Training in Montana

Day 1 of marathon training! I thought it started next week but thankfully I'd made up my chart a while ago. Starts today, ends on my 41st birthday with the SLC marathon. And hopefully a BQ.

5 TM miles. 2% incline is the norm, so went to 3% for 1 mile in the middle.

The plan called for 3 miles, so I ran 3 miles. The upper part of my lower back has been giving me problems the past few days. Shoveling didn't help, getting stuck in a snowbank Saturday didn't help, but I think the weights I've been lifting has been the kicker. And carrying in the Christmas tree on Sunday night was the straw that broke the...hey. I'm no camel.

Finished with 25 pushups and a rep of lower back exercises.

My son slept in so I took the opportunity as well. Had lunch plans and evening plans, so no run today.

Plan calls for 3 X Hills. I need to re-read Hal's stuff to see what he means, so I made it up. Warmed up for 1 mile at 10:00 pace then upped the incline to 6% and that wasn't hard so upped to 10%. Kept that for 90 seconds then back to 2% for a bit. Back to 10% for 2 minutes, then back to normal for 5 minutes. Did my last hill at 10% for 4 minutes, then finished with a last mile of 2% incline and an 8:12 mile.

45 heel dips (achilles), 25 pushups, 25 lower back exercises, 25 ceiling reaches, 25 situps. 8 degrees and snowing outside. Thankfully this is only a 1 day cold spell and will be gone tomorrow.

1 warmup mile, 4 MP miles (7:22) on the TM @ 2%. The schedule called for 5 at MP, and that was my goal, but I was dying after 1 mile and hung on for 3 more. I could've done another mile, but with 18 weeks to go, what's the point? If it were 8 weeks to go, that's a different story, but this was more a wakeup call that I'm not in 7:22 shape right now, but I'll get there. I'm excited about this Advanced plan as it forces me to run marathon pace, and I know that was my fall down this past summer. I had put in the miles, but not the right kinds of miles. Had I run more MP miles I know I could've lopped off another 5 minutes, maybe 10.

Did some back exercises before getting on the TM and that really helped a lot. Afterwards did 25 pushups, 25 situps, 25 ceiling reaches, and 20 back exercises.

10 miles in a light snow fall on snow covered roads. Really nice to get off the TM and run. My legs were sore from yesterday's MP run and the hills the day before and I felt sluggish the first mile or two but the brisk headwind me going. Funny how some adversity gets me moving. After 2 miles is when I hit the gravel road, and there's some down then up, flat, and a big up. My Veyo hill. I really thought I'd struggle today to run all the way up the hill but I just kept on running and I went up it without too much second thought. Kept on running until the five mile mark when I turned around and headed back. Stopped to eat a few jelly beans and drink some water then started for home. On the downhills I naturally picked up the pace and it felt good. Kept the pace up when it felt good. Got home and enjoyed some chocolate milk then a hot shower. My arms were really cold. Good run. Good first week of training.

AP: 8:40