Cindy’s Marathon Training: Recap of week 2
For those who care to follow along, I’m training for the New York Marathon Nov. 2. Read my intro for more info.
Well, the Nike+ Sportband has not recuperated from the torrential downpour last Thursday. So here’s a recap of my training since last Monday, with details about my Saturday long run. I hope to get a new sportband this week.
Mon: 6.5 miles; Tues: 4.5-mile slow fun run; Thurs: 6 miles in rain
Saturday: 10-mile long run; 1 hour 36 min; 9:36 minutes a mile
I felt sluggish from the very first step Saturday. I suspect it’s partly because I wasn’t hydrated well enough and partly because I hit the road about 10:30 am when temperatures were in the 80s and the humidity was thick. So there was some walking in the final two miles. I stopped four times for water and turned my stopwatch off so that time is not included in the 1:36. I do this so I can figure out exactly what my running pace is.
I rebounded this morning with a 6.6-mile run and a negative split. Which is to say that I ran the second 3.3 miles two minutes faster than the first 3.3, which means I ran them in sub-9-min. miles. My total time was 1:00:04.
Pacing is everything during long runs and especially marathons. The longer you run the faster you get. But you must listen closely to your body to know when it’s OK to run faster than usual and when to slow down. Weather, nutrition, sleep, all play a role. Does anyone out there have any tips on pacing? 
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Cindy Billhartz Gregorian is a features reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She has reported for the Healthy & Fit section since its first issue. She's a distance runner with seven marathons under her belt. 
for the long run.. i would gauge myself by the song “America” if you can sing the lyrics my “my country tis of thee” in one breath you are at a good steady pace for the long run if you can go into some of the next verse “sweet land of liberty” speed up! if you can’t finish the verse you are working hard and may bonk. i hope this makes sense. Sounds like you are doing great. I ran the NY marathon last year. It was a wonderful experience. good luck
On the pacing question…get a Garmin Forerunner….The Nike + system did not work for any of the guys in my group. Even after constant calibration, it was off. Good luck in NY!
Cindy, good luck in your adventure. I ran the Chicago 4 years ago, 4 months of running, and I felt “sluggish” on many a date. Looking back, I think your note about being hydrated is key. I can attribute those sluggish days to hydration and possibly just being mentally tired. You go girl!
Hey, Tim, RS & Steve:
Thanks for your advice and words of encouragement. Every bit helps. I specially like Tim’s singing “America” solution. Never heard of it . . . made me smile . . . and I promise I won’t sing too loudly because, well, suffice it to say, I’m no Nora Jones.