Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had a relaxing weekend over here full of hiking, Netflix, and good cabernet sauvignon to wind down after a busy week of work and marathon training. 

If you are planning on a marathon this summer or fall, be sure to check out my Marathon Training Group! Pre registration is open and the group officially begins training on June 6, with flexible starts for your individual training based on the date of your race. 

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Monday: AM: 8 mile run with 2 x 15 minutes at tempo pace (7:28/mile avg); PM: 20 minute Pilates workout

Even though (or maybe because) I rested the day before, my legs felt stiff and heavy. I had calf cramps during the second half of the run but held my pace until the cool down mile. On top of that it was hot outside (hot for Seattle, meaning I’m complaining about 65 degree temperatures on this run). Usually I love tempo workouts, especially tempo intervals, but I was glad to be finished with this workout. But, on paper, I had a good workout!

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Tuesday: AM: 5 mile easy run + 5 strides, 8:58/mile; PM: Strength training

I kept this run short and easy, with some strides thrown in to loosen up the legs.  I split the miles between the paved trail and gravel trail, since the marathon is technically a trail marathon and on a gravel/dirt path. I don’t mind running on gravel – several miles of the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon were on gravel trail and it’s so much easier on the legs. 

I had the honor this week of interviewing on the Diz Runs podcast, which I listen to while driving and running on the treadmill (which I haven’t run on the treadmill in weeks, now that I think about it). This is my second podcast interview and I’m really excited for when it goes live on the first Monday in May!

For strength training, I slightly modified Eat Spin Run Repeat’s spring strength workout for endurance athletes. I warmed up with some high knees, butt kicks, and skaters, and then did 3 x 12 weighted squats, 3 x 8 weighted reverse to side lunges, 2 x 8 single leg deadlifts, 2 x 12 hamstring curls with the swiss ball, 2 x 10 push ups, 2 x 15 donkey kicks, and 2 x 1 min plank. My strength goal for this marathon training cycle is to prepare my hamstrings, glutes, and quads for the demand of running downhill for 26.2 miles. This workout was fun – definitely one worth repeating. 

Wednesday: AM: 9 mile run with 6 miles at moderate effort; PM: 30 minutes Pilates

It was warm this morning and was a sweaty mess by the end of this workout. These moderate efforts runs are fun because you just get into a sort of flow, don’t worry about the pace, and enjoy some faster but not fatiguing running. 

Thursday: 3 mile easy run with Charlie, 9:50/mile

After how last week’s strength workout left my legs a bit sore before the long run + long hike combo of the weekend, I decided to leave Thursdays as a recovery run or complete rest day – no weights and no Pilates. Charlie and I headed out for an easy run, which included a few walk intervals as I didn’t want to push Charlie as he adapts to the warmer weather. 

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Friday: 14 mile progression long run with last 20 minutes moderate, avg pace 8:30/mile

Thanks to the easy recovery run yesterday, my legs felt good for my long run. I maintained an easy effort on this run until the progression, and found myself easing comfortably into a 7:40/mile average pace for the final 20 minutes. I love progression long runs because they teach you how to run fast on tired legs without completely exhausting your body. They are certainly beneficial for training the legs and the mind to hold onto pace during the last miles of a marathon or half marathon.

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Saturday: 5.75 mile hike, 1200 foot elevation gain

We headed back to Talapus and Olallie Lakes in Snoqualmie Pass (where we hiked in December) for an easy hike. Since the trail was still buried in snow up to Olallie Lake, we ended up off-trailing and just finding our own way. Meanwhile Charlie played his charm on all of the other hikers for belly rubs. Later that night Ryan and I grabbed beers and Mexican food for dinner (yum, fish tacos!) because two weeks in and marathon training already makes me crave salt. A big dinner always hits the spot after hard efforts! 

Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2

Sunday: 4 mile treadmill hill run, 8:58/mile + bodyweight strength training

Rain was pouring down so Ryan and I opted for side-by-side treadmills rather than the trails. I followed this hill workout to add incline for variety but kept the pace easy. Thankfully, the trail simulation videos on the treadmill made the miles pass by quickly. For strength, I did 2 x 10 push ups, 2 x 15 prisoner squats, 2 x 15 superman back extensions, 2 x 10 single leg bridges per leg, and 2 x 10 reverse Russian twists. Everything was wrapped up by foam rolling and then a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

43 miles run | 5.75 miles hike | 4 supplemental workouts

Linking up for Weekly Wrap

[Tweet “Pdocasts, hiking, and Jack and Jill Marathon Training Week 2 #weeklywrap #marathontraining via @thisrunrecipes”]

Do your legs feel stiff and heavy or energized after rest days?
How was your weekend? Did anyone race? 
What foods do you crave as you increase your mileage?

