Marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon is right around the corner! And by that I mean it starts tomorrow. Eeek!

The 39th Marine Corps Marathon will take place on October 26, and it will be my second full marathon. This year they utilized a lottery system, but I chose to go the guaranteed entry route which ended up being just as stressful. By gaining entry into, and completing the Marine Corps 17.75K I punched my ticket to MCM 2014.

And now the time has come to train. For marathon #2 I have decided to put all of my eggs in the Hansons Marathon basket. In case you’re not familiar, the Hasons Marathon Method is a somewhat unconventional approach to training for a marathon. They place a focus on high mileage made up of about 50% easy running, lower mileage long runs (max. of 16 miles), and an all together well-rounded program. The prescribed paces for each type of run are all based on your marathon goal time.

Based on my running experience, my previous full marathon, and my lack of experience in high-mileage running, I have decided to go with the beginner training program. Don’t be fooled by the word beginner, though. This training program will have me running six days per week, starting with a weekly total of 15 miles and building to the upper 50’s. As I go through the training program, I plan to discuss different aspects of it in more detail, and the philosophy behind it all. Essentially I’ll try to explain why I joined the Hansons train and why the program is the way it is. That is, if I survive.

What are you looking forward to this fall?
Have you taken any leaps of faith lately?
Any previous Hansons devotees? What do I need to know??

This past Saturday I ran the Downtown Sundown 5K in Blacksburg. As the name suggests, the race takes place at sundown, with a start time of 8:30 PM. I asked my running buddy, Kim, if she wanted to run together on Saturday or Sunday and she said Saturday worked best. I figured that worked well for me, as it afforded me a chance to practice for the DC Ragnar Relay this September. So we met up and did 5 miles at the Dora Trail on Saturday morning. I spent the rest of the day doing some errands and hanging around the house waiting for race time.

Finally, it was time to head up to Blacksburg. Just before we left, Barry informed me that he had decided not to run, since his feet were bothering him from our trail run earlier that week. So he became my race cheerleader and official photographer. 🙂 For a hot minute, I considered also pulling out of the race, but I ended up having a pretty good race and I’m glad I didn’t bow out.

We got to Blacksburg and parked in our usual place for this race. I hadn’t pre-registered, so I needed to actually register for the race. Unfortunately, they did no have any shirts for runners who were not pre-registered, so instead they gave me a random XL shirt from a different year’s race. Oh well.

I got ready for the race, and then we had about 45 minutes to kill. So Barry and I walked around the Summer Solstice Fest and looked at all of the booths and vendors. We came across two college-aged guys doing card tricks on the side of the road. I’ve never seen up close magic in person like that, and it was so cool! I was still telling Barry how cool it was as we headed over to the start line and I got ready to go. At 8:30 on the dot we were off!

The first mile is mostly uphill. Since I’ve run this race twice before, I knew exactly what to expect. I also knew not to go out too fast. The steady climb had my legs feeling heavy and tired before we even hit the first mile marker. That was a bit worrisome, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and focused on keeping a steady pace. Mile 1: 9:24

The second mile was mostly downhill and flat, and I used to that to catch my breath. I also used it to pick up the pace some more! I knew the third mile was going to have some more hills and that I needed to bank some time while I could. As I ran down the Huckleberry Trail, I got a nice surprise from Barry. I wasn’t expecting to see him until the finish! Mile 2: 8:49

For the final mile we looped back through an adjacent neighborhood before heading downtown for the finish. We had a nice long uphill section during the first part of mile 3, on a road that runs parallel to the road we ran up during mile 1. But they changed the finish this year so we didn’t have to run as far up this road before heading back into town. Thank goodness, because I was really losing it on that hill. I dug deep, and the gradual downhill to the finish helped me power through. Mile 3: 8:51

No smiles or waving during mile 3 of a 5K, haha. It’s always during the final 0.1 miles where I start thinking to myself “why do I sign up for these short 5K races? They hurt so bad.” But then you cross the finish line and promptly forget about all of that. Finish time: 27:41 for an overall average pace of 8:55/mile.

