Fuel SMART,Train HARD, Run FAST.

Indoor hike on the TM

I‘d say it was more of a gallop for most of the miles, like an injured horse except I’m not injured. 😜Cold and brittle. I even stopped to walk mid-run to assess what the heck was going on. It’s like when you are on your period and you start to cry but you don’t really know why so you try to figure it out or make up reasons why you’re crying because it’s not normal. It’s like that but for running. There is no reason other than it’s cold and I didn’t cry. The end.😆

On the positive side, I rarely run JRP in the dark. The Jordan River Temple was lit up directly ahead and was quite the sight!

Long run on JRP with my 10th cousin once removed. 8:05ap

Warmup 3.4mi on TM 8:20’s

15 mins plyometrics on track

15 mins Hiit

Workout-

1% incline

12x2 mins @ 6:32ap

1 min rest

Finally my Stryd sensor matches the TM speed at my gym within a few seconds. They must have recalibrated them for the new year. Yay for Vasa yay for me.

Felt pretty hard today. I’ll have to go back and see if this is progress or regression to wrap my head around today’s perceived effort. I’m either going to hi-five myself or revamp my current base training plan. I did eat nachos at 11:00 last night so I’ll probably blame it on that. 👌🏼

Met Scott and Craig for a quick JRP run. I arrived a few mins early and got a warm up mile in. JRP was mostly a sheet of black ice along the entire route except for the tunnels! So that led to constant slipping & sliding, a few screams and some falls. To top it off, none of us brought our headlamps so that made it even more interesting. Super fun anyway.

Grandeur Peak with Scott and Craig. 

JRP was clear w/ good traction. I’m noticing my running economy is improving finally over the past week or so. The adaptation process from the last couple months of running JRP is paying off faster than it did last time at this year in my preparation for Boston. Good for me.

Long run on JRP. 8:26 ap. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to speed up for these runs till the summer. Even then I don’t know if I want to. Life is good. 

12 miles total this week on the cruise. All easy miles and lots of food. 

I need to start documenting my training again.. Every year I come back to my blog to read how I felt or how fast I ran a workout but now the data is getting old and I need to document again, for posterity. ;)

Boston training starts today! 

2 mi warm up @8:30

Alternate hill 400 workout

12x400 @ -3% @6:10ap (6:00-6:18) 83%HR

12x400@ 3% incline @9:40 175HR

Incline 400’s felt harder but they weren’t supposed to be. Interesting my HR was similar. I definitely looked forward to the fast intervals, my weakness is clearly running hills. 

The ground was still moving during the workout (from my cruise) but mostly happens when I run or walk for a long time. Getting better but so nauseated  through most of it. Blah!

Easy recovery run, 7:57ap

Progression run. Started at 8:00 then worked down 10 secs per mile to 7:10. This workout felt much harder today than I thought it would be on paper. My legs felt heavy and tired. I’m on the Brooks Hanson plan that especially emphasizes  cumulative fatigue more than other plans I’ve done, and makes mundane workouts feel horrible. Can’t remember why I picked the plan. I didn’t expect to feel it yet in the first week, that’s probably not supposed to happen yet. 😂Def could have used some caffeine today.

LPT snow and ice edition. 8:20ap w/ trax 

Granduer with a fun group, Brent, Craig, Scott and Erik for part. I’ve agreed to trail runs about once a week during training. Such a nice way to break up the pounding lately. 

TM miles

7:48ap. Feeling rested.

I’m doing an individual plan that was created for Boston back in 2015. I remember it was pretty tough from a cumulative fatigue standpoint, but not really on paper. I’ve done enough speed workouts in my life to know what’s hard for me and what’s not. So as I go into them they seem not so bad, but each one so far has felt really hard, harder than I think it should be. I think I need to remember if they feel hard I’m doing them right and the plan is working... I hope. 🧐 I don’t feel out of shape, but this plan really makes you think you are. That’s word on the street.🤷‍♀️ Such a defeating feeling the entire way! I feel like there needs to be a Hanson’s Brooks marathon plan support group for people to wine about their performance and doubts. Where is that...oh, it’s right here. 

