Half Marathon Training Plan and Tips for Beginners

Long time no see over on this corner of the interwebs. I am in week 2 of marathon training and week ? of coaching my runners at Bmore Running for half and full marathons this summer. If you are looking to train for the Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon in October or another fall half marathon, now is the time to start training! 

I decided to share a beginner half marathon training plan based on my style of coaching. As a beginner the runs should be done at an easy, conversational pace unless otherwise stated. An easy run effort is about a 3-4/10 on the RPE scale meaning you should be able to breathe steadily and speak in short sentences. Remember that things like the heat/humidity, your hydration, your feeling, your stress, and your sleep can affect how you feel on your runs day to day.  

On Tuesdays on the plan there are some runs that include short intervals at a hard effort (it should feel harder to you) and runs that include hills (find some hills near you and include them on your running route that day). Sunday is a recovery day but instead of fully resting, I believe in getting up on your feet and at least walking (stretching would be a bonus!) to keep the blood flowing in your legs and help with recovery. 

If you are in the Baltimore area it's not too late to train IN PERSON with me and the group at Bmore Running out of Locust Point. We're friendly and inclusive with paces from 12 min/mile to 8 min/mile right now. You'll get the accountability of being in a group, the fun of training with others, and the wealth of knowledge about all things running/training from your four coaches and fellow runners. More information can be found here.  Please reach out to me on Instagram if you have any questions/concerns! 

Bmore Running also has a FREE run/walk in Locust Point every Thursday night with a very friendly group of people-come join us sometime. 

The plan includes runs measured in miles. You can do a run/walk or walk for the runs as needed. If you are new to running or trying out the run/walk method, I would suggest starting with 1 min running and 1 min walking. You can adjust the ratio as needed for you from there. This post from Run to the Finish has a great overview of the run/walk method. 

If you are using the plan, tag me @breathedeeplyandsmile on Instagram and Tiktok so I can cheer you on as you train! 

If the plan above is too small, download it from my Dropbox account here

10 Tips for the 1st-Time (or Seasoned) Marathoner

So if you can believe it (because I really can't) I have run 7 marathons. I have many friends running their first or second marathon this weekend at the Baltimore Running Festival and then more running at the NYC Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon next month. FYI, at the Baltimore Running Festival I'm running the 5K and then will be out cheering with November Project Baltimore at ~9 mile marker of the half marathon (~mile 22 of the marathon). 

As a seasoned marathoner, I have shared some advice and tips with first time marathoners so I thought I'd share some with the rest of the interwebs. This advice is tried and true for me! Despite my tips and anecdotes remember that marathons are a beast. One minute you could be feeling fine, and then the next minute you could be feeling terrible, despite doing everything right in training or race morning. Respect the distance! If marathons were easy, everyone would run them right?!

1. Carbloading. 
Yes, for a marathon you actually should carbload. Try to eat extra carbohydrates (and less protein and fat) days before the race, not just the night before. However, do NOT go overboad. Stick to the kind of foods you have been eating as you have been training. It's not an excuse to overload yourself with bread and pasta unfortunately. I eat extra carbohydrates as well as a lot of bananas a couple days before the marathon. A good article explaining race week nutrition is here. 

Pasta with a simple marinara or pizza is my go-to pre-marathon food! 

2. Lay out everything the night before.
I do this before most of my training runs but especially for a large race like a marathon. Race morning you may be anxious like me so it's easier to not be running around frantically searching for your GPS watch or water bottle. I lay everything I need out including my bib, pack my gear check bag, and make sure my cell phone, GPS watch, and headphones are all charged. 

I lay out anything I need because my nerves can cause me to forget. That means laying out my deodorant, sunscreen, BodyGlide (lubricant any part of you that might chafe-special shout-out to guys to protect their nipples too!). If the weather calls for rain (that's a whole other blog post-hello Boston Marathon 2018!) I suggest creating a chic trash bag poncho to keep you dry before the race. Bring throwaway clothes as layers to keep you warm and get rid of at the start line (most larger races collect these clothes and donate them). 