There was a water cooler at the finish line for water. When I finished, the water had gotten so low that everyone was just standing around it dipping cups in (very sanitary). My post-race brain immediately dubbed this area “the watering hole.” It was kind of comical to see all these sweaty, delirious runners standing around it trying to get water. The above below is a reenactment after the water ran out (which was shortly after I finished). Luckily, they soon brought water bottles for everyone.

Barry and I hung out at the finish line for a little bit. We chatted with a friend and watched the awards. Then it was time to hit the road home.

Once we got home, I was still pretty keyed up from the race. Probably high on endorphins. I was proud of how I had run during the race, and how I had pushed harder when it got tough instead of giving up. I do most of my weekly running in the evening after work, and it always just helps me relax and unwind. But I guess running a fast race, and being excited about the results, had the opposite effect. I finally got to sleep around midnight.

Overall, this race was a really good confidence boost for me. It was a reminder that I can do hard things. I also proved to myself that I can run more than once in 24 hours, at odd times, and still do a decent job. Lastly, it gave me a good idea of what kind of shape I’m in and what kind of marathon goal I should base my training on (more on that tomorrow).

Do you typically pre-register for races or use race day registration?
Have you ever run a race at night or in the dark?
If you exercise in the evening, does it help you unwind or does it get you keyed up?

This past week I enjoyed my last week of freedom before marathon training starts. That translated into doing whatever workout I felt like doing when I got home from work, or no workout at all. I chose to do so knowing that for the next 18 weeks a piece of paper will dictate what I do from one day to the next. That’s not always a bad thing, and I definitely benefit from a training plan, but it’s nice to go with the flow every now and then.

Monday- Cross training: 30 minutes of abs/core work. My legs and shoulders were really sore still from Saturday’s race and the subsequent driving afterwards. So I figured the best thing to do after taking a rest day on Sunday was to make my abs and core as sore as the rest of me. 🙂

Then Barry and I watched the USA take on Ghana in the FIFA World Cup. It was really exciting! Not a bad first match, if I do say so myself.

Tuesday- Cross training: Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones workout (55 min.).

Wednesday- A little over 4.5 miles miles back at the Draper Mountain Bike Trails. I got to do some more exploring on these new trails and ran three new-to-me trails. I started out going up TNT, which apparently is “the most fun.” After having “the most fun” (the trail was tough, but fun at times) I got on Lollypop which took me up to the landing.

From the landing I got on a trail called “Draper Drop” that would take me the rest of the way up Draper Mountain to the overlook. This trail was very, very rocky at times and I had to be careful not to roll an ankle!

It was a tough climb to the top, but as always the view was worth it. It was kind of neat to pop up at the Draper Mountain overlook, because there were other people up there. It’s a popular place to stop as you drive over the mountain and the other people that were up there had driven. So they had impressed looks on their faces when I came running out of the woods covered in sweat (did I mention it was really hot and humid?), which made me feel kind of cool. The view from the top:

Then it was time to head back down the mountain. The Draper Drop trail was as tough at times going down as it was going up, because of the rocks. I had a few major trips, but luckily I never fell!

Thursday- Rest day. Instead of working out, Barry and I went out and picked up some hanging baskets for the porch this summer. This year I decided to go with Impatiens.

Friday- Rest day. I had actually planned on cross training, but then I ended up taking a rest day. I figured I may as well enjoy the freedom of going with the flow before I have to buckle down for marathon training. Plus I knew I had a full weekend of exercise planned, with two runs on Saturday and a bike ride on Sunday.

Saturday- My running buddy wanted to run on Saturday morning, and I also had a 5K race on Saturday evening. It was a great opportunity to practice for the DC Ragnar Relay this September!

AM: 5 mile run with Kim on the Dora Trail. It was only in the low-70’s while we were running, but it was already very humid outside. At least the sun wasn’t beating down on us, too! My legs felt a bit tired and heavy, but I think that was actually from the two previous rest days in a row.