1.5 wu 

6x800

+/-2% grade @ 6:00 & 6:35ap alternating

Uphill intervals felt beasty.

HR got up to 95% on those toward the end, 83% for the downhill. 

1.5 cd

JRP. So cold and sandbags for legzzz! I still love it all.  Also I’m really hungry and super tired lately. That must mean I’m marathon training!:) 8:30 ap

Today I woke up not thrilled for a workout, but made myself get out the door. So glad I did.

1.5 mi wu

4X 400 @ 6:05ap -2%

400 uphill jog

3 mi@7:30 (180 HR)

4X400 same pace and recovery as above

1.5mi cd

My heart rate stayed on the high side today, 87% for the efforts. It's high considering the pace. I realize this is due to being tired and probaly normal for the plan since it's all about making you feel lousy every single day. I second guess it every minute of the day:) Suprisingly, this workout didn't feel as horrible as some of the others. I hope that means I'm getting buff, which is another real possibility.

jrp 7:57ap

Windy 8 miler 8:40’s

speed workout today 

2 mi wu + plyometrics

1 mi @ 6:35

4x400 @ 6:07

400 jog + 1 min to bend over and hyperventilate

1mi @6:35

2 mi cool down

I knew it looked easier than it was going to feel today. I’ve learned better on this plan. None of it felt enjoyable which means it’s probably working. 

Like my brother used to tormentingly say, “Do you want a cookie or a medal!?” 

Both, please. 

*Word of the day: tormentingly

Scheduled rest day. The only day I actually feel like running:)

Snow day, kids are home.  We got around 16-18 inches in less than 24 hours. Just when I thought spring was right around the corner. Let it be known I’m officially ending my bets on the groundhog. 

We spent the day making forts (I just encouraged and clapped), knocked heavy snow off the trees, and cleaned the house. 

 Today was a tempo day which felt more like a mental effort than a physical effort. I haven’t been getting much sleep the last week and took some melatonin last night. This morning felt like I had a hangover. So tired! Funny bc I was just telling Steve that I didn’t think it really worked, and here I am. 😴 

Progressive miles @ marathon pace effort. That felt pretty hard to do. I would have liked to be a bit faster but honestly anything under 8:40 felt more taxing today. Good job, Tara.

2 mi wu

progressive 5 miles @ 7:41, 7:35, 7:23, 7:15, 7:13

1 mi cd

I did a poor job of managing my time this morning. Carpool and dentist appointments left me with just enough time to fit 5 miles in before hanging up the towel. 7:54 ap.

Long run scheduled for tomorrow. 

My right hamstring and glute is getting really tight this week, my right knee is stiff and my R shin was starting to get bothered during yesterday’s workout. The right leg needs to be cut off. I see no other solutions. Joking aside I’m obviously weaker and need more hip work and single leg squats. My Garmin pretty much knows everything and even shows a slight favor on my left leg, so I guess I just dx the issue. Work harder, Tara.

Super solid run today at Jeremy Ranch. The track was pretty decent. Temps read 12 with a -2 feel with wind. Yikes! Ran up 3.5mi to the ranch and back twice to get the mileage. The return each way pretty hard from the cold wind and it was more uphill. Tried hard to not let my HR get too high during those particular miles but it inevitably would climb 80-85% then return to 70% ish. Who cares. Happy with the run.

Decided to go give the oval a try since I’ve never run there before. The commute on the roads was not great but glad I went. The ROTC was doing a timed 2 miler which was fun to see. Things feel good today, ready for speed tomorrow. 7:35-45

2 mi wu

5x1.20 mi @7:00ap

400m jog in between 

2 mi cd

I read a study that showed when training for an endurance event, tempo intervals are most effective in a sweet spot of 8 mins. Today the schedule called for 6x1 mile intervals so I just extended the workout running time to 5x8:15 mins. 

My legs post workout are sore, but no niggles! My R glute and hamstring weren’t bothered due to daily deep tissue massage. That’s been gold in the recovery process while trying to compound fatigue.

Grandeur. So much wind and snow! The last climb was nuts with the new route. Fun actually running  with Scott and Wess on the way down. 

8 on JRP. Super icy.

