Chicago Marathon Training Recap - Week 16 aka I Did It My Way :O)

 

I have reached the end of (this) marathon training cycle!!!

And when I say (this) I mean the LAST ONE!

For at least as long as I live in a VERY VERY VERY small town.

 

Hardest thing I have ever had to do I swear.

 

(Doesn't mean no to half marathons though!!)

Taper time baby!

 

 

And I take my resting during taper very, very seriously!

 

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But before that here is how the last week went down:

 

Monday

5 miles

Overcast, 62deg

After work since when I got out of bed, got dressed AND THEN looked outside I saw it was kinda raining and I was OVER running and soaking wet from the rain after Sundays deluge!

 

Tuesday

Rest

 

Wednesday

5 miles before work

No rain, 58deg

Not gonna lie, I am at the point where I am just effing tired all the time.  And not just that, but my legs are, every single day, in some stage of pain and hurt.  Even after a rest day!  This happens though in marathon training, I had just forgotten about it...few more days...few more days...

 

Thursday

During my run yesterday, I had some 'pain' in my left shin.  I kept going and it was fine, but it worried me all day.  Was it shin splint, was it my healed fracture from a couple years back, fracturing again?  Anyway, I decided to NOT run this morning, but instead walk/ran on my treadmill after work.  I figured the softer surface couldnt' hurt.  Afterwards I felt the 'pain' again.  When I push on it, its more like a shin splint and also when I hop on that leg, no pain so thats a good sign.

 

I just hope it holds up through Saturdays last long run!

 

Friday

Rest.  Rest. And rest some more.

 

Saturday

20 miles

Clear skies, albeit DARK of course (started right at 5am)
47deg

No wind

 

Perfection indeed.

 

I got two almost 3 mile loops in of my normal middle of the street, main road route (adding on to my usual so that it would go faster and with the cooler temps I didn't need water as often)

Then once the skies started lighting up a bit before sunrise, I headed out for 2 loops of Deadwood Trail.  Even though its hilly a few times, I needed the extra distance betweeen water breaks to make it not be just the same constant looping through town.  I did 2 loops of Deadwood Trail, before starting back to loops through town.

 

I gotta tell you, I still cannot get use to the fact of being DRY at the end of 20 miles.  Obviously I had a layer of salt on me, which is never more apparent than when you shower and can taste it if the water happens to get into your eyes or mouth!  LOL.

 

I came home and got in the cold water of the tub along with 15lbs of ice and made myself stay in there longer than I usually do.  I wasn't able to compression up and be horizontal like I did the 20 miler before because I had things going on that prevented that from happening.  Oh well.

 

And then to top it off, worse sin ever, around 2pm I realized that I hadn't eaten a single thing!!!

 

Just busy, which included loading up a heavy chair and unloading it, moving my living room around and then carrying that thing in (along with the help of a friend thankfully!)

 

And BTW, NO pain in the shin/leg!!

 

Sunday

Nothing.  Except I did get both lawns done; knew more rain was coming (as it is it is STILL POURING here as I type this on Monday morning), so at least I got some physical activity in.

 

I wasn't too sore, but knew had I been able to compression afterwards I would have been in even better shape.

 

21 days until GO! time!