Jess Goes Running: Marathon Training--Week 6

Week 6 of marathon training has definitely been the most challenging for me since this whole thing started.  You've heard me say it many times over the last few weeks: flexibility.  Also: patience.  I have been trying to remind myself that this is a long road, that I have time and a lot of room to grow and get stronger before the race in October.  Sometimes I still get wrapped up in the idea that if I falter now, I will fail in the long run, when that is simply not the case!  I have more strength than I realize; I am in control of this ride and I will make it happen.

I had two great runs this week.  I missed the other two.  Not by choice.  6 weeks in and these are the first ones that I have missed.  In that regard, I am really proud of myself.  In the beginning I felt like it was going to be really hard for me to stick to such a routine and so far, I have done it!  I'm pretty happy about this.  I have also been trying hard to listen to my body--and this week I needed rest.  It's not that I felt horrible; I just did not feel at the top of my game.  So I ran on Tuesday and Thursday, missing 5 miles on Wednesday and 7 miles on Sunday.  I am upset that I did not make it through the whole week, but I know I will be better served as I continue training by taking a few extra days.

On Tuesday, I was at work by 4am (unusual for my "Monday").  Tom had to do laundry that night, so I ran a route that led me to the laundromat.  It was hot and muggy, but I enjoyed getting out and exploring new places (by foot, anyway) so I had a good run regardless.  Got to the laundromat in time to help fold, too.  Wednesday morning I woke up and needed more sleep; I felt really lethargic and kind of thrown off from my early wake up call the previous day.  I had to work late, so running afterwards was not really an option.  Wednesday I also started dealing with an increase in pain in my left foot, a lingering issue over the last week or two.

Thursday, after work, I went running; it was brilliantly sunny and beautiful but it was so hot, and I kept a slower pace.  Friday was a rest day, Saturday I went for a walk, and Sunday I woke up feeling quite dehydrated and not really up for a 7 mile run.  The foot pain was lessening but still there; as it turns out, had I gone, the weather would not have been in my favor.  Yesterday I spent the afternoon walking around downtown Chicago and the Art Institute with my brother so I got some miles in that way, but I wish I would have gone running.

So all in all, last week was not a total loss.  I did get some good runs in, and while I was not planning on a break, I think it has been good for me.  Week 7 is already off to an interesting and not entirely lovely start; there was yesterday, of course (which was amazing!).  Today, however, I woke up with a bad headache and immediately knew that running 3 miles was out of the question.  I have taken some medication and am working on rehydrating; I think it's starting to go away.  I'm planning on runnning tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday (and hopefully I'll be able to do all of the runs outside, although I will admit the heat makes me a little nervous).  Guess we'll just have to wait and see!