PM: Downtown Sundown 5K race at 8:30 PM! I ended up having a good race. My finish time wasn’t fast compared to many of you speedsters, but it was fast for me. And I’m proud of how strong I ran. It was a little confidence boost for me. Full recap coming tomorrow morning!

Sunday- Rest day. I wasn’t set on a rest day for Sunday. We even had tentative plans to go on an afternoon bike ride on the trail. But it didn’t happen, and I don’t mind. I think my heart and lungs still got a pretty good workout during the USA game against Portugal!

Good grief.

Total Miles: 13 miles

Wow, I cannot believe it’s time for another Runners Tell All link-up! It seems like I just did the May link-up. This month, the topic is your favorite and/or proudest running moment. I think some of y’all can probably guess what mine is.

My proudest running moment was crossing the finish line of my first full marathon, at the Thunder Road Marathon on November 16, 2013. I had never run so far or for so long in my life, and I had to dig really deep to finish. I couldn’t manage much more than a fist pump in the air as I crossed that finish line. But trust me, I was elated.

If all goes as planned, I will complete my second full marathon this fall at the Marine Corps Marathon. And I will once again get to experience that strange state of being, where complete exhaustion meets absolute euphoria.

What is your favorite and/or proudest running moment?

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This is a rerun post from last year. I thought it would be good timing, as Barry and I are running a 5K tomorrow evening that has a start time of 8:30PM.

The majority of the races we run are usually morning races. Every once in awhile the opportunity arises to run a night race. Mixing it up can be a lot of fun, but it also mixes up how you would normally prepare for a race. On race day you may find yourself wondering how to eat for your race. Here are some tips on what works for me for a night race, with specific examples of what I did leading up to last year’s Downtown Sundown 5K.

1. Eat a good breakfast. You want to eat a good breakfast that’s not too high in fats, as those will stay in your system longer. Stick to things that you would normally eat. On race day last year, I had scrambled eggs mixed with a little bit of cheese and salsa on top. I also had a piece of toast. I drank my usual morning coffee and had half a bottle of Fuze Banana Colada.

2. Eat a lighter lunch. Again, make sure you stick to foods you typically eat. As always, nothing new on race day! This tip works well for an evening race, but since this particular race’s start time was closer to my bedtime, I ate a larger lunch. I had a chicken sandwich and some fresh fruit.

3. Make sure to hydrate throughout the day. Keep a bottle of water with you to sip on throughout the day. Be sure not to overhydrate!

4. Stick to your normal pre-race routine. If you normally eat a bagel with peanut butter two hours before your race, you should do the same for a night race. I typically eat a Power Bar about an hour before a race. But sometimes I’ll eat a Luna Bar or a Honey Stinger Waffle. Before last year’s race I had a Luna Bar about an hour before start time.

It’s also a good idea to practice running in the evening at race time, if you’re usually a morning runner. This will give you a chance to practice running at that time of day and to test out how certain foods will work for you. When I am training for a specific goal race, I will try to do many of my Saturday morning long runs at the same time as the race start time. The same principle applies for a race with an evening start time.

Most of my weekday runs take place in the evening, and in the summer time they can sometimes be as late as what this race’s start time is. I eat a normal breakfast and lunch during the week, and then usually have a small snack before my evening run. But for a race, you add the inevitable nerves and you have to be a little more conscious about what you put in your belly.

I have run a few other races that had start times sometime other than in the morning. In October 2012, I ran the Haunted Half Marathon in Kingsport, TN. It had a start time of 4 PM. I followed the above guidelines, except that on that race day I DID eat a light lunch since the start time was in the afternoon.

The Blacksburg Classic 10 Mile is another race that has an odd start time. Since this race is run in February, and it’s often pretty cold here in Virginia, the start time is 1 PM. I typically eat breakfast as normal and then will have my prerace meal (Power Bar/Luna Bar/Stinger Waffle) around Noon, an hour before the race.

When it comes down to it, never try anything new on race day! Try to mimic your usual pre-race routine as close as possible.

Have you ever run a night race? If so, how did your preparation differ from the preparation for a traditional race that starts in the morning?
What tips would you add?