JRP. Felt tired and sluggish, especially the last few. Woof!

6.5 JRP. So icy I took a hard spill. Send flowers and sympathy. 

Then drove to Heber and went cross country skiing for my first time. 3 miles and lots of falls. So hard!

Sick

Easy 7mi at home

2 mi wu

3 mi @ 7:12ap

800m jog

4x800@ 6:30ish (3% incline)

400 jog

3x3 mi @ 7:12ap

1 mi cd

Today’s workout didn’t feel as hard as I expected. I’ve been sick the last few days and expected to have no energy, but the rest was so good on my legs. HR stayed around 80-85% during efforts. Actually felt great today. Legs started to get cramps towards the last mi of workout and I didn’t take anything but water. I’m feeling solid so far in my training.

Crazy morning. Had to cut my run early since Steve is on call and needed to drive kids. I came home and finished the rest. My boys are sick with croup. I’m relieved I didn’t get the worst of it earlier this week! Felt tired today as expected on today’s run, but mostly my R hamstring is aggravated. Working on covering the distance in tomorrow’s long run. My plan actually says those exact words. I remember reading that earlier in the month and thinking, okaaay. I stand humbled.

 Ran down Suncrest for a few downhill miles, then hooked onto the Murdoch trail for some flat miles. My legs are exhausted after this week. Today felt exactly how they were supposed to feel, exhausted. It’s always a treat to come home and look at my running data, especially from my Garmin. It always tells me I did a bad job and I’m losing my fitness. Haha 

Easy 8.5. Ready for tomorrows workout!

Wu 1.5 mi

3X2 mi@ 7:10, 7:00, 7:10, 6:55, 7:10, 6:50

800 jog

6X 400 @ 6:00 (-3%)

400m uphill jog

800m@7:15ap

1mi. CD

It was hard, they always are. I felt tired after the frist mile in the set but went into robot mode.

13 miles, 7:28ap 

Rest day. I’m feeling really good. Usually I’m so ready for rest days, but my body wants to run! Good sign things are moving in the right direction! 

2 mi uphill wu 

8 mi progressive 

First half uphill with a nice headwind, second half downhill with also a nice tailwind.

Since it was a little more hilly of a route with the added wind, I went by feel for the pace. Plan called for 8 mi @mp+20 sec, working down 10 secs every two miles. Started at 7:30 and ended at 7:00 (perceived effort) and I hit really close going off my GAP despite my watch spits. That pretty much tickles me bc it felt like a guessing game with the wind factor. Really wasn’t too tough of a workout compared to others, but very good mentally. Those are always good deposits for the brain. 

6.5 dragging recovery miles on JRP. I’ll repair like Superman tonight and be fresh for tomorrow’s long run. It’s crazy how fast I’ve been able to recover lately. Maybe it’s been in my head all this time, but it’s actually happening and I’m excited. 

Fun loop on Antelope Island with lots of Wranglers on the trail. The first mile my shins and calves were on fire from the shock of the climb. I haven’t ran on trails really for the past few months, so it took a min. Stopped for a quick stretch and felt ready to roll  after that. Felt relaxed the entire run with no issues. Stopped my watch and forgot to restart for a few mins, which threw off my splits when I calibrated it on Strava to correct the distance but at least my time and distance corrected. Opened up the last two miles to sub 6:55 pace and felt so controlled and full of energy. Such a fun place to be ending one of my bigger weeks in road running. 

I’ve tried several strategies with caffeine the past few years. I’ve ran seasons without it and ran with it for others. Last year when I trained for Ogden I decided not to take it in training or during the race. That was a terrible race, and my training was too, really. This marathon cycle I’ve gone back and forth about using it where I’ve used it for some weeks then change my mind. After reading some studies about taking the most ergonomic amount suggested for performance (3-6kg per pound of body weight), I realized I’ve never taken the recommended amount to be most efficacious.  Today I took 200 mg one hour prior and 100 mg 2.5 hours later. I think it made a difference because today just felt effortless overall considering I’m ending one of my bigger and tougher weeks. At this point it’s clear I’m going to win Boston. 

Easy 8 at home. My legs are feeling more fresh than expected today. Wonder if that will last.

