Victoria Marathon Training - Week 7

Pretty good week of training, I managed to get all my scheduled runs in and equipped with my brand, spakin' new GPS thingy (a GARMIN FORERUNNER 405) was able to gauge my paces accurately for a change. Novel idea.

Sunday I used the Garmin for an entirely different (more fun) purpose - Geocaching. A super fun activity defined on Wikipedia as:

"...an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world."

So off my Dad & I went to find our first caches in the idyllic seaside community of North Saanich on Vancouver Island . We were thrilled to find the first 2 in a series called the "String of Pearls" caches all located at secluded little beaches around the peninsula.

Later that evening, back in Vancouver, IB followed me on his bike as I went my the longest run since the marathon in May (14 miles). IB wore the Garmin and fed me stats on distance, pace, and heart rate only as I demanded them.

Most of the way I found it better not to know how far I had left to go. It was a bit rough. I felt worse and worse until I was basically sobbing uncontrollably the last 200m or so. Not totally sure why - but I haven't ruled out hormones. I did have an audience. Don't think the tears would have flowed as freely had I been alone.

Anyway, I survived and managed to keep a 10:43 average pace. IB says I need to push myself more if I'm going to meet my time goals but I'm thinking it might be easier just to change the time goals.....

This Week's Training:
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Yasso 800s - 4 x 800m with 400m jogs between
R1: 3:55
R2: 4:15
R3: 4:11
R4: 4:11
R5: 4:22
R6: 4:28
Wednesday
7 mi / 11K Easy (9:45 /mi)
Thursday
7 mi / 11K Pace (9:41 /mi Pace)
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Rest
Sunday
14 mi / 23K LSD (10:43/mi Pace)