Scientific Mumbo Jumbo

Last week's recap: A big week last week, and very successful. The 18 miler was tough,boring,sweaty, but I'm soooo glad Mary Ann was at the club to chat with me and take some boredom away. I did see one of her other friends that was sweatier than me (I know, hardly possible) that day!

By popular demand, here is my training program for the marathon

Weeks until Race: LongRunDistance/Weekly Miles
10: 12/36
9: 14/39
8: 16/41
7: 18/44
6: 9/35
5: 20/46
4: 16/49
3: 20/51
2: 8/27
1: 26.2/40

I've been also monitoring my Heart Rate at times during my runs to make sure I am in the correct heart rate zones. Instead of basing training zones off of % of Max Heart Rate or % of Heart Rate Reserve, I base it off my lactate threshold(LT) heart rate. In my case, my LT is 173 beats per minute (bpm). Heart rate training is good and bad. GOOD, because it keeps your runs in the range they should be in and it's a cool thing to look at. And BAD, because the heart rate monitor strap that fits around your rib cage, TEARS up your skin, like mine did a few weeks ago on a long run. So, I haven't really monitored my heart rate in a while, since the strap is now in the punishment corner.

..............% of Lactate Threshold....... Training Zone bpm
ZONE................Lower......Upper....Lower....Upper

1-Active Recovery...................80%...........0...........138
2-Endurance..........80%..........89%...........138........154
3-Tempo.................90%...........93%...........155.........161
4-Subthreshold....94%...........99%...........162........172
5a-Suprathreshold.100%........102%........173.........176
5b-Aerobic Capacity.103%.......105%........177.........181
5c-Anaerobic Capacity.105%.... +............181..........+

THIS WEEK'S (WEEK 6) SCHEDULE:
Mon: 9 Easy
Tues: 5 Easy
Wed: Off
Thurs: 9 Easy
Fri: 4 Easy
Sat: 8 Easy
Total: 35 Miles

So, there's a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo and gadgets galore, but at the end of the day, you just have to do what JenniG, a recently-found old running pal, who's now in Kansas City, says, and "just run, fat girl, run".

(Dear U-M Master's English Major Jenni: sorry for the "punctuality" in that last sentence...LOL)