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24 Responses

    1. Thank you! Good point on foam rolling! I didn’t foam roll on the off day and I bet that contributed to the stiff legs feeling – especially after the hard hike the prior day.

  1. Rest days are funny like that! You never know what you’ll feel like the day after. This week the day after my rest day was awesome! I felt like I could run forever. Of course I could only squeeze in a shorter run because of kid and life activities. Boo!

    1. Awesome you had one of those runs that felt that good! Those post-rest day could go forever runs are seriously the best, almost as good as a PR but they happen more often!

  2. Great training week Laura! My legs usually still feel a little stiff after a rest day, just based on the workouts I did earlier in the week. I don’t know if I crave anything specific as I increase mileage–I’ll eat anything in sight, ha! Actually, I do crave a good craft beer!

    1. Thank you Jen! Oh yes does a good craft beer taste good when mileage increases! Ha, probably the reason I love Mexican food so much is exactly what you say – eating anything in sight, which with Mexican food includes a big basket of fresh chips!

    1. It took me a while to train Charlie to run! We started running when he was 9 months old with walk-run intervals. Nearly three years later and we still have some runs where he wants to stop and sniff everything or tries to chase bicycles, but overall with practice he trained well into it! Having the hands free leash does help because when he pulls, my core grounds him and stops him from dragging me, rather than him pulling and dragging me by my arm.

  3. Sounds like another great week of training, Laura!!

    We love great Mexican food! That is actually one food “group” that I will REALLY crave after long runs/tough workouts. You and Ryan should check out Matador.

    My legs will sometimes feel very heavy after a rest day…other times they can feel light as a feather. Very frustrating!

    Overall the weekend was good. Long-ish run and various parties on Saturday, Sunday was filled with soccer & baseball (even in the rain!).

    1. Thank you Aimee! Oooh, every time we drive by the Matador in Redmond I can just smell the intoxicating goodness of Mexican food – definitely need to actually try there! Sounds like you had a good weekend as well, although I can’t believe the games continued in that rain we had yesterday!

  4. Looks like a great week of workouts and quality training for your full!

    I have found that I perform much better in races if I don’t take the day off before, so I think maybe I’m a little stiff, too. I’ve been playing around with rest days and learning these things, sometimes you have to experiment. Glad you had some good weather for your runs and got to be outside… it still amazes me that people in other regions are training for marathons in the summer, when it’s so hot here, but I know others think that about us in the winter when we train!

    1. It’s weird because the one time a rest day doesn’t leave me stiff is a rest before a race day! Running is one prolonged experiment with constant tweaks needed, especially when changing to a different distance. I think summer marathons are popular here because it’s usually fairly cool (especially in the mountains) but there’s significantly less rain in the summer – marathons like the Seattle Marathon is fall are typically rainy!

  5. Good to hear you’re taking the downhill marathon seriously and working on those quads! Build those bad boys up so they can handle the pounding. Atta girl.

    1. Thank you! Hiking helps also with getting used to the force of downhill, but quad/glute/hammy strength will only help! Now just to stay consistent in it 🙂

    1. It’s like the muscles begin to heal up and then they’re like, no, don’t run again! What Lisa said in her comment about foam rolling also makes a lot of sense. And thank you!

  6. How cool to be interviewed on a podcast! A progression run has always been my favorite. I’ll be training for Chicago in the dead of summer…in Dixie, which means early morning starts around 78 degrees plus insane humidity. I don’t want to even talk about the temp at the end! It’s very challenging and of course my pace is nowhere near winter paces. I never quite adapt to it. I could eat fish tacos every day of the week. But I must have sour cream too! Thanks for linking with us Laura.

    1. Thank you! Ooff summer marathon training will be rough! I’m a soft PNWer when it comes to weather (I was before I even moved here, ha), so those temperatures and humidity sound insane to me! But training in the heat and humidity will make running in what will hopefully be cool fall temperatures even easier 🙂

  7. If I’ve had an active rest then I’m usually fine but its when I do nothing that is the worse! That is pretty cool about you being interviewed on a podcast you regularly listen too! I will have to look out for it! Aww I love that you take Charlie with you on runs. My dog loves to go too!
    Thanks for linking up!

    1. Thank you! I am super excited about it and it made the interview easier to be familiar with how the show went. I love how dogs love running! Thank you for hosting!

  8. Sometimes I enjoy the rest days but on rest days, I usually feel very heavy and out of energy…..
    I hope tomorrow will be a good day to run (today was my rest day)! I could probably only squeeze in a four or five miler but I’m not complaining! It’s hard to fit a good marathon training when you have to juggle kids, housework, and your own full time work!
    I love to run so any runs I can get in is a good thing 🙂

    1. I hope you have a good run tomorrow! That’s so admirable to train with kids, housework, and full time work – props to you and good luck on your training!

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