September in Review

Time for another monthly review! Mileage recap, what went well, what didn't, and October goals!

2011 Mileage Recap:

January: 66.62

February: 75.69

March: 109.97
April: 103.58
May: 96.99
June: 124.2

July: 151.95

August: 172.61

September: 193.06

What went well:

At one point my September training plan had 190 miles on it. While I had originally hoped to exceed that and push close to 200, I'm happy enough to have reached 193. It was a tough month filled with a new schedule, stress, and the threat of injuries.

This month I ran my first 20-miler ever! I never knew something could hurt so much, yet feel so good at the same time.

I finished my second half marathon and set a new PR by almost 9 minutes. This is something I am extremely proud of!

I started weekly runs with Back on My Feet! I've been wanting to do this for awhile and get more involved in the community. I'm glad I finally got myself out there.

I also hit the 1000 mileage mark for 2011 sometime this month, which was pretty cool!

What didn't go well:

This month I really fell off the speed work wagon. Though I started out the month with an excellent session of mile repeats and the introduction of yassos, I couldn't keep up with the workouts and I became very frightened of speed. Overall I would say both my training and races were a lot speedier during the first half of the month than the second half. At one point I clocked a 10 mile training run after work with an 8:17 pace. Last week I barely made the 10 minute per mile mark doing 11 miles. Perhaps I'm still recovering from the half marathon, or perhaps the re-emergence of the humidity the last two weeks is holding me back, but I know I also need to make more of a commitment to get my speed work in.

Going right along with this, I had a miserable showing at the Paper Mill 5k last Saturday. Oh well, they can't all be great. There will be other 5ks!

I'd say the leading cause of my sluggish pace the later half of this month had been the threat of injury. Runners around me are dropping like flies in what has become the peak of marathon training for many. I've been all too aware of every tiny ache or pull in my legs. After some speedy runs I had a lot of calf pain, which is why I've slowed down so much. Speed has suddenly become scary. Dear legs, just get me through October and then I can taper!

On the non-running end of things, I've had a really hard time keeping on the healthy eating wagon this month. Time to prepare healthy meals has been scant and I've been giving into cravings a lot more. This week I have been trying to detox myself with a mostly vegan,/entirely vegetarian diet. While this is something I always try to uphold, this month has been less than successful and both my insides and outsides have felt gross.

October goals:

There are a lot of things to look forward to in October:

• Ragnar Relay next weekend
• My first 22 miler
• Reaching 50 mpw and beyond as I reach the peak of my training
• Weekend bike trip in Gettysburg
• Fall weather (finally!)

The first week of school in September was really stressful for me, but in just a few weeks I've become used to my new work load and schedule and it feels manageable. I feel confident going into October that I will be able to handle all of the extra challenges coming my way.

While I'd love to say my biggest goal is to stick precisely to my training plan for this next month, what I really need to work on is listening to my body. October is "make it or break it" time. I'll reach peak mileage the last week of the month and then I'll start my taper in November. I need to train smart and eat smart. It's not time to mess around!