Marathon Training: Week 1 & Valentine's Day!

Happy Sunday, all! I have just completed week 1 of 16 for the Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon.

Here was the proposed schedule:

SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayTotal Miles
10 Miles
Yoga
Pushups
Yoga
5 Miles
Squats
Yoga
5 Miles
Pushups
Yoga
45 Min Bike
Squats
REST18 Miles38 Miles

As you may notice, Thursday is crossed out and that is because I failed at life that day. I have become very overwhelmed with work, school, and I also had a doctor's appointment sneak up on me. I just about had a mental breakdown. So I decided to rest on both Thursday and Friday and abstain from school work for a couple of days.

Other than Thursday, I had a great week! Sunday rounded out my first 30 mile weekend. So I planned to take it easy the next day because I was experiencing some knee pain I have never had before. I wanted to be proactive, take it easy, and not injure myself so early in the game. I resumed running on Tuesday without an issue. Peter and I both ran on Tuesday and Wednesday out by my parents. He and I both are sick of doing road runs every night though. We favor the canal as it is easier on our joints, but with the recent snow we've had, the canal was out of the question. That and it's not quite light enough till we finish. It's really scary running on the canal in the dark, even with a light.

Fast forward to Saturday. I had an 18 miler planned and in all honesty, I wasn't feeling it. I stalled and didn't want to brave the 20 degree weather. Yet, I thought it was way too early in my training to be giving up on a long run. So I put on my cold gear and headed out. This time, sans Camelbak. I've enjoyed bringing it on my runs, but I have come to learn that the water will freeze in the tubes when it is 20 degrees out. Bringing it on Saturday would have been pointless.


So, like the "good" runner that I am, I brought neither water or food, just my cell and my iPod. I thought I was going to end up bailing before I reached my goal, so I told Peter to keep his phone on him. Yet, once I started running, I quickly changed my tune. I felt REALLY good.

My route was just an out and back from my house, to the canal and back. It was a perfect mixture of brutal hills on the pavement and flat, cushioned trail on the canal. I now prefer doing a mix between the two on my long runs. Doing on or the other is either too boring, too repetitive, too challenging, and then some. So incorporating both seems to have been quite beneficial. I have neglected hill training for some time and need it back. The Disney World Half really proved that. I will not make the same mistake for this marathon.

Anyway, when I arrived home from my 18 mile adventure, I was greeted with a dark chocolate bar with espresso beans, and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers!


I never got a picture of the chocolate because after you've run 18 miles, chocolate and caffeine couldn't be a better treat!

That evening, I got prettied up so we could get take out from the Outback. Yeah...nothing worth getting glammed up for, but I wanted to look good for my husband. :)


It was a lovely first Valentine's Day as a married couple for us. Very relaxed. Honestly, my favorite Valentine's Day to date! I think take out and chocolate is all you need! And a good run :)

So tell me...

How was your Valentine's Day? Single? Dating? Married?

Though running can be a stress reliever, when have you been so stressed, that running or working out is out of the schedule? Did you ever regret your decision to skip a workout due to stress?

1 comment

  1. You are going to be in my neck of the woods! I've run the san diego marathon before, and I actually think the course is rather unforgiving. Around mile 20,21 the route puts you on uphill on the 163 freeway. People who are the hitting the wall are hit really hard. When I did the course ,everyone walked this entire one mile section.

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