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Berlin Marathon Training– Week 7

It is still sinking in that there are only 5 long runs left between now and September 28th. My mind goes into scary places when I realize that 3 of those will most likely be 20 mile runs. In the hopes of staying positive, not negative,  I will repeat this in my mind multiple times on Saturday. Maybe Saturday’s playlist will require a few Disney tunes!

Monday: Working from home combined with helping Bo left me exhausted by the evening. I took an unplanned rest day other than 5 minute workout and foam rolling.

Tuesday: Oh sprint days. I’ve come to look forward to this day of training almost more than any other day. I can’t decide whether it’s because I’m seeing so much progress or because it’s the shortest distance run all week. This week’s speed workout was 1 mile w/u,  2 x 1600 repeats (7:51, 6:57). It was tough but awesome!

Wednesday: I gave my legs a rest and focused on my arms and abs during a 30 Minute Abs & Arms workout.

30 Minute Abs & Arms Workout

Thursday: The weather kept me on the treadmill for this week’s 6 mile tempo run. I ended up loving it and negative split the workout. I started the treadmill at 8:57 and went faster from there. I felt stronger than expected due in part to the fact that bright workout gear makes you happier and faster!

Friday: I slept 9 hours on Thursday night which left me feeling WONDERFUL on Friday. I had so much energy that instead of taking my normal rest day I did my 5 minute workout, foam rolled and 20 minutes of yoga for runners.

Saturday: An awesome 17 mile run that leaves me excited for this weekend’s 20 mile run (!?!).  The trick this training cycle has been consistency and focus during my long runs. I fuel the same way and wear the same outfit consistently each week. I push through emotions and feelings during my run, not letting myself take multiple rest breaks.

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Sunday: I couldn’t resist being outside Sunday afternoon as it was 70 degrees and sunny! I headed down to the lake and spent an hour power walking just over 5 miles along the lake while calling two of my girl friends back in the US. It was the perfect way to enjoy sunshine and fresh air while also enjoying an active recovery after Saturday’s long run.

If you’re looking for new tunes, check out these two posts which each provided me with a few new songs for this week’s runs!

Runner’s World asks readers to vote for the best running song

Julie’s Pimp My Playlist is meant for SPIN but will be perfect for any workout!

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ashleyd /

A Confidence Building 17 Miles

Happy Saturday!!!

I was just telling Theodora that after training for four marathons, it seems like the 5th time is a charm. I am loving marathon training this year and so far it seems to be loving me right back with strong results!

As Bo is still recovering, I was in charge of dinner last night. He taught me how to make our favorite long run dinner – sautéed scallops over angel hair pasta with basil and fresh tomato sauce. On the side we enjoyed some crusty bread, a glass of wine and Good Morning Vietnam.

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I rolled over this morning at 6am and felt the cool air coming through the window. That and a double check on the Weather Channel app confirmed that I didn’t have to wake up early to beat the heat. It was 48 degrees and the temperature by noon would only be 65. I curled up and slept for another 2 hours.

I spent an hour sipping coffee and NUUN, eating peanut butter and banana on toast and foam rolling while hanging out with Bo. I also spent some time mapping out a completely new route that would take me out through France before coming back into the Swiss countryside.  image

It was so nice to relax and enjoy the morning before heading out the door at 9:15. Once again I wore my favorite running outfit which is definitely going to be sported in Berlin on September 28th. Regardless the temperature it is perfect!

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Why hello, small little border crossing! 2014-08-16 10.05.26

I was able to run on bike paths or sidewalks for 90% of today’s run which was such an absolute joy! I was rarely alone and the views were magnificent. Different from my normal lake views, today I had corn, sunflowers, fluffy clouds and cows for as far as my eyes could see. Passing through a few small towns meant that I never had to worry about running out of water. I fueled while taking this picture at mile 6 with a salted caramel Gu. The small, picturesque church was right in front of me as I turned to run into the town.

I lost myself in my thoughts and today’s Spotify playlist which included everything from Avicii, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Jessie J, Swedish House Mafia, Taylor Swift, The Killers, Bastille, The Lumineers, Calvin Harris and La Roux!

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My only other stop was at mile 12 to take in another Gu and refill my water bottle at a small roadside café. 2014-08-16 11.14.49

I knew I was almost done when I reached the lake, a welcome site. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing and as I ran into a co-worker I couldn’t help but smile. I felt stronger on this long run than I have ever felt on a run of this length.

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I am so thankful for today’s run. It was the confidence booster that I needed to remind me that what was once my dream, stretch goal for Berlin can actually become a reality if I continue training smart and strong.

Today’s Splits

1. 9:40

2. 9:31

3. 9:49

4. 9:48

5. 9:37

6. 9:45

7. 9:41

8. 9:39

9. 9:31

10. 9:25

11. 9:19

12. 9:40

13. 9:31

14. 9:42

15. 9:18

16. 9:46

17. 9:35

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How was your long run or workout today? Did you have cool temperatures or are you fighting the Summer heat and humidity?

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Berlin Marathon Training – Week 8

With 7 weeks of training between now and the Berlin Marathon I could not be more excited. This training recap is my first one dedicated to Berlin! The triathlon is over so now all my focus is on preparing my body to meet or exceed my pace goals on September 28th.  After a lapse in training during vacation I came back to Geneva last week ready to put in the effort. My body thanked me for the break and responded with strong splits during every run. Last week was, dare I say it, perfect week of training. I slept at least 7 hours each night, I practiced yoga once, I got back in the habit of doing weights and core work, I logged each of my runs, and I ate well. Here’s a run down of what workouts made last week so successful!

Monday: Sweet, beautiful rest day including 10 hours of sleep!

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Tuesday:

Morning: This week’s speed intervals were longer than normal but I felt strong during the entire workout! 1 mile warm-up, 2×1600 (7:43, 7:48), 2×800 (7:48, 7:41), followed by a 1 mile cool down.

 Evening: 2 hours of intense power yoga including 8 crow poses!

Wednesday:  I knew I wanted to do some weights at home but couldn’t settle on one workout. After skimming my Pinterest workout board I ended up doing 1 round of Julie’s 30 minute living room workout and two rounds of my favorite 5 minute strength workout!

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Thursday: In between hospital visits and a few work conference calls, Anne helped take my mind off Bo’s surgery through ALL the workouts! We started the day with an early morning 6 mile tempo run including 4 sub 9 miles. We had so much fun chatting and catching up that the run flew by and before I knew it we were at our turn around point! The weather was so nice, that we biked 14 miles through Geneva to enjoy some sightseeing and mountain views! By the end of the day, between walking to the hospital and around town we logged 3 miles of walking too!

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Friday: I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck after all our activity the previous day. This called for an active rest day including 3 miles of walking, foam rolling and some evening stretching.

Saturday: A near perfect, strong 15 mile long run. 

Sunday: I spent most of the day cleaning the house, taking care of Bo and catching up on work. Around 5 I was super antsy since I hadn’t left the house so I did 30 minutes of random weights and core exercises including lots of pushups, planks, dips, and arm exercises.

I feel really confident about the next few weeks of training as we don’t have any travel planned due to Bo’s surgery. While work is going to be pretty busy I have no excuses for missing workouts.

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