Marathon Monday, Week 2

Happy Monday, everyone!

In case you missed last week's post: every Monday, I will give a recap of how training for my first marathon is going, how I’m feeling, and any products I’ve found particularly helpful in the training process.

Recap:

• Week 1 (January 1-7)

I was really bad at keeping on schedule this week. I'm going to call it my 'get out of jail free week' since this was hopefully a one-time thing. Running 6 miles on Saturday and then 11 on Sunday was tough.  My body didn't have enough time to recover and my feet are now aching as I write this sprawled out on my bed.

I've learned my lesson and now that my trusty companion is back in DC, (he was away on business all last week) he'll make sure I stay on target.

In most recent news,  Dom and I decided to  switch marathons.  After planning our trip to Nashville and realizing it was going to cost more than we would like financially and in terms of vacation days, we've decided to run the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 6, 2012 instead.  We'll be staying in the Omni Hotel for two nights (pretty sure we got one of the last rooms) so we'll have a chance to explore the city before and after the race.

At first, I was very against the idea of doing anything other than the Country Music Marathon.  The whole reason I wanted to run a marathon was not because I was to endure pain for 4 hours, but because I wanted to run this race in Nashville.  However, after about a day, I warmed up to the idea and realized that our decision to switch races would allow me to take a few extra trips this year.  Pittsburgh is only a 4.5 hr drive and I've never visited before. Plus, it gives us one extra week to train which means we are right on schedule!

And now, without further ado, here's what I did this week:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 3 painfully slow and claustrophobic miles (I strongly dislike running in the gym)

Wednesday: rest

Thursday: rest--okay, now I'm just getting lazy

Friday: rest

Saturday: 6 miles outside

Sunday: 11 miles outside

Mile goal: 17

Total miles ran: 20

Products I'm loving:

1. It's cold and very windy in DC at the moment.  It's the kind of wind that hits you so hard that you feel like you can barely breathe.  To protect my highly sensitive skin and lips, I smear Dermatone on my face and lips before heading outside.  It also has SPF 23 to protect my skin!

2. Since I ran my half-marathon, I've had some troubles with my right knee.  I've never had problems in the past so it was a little alarming.  I'm working to strengthen the muscles in my legs and trying to stretch as much as I can to control the ache.  However. my mom being the motherly figure that she is, bought these for me.

I love them!  They actually change from hot to cold numerous times before they're 'done.'  I have one on my knee right now.

3. Last week I talked about the three new sports bras I ordered.  After trying them on, I've decided to keep the Moving Comfort Women's Fiona Bra and return the New Balance NBX Welded Sports Bra and Moving Comfort Women's Rebound Racer Bra.  I'm also going to buy 2 more of the Moving Comfort Women's Fiona Bra.

It fits incredible well and keeps the girls in one place.  I experience no chaffing or discomfort.  The straps are Velcro and can be adjusted to your comfort level.  Definitely worth the investment.

Products I'm returning:

1.  New Balance NBX Welded Sports Bra.  I ordered a M and it felt a little tight around the armhole.  I thought about keeping it but decided I wanted to get a bra that I loved so I ordered another Fiona instead.

3.   Moving Comfort Women's Rebound Racer Bra.  I ordered this bra in the same size at the Fiona but this one was WAY too small.  I felt like it was cutting off my circulation and the edges felt a little scratchy.

On the wish list:

Last week I talked about ordering a hydration belt.  After reading a reader's comment, I decided to try one on in the store.  My arms kept hitting the water bottles and I wasn't thrilled with the way if felt.

As an alternative, the woman helping us suggested we try a Camelbak hydration pack.  We ordered two on Amazon and are hoping to receive them before our big run on Saturday!  Dom got black and I got red--and yes, we're going to be the nerds with matching backpacks.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!