Two weeks out from official training, and I’m getting excited. I put my training plan into a Google Calendar today, and while it isn’t 100% set in stone (we have a few trips/visitors to plan around), it’s my plan, and it’s going to be my life for the 17 weeks before the big day. If you want to take a look, click here. Feel free to leave me a comment if you have advice or suggestions for my training!
This week was a good week: 9’11″ tempo run and 55 Nacktschneke (pictures included!). We bought a bike-mounted computer thingy and used the holiday on Thursday (Fronleichnam) to start determining distances in Stadtwald Giessen. It’s nice knowing how far you’ve been running, and it will make me sleep easier about the marathon training, too.
Monday, 19 May 2008
run type: tempo run
route: After a 6-minute warm up, we started the tempo run on the far side of the railroad and made a large loop around Justus-Liebig.
feeling: :)
time: 20’22″
distance: 2.22 for a pace of 9’11″!
additional notes: Man, I cannot believe how not hard this was. I don’t want to say that it was “easy,” because it wasn’t, but it wasn’t killer either. I think I’m getting faster. Which reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw on a car everyday when I parked in lot 24 at Missouri State:
It doesn’t get easier. You get faster.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
run type: Training run
route: All the way to the end of Stadtwald Giessen and back, just like last Monday.
feeling: :D
time: 48’46″
distance: 4.4 miles
additional notes: Awesome run! We made it to the turn-around point in 26’22″ and then back in 22’24″! We really hoofed it on the return trip, and even though I was exhausted when it was over, I did it. Shortly after we turned around, I really felt like I was in The Zone. It lasted for quite a while, and it was amazing. Then something happened. Read about it here, in my Twiterature.
Saturday, 24 May 2008
run type:10k Training run
route: Out to the 2-mile marker, back to the 1-mile marker, back to 2, then to start, turn around and run the 0.25 miles to the bridge.feeling: :)
time: 1h10m06s
distance: 10k/6.2 miles
additional notes: Good run! The hills are still killer, but the run was good. We biked 8 to 10 miles as we tried to fill in our map of the Stadtwald. As soon as we’ve got it finished, I’ll post it.
Nacktschneke/slug
Sunday, 25 May 2008
run type:Recovery run
route: Out to the 2-mile marker and back
feeling: :)
time: 48’56″
distance: 4 miles
additional notes: I took it nice and slow. I pushed three times, but over all, I just focused on running and… counting rust-colored Nacktschnecke (“nahkt-shnehkuh,” or slugs; the German literally means “naked snails”)! I saw 55 of them today, plus three snail. A little distracted? Maybe. Was that a problem? Not on a recovery run. :)
Total Weekly Time: 3h8m
Total Weekly Distance: 16.86 miles (according to LogYourRun
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by rundangerously
05 Jun 2008 at 08:08
omg – i must have been victim to an urban legend!
viewing the gate from the observation platform, the horses faced away from us (east). my friends, who may or may not have been inebriated at the time, told me they originally faced west and were reversed by the russians when the wall was constructed!
so much for taking tourist talk at face value :(
by ColdWarKid
03 Jun 2008 at 18:06
@ rundangerously: not sure what kinda drugs you were on in the 80s but I lived my whole life in Berlin and the horses have never faced in any other direction than east. There is infact paintings of the gate when Napoleon marched through and they were facing the same direction then as well…the gate has never been destroyed so it never actually got rebuild…just had to be renovated over the years a few times…east it has always been and always will be
@linden: just found your blog and wanted to wish best of luck with the marathon training…i myself have run the berlin marathon 6 times now and can only recommend the experience….will you be trying for a certain pace or mostly just trying to finish the race no matter what? ….13:30 minute miles shouldnt be a problem but faster would be nice…just takes so long otherwise
by Linden
03 Jun 2008 at 17:56
@rundangerously: Sounds like quite an amazing trip. I really wish I was old enough to visit East Berlin when it was East Berlin.
Are you sure the horses faced west when you were there? It seems unlikely to me. I found a couple pictures on Wikipedia that clearly show them facing east.
It’s so funny how our memories remember things. I could have sworn that I remember my mom dragging me (8 at the time) and my little brother out of bed late at night to show us the newscast of people crawling over the Wall on November 9th. And I remember it being night in the images. But that doesn’t really match the time difference: If it was midnight there, or even later, we wouldn’t have been in bed yet. My mind just added the extra story to make it more interesting.
by rundangerously
28 May 2008 at 08:44
oh yes! my friend was worked at templehoff at the time (non-military). he picked me up at zoo station and the first thing we did was go to the observation platform at the reichstag. it overlooked the brandenburg tor – at that time had the horses faced the opposite direction!
very amazing introduction to the city. later that week we went to east berlin.
will be back one day to run berlin marathon :D
by Linden
27 May 2008 at 16:02
@rundangerously: Yep, it’ll be my first marathon, but not my first time in Berlin! Did you get to see the wall? Bet you had a great time–it’s such a fun city. I’ve subscribed to your blog–looks interesting!
@kevin: It’ll be run to “run together”! Who are you getting your running plan from? The group you’re training with? A personal trainer?
@lifestudent: Ha ha! I don’t know… But maybe it just feels like you aren’t getting faster? I know I don’t!
by lifestudent
27 May 2008 at 14:42
What does it say about you if your life doesnt get easier … and you also dont get any faster?
by Kevin
27 May 2008 at 11:47
Hi, i’ll be rooting for you as you go through your marathon program. you have a very well scripted plan. i should be getting mine soon. can’t wait.
by rundangerously
27 May 2008 at 07:54
just found your blog via 5ks and cabernets! will berlin be your first marathon?
what a great city. i was there almost 25 years ago (summer of 1984). stayed with friends in spandau for a week. great memories.