With all the fun Memorial Day, I forgot a Weekly Wrap post this week.  Instead, I am linking up with Patty, Erika, and Marcia for Tuesdays on the Run to bring you my recap of Berlin Marathon training week 2.

The focus for this training cycle is speed.  For the past 18 months, I have worked on ultra marathon training.  My initial training focus was getting used to trail running and long distance as I trained for my first 50 mile race.  Then I started to add elevation training to the long distance when I trained for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k last September.  Then I took some time off before training for the Earth Day 50k in April.  I extensively focused on elevation and strength training which lead to a 3rd place finish.

But not it’s time for some speed again.  While I don’t know if I can make it back to the 3:11 I ran at Chicago Marathon 2016, I do want to see how fast I can get with this monstrous endurance base.  My training plan for the Berlin Marathon is 6 days of running.  Tempo workouts on Tuesday, shorter track intervals on Thursdays and long runs on Saturday.  Some of the long runs will have race pace layered in.  The other days I will do easy runs and strength classes.  Sundays will still be trail runs because I don’t want to entirely give them up.  Plus the idea of being able to run on the trails without a specific workout is refreshing.

Monday 5/21

Run: Easy 6 miles.  For each mile, the weather got worse.  First mile was cloudy, next was cloudy and windy, then a few raindrops.  Then a steady drizzle, a rumble of thunder, and then the skies opened up on me.  I think Mother Nature confused my easy run with a rain dance.

Other: In the evening, a bunch of November Project friends and I went to one of those wine and paint evenings.  It was a blast!

Tuesday 5/22

Run: In the morning I ran a 5k time trial.  It was really hard to push myself to run a 5k alone, and I think I could have run faster.  But it was a good benchmark! Finished the morning cheering on the Sprint Tuesday crew while doing my PT exercises.

Other: Tuesday are going to be my double run days with speed in the morning and easy in the evening.  Luckily EDGE does their group runs in the evening on the 606. I can do the warmup with them and then a recovery run on the path to cheer them on as they workout.  It’ll be nice as Chicago Marathon training starts since I will be one of the group coaches.

Wednesday 5/23

Run: Strength class in the morning.  My new favorite compound exercise: Put resistance band around legs and so a squat jump to inchworm to plank jack and back up.  Repeat for 60 seconds.  I followed up the class with 10 min of PT exercises focusing on hips, glutes and hamstrings.

Other:  In the afternoon, I published a new recipe for Memorial Day.  Vegan BBQ Bean burgers.  They’re make with kidney beans, quinoa, walnuts, BBQ sauce and chickpea flour.  5-ingredients, gluten-free, baked, and super easy to make.

Thursday 5/24

Run:  Track workout.  2 sets of 2x800s and 2x400s.  I joined EDGE at Montrose at 5:30.  Luckily Michael was there are we run the same pace.  We pushed each other to end on the up!  Ended the morning at EDGE, again doing a mini set of core and balance exercises.

Friday 5/25

Run:  Run to NP + PR day.  November Project changed PR day to the last Friday of the month and created a hard workout downtown.  We start at the Langham Building on N. State Street and sprint south to the Vietnam Memorial.  One pushup, three laps on the stairs, then sprint back up Wabash to the start and do one burpee. Then we repeat, adding 2 pushups and burpees for lap two, three for lap three, etc.  It was HARD but will be great training.  I completed 10 laps, automatic PR for my first time. Plus there was the best announcement ever! Dani, who interviewed me for the Chicago Marathon, became the third NP Chi co-leader.  I’m so excited to see what workouts she makes for us.

Saturday 5/26 

Run:  I ran 13 miles in Highland Park.  My initial plan was to do 30 second pickups to half marathon pace at the top of every mile. However, the humidity and heat sucked the energy out of me.  Couple that with no water and I was toast.  For the first 6 miles, I ran the pickups, but for the remaining miles I just held a steady pace.  Lesson learned: bring water! 

Other:  I went to Milwaukee on Saturday to see friends.  I met my old roommates, Jess and Erica, at Blue’s Egg for brunch.  They have a great vegan sausage!  I ordered the root hash and subbed the eggs for the vegan sausage with a side of fruit.  AMAZING.  After, Jess and I went to the Third Ward and did some shopping.  I fell in love with the succulent display I saw at Mod Gen.  I met my friend Moose for drinks at the Journeyman hotel.  They have a new rooftop bar.  We reminisced about college and life and everything in between.

Sunday 5/27 

Run:  Went to the trails with Nez for 6 miles.  It was HUMID and HOT.  I could have sworn we were doing 8:30 paces but it was 10:30.  The trails look so different in the summer – I love all the green!

Other: In the evening, I went to Shelby’s going away party.  She was such a support for me while training for Earth Day, I’m sad to see her go!

And that’s a wrap for Berlin Marathon training week 2.  Totaled 52 miles. 2 speed workouts, one long run, and three days of speed.  I missed yoga and need to do that this coming week.  Luckily I took the rest of the week off after Memorial Day for a stay-cation so I’m sure I can fit it in.

How was your Memorial Day?  What are you training for? Let’s stay in touch!  Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more food/fitness related posts.  

Happy running,

Becca