Week 3 comes to an end

Week 3 of training has officially come to a close. As I sit here blogging, I have a bag of ice balanced on my left knee and ibuprofen in my tummy. No, it isn't that bad, but this is just a precaution. I don't want week 4 to be a bust.

Looking back, I am really surprised/proud that I was able to hold it together this week to get the miles in that I did. I missed a day of running, and my cross training was weak (no core exercises), but considering it felt like the world was collapsing in on me most of the week and I was fighting a constant war with pollen (the spore count was epic this week), I didn't do half bad. It helped to get the confirmation for the marathon midweek. The pressure is on!

This week I completed a total of 20 miles; two 5 mile runs and a 10 mile long run. I feel like next week's long run can be stepped up to 11 miles, as long as I get all my runs in leading up to it. It feels so good to know that I had the strength to end this week with a bang and meet my long run goal. My total training milage is now up to 66.5 miles!

This week was about self talk and getting out the front door. Last week I needed a lot of self talk on the runs, but this week I needed it before the runs. My new strategy is is to tell myself I am going to run and talk it up so I am mentally committed. I mean really talk it up. Put on my clothes. Get my water bottles filled. And just go.

As I run, I have been playing with the idea of keeping more notes about my training. So many people write books for the bourgeoning marathon market, so why can't I? I am playing with ideas to find a niche that will appeal to publishers. How rad would that be, to publish a book!?!?!?! Good thing long runs give me a lot of time to think about things like this!

We'll end this blog with a gel and chew review (it rhymes! I will make note of that for my book lol). Today was Clif shots strawberry (gag), strawberry Clif shot bloks (tastes better as you eat more of them/need them desperately), and Gu jet blackberry (yum!). Honey stingers cherry blossom still win for best tasting chew, but Gu Jet Blackberry has taken the lead. Finally, a gel that doesn't make me want to yak or curdle in my tummy as I bounce up and down for 2 hours!