Double duty: trash bag and poncho runner chic look at the start of the Boston Marathon 2018

3. Follow your nutrition plan. 
Fuel early and often. You hopefully have tried different methods of fueling (gels, chews, etc.) throughout training and found what works for you. Stick with what you have been using. Also get on top of your fueling early. Of course you may feel fine the first 13-14 miles, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be taking in any nutrition. (Here's some of the products I use for marathons in this post). Once you bonk later in the race, it's too late to make up for not eating enough beforehand. 

My go-to fueling options: Honey Stinger and Nuun Hydration.

Also if you have a sensitive stomach, I'd be wary of eating other things on the race course such as the gels the race is supplying if you haven't used them before or random candy that people are passing out. I'm all for grabbing a handful of gummy bears and Twizzlers on course, but I know my stomach can handle them! This post does a great job of explaining how to finalize a fueling plan for a marathon-remember you need 30-60 g of carbohydrates PER HOUR! 

Also I haven't carried anything for hydration besides a small handheld my past few marathons instead relying on water stations which were every couple of miles. Hydrate early and often as well. I usually go with the strategy of alternating water and Gatorade at every other aid station. You can squeeze the cup in half if it's a paper cup to make for easy drinking on-the-go or there is also no shame in walking through the water stop to actually drink it instead of spilling it all over yourself. 

4. Don't Go Out Too Fast.
This is true for every race but especially for a marathon. I have been good about not starting out too fast during my marathons but have seen and tracked so many other friends that have fallen into this trap. I know that you are excited and nervous. The start line is a big event and once the gun goes off, people start running fast around you. You may get caught up in all of this-DO NOT GO OUT TOO FAST! Think of the saying "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon". 

I would suggest going out a little slower than your goal pace the first couple of miles. Don't stress out if the start is crowded. Also don't start weaving around people, you need to conserve your energy. At the beginning of longer races I always talk to myself (yes often out loud!) and tell myself to "settle in". To me that means stay relaxed and get into an easy groove of running. You'll be running for hours and have miles ahead of you. I like the car/gas tank analogy as well-conserve your fuel, don't burn a bunch of your fuel speeding and instead put on cruise control. 

5. Pack a gear check bag. 
Or find someone to hold your stuff. For marathons (and most other longer distance races) and depending on the weather, I like to have some things with me post-race. I like having a dry pair of socks and a pair of slides or another pair of shoes. Taking off my running shoes post-marathon feels so good. I also like having a sweatshirt or dry layer to put on. After sweating through 26.2 miles, I can get really cold (depending on race day weather) but at least like having a fresh shirt to throw on. Check out my marathon gear check bag checklist here for more ideas. 

I was shivering after I finished the chilly 2017 Philadelphia Marathon. 

6. Try to stay off your feet the day before.

Depending on if the race is Saturday or Sunday this may be trickier. Really try to NOT do a lot of walking and stay off your feet the day before the race. If you are running a race in a city you have never been to before this can be tough, especially if you have plans with other people or are sightseeing. It's okay to tell friend and family you need to rest before your race. I've tired my legs out a couple times when I ran Chicago and most recently for the Berlin Marathon doing touristy things and walking downtown the day before the race. For the 2014 Chicago Marathon I was sick the week before and did not really run at all that week plus spent the day before the race in bed resting and taking medicine-I ended up having a fine race! Trust your training and rest your legs. 

7.  Get up earlier than you normally do.
I had someone on Instagram ask me how to deal with anxiety and going to the bathroom race morning. I have IBS and actually sometimes have a tough time going to the bathroom before the race. Before marathons I often take Immodium to bind everything up because with my nerves it can be a vicious cycle of my anxiety upsetting my digestive system/bowels which makes me more anxious. Again, not something I would do unless you've tested it with YOUR body before. I also try to wake up earlier than normal. I usually don't leave a lot of time in the morning before training runs because I love sleep, but race morning I try to get up and get moving as well as drink water and eat something first thing. I find that moving around and getting something in my system quickly helps get things moving. 

