Freethinker ~ Freerunner

I ran and sweat today.  It was hot and humid this morning.  I'm not sure how I had any fluid left in me by the time I finished.  I felt like I got a good workout and my legs were only feeling a little fatigued after yesterdays 23 mile bike ride. 

I have spoken with my training buddy Kevin about planning the Oplympic Triathlon in September without compromising my upcoming marathon in November.  He suggested cutting out one bike workout a week in order to get more run time in.  I think that will work perfectly.  I will trade one bike workout for a run, and then make one of my other bike workouts a brick.  That way will be able to run 5 times a week, which should be sufficient to prepare me for the marathon.  

I ran intervals today.  I ran for 7 miles alternating between 8 and 7 minute miles.  I wore myself out pretty good.  

This morning before my run I was reading an article from active.com that was put out by Marathon nation on marathon training.  The writers advice was to pick a marathon 6 months out and then to split the training up into two three month sections.  For the first three months he suggests focusing on speed.  He then suggest taking a two week break in between the two three month sections to heal up before starting the second three month section in which you will add distance.  This got me to thinking that I did not take any break between my half marathon and my triathlon training.  My triathlon training is going to overlap my marathon training by 10 weeks.  I will have had no time to recover and heal before my marathon in November.  I will have been training without a break since January.  I did take one week off in mid February, but that was because I got sick, so I'm not sure that is really the kind of quality rest an endurance athlete needs to repair his body. 

My conclusion is that I'm thinking I will take next week off.  No biking and no running all week.  I will instead focus on calisthenics and I might still go get a few swim workout in.  

This was a 3 mile brick after a 22 mile ride.  I finished out this week pretty hard even though I missed a ride on Monday and a swim at the end of the week, but I'm ready to rest for at least three days.  I've been waking up each morning this week with my leg muscles telling me to get back in bed.  I'm going to listen to my body and rest up to recover for a few days.