Peak week!

Drove to Danish Blvd. to get some rolling hills to simulate Boston's rollers.

2 mi Wu

4x1.5miles @7:00ish effort (GAP~ 7:05, 7:08, 7:09, 7:10)

800m jog

2.5mi Cd

My GAP paces were't great, weren't bad. It was a total guessing game. Had to go off my power meter to gage it but even that was hard because it kept changing so I went off feel. But even then, I felt like I was running more of a 10K half marathon effort.

The weather was perfect, so that is a huge bonus today.

I expected today to be easy bc how is 4X 1.5mi intervals around marathon pace supposed to be hard? If they are, I should be in trouble. Well, they were and I'm not in trouble. You are.

I'm Tired. I'll chalk it up to my favorite word, "cumilative fatigue." Its the only excuse I ever have anymore and I'm going to use it all day long, all the way to Boston. Ironically, I feel like my fitness is peaking right now.

A few miles to shake out my legs for tomorrows long tempo.

Wind & rain...just like every time I’ve ran Boston so I guess it was a good simulation:) Today was a long tempo effort. I tried to run a fine line between trying to hit my pace and not letting my HR get too high. I started off with my Gamin saying my performace condition was +5 which is awesome. I was supprised since my body is tired, but it was a confidence boost starting the workout. 

The first few miles felt much harder than I anticipated and I knew it was going to be a suffer fest for the next hour. I really struggled to lower my pace and wondered why because the effort was there. The workout was supposed to feel like the last 10 miles of a marathon since I was running on tired legs, but also like I could have gone a couple more miles at that pace. I would say that was accurate, although I'm so glad it was only 10 miles. It seemed impossible to lower my pace against the wind on the way back without getting into a lactate threshold zone (>181bpm.) Really, I dipped into that zone more than I would have liked and if I do that on race day, I'll be toast by the last 10k, a feeling I'm all too familar with. Today was really hard to measure and keep a balance of my effort/pace/HR. Woof.

I have a 12 mile tempo next week so hopefully it will be better conditions to test out my pace again.

I’m going to call this run the shuffle hustle. Picture a person pretending to run but they’re basically just speed walking. That was me for the first couple miles, then I warmed up a little bit to 830 pace. It was a struggle and gave me huge doubts about being able to put in a long run tomorrow.  Came home and sat in the sauna for a bit which helped revive me just enough to resolve that I could slog out my last long tomorrow run in my first of two peak weeks. Exhausted. 

Today was great. Felt good from the start and felt better each mile. I have been fasting for all my runs this year but started introducing fuel again in prep for race day. I  took: Sport Legs, 400 mg caffeine, and gels every 4 miles. Also needed some Ibuprofen for a hamstring issue today. Seemed all of it came together and the affront was more than I planned on but added it all wrong and took a higher but still an ergogenic dose so that was actually a good test. By the end of the run I felt I could have gone easily another 5 miles and 10 miles with some effort but that’s a good feeling ending a 60ish mile peak week and basically a race effort 2 days ago. Happy with the progress on tired legs.

The last two weeks I’ve hit the point in my training termed “functional over reaching” which is where I should be but the fatigue is unreal. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been following the Brook Hansons marathon method plan that I paid for specifically for Boston. The plan is structurally built on cumulative fatigue and has really been a stretch for me due to the lack of rest and constant efforts a day apart, week after week. The individual workouts are slightly less intense than other plans (i.e. 4x1.5 mi at marathon pace. How is that hard if you plan to run 26 miles at that pace?)  but what makes a difference is the lack of rest days. It just builds and compounds and you feel weaker and weaker:) Therefore your long run at the end of the week is simulating each week what your legs would feel like at the end of your last 16 miles.