I had plenty of time to wait in the start corral at the 2018 Berlin Marathon

Despite being a coffee drinker, I personally use Run Gum and not coffee before a race. Coffee does gets things moving, but I don't want to take a chance on the timing. Leave time to get to the race start with PLENTY of time for an extra bathroom stop and for larger races which usually have security and bag checks. Even if I don't feel like I have to go, I always get into a port-a-potty line before the race to try to use the bathroom which helps calm me down too. Anyone else's mother insist they "tried" to uses the bathroom before getting in the car for a trip? 

8. Put your name on your shirt (if it's not already on your bib!). 
Some race bibs now have your name or something else of your choosing, but if not I suggest using some duct tape or kinesiotape (easier to remove!) on your shirt to write your name on. It's fun especially when I've done it during larger races to have strangers cheering you on and calling you out by name. It can be a nice morale boost during those tough miles to hear people cheering YOU on. However if hearing "Go, {your name}" 50x during the race is going to bother, you can skip this advice. 

Before the 2014 Chicago Marathon 

9. Have some landmarks in mind.

Look at the course map and check out some of the major mile markers. Locate practical landmarks such as where water stations and aid stations are going to be. I also like knowing the course landmarks at specific miles. At the Chicago Marathon I know that once I get to Chinatown (and see the big dragon!) I only have a few miles to go. At the Boston Marathon I was focused on getting to the famous Citgo Sign and then those famous turns down Boylston and Hereford at the end. I also like knowing where my friends and family may be. It's nice to know that at Mile X there will be a cheer station or that your family is going to try to see you at Mile X. Those things keep be going during races! 

I was PUMPED to get to the November Project cheer station at the 2017 Philadelphia Marathon

10. The race starts at mile 20.
You may have heard this before, but the marathon is a 20 mile warm up followed by a 10K race. Hopefully you have come up with and used some mental strategies for the marathon because spoiler alert-it is more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I use mantras that I repeat to myself including  "stronger than you know" (sometimes out loud). Also try to relax and not think about how long the race is or how you are going to feel at Mile 18. Take it one mile at a time and run the mile you are in. Also know that going out too fast at Mile 2 will leave you not feeling great at Mile 20. 

I love having mantras on my Momentum Jewelry motivate wrap bracelets. 

There probably will be highs and lows during your race, but crossing that finish line (especially if it is your first marathon) is a special feeling. Remember that it probably will be painful, but pain is temporary. Your journey to the start line is maybe even more important than the actual race, so enjoy every moment. 

Pain is temporary, glory is forever! {Chicago Marathon 2016}

Candy as Running Fuel? {My Top 4 Favorites}

Disclosure: The products from Goetzes were received complimentary to review and share. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As I mentioned in my last post (all about my favorite runner recovery tools!) I am just finishing up training for my 7^th marathon. So many questions. How did this happen? I guess I really am a marathoner instead of a person who ran a couple marathons now? Don’t you get hungry on long run. The answer to that last question is definitely yes. I usually always eat a little something before long runs and practice fueling so my body is used to what’s going to be happening on race day. Typically I don’t eat during runs if my run is less than 75 minute-ish. I do fuel more on race day than I do in training runs too. I’m a fan of Honey Stinger Ginsting gels (like caffeinated honey in a packet), Huma gels, and GU gels. I do take some chews on middle distance runs or half marathons. In a pinch though, I always turn to adding some candy into my fueling. Or taking a Ziploc bag of Swedish Fish with me on a 13 mile run. It’s kind of an excuse to indulge my sweet tooth, but also is pure sugar running fuel.  

For marathoners, it is recommended to intake 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, depending on his or her speed and size. Carbohydrate gels like the ones I mentioned I use or even Sports Beans contain between 20-25 grams of carbohydrate per packet. If you look at some of these candies, they contain 20-27 grams of carbohydrate per serving as well.

mini Cow Tales vs. Birthday Cake GU

This is really talking about marathon distance over other distances. Fully carb loaded, your body can only store about 60-90 minutes of carbohydrates. For more information on marathon fueling check out this awesome post via Charm City Run’s blog. Typically you only need to fuel. Anyways, you want some fast, pure sugar coursing through your veins fast so why not turn to candy. This article from Runner’s World does a nice job of explaining the pros and cons of using candy as fuel.  

