half way through marathon training

I decided to get on an 18-week program to train for a marathon in June. The original program had me running 6 days a week, but I decided to modify it so that I am running 4 days a week and doing other activities, such as weightlifting, riding a bike, or using an elliptical machine for those other two days.