I’ve done this plan one other time in 2015 for Boston. I trained to go sub 3:00, but changed my goal when I got there based on the crazy weather and decided to just run it for fun and not push too hard because I knew I wouldn’t hit my goal anymore nor PR. So I ran for fun and still got a 3:10 without too much effort aside from a moderate feeling long run, so I knew the plan worked. The difference is in hindsight, I realized I cheated the real foundation of the plan by substituting some of my easy runs for elliptical miles when I would become sore or overly fatigued, therefore never truly hitting functional over reaching.  As I’ve educated myself more (love Luke Humphreys podcast series regarding this plan!!) I have realized that it is essential to run tired on those days and not substitute elliptical or trail miles in order to really get to that point of functional overreaching fatigue that is necessary and essential to hit at 6-8 weeks out from the marathon. If you hit it, you’ll know it and you’re right where you should be. Love and hate it all at the same time. The fatigue is unreal and every single run is quiet the effort. Nothing has felt easy for a very long time. So excited to see what comes of it. 

8.5 JRP. Felt good today. 8:22ap

2.3 wu

2x3 mi @ 7:01, 6:59

1 mi jog between

Going into the workout I went from thinking it would be so easy and I was so fresh, to dying the first mile and never recovering but just holding on. I started my mantras a lot earlier into the workout than usual. Tuesday workouts always play with me. I somehow squeezed by and did the workout at the prescribed pace but now I’m beat and I’m almost in a bad mood...well maybe the mood when you just don’t care anymore bc you’re so tired. I need to go turn on a Luke Humphrey podcast for a therapy sessions now to make me feel better. Exhausted.

Happy to rest. My legs actully don't hurt and are adapting well.

Easy 10 on the TM w/ Luke Humphrey's Running podcast.

10k shakeout on the TM for tomorrow's race simulation. I got so bored.

2 mi warm up

12mi tempo@7:10ap

3 mi cool down

12 mile race simulation run. My goal was to average 7:10 on JRP. There was barely any wind and the weather was nice and cool. I didn’t think I was hitting my pace for most of the run because my watch kept reading 7:22, but I felt faster than that, so I just dismissed it and went by effort. I knew it would likely reconfigure when it downloaded due to the GPS sometimes getting off with the tunnels. Anyway, so happy I hit my pace! There were on TON of people on the trail today due to a half marathon race, but I think it made it more fun. I slowed down quite a bit or stopped briefly at miles 2, 7, 9, & 10 to take gels and go to the bathroom once. I kept my Garmin running so I could get an accurate simulation. 

Sometimes these efforts can play with my head, especially when 12 miles at race pace feels kinda hard, but I break it down like this: Today I felt like I could have gone another 1-2 miles at pace putting me at 14. On rested legs I could run another 6 miles on target leaving me at mile 20. With a favorable course at elevation and a gentle downhill for the last 10k + grit, I think I can do it. I’m getting really excited!

kinda shuffled but nothing is sore. One of my slowest runs on JRP. 8:51ap

Goal was to warm up a couple miles then drop the effort 10 seconds per mile going off effort only. I picked a hilly course for this run to practice changing gears and getting a feel of pace vs. effort on hills. Rough first mile dealing with asthma related coughing and didn’t feel encouraged when my Garmin told me my running performance condition was -3. Completed the workout anyway bc I feel like I should feel crappy from Saturday’s workout, so it’s justified to go ahead and plan on feeling that way but get it done regardless. Wasn’t really too hard today especially compared to past Tuesday strength days. 

2ish mi wu

10 mi progressive tempo

1 mi cd

13 mi total, 8:05 AP

804 ft vert rollers

Rest day. I’m surprised how good I feel. Nothing is wrong, knock on wood. Somehow it already feels like a taper bc the workouts don’t feel super awful anymore. Maybe I just stopped hating the workouts so much? Someone go figure out why I’m feeling so good. 

jrp

Had low energy throughout due to feeling sick last night and not staying hydrated, but stuck with the run and it was ok. Plan was to slightly increase the speed on the way back, making the last half faster than the first. Felt smooth. Ended up being kind of a progressive, every mile got faster ending around 7:20’s. 8:00 avg pace overall.

Easy JRP, 8:13 Ap

My left lower shin started hurting on Saturday. Going to watch it, but not sure what to do with it really. 

Today I ran a Lactate Threshold test on my Garmin 5s. I did this last year in April when I was training for Ogden marathon. I planned on seeing an improvement today based on my current fitness. While it didnt catch my LT today becuase it strugged to find my HR for the second to last interval, I pretty much have to do the test again to find that number I'm looking for. However, It did capture other data that is exciting.

