GETTYSBURG MARATHON TRAINING : WEEK 7 + GIVEAWAY!

These weeks are just flying by now!  I can't believe that I'm already sharing another weekly update on my training.  This was another good week for me- I feel like I have a down week then a really good week.  Does any one else's training go like that?

I was so happy that Pittsburgh had some nice, spring-like weather this week so most of my runs were outside.  Let's take a look at my training, and make sure you stick around for the end of the post for an exciting giveaway!

monday

Yoga

I did some light stretches, not following any specific video or flow but just going through some moves that felt good.  I followed a lot of the stretches that I shared in my post about favorite poses!

tuesday

4 miles

This was a very, very gross run.  There was tons of slushy snow and ice, so I basically just slogged it out for four miles.  Not a great run but I got it done.

wednesday

6.75 miles / 57:30 / 8:31 pace

Sidewalks were even worse (slushy roads that freeze over night = not ideal running conditions) so once again I was stuck inside for speed work.  Not ideal, but better than skipping or getting hurt.  

The workout was 4 x 1 mile repeats with 1/4 mile rest in between. Goal pace for each mile was 7:50-8:15, and splits ended up being 8:00, 8:00, 7:56, 7:45. My legs felt good and I was able to hit those paces with no issue, so I was happy overall!

thursday

Rest day- yay!

friday

4 miles / 36:50 / 9:12 pace

I had a lot of emotions going on this day (more on that to come) so I'm grateful that I can go out for a run to release all those feelings.  I had so much energy and this was a perfect way to get it all out.  Sometimes there's nothing better than an all-out run when you need it.

saturday

3 miles

We had absolutely gorgeous weather this weekend, so I had to take advantage of it with Selma!  We went out for a run together and ended up covering about three miles.  She loved it and was so tired afterwards!

sunday

17 miles / 2:38:00 / 9:17 pace

I was really nervous about this run, because I knew that this would be my longest training run ever.  Even though I've run two full marathons, I've never trained over 15 miles so to me this was a huge milestone.  I was worried about everything going wrong or not being able to finish.

I decided to run at North Park, but didn't want to do 3 1/2 laps of the lake, so I switched it up a bit.  I ran the McKinney loop from the Just a Short Run race, then did a lap around the lake.  Did a second lap of McKinney and did a lap going the other way around the lake.  Dan met me at a parking lot about a mile down the road so that I would finish at 17 miles.  

It was a beautiful day and I felt great the entire run!  I brought along some gels and dates with me, but besides having a bite of a date at mile 8 I really didn't need anything.  I didn't want to force myself to eat and my stomach felt full from properly fueling in the morning and the night before.  I also stopped for water twice..thank goodness for the water pump at the football field or I would have gone water-less the entire time.  Two thumbs up for this run!

Giveaway

I can't believe it, but GretchRuns turns 1 year old today!  I've learned so much throughout this year, and have really enjoyed using this space as a way to connect with other people both near and far, and have a bit of a creative outlet.  I really appreciate each comment that I receive and every view and share that my posts get, so I wanted to do a little giveaway as a small way to say thanks.  

I asked a few weeks ago what kinds of items you would like in a giveaway, and a lot of you suggested a collections of my favorites.  That's just what I'm doing!  I'll be giving away:

Picky Bars - my favorite pre-run fuel that never upset my stomach, in two flavors
Trader Joe's Cookie and Cocoa Swirl - pretty much the best spread I've ever tried
Kat von D Tattoo Eyeliner - great eyeliner for beginners or makeup-aholics alike
40 Days: Life, Love, Loss and a Historic Run Around One of the World's Largest Lakes - one of the most inspiring stories I've ever read
+ a few other surprises!  because who doesn't love surprises?

I would also like to give a huge thank you to Steven Cannon for offering a copy of his book for this giveaway!  I know that I raved about it and told you all how inspirational it was, so I had to include a copy for one of you to enjoy.  Other than that, this is not a sponsored giveaway in any way, and all other prizes were purchased by me.

Enter this giveaway using the Rafflecopter below!  The giveaway will run for one week- from today till the 28th at midnight.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

post contains affiliate links- thank you for your support so I can do more fun giveaways in the future!
linking up with Erin, Carylee, Jenna,  Holly, Tricia and Katie