Pros of Using Candy as a Fuel

-It is delicious

-Candy is cheaper than most running fuel.

-Candy can be bought at any convenience store, drug store, etc.

-It’s sugar.

Cons of Using Candy as Fuel

-Some studies show that taking in more than one type of sugar carbohydrate can speed absorption and lower chances of GI issues

-It doesn’t include any electrolytes or caffeine like many of the running fuels do.

-Most candy contains artificial colors and preservatives which aren’t the healthiest/best for you and may cause GI distress.

So I’d say try it for yourself. It’s a nice way to switch up fueling for a run or if you happen to find yourself without fancier running fuel on you. Again, I love candy as a supplement to my gels for longer distances, something to eat before an afternoon/evening run or to eat during a middle distance run. 

These 4 candies are my favorite running fuel candy options which are tried and true for me. Again, always test any new fueling out to see if your body tolerates it during a training run :) 

1 . Swedish Fish

First of all I love Swedish Fish period. They are a little chewy, with that delicious strawberryish flavor. They don’t take a lot of chew when I’m on the run and also don’t melt a ton. Unfortunately for any other time but fortunately for running, you only need a handful to make a serving so there isn’t a ton of candy you need to consume at once.

2. Gummy Bears

Another delicious candy. This option is great because you can bring one serving which is usually somewhere between 12-17 bears give or take (depending on brand) so you have lots of little bites of sugar. With gummy bears you also get a few different flavors in each handful.They can get gooey or involve a lot of chewing, so they aren’t always the best mid-run option.

3. Cow Tales

Caramels with a little creamy center. These do have some milk ingredients in the cream which can be iffy when choosing candy as fueling because the fat can cause GI issues plus is slower digesting-they are also wheat-based if you have any allergies. Popping a few of these in my mouth before a run hasn’t been a problem for me so far with my already very sensitive stomach (hasn’t made anything worse) so I’d say as with anything, try it and see how your body likes it.

These are individually wrapped and don’t melt which is a plus. I used to eat these all the time as a kid and love how chewy and delicious they are. Goetze's Candy , which I found out was a Maryland-based company, was nice enough to send me some Caramel Creams and mini Cow Tales since I’m such a sweet tooth. Let’s just saw these did not last very long, with and without running!

4. Twizzlers

Twizzlers are a weird strawberry chewy candy that I happen to like. They cemented themselves as a great running candy when I grabbed a few from a stranger during the Boston Marathon at one of the middle miles when I was freezing cold, soaking wet, and candy seemed like a good idea. Despite it being a monsoon, Twizzlers do not get gross when wet! It was also something that was easy to hold and take a few bites out with while running. I was actually snacking on a serving of them before a couple afternoon workouts last week!

Do you use any nontraditional or runner-specific fueling options?

Berlin Marathon Training Recap #2 (Weeks #6-9)

Summer has been flying by which means so has marathon training. Like I mentioned in my first Berlin Marathon training recap, my mileage has still been lower than my 2015 and 2016 training cycles. I've gotten all of my hotels booked and figured out all my travel for getting to Berlin for the race as well as a return flight home out of Munich. I think my mileage has moved up safely and steadily, but having a nice base for marathon training since Boston has helped too. Here's how the past few weeks of training have been going for the 2018 Berlin Marathon. 

Week 6

Week 6 was a lower mileage week than I wanted, but I was able to get in a solid 12 mile long run with 3 miles at marathon race pace which felt good. However on that long run I had some GI issues so I had to take a bathroom break and had some miles that were a struggle. Because of my schedule I ended up doing my long run on Thursday which felt weird. I have been really trying this cycle to make my easy miles at an easy pace, keeping it nice and slow. 

Post-long run acai bowls are always a good idea

Week 7

This week I hit over 40 miles for the first time during training.  I did another long run this week with my friend Lizzy who is training for her first full marathon so that made many of the miles on my 17 mile long run fly by! I also got in a solid tempo run on the treadmill this week along with a HIIT class. I actually have done at least one run a week on the treadmill if it's shorter because of thunderstorms or humidity and heat. I don't mind getting through a tempo run on the treadmill if I can watch Netflix on my phone!