April 18 2018.                                March 26 2019

Best split- 6:42min/mi                    6:22min/mi

Avg HR- 173 bpm                           165 bpm

MAX HR- 191 bpm                        196 bpm

Marathon prediction- 3:07:24          3:00:04

I'm thrilled with the progress I have made over the past 8 weeks, espeically lately. It's been fun watching my numbers come down and see my fitness improving. I went back and looked at my runs from the beginning of the year and compared similar current runs and have found a few interesting discoveries that I want to document for my records.

My effort based on my HR to cover the same distance of 8 mi/ 8:30 pace started in January at 90 suffer score (Strava Summit) and is now 32, meaning I have adapted quite a bit. For my long runs of 15 miles, it has dropped from. 165 to 124. My average HR has also dropped about a beat per week overall. where I used to average around 160-165 (depending on distance but similar effort) in January and now average 148-157 for the same distance and pace.

Good things are happening. Just got to keep it together for a few more weeks!

Resting easy. It feels like I am tapering. I even have a phantom niggle on my left shin to prove it.

You guys, I'm on cloud nine! I woke up at 2:30 AM and couldnt go back to sleep until 6:45AM but then had to get up at 7:20. So I felt like a real zombie from 4 hours of sleep. I was most stressed becuase I had one of my last bigger workouts left to do today and started to wonder if I could do it. Ive had that much sleep in the past and I've been fine, but I just felt super off today. I decided to go for it anyway, but put it off until later in the day; mostly becuase it took me that long to decide if I could do it.

I went to the allegist today due to some extreme asthma I get every winter from exercise induced asthma, but its worse in the cold air. They did some tests and found I was allergic to my favorite things... trees! Mostly evergreens. I guess I will stop licking them. Apparently, since those trees are coming out of dormancy, its really in the air right now. Since I'm trying to heal my lungs the most I can before Boston, I decided to take the workout inside, but I really didnt want to do it on the TM!

WU 1.5

8 mile tempo @ 6:41 first four, then last four at 6:31

Usually the TM is off by about 5-6 seconds per mile, so I averaged more like 6:35 for 8 miles.

I felt so smooth and controlled, it was playing with me. My legs felt like they were going 5k pace but I felt like I could have gone another 5-6 miles. Im really proud of myself.

My pod needs to be re-calibrated again, it had me at 7:00 and 6:50. Even then I killed my goal so I'm stoked.

CD for 1.5

fueled with a gatorade, water, gel and 1.5 caffeine

Friday’s are always the hardest. They are just a day you have to put it and shake it out.  Cadence and form is totally off today because my legs were complete sandbags. Nothing is hurting and I’m not sore I’m just so heavy. Even my friend compared my running to a  clydesdale but I was super flattered because I felt like an elephant. Lol

Easy 2 miles with Craig, Scott and Jeremy On JRP, the ran on my own for a bit then picked them up again with about 5 miles to go around 7:30 pace. Felt smooth and good today. I think the taper has slowly started.

8.65 mi on JRP

PM- Hiked Topaz mountain with my family. 4 mi

1.5 mi wu

8X400's @ 10k pace around 6:20ish

equal jog

2.6 mi cd

Ran around Filmore area with gentle rolling hills. Felt good today.

rest day

AM-Last paced workout before Boston. Felt moderately easy and smooth, but still fast enough to make me wonder how l’ll get past 20 miles at that pace. Once I’m tapered I’ll be ready to go. 

1.5 wu 
3x2 mi @ 7:05 (6:58TM) 
800 jog between

1.5 cd

PM-90 sec on off intervals with Steve 1.225 mi.

Sooth and easy. Cant remember the last time I felt this fresh. +4X15 sec strides.

Easy 8 on JRP. So many people out this morning probably a few more than usual trying to fit their run in before General Conference. One of my favorite times to reflect, try harder, and reorganize our emergency preparedness supplies.  

We leave for Boston in a week from today. I’m feeling  prepared and confident. This is probably the only marathon I haven’t been so scared to run. I’m ready!