Last week kicked off week one Berlin Marathon training. Hot off the heels of Mountains 2 Beach and Vineman Monte Rio, I gave myself a week of unstructured exercise before jumping into my 16-week training plan. My plan is to mostly follow this Hal Higdon plan (starting at week 3), swapping out one of the short runs for a cross training day and being sure to add one strength training session as either a full day or to accompany a shorter run.
Monday: Plyometrics + 3 miles @ 9:05 mins/mile
I started the training week off with about 30 minutes of plyometrics (burpees, jumping lunges, step ups, etc.) and a mostly easy three mile run. It was a beautiful morning!
Tuesday: 6 miles @ 9:31 mins/mile
This run felt slow and lethargic, and the wind gusting from the Golden Gate Bridge certainly didn’t help. Although I’m getting massaged in a couple of weeks, I could really use the TLC after having ran Mountains 2 Beach and completed the triathlon. SF has been ridiculously foggy lately!
Wednesday: 50 minute spin class
Although I have no more triathlon aspirations this year, I hope to swim and/or spin at least once a week to maintain this fitness and to try to avoid running-related overuse injuries (I don’t want ITBS again!).
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 6 miles at 8:38 mins/mile
In a rare act of post-work exercise, I ran after work, and, as usual, running faster felt easier than it does before work. I don’t think I’ve ever ran after work on a Friday, but it felt pretty good!
Saturday: 10 miles at 9:42 mins/mile
I ran to Hopper’s Hands and a bit through the Presidio to log 10 easy miles. By the end, I was extremely thirsty and spent the rest of the day trying to resolve my dehydration.
Sunday: 1.5 hours of ashtanga/vinyasa yoga
I went to my favorite yoga class at Bay Club and was not disappointed. We did a bunch of shoulder opening exercises and sweaty vinyasas.
Grade for the week: A+
I started marathon training strong, mixing in a couple of cross training sessions with my requisite runs. I’d give myself an A for running after work on Friday by itself! That takes a lot of mental strength for me, and I think I’m going to need to be more OK with running at different times of the day. Marathon training makes me ridiculously tired, and if I need to run at lunch or after work, I need to be OK with that.
Single-tracked Mind 
Good luck and GOOD job with training! A+ indeed.
Thank you, Melissa! I hope to keep the momentum going. 🙂
Well done with week #1!
Thank you, Anna!
Sooooo freaking COOL that you are running the Berlin Marathon! Nice job for the week. Glad to see some yoga in there! Nice!
Thank you! It is really freaking cool and a Eurotrip is basically the best reward for making it out of marathon training!
I’m so doing a marathon in Europe one of these days! Best reward for sure!
I am a huge Hal fan and I like what you are doing with it. I think that taking a day to cross training is very wise and something I do for myself. It is very normal to feel at some point like your legs are made of lead and those change up days really help. Excellent start!
Thank you, Sarah! My legs will feel like lead very soon, I’m sure. 🙂
How awesome you are doing Berlin! It’s always on my birthday weekend so I’d love to do it one day. Nice start to your training!
That’s awesome! We’re going for Jesse’s birthday 9/1, so it’ll be an epic celebration.
Great first week!! Running after work on a Friday?! That’s impressive and very dedicated. Good luck with training!
Thank you Fallon! I was kind of impressed with myself too, haha.
I have the hardest time running in the morning and DEFINITELY an A for running on a Friday. I believe this takes true grit!
Thank you! I have the hardest time after work. The morning is way easier for me mentally.
Great first week! Your training approach is so smart! and it’s so true that running fast in the afternoon comes easier than in the morning when the muscle fibers are not awake yet!
Thank you Jessie! So true. I always run faster later but I hate doing it! haha
Great week!! Sounds like you have a super strong start to your training and a solid plan! That is so funny that your runs are better after work. My runs are almost always better before work!!! 🙂