Marathon Training

This weekend, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather in North Carolina & buzz to Blowing Rock for a boost to my marathon training. The trails are perfect, the weather cool & crisp & the atmosphere is relaxed. I started off the weekend with an easy run wearing the Roclite 268s.The Roclite's are ideal for the type of trails in Blowing Rock (hard crushed gravel & packed dirt).
With 3 weeks to go before my first attempt at the marathon, I wanted to make sure to get mentally focused & get my body ready for the task at hand. I trained hard but made sure to get plenty of rest & relaxation after the efforts. I have learned a lot from my training partner, Olive. She is a sub 4:50 miler & sub 60 minute ten miler. With 4 legs that are only 8 inches long, she is no joke. She is so excited to run & lives each moment to the fullest. She gives 110% effort with a smile on her face then posts up in the most comfortable bed to get her beauty rest & to be fully recovered for her next effort. She ran the easy runs with me & kept me motivated.

I ran a 4 mile tempo run around Bass lake. It was sunny & 42 degrees. The path around the lake was crushed gravel & hard packed dirt. This made it easy on the legs & a surface that enabled the Inov8s to dig in for energy efficiency. I was quite pleased to get the effort in & finish in 23:32.

Upon returning to the trails in Asheville, I got in my longest long run ever! I ran 3:14 in Bent Creek Experimental forest on fireroads & single track trails. Again, the Roclite 268s served me well. I finished the run strong & felt like I could have ran on forever. I downed my recovery drink, hit an ice bath & made myself a post run recovery meal of fresh pasta & venison. (Thanks to my Dad & stepmom for providing me a freezer full of venison!)

I'm 3 weeks away from my first marathon experience. Anything can happen but I feel like I am as ready as I can be.