I was selected to be a Rhode Races Blogging Ambassador! Basically I'll be blogging about my training and the nice folks at Rhode Races have offered me a free marathon number! Sweet deal! I'm excited to have the opportunity to connect with other runners who are training for the same race, and excited to be training for another marathon. I only run one or two marathons a year (preferably one actually), so committing to the Cox Providence Marathon is a big deal to me.My first action as a blogging ambassador will be to suggest this phenomenal post regarding fueling, running, and recovery over at Small Town Runner. Up until last year, I completely ignored fueling. I would drink water on long runs, but that was the extent of my fueling strategy. I still don't generally fuel for runs under 10 miles, but I take longer runs or harder runs much more seriously. I'll take a gel every four miles and sip some electrolyte every mile, and I am finding recovery so much easier! Anyway Raina's post is well written and informative. Definitely worth reading.
Now I have to think about marathon training...Yikes! There are 17 weeks until race day. Plenty of time, right? Truth be told, my training probably won't change too much. I've been running 40-50 miles a week, which seems to be a reasonable amount of running for me. In case anyone is interested, I've been good about inputting my workouts on Daily Mile. You can see my running specifics on the right from the Daily Mile widget. My next challenge will be to plan my long runs, but I'll save that for next week.
On a completely unrelated topic, I wanted to ask about compression tights. I'm on the market for a new pair (yay Christmas money) and can't decide if I want to buy another pair of CW-X tights or try another brand like Zoot. Any thoughts? The CW-X tights truly are amazing. They have done wonders for my recovery and help me out on runs where my legs are simply tired. I hate the way they look, however. I feel like a linebacker in them. To be fair, this could potentially be an issue with any brand. I'm not a small runner. I guess I'm hoping that there's an awesome compression tight out there that is also flattering. What do you like for compression tights?
10 comments:
Aww, yes, Raina's post was great! I had planned on linking her in my next post too. Really made me think not just about fueling but rest and recovery. I've decided that I really need that one day a week of rest whether I think I do or not...not just for physical reasons but also for my mental, spiritual and emotional sides. I don't generally fuel for anything shorter than 10 miles and used to not do much for anything under 15 but I'm rethinking how I fuel immediately after and during those really long runs. Awesome about the marathon too! Can't wait to follow your training. I won't be on DM as much anymore but I'm trying to figure out a way that works best for me with recording my training. Oh and compression tights. I only own one pair..my Zensah tights and I love them!! They are great for racing, speed workouts and recovery.
If you want flattering compression tights, I absolutely love 2XU. They are on the thin side, but they make the legs look and feel good. I also own CWX compression tights, and I concur that they work but are not flattering. I don't own Zoot compression tights but love their socks. Zoot is legit. A lot of compression manufacturer are not compression per se...Zoot gives graded compression, they are the real deal. Check out their site:)
Yay on the ambassador deal and marathon. I deferred Boston (boo, but I don't want to run it unless I PR, and my body won't be ready for a PR), but will do Baystate again. Would be so cool to train together for Baystate again:)
I look forward to following your training. I noticed you have run this marathon before with a really good time (I need 3:45:00 to BQ)...any specific course advice or feedback?
@Amanda & AM: Thanks for the compression tight tips!
@Eileen: The course itself is pretty reasonable. I think the biggest challenge is that it can be warm on race day. You train all through the winter, where cooler temps are easier to train in. Then you race in May, when it can be a lot warmer. If it does wind up being warm, a good fueling strategy will be important...
Thanks...and I will see you in Quincy and then Providence :)I am running both, happy training!
Yay on the marathon!! Yes, with the high level of speed, 50 miles might be a safe zone for you. I could not handle my mileage if I tried your speed!! Raina's post was excellent as are all her well-researched posts!!!
I second AM. I also like the 2XU tights. I usually wear thermal Brooks in the winter here but I like the way the 2XU look!
Oh, thank you for the link, Katie! I am learning so much about nutrition- definitely not my strength. all the comments others have been leaving is a bonus wealth of personal experience.
You are going to do FANTASTIC in this next marathon! I am thrilled that you have such a wonderful opportunity. You will make a GREAT blogging ambassador. You have tons to share with us about racing and training. Looking forward to your posts ...and your race! Nice that RI is close for you. :)
So curious about what you will do regarding training. Do you make your own plan? Go with the flow, but just plan the long runs out?
@Raina: So, I tell myself that I don't have a training plan, and I don't write anything down. Well, I do write the 20-22 milers on the calendar. Truthfully though, I plan each week out in my head. I generally know how many miles I want to run in a week, but I'm flexible regarding how those miles get done. I have one or two workouts that I want to run, but don't limit myself to what days they should be run (and sometimes change them based on how I feel). I do write down what I've done and look at that before I plan out the next week. It probably sounds crazy, but writing down a plan for me would be useless. My schedule and how I feel are all over the place...
I find that all very interesting! I don't trust myself enough there with the marathon yet, but have had great success doing half marathons that way. Great points about the spring marathon and weather you made to eileen!
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