Netflix and treadmill. 

Because of coaching I ended up doing over 9 slow miles the day after my long run which adds some extra training on tired legs for sure. 

Week 8

Week 8 included another over 9 mile run on Saturday, the day after my long run. It was nice to get in another Friday long run with Lizzy while I still was not working full-time yet. This week was really humid so my long run and Saturday run felt swampy and rough.

Drenched post-run feels

I was happy to also get in some true cross-training this week including some lifting as well as a jumping fitness class that uses small trampolines at Movement Lab. It's kind of like dancing and jumping to the beat of music on trampolines and is SO much fun!   

Week 9

Week 9 was just under 40 miles agin. I had to cut my speed workout short this week due to dehydration and feeling really overheated. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I also got in another tempo treadmill workout and some recovery miles while coaching my training group on Saturday. 

Post-drenched foot selfie, because my selfie of me looking like a wet dog no one needs to see! 

Friday I did my long run but because I had a race at night I decided to do it in 2 parts with a 25 minute drive in between. I ran 9 on the treadmill at ~9:14/mi which was mentally tough and then literally changed my shirt and drove to the Sneaks Come Out at Night 15K sponsored by Back on my Feet Baltimore. I started the race too fast throwing in some sub-8 miles and slowed down to just over 8 minutes/mile by the end because on my 3rd 5K loop (for the 15K runners did 3 loops), there was a torrential downpour and thunderstorm. The rain got into my eyes and messed up my contacts plus was just some driving rain. Luckily my mantra for rain that isn't cold is, "at least it's not like the 2018 Boston Marathon"! After the race and 18 total miles I was toast so I came home to a hot shower, cold beer, and pizza for dinner. 

Highs

For most of my long runs I have been using my Ultimate Directions Hydration Vesta (full review here). It has been a great hydration pack choice after I was getting frustrated with my waist hydration belt and my other options for carrying water which is a necessity during long runs in Baltimore in the summer.

 It is hard to do my own marathon training when I am coaching at Charm City Run, my local running store, especially because my group meets on Saturday mornings. It was nice to get in most of my long runs done before the weekend so that they didn't have to be interrupted or broken up. 

Lows

I have been slacking on doing my glute and hip exercises as well as foam-rolling more (story of every runner's life?) . I think instead of nebulously saying that I should do recovery work that I need to pick an actual day and make it part of my schedule. I am thinking maybe Mondays. I also need to keep drinking water because of this heat and humidity. Being dehydrated for runs already sets me up for a terrible run. 

You can follow along with my marathon training on social media with my hashtag #breathedeeplyandrunberlin . 

Are you training for any races or events? How do you deal with training during the summer? 

Gear Review: Ultimate Direction Race Vesta 4.0

Disclaimer: I purchased this Ultimate Directions vest on my own-this is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

As a running coach and marathoner, I often am asked about hydration belts, bottles, and vests. I trained for and ran my first two marathons with a Fuelbelt hydration belt with 2 small bottles (that I picked up at a Marshalls on sale). I was never a fan of it, but it seemed to be an okay solution to carrying water on the course. My 3^rd marathon, I ran with a handheld water bottle. For my 4^th through 6^th marathons I haven’t carried water on the course, but have relied on the on-course water stations. With big marathons such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston there are so many water stations that it is easy to not carry any hydration gear with me if the weather is not hot.

The problem has been training in Baltimore hot & humid summers for long distance races. I have been using a Flipbelt with a water bottle or this Peak Hydration Nathan pack for training. I tried a Camelbak on a couple runs a few summers ago and did not like all the sloshing as well as cleaning out the bladder. This summer anything on my waist has been really annoying me. That fact, plus toying around with the idea of running a 50K later this Fall, I decided to start looking into purchasing a hydration vest with bottles.

