Marathon Specific Phase at a Glance

With just one week left in my marathon specific phase, I was curious to see the breakdown of what I've done since July 26. In a nutshell, I've hit pretty much hit all my targeted paces on workouts and did all of my long run distances. One thing that I did skip out on was doing Marathon Pace tempos for a couple of miles in my long runs. Most of these decisions were based on how my body was feeling.

Mileage since 7/26 with long runs

7/26: 80 miles / 20 mile long run
8/2: 78 miles / 19 mile long run
8/7: 80 miles / 21 mile long run
8/14: 70 miles / 14 mile long run (down week with a 10k race)
8/21: 83.7 miles / 19 mile long run with a 15 mile Marathon Pace tempo
8/28: 80 miles / 18.5 mile long run
9/6: 83 miles / 22 mile long run with a 10 mile MP tempo

I'm really pleased with the consistency shown with the mileage and long runs above. This week will feature my third long run over 20 miles, so I will will have a solid base under my feet come race day in 24 days. I also hit my weekly mileage by doing only one double a week, so the majority of my runs were over an hour. I've been fortunate enough to have stayed healthy throughout this entire phase. Currently, I'm nursing some tight calves back to life, so I'll continue to monitor that to ensure I continue to stay healthy. It's all about making smart decisions now.

After this week, my mileage will dip back down into the 70's and then starting the week of 9/20 I will begin tapering for the big day. I'm excited to travel with Mike Beigay and Bill Shires. Although it saddens me very much that Megan Hovis and Meagan Nedlo will no longer be participating, I'll have a good time with the guys.