises help rest major muscles used for running and utilize minor muscles that aid the running muscles. Biking helps range of movement in my hips, thus creating a better run gait. The cardio challenge is fun when you can change the incline and resistance during the bike ride. I really needed to rest the quad and stretch the hips. Mission accomplished.
Thursday, I chose to ride for 2 miles and test out my leg for an all-out sprint for about a mile and some change. My quad was feeling much better.
My other workouts this week focused hard on weights, body weight, bands and eccentric quadricep exercises (lunges, squats, yoga, stretching). I had 2 hard 50-minute wellness sessions and 20 miles total walking this week.
HALF MARATHON DAY!!
Ok, so this week, I went back to my old route, South Lakefront, starting at 31st Street Beach. The weather was finally somewhat cooler, so I thought. Most importantly, I did this whole run with my family! I really needed that support on this run. I woke up with no leg pain, THANK GOD! The weather was not as cool as I wanted, oh well. The breeze off the lake was great for about 6 miles behind our backs. As part of training, as the distances get longer, I start to practice walking. No, I'm not talking about lollygagging at the mall, I'm talking Olympic speed walking stuff. Why? Because you never know what happens on race day and have to walk the last 8 miles of the race because of an injury sustained earlier (Ahem, Gizmo 3.0, Circa 2018). So, I did just that, ran for 3 miles straight, walked for 10 minutes at a 13mi/min pace. I did that for the first 6-8 miles, then I started to do it after 2 miles as the miles kept increasing, giving my legs a chance to switch muscle usage. It really helped me finish strong and keep my splits even. I also had this realization that I am training to FAST! I know that may sound weird, but long run training for a marathon should be done at a pace that's 30 seconds to 2 mins per miles SLOWER than the pace you want to run/finish the race in. Previous runs I was trending at 10:30 min/mile, which means my pace on race day was calculated to be 9min/mile, ummmm no, that is or was or will never be an attainable pace for me for 26.2 miles. I am just not that dedicated! LOL! I slowed down this week, I took my time and finished the miles feeling strong. Now, back to the lake breeze I mentioned earlier, well, after our 6-mile turnaround heading north, we got sucker punched in the face by a 25mph headwind. It was brutal to push through those miles, so while I wished for a breeze, I got a wind tunnel. Moral of the story, be careful what you wish for! All in all, the run was successful on all levels, and I loved having Norah and Vik with me for most of the miles (a strong headwind and running stroller with a 30lb child don't work too well for long). We finished the morning with a protein packed brunch at an old school place in the old neighborhood, The Publican (https://www.thepublicanrestaurant.com/)!! I still think their Bloody Mary rivals most!
NUTRITION:
This week I made a huge change and TRIPLED my protein intake by way of meat, dairy, fortified cereal, healing tea infused with fresh ginger and turmeric and green veggies. While stretching and working out my quad pain was important physically, making sure that I was taking in enough super foods was a huge focus for me this week. “Quinoa of the Week”, this week, was an Asian inspired Quinoa. as was the theme this week in general. Based on how listless I felt last week, I went back to eating my meat and carbs 48-36 hours out and going protein heavy with power veggies the night before the long run. Taking advantage of the long holiday weekend, I ran on Sunday instead of Saturday giving me more time to reset and prepare for 13.1 Miles.
Meals of the week included and pictured are:
(PLEASE NOTE: All meals are home made by Vik or me unless otherwise noted in the description (i.e. restaurant website link, or source (parents, family, friends))
1. Quinoa of the Week – Asian Inspired (Ground Turkey Larb, Fresh Herbs, Red Onion, Cremini Mushrooms with Napa Cabbage, Red Cabbage & Carrots)
2. OTHER BREAKFASTS THIS WEEK:
Everything Bagel (1/2) with Cream Cheese, Fresh Cucumber, Tomatoes, Parmesan & Dill
Everything Bagel (1/2) with Spicy Mayo, Tomatoes, Hardboiled Egg & Scallions
Special K Protein Fortified Cereal with Whole Milk
Dal Parantha (Indian Flatbread stuffed with Lentils, Onions, Jalapenos & Cilantro) with Fresh Homemade Yogurt (Made by my Mom!)
3. LUNCHES THIS WEEK:
Indonesian Chicken Salad with Poached Chicken, Bean Sprouts, Red Bell Pepper, Peanut Coconut Milk Dressing (2 days)
Tuna Belly Poke Bowl with Jasmine Herb Rice, Spicy Cucumbers and Asian Slaw
Smoked Pork Belly Bahn Mi with Fresh Herbs, Veggies & Pickles
4. DINNERS THIS WEEK:
Sesame Ginger Ribeye, Smoked Tomato Chili Garlic Shrimp, Teriyaki Shitake Mushrooms, Cucumber Salad
Grilled Salmon with Fresno Chili Peach Glaze and Cauliflower Garlic Rice & Sugar Snap Peas.
Pizza from Spacca Napoli - Sausage, Smoked Salmon with Arugula, Mortadella with Ricotta & Pistachios (spaccanapolipizzeria.com) - Night out with great friends - much needed for the soul)
Grilled Soy Ginger Pork Chops with Soba Noodle Stir-Fry
Grilled Ribeye (Ponderosa Style), Garlicky Taiwanese Spinach, Grilled Shitake Mushrooms, Szechuan Eggplant
5. PRE-RUN DINNER THIS WEEK:
Jasmine Vegetable Fried Rice, Coconut Curry Chicken Satay, Paneer Mussaman Curry
Other nutrition this week consisted of a lot of tea...green, ginger turmeric black, hibiscus and homemade chai. I really needed those antioxidants!
OVERALL:
Week #8 was a great reminder of how you can turn things around from a prior bad week. I made some great changes nutrition wise that really helped fuel me for the half marathon long run. Cutting back on pounding the pavement during the week, focusing on healing the leg, but not nursing it. ADJUSTMENTS were a huge trend for the week and are necessary as the miles get longer.
Physically, I am feeling GREAT! The nagging pain in my leg is gone. However, I do need to stay cautious of how much I beat up my legs this week so that strain doesn't come back.
Mentally, I am proud of myself for bouncing back. It was really hard to turn around this week and forget last week. I took more breaks to regroup, revitalize and reassure myself that I can do this.
Emotionally, I feel content. I am looking forward to this week and the 14 miles. I made time for dinner with friends, happy hour Friday and a Mom-made meal at home with family.
Marathon training is a balance of dedication and self-awareness. Give you all in your long runs, recognize when something isn't right. Make adjustments to whatever it is that you lack or need. Focus on yourself, listen to your body and make sure you get the start line of every run as prepared as you can be for that week. The week after, it starts all over.
I am running the Chicago Marathon 2024 for the same charity as in previous years, The Chicago Diabetes Project - Cellmates on the Run Foundation! Click on the link below for more information, race updates and donations! Every dollar counts, help us find a cure!
See you all next week!
~Giz
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