After much deliberation, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the Ultimate Direction Race Vesta 4.0 which I found on sale for under $80 (it retails for $114.95). This isn't a sponsored post, I am just sharing my thoughts on the vest because I've gotten a some questions about it. I chose it because it has two bottles that sit up front on the chest, it’s lightweight, and it had good reviews. I ran with the Race Vesta for the first time and had not properly watched the videos on how to adjust it so it bounced a lot. Since properly adjusting it, it has minimal bounce and is my new go-to long run gear.  Here’s an overview and my thoughts on the Ultimate Direction Race Vesta 4.0.

Overall

(All information via Ultimate Direction) 

-Available in two sizes: XS/SM, MD/LG (I bought the XS/SM version)

-Available in two colors: pink or blue

-MSRP: $114.95

-Materials: 4-way stretch woven mesh, 30D coated nylon ripstop, micromono mesh, and 150g flex mono mesh.

-Includes (2) BodyBottles 500s (500 mL soft bottles)

-Volume Capacity: 494.29 in³ / 8.1 L

-Weight: With Bottles-9.56 oz. / 271 g ; Without Bottles-6.1 oz. / 173 g

According to Ultimate Direction, the women’s Vesta differs from the men’s Vesta in that it has a different configuration for pole attachment, is compatible with a 2L hydration bladder, includes two zippered pockets instead of stash pockets on the bottle pockets.  

This vest is one of the more lightweight hydration vests from Ultimate Direction, with larger vests including the Ultra and Adventure Vestas.

Features

-Sliding Rail Sternum Straps (adjustable!)

-Extensive Front Storage (2 zippered and 2 bottle pockets)

-Trekking pole holders

-Comfort Cinch TM Technology

The Good

I love how lightweight the vest is. It doesn’t add a lot of bulk and feels really breathable on the run. The fabric is really stretchy too so the vest fits well to my body and feels like it moves with me. I have never used soft bottles before but like them so far. From the placement of the bottle pockets on the front, I am able to use the bite valve on the bottles to drink easily without removing the bottles from the vest.  The bottles in the bottle pockets sit right above “the girls” and feel comfortable and aren’t right up in my face when I’m running either.

I have been using the zippered storage pockets for my gels and fuel as well as my debit card.  I love that the zippers mean everything is nice and secure. The fabric of the vest is stretchy so I can even fit my Samsung Galaxy S9 phone in one of the zippered pockets, but prefer to have it more easily accessible in one of the bottle pockets. I’ve been running with one of the bottles filled with water and Nuun Hydration in one of the bottle pockets along with an extra bottle filled with plain water in the large back compartment that I can switch out. Since I have been using this for running, I cannot speak to the trekking pole holders.

I love that the vest is easily cinched with the shock cords on the top and bottom in the back. On my first run with it, I did not pull the bottom shock cords tight enough and really tighten up the cords in the back to stop most of the bouncing. Once I adjusted it properly, the vest and bottles bounced barely at all.

The fact that you can move the placement of the sternum straps up and down is awesome. I am 5’4” and bought the XS/SM size based on the sizing chart and did not adjust the sternum straps from their original placement.

The Bad

I love the light pink and blue color options, generally speaking but always worry about gear getting dirty. After a handful of runs, I already have a dirt spot on the front of my vest. Sure, it’s easy enough to just throw the vest in the wash to clean it, but I would appreciate a gray color option as well.

As I mentioned, the pack is really stretchy. I haven’t tried to use a hydration bladder in it yet, but have been putting a filled water bottle, extra gels, or something like a light rain coat in the large back compartment. The large compartment doesn’t have any extra support on the bottom so I’m not sure how heavy it would feel if I loaded up the back compartment for a longer race and am worried it might wear out the fabric quickly due to the sagging strain on it.

One last nit-picky detail is that in the right side bottle pocket there is also an emergency whistle which has its own little pocket. It sometimes comes out of the pocket and bounces around which can be annoying. I wish it was just a bit more securely fastened in the pocket.

Takeaway

I think the Ultimate Direction RaceVesta 4.0  is a great, lightweight option for marathoners or ultra marathoners who want a hands-free way to carry a smaller amount of fuel and gear during training runs or for a race. It’s a great option for ladies like me who need to do some longer runs with just the essentials-phone, fuel, and hydration.

