Training for Marathon # 6 by KCorey

Where to start... this week went a lot better than last week I guess but I was seriously feeling all the days off I stupidly took last week.  My shin was also slightly sore from my little road race last weekend. Other than running, I didn't really do anything else this week : (  My work schedule has been killing me, all this overtime, all this stress.  There's just not enough time in the day to do everything I feel like I need to do.  I have a dog who is still a pup and still requires a lot of care and attention. Here I go  making excuses for my laziness again.

Well here's how the week went. SUN- nothing, I was hurting from Saturday's race, MON- 4 mile run, TUES- 6 mile run, WED- nothing, THURS- 3 mile run, 30 minute cross-train, FRI- 8 mile pace run, SAT- 16 miles (8 treadmill, 8 outdoors on Erie Canal).

It was beautiful out in Syracuse yesterday (and again today!) but I knew after running all winter on the treadmill I didn't want to do too much outdoors at once and pay for it all week so I decided to split it up.  I had to work from 6:30 - 3 yesterday (all OT) then I went straight to the gym and did 8 miles. Then my sister met me and we went right to the Erie Canal and went 1 hr 20 mins (hoping that was about 8 miles).  I am at the point in training where I am going to start seeing what I might use/need on race day.  I have never used the gels or goos but yesterday on my lunch break I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a couple things.  Jelly Belly makes "sport beans", which are just your normal tasty jelly beans which pack about 100 calories, 12 grams of sugar and they add in some B-Vitamins and electrolytes.  So during my 15 minutes transition from my indoor run to outdoor I ate those with some water.  When I first started outside I was feeling tired (more so from working all day/lack of sleep) but I after 10 mins I was back in my groove.  I think I will keep using those, they didn't hurt my stomach or anything; they were fruit punch flavored.  I can easily hang on to those during the marathon to use.  In fact, I did last year but just never used them.  I also bought fruit snacks from Luna, they were pomegranate flavored.  I split those with my sis after the run.  The taste was good, but they were way too chewy and got stuck in my teeth, not something I wanna mess with on race day. So any-who, I'm gonna stock up on the sport beans to use for my long run days only.

This week is the same training schedule as this past, except the long run will be 17.  I again have to work on Saturday next weekend, but I think I am gonna try to get it done after work again.  Maybe I will do the whole thing outside, we'll see. It's suppose to warm up this week so my goal is to do 2 of my weekday runs outside. I also bought a watch this week so I can at least keep better track of how long I am running. It makes it much easier to run outside now that sunset isn't until 7:15, especially since I work til 6pm all week...uhhhh, I'm drained.  Haven't done much of anything today except took the pup for a lil walk.  Maybe I will go for a long walk by myself later, or go to the gym to do some weight training. 

OK time for some coffee, not sure how I made it this long Beautiful day out, happy running for those out there today!