I have officially completed an entire month of training for the LA Marathon. Four weeks down and 14 more to go!
This fourth week was a step back week for me so it was generally easy runs. The last training block I did for my half marathon (this last summer) I was first introduced to step back weeks. Before then, I used to only have weeks that continued to build and increase mileage. Because this is my first ever marathon training I can’t help but feel anxious during step back weeks.
Step Back Feels
✸ I mostly felt like I wasn’t doing enough and could do more. Thoughts like “how in the hell am I ever going to run over 13.2 miles if I’m not doing much this week?”
✸ Not having speed work made the week feel dull and a bit repetitive - so next time I’ll make sure to add in some easy cross-training.
✸ I wanted to do a harder run this morning for my long run because it feels good to push myself and see how strong I really am :) But I trusted my gut and followed the easy 50 minutes run for the day.
I did learn to take advantage of these step back weeks and was inspired to pay closer attention to the other parts of training.
✸ Sleep ✸
I prioritized rest and sleep this last week and I did a pretty darn good job at it. I managed to average about 8.5 - 9 hours of sleep on most nights. I notice now that I sleep more than 6 hours of sleep, I hardly ever take naps.
✸ Fuel ✸
Even on days that I don’t run, I’m trying to eat in the early morning. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a tough time eating before 9am. I usually just crave coffee and a small sugary treat but I have been eating granola bars and energy waffles. I have also successfully started eating my overnight oats on long run days and I’m a big fan! Greens and protein have also been a high priority this week.
✸ Staying Amped ✸
With all this energy saving I made sure that I stayed amped for the marathon! So I’ve been listening to my past running playlists that are high energy. This keeps the nerves at bay and gives me so much confidence as I listen to songs that have helped me cross finish lines. I’m definitely going to remember this one for my next step back week.
This has been a stressful week due to family stuff so it actually worked out to step back. I know that if I would have pushed myself more this week, my stress would have showed up in my runs. I am so looking forward to this next week and get back to feeling like Rocky Balboa! Let’s goooo week 5!