Training Recap: Week Eight: (August 3-August 9)

The weather was so much better this week especially for my long run on Saturday. It was overcast the entire time and then the sun started to come out from behind the clouds right as we were finishing up. This week the heat will be back so I have to get my mind ready for it. 

I set a goal this year to run 1400 miles and I have just passed the halfway point with 782 miles. I am slightly behind my goal but I have 5 months let in the year to get there. I am also looking forward to getting my 1000 mile pin from my running club really soon. I know I can reach this goal since I am sooo close.

Here is a recap of Week Eight:

Monday: Strength Training: The gym is so crowded on Monday's so this is my least favorite workout of the week since it takes forever to get your workout done.

Tuesday:4.34 Miles

Wednesday:  Strength Training

Thursday: 7.33 Mile Speed Workout:  I got to the track rise as the sun was coming up and was it was empty. I felt really good after this track workout because it was the same workout I did 8 weeks ago but this time I was able to do it twice without feeling too beat up!

Friday: REST DAY: Unfortunately it wasn't such a great day because I had to attend my grandma's funeral on my step-dad's side.

Saturday: 14 Miles with the Running Club. I am glad that I ran with them because sometimes these long runs seem impossible to do alone. 

Sunday: Strength Training: I really didn't feel like going to the gym but I had no good reason not to so I went!  I think I overdid it because I have been sore for two days now.

TOTAL MILES: 25.67

My long run this week calls for 18 Miles. I think I am going to run 16 with my running club and then pick up an extra two miles before or after. It is supposed to be a hot one on Saturday too but those cool towels that my running club puts at the water stops is going to save me!

I Hired a Running Coach

I haven't done a race recap on Mountains 2 Beach Marathon because it was such a bad experience that I am trying to forget about it for now. I know that finishing a marathon is a huge accomplishment but I just feel like I threw away what could have been a good race for all of the wrong reasons.

Those last six miles of my last marathon included a lot of walking and a lot of thinking too. Most of those thoughts were not very positive. I was in a lot of pain and I allowed myself to fall apart mentally on a very high level. I gave up and that should not have happened. I should have been able to hold it together better than I did. After running six marathons, I should have handled it differently. I walked away from that marathon feeling pretty defeated. I don't think I have ever felt that low after a marathon and that changed me. Pain changes you.

I questioned myself on so many levels and decided that I really needed to get myself together and start working towards a goal and running smarter. My biggest goals by far are to qualify for the Boston Marathon and stay injury free so I can eventually get there in one piece. I don't think I have ever trained at a level that was going to get me there. I have been enjoying running and in the back of my mind I always wondered if the thrill of running goes away once you get that BQ. 

I decided that it was time to start preparing myself and working towards my goals. I have worked with a running coach in the past and I have always been my own coach. I write my own training plans by piecing together different parts of cookie cutter plans. They have worked for me and I make them fit into my busy little schedule but I just knew that something was missing. I also told myself that when I made the decision to get serious I would consider hiring a running coach. I wasn't looking for a coach to babysit me because it is my job to keep myself accountable to my goals. I hired a coach because I wanted someone to: help me improve my running performance, evaluate my running history and design a proper training plan that minimizes my risk of injury and for the support, advice and motivation needed to help me achieve my goals.  

I shopped around and asked all of the relevant questions that a runner should ask when hiring a running coach and finally found one that I feel comfortable with. My coach is out of state so our interaction will be via email, phone and Training Peaks where all of my training is uploaded and reported. My coach has given me my training paces, goal race times and my first two weeks of workouts which start today. We will be doing a lot of things differently so I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Coach knows all about the hip issues I have been dealing with and we are going to work on building me up through strength training which I haven't taken too seriously.

With these changes and challenges ahead, I am hoping to get back to blogging and sharing more information and updates on how my training is going.

Do you have a running coach or have you ever worked with one?

What have you found to be the most beneficial part of hiring a coach?

Please share your experiences both negative and positive.