iRun 42.2

I got some exciting news this week. I was selected to take part in iRun 42.2 program. I am super excited as I have been training with my run buddy for a marathon in the fall and now I am truly committed.  With the iRun program, I will get a personalized training program designed by coach Rick Hellard from Zone3sports and entry into the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon this October.

I had started training 9 weeks ago with my own marathon training plan. I just received my personalized plan from coach Rick yesterday and will now shift over to what he has planned for me. I have noticed that my original plan was based on distance and my 'new' plan is based on timed runs.

We have been dealing with an extreme heat alert in the city this week with temperatures in the high 30's going up to 40's with the humidity. For all my friends using the Fahrenheit system, it means 100's. YIKES!! It has been hard to get out and run with the air being SO hot. I have been staring out my window for the sun to go down so that I can run. My friends think I'm nuts, but I am more committed than ever now to nail this marathon training down.

I am also gearing up for Tough Mudder next weekend. I don't know where the time went. I still remember when I registered in January thinking about how much time I had to train for this crazy event, and it's now a week away. I have been so busy thinking about marathon training that I have not been able to do much strength training for Tough Mudder. I pray that I will survive the course.

We are having out of town visitors this weekend, so I am trying to figure out how I will be able to squeeze in my runs while entertaining and taking care of my two young kids.

Runs logged for this week

Monday - 5 K
Tuesday - 10K
Wednesday - Strength training
Today - 45 minutes of running planned

Are you training for any races?

How do you train? Do you train in distance or time?

Any advice for trying to squeeze my runs in?

Have a great week!!

Sick AGAIN!!!

Yes, I am still sick, but this time with a nagging cough and cold. I was thinking that I was recovering well from the hand, foot, mouth virus and then I end up with a sore throat and an unforgiving cough last week. I finally dragged myself to see the doctor today to confirm that I have a sinus infection as well as a swollen throat from all the coughing.  ARGH!!! Thank goodness for drugs.

I am now coming to the end of week 8 of my marathon training plan and so far, so good. My knees started to ache a little at the end of week 7, so I took out my KT Tape and taped them up for my long run last Sunday and a few of my runs at the beginning of this week.

Love the pretty colours 

I was lucky enough to get outside for all my runs this week and 2 were with the baby. I think he's starting to enjoy the runs with me.

The gorgeous views

It has been quite a challenge to run with my cough, but it's been too nice to pass up a good run outdoors. With each week that is coming up, the mileage is increasing to numbers that I am not used to running. I now understand how much this sport is a mental challenge as much as it is a physical challenge.  I look forward to my long run tomorrow and look forward to writing about it.

Have a great weekend!

How do you deal with the mental aspect of running? 

Have you ever hit a wall in your training?

OUCH.. Hand, Foot Mouth!

For all of you who have never heard of hand, foot, mouth disease, I highly suggest you go and Google it. My little guy caught the awful virus from who knows where and passed it onto me.  In one of my last posts, I had mentioned that he was sick. Well, we figured out what it was after I had the blisters all over my feet and a few on my hands.

The blisters burned and covered my feet which made week 5 of training quite painful. I'm one of those people that can take quite a bit of pain, but this was a tough one. I had to adjust my training days to accommodate my poor feet. I also ran the Color Me Rad 5K at the end of week 5, so I wanted to let my feet heal for that race.

A nice reminder I got this week

This past week was week 6 of the training plan and was a rest week, with a total of 42km to run before I start building up more mileage. I found this week to be the hardest so far and I couldn't figure out why. I guess you can't always have great runs. Every run this week seemed to drag on and I just couldn't get my spirits up. I finally felt better yesterday during my long run. I'm hoping that this week will pick up. 

I'm also learning to like my treadmill as I am doing most of my tempo runs on the treadmill.  I like to do my tempo runs on the treadmill as it keeps the speed at a steady pace. I was able to find a great treadmill cheat sheet to help me figure out what settings to use when I'm on the treadmill. It changed my life :)  

Long Run Sunday

As I am heading into week 7 of my training plan, I am excited at scared as the mileage will be increasing every week from now until the week before the marathon. I hope my body will be able to keep up with it and not break down. 

I was very excited this week to have gotten 7 other my friends to commit and sign up for the Niagara Fall's Women's Half Marathon next June, 2014. They thought I was crazy when I sent out the email, but there was an early bird special and I told them that they will each get a bottle of wine in their swag bag. It will be a first for a few of them, so I am super excited for all of them.  

Did you race this weekend? 

Have you ever been in a running slump? How did you get out of it?

Have a Great week!

Alice