Do you use any sort of hydration belt or vest? How do you carry your gear with you on longer runs? 

Berlin Marathon Training Recap #1 (Weeks 1-5)

My Fall Marathon Plans

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know that I've been training for the Berlin Marathon for the past 5 weeks. SURPRISE! 

I entered the lottery on a whim because I've never been to Germany, and my new bucket list item after running the Boston Marathon is to run all 6 of the World Marathon Majors (a series of 6 of the biggest and most "renowned" marathons in the world). Also spending days after a marathon drinking beer in Germany sounds fabulous. Yes, I've already been warned by multiple people that the beer the race has at the finish is non-alcoholic! To my surprise, I actually got picked via the lottery! 

For months it was this thing I might be doing, but once May hit I knew I had to start training soon so I either had to book flights and make it real or not. I planned on taking a big trip in celebration of graduating from my M.S. program so this is it, just a bit belated. I ended up booking flights and a couple hotel rooms in June, followed by having a panic attack that I rooms were already getting booked up and that I knew nothing about Germany. 

Committing to the race was stressful because of the unknown timeline of my passing my occupational therapy board exams and finding a full-time job (which I am still searching for). The job search along with some other things in my personal life have been extra anxiety-inducing lately, so I still feel like I'm not shouting it from the rooftops that I'm running the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Some travel plans are to be determined, so I may even be making the trip alone-which honestly scares me. 

I've already run the Chicago Marathon 3x, the Boston Marathon, and now tentatively the Berlin Marathon which would be 3 of the 6 World Marathon Majors. Also can we talk about how this will be my 7th marathon?!

2 down, 4 to go for the World Marathon Majors

I trained for the 2018 Boston Marathon conservatively out of fear of getting injured plus wanting to run it for fun. After the race, I took the time to recover and slowly get back into running in May. I am ready to have a full, more challenging training cycle for Berlin, but my race goals are still to be determined. I am following basically my training plan for the 2016 Chicago Marathon but am listening to my body and have been adding extra rest days as needed. #NeverNotScaredOfGettingInjured

Berlin Marathon Training Weeks 1-5 Recap

While my mileage was already in the 30s by this time in the plan in 2016, for the past 5 weeks I have been hovering around 29-30 miles a week which is low to many but is okay for me right now. The past couple weeks have not been quality training weeks due to distractions, but I'm ready to take Week 6 of training and get back into. 

My plan basically has one full rest day, long run (a couple of which I've had to split into 2 runs with a short break in between due to my coaching groups, which is less than ideal), a tempo run, a speed or hills workout, and some easy runs and cross-training days including November Project-Baltimore at least once a week.

I have been switching my runs and workouts around to fit my schedule but think I've been a little too easygoing the past few weeks and need to get into a stricter routine. The heat and humidity has also made many of my runs feel crummy. Two weeks ago when there was a heat wave (you know, real feel in the high 90s and 100 degrees) I had a 16 mile long run that ended particularly terribly and included multiple water stops including a stop at 711. I really felt out of it for most of the day afterwards. Heat exhaustion and dehydration is no joke, everyone. 

Despite the heat I really like marathon training in the summer better than the winter. It may be the comfort of having trained for all my marathons except Boston in the summer or the fact that I need to get my long runs out of the way in the AM due to the heat. It may just be despite terrible hazy temperatures and thick, humid air that your girl just loves warm weather over cold weather any day. 

Here is your daily reminder to go drink some water if like me sometimes you forget to keep your water bottle next to you and end up dehydrated. Also here's my reminder to continue to do my pre-run warm-ups, hip and glute resistance band exercises, as well as foam-roll religiously this training cycle. 

After one of my awesome-feeling tempo runs!

In conclusion, I am definitely marathon training again and will be posting more regular training updates. 

Follow along on social media with my hashtag #breathedeeplyandrunberlin . I also seriously considered making my hashtag #willrunforpretzelsandbeer, because that is the truth. So let's call it the unofficial hashtag (and maybe of my life?).