NYC Marathon Training Update II

Well, I'm another month closer to the big 26.2 day! Time is FLYING this time around. Last year I definitely did not feel like I do now; I blinked in the beginning of August and suddenly it's September. Let's recap August, which was a HOT HOT month of running!

Mile totals: 
August 2012: 111.5!  (August 2011: 100 miles)

Types of workouts:

Hills! I haven't been doing as many of these as I would like, but they are definitely part of my regular routes!

Speed: There were some TOUGH speed workouts. Coach C was tough on me. The hardest one was 8x800 at 4:30. UGH. It was really challenging, especially when I had slept in and ran it in 90 degree humid nasty weather. Smart? No. Mentally amazing? Absolutely. 

Beach Running!!! I think it may have torn up my toes a bit, but gosh darn it, I love running on the beach!!! Especially when dolphins are swimming by in the distance; it was truly amazing. I got to do three beach runs while on vacation and they were glorious. Coach C told me that whatever you run on the beach, double the distance because the degree of difficulty greatly increases with the sand! I'll take it ;-) My landlord runs Jones Beach all the time, so she bought those barefoot running things and said they work well. Noted.

Easy runs: There were PLENTY of these. I used them to break in my marathon shoes! Enter Nike Blueberries!!! I wore them around the house and on short errands for about two weeks. I took them for their inaugural easy run while on vacation. It turned into a great tempo run! (Photo credit to my nephew, McAuliffe #2...it's a bit blurry...he's working on it.)

Long Runs!!! The moment we've all been waiting for. My long run progression in August went as follows: 12, 14, 13.2, 15. The toughest run, by far, was the 15 miler. I struggled to finish it; it was after vacation, it had been a week and a half since I had run a long run. I was SLOWWWW in the heat and humidity. The miles were run nonetheless, glad to have it behind me!!! I struggle so much with the heat and August really kicked my butt during long runs. I'm hoping (And have seen) improvement in September and I look forward to THAT update coming soon!!! Thankfully not one dehydration episode, so there's that!

Best Routes. This training cycle I have ventured out of the my usual "run over the Queensboro Bridge, straight to Central Park, do not pass 5th Avenue, and do not spend $200." Some of the routes included:

Summer Streets 

The US Naval Academy 

We found a football workout, a cool dog, and did some push-ups during the run!

I even ran another night race! 

Thoughts: August was a solid month of training for me. Despite my struggles with the heat, I found myself making it happen and completed the majority of my training runs. Trying new routes is a great way to entertain myself while running. This training cycle has teetered on my becoming bored while running, which never happened last year. Every training run was a new distance, exciting, inspiring! This year? Been there, done that. Switching it up has made it more enjoyable to complete runs.

Lessons Learned: Don't run bridges under construction. ESPECIALLY when the construction workers are closing down a lane and cyclists don't care like a honey badger. Too many close encounters with handlebars! Lesson learned: No running through construction zones. I also learned that not all running shorts are created equal. I purchased a couple of new pairs, and they fit great in the store. I got to run, and they ride up like it's their job. My Adidas shorts that I wore in the marathon are still my number one's, but they're on their last leg of life...unless a seamstress can work some magic ;-( Lesson learned: Run in the store with the shorts on.

How has your training been going? Are you coming off a goal race? Do you have a fall race lined up? Are you experimenting with becoming a handlebar steering honey badger?! Tell me about it!!!

48 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!