Well, Week 1 of my Team VW Chicago Marathon training plan is in the books. It started off shaky but quickly found a groove. It’s nice getting back in the running seat, but I can tell I’m thoroughly out of running shape. It’s true my swimming abilities have seen some exponential improvement, apparently at the cost of my running fitness. That’s OK though! Week 1 in the books and things can only go up from here.
Monday was supposed to be my big return to marathon training. Thanks to early flights and busy work schedules, the big return got postponed to Tuesday. And it was Tuesday that I realized exactly how much work lay ahead between now and race day. Starting off with a tempo run may not have been the best idea, but it’s what the training plan said, so that’s what I did. My heart rate monitor data looks like someone revved the engine past the redline and held it there, which is exactly how it felt. Regardless, Day 1(ish) was in the books.
Wednesday’s 4 mile recovery was accompanied by a lunchtime swim and bike ride home. Guess I couldn’t shake the triathlon bug cold turkey. The bike ride home was the key in my plan to run to work Thursday morning. It was my first run to work by myself and took a completely new route. I’m happy to say I didn’t get lost, though I did think about stopping at Taco More*. Friday was a much needed day off in preparation for my first “long” run of 12 miles on Saturday. Well Saturday wasn’t so much a long run as it was a relentless beating. It
was pretty much a strugglefest from the first step the last.
The real theme in all my running this week, and likely going to be the thread that ties all my runs together, is going to be the extreme heat and humidity. Even at 6:30am when I run to work it feels like the Sahara Desert collided with a Brazilian Rainforest. I told Ev this training plan is either going to make me stronger or kill me, but I honestly don’t know which way things will go just yet. ::sigh::
| Distance | Time | Pace | Heart Rate | |
| Tuesday | 8.14 Miles | 1:04:29 | 7:55 min/mi | 166 bpm |
| Wednesday | 4.00 Miles | 36:56 | 9:14 min/mi | 140 bpm |
| Thursday | 9.26 Miles | 1:18:14 | 8:26 min/mi | 152 bpm |
| Saturday | 12.47 Miles | 1:45:55 | 8:29 min/mi | 162 bpm |
| Total | 33.87 Miles | 4:45:35 | 8:26 min/mi | 158 bpm |
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p>*yes, there is a taqueria called “Taco More”. Not even “Taco Most”. I honestly don’t know what they were going for, but it’s a funny name. Funny name aside, they apparently make some fine food according to Yelp.
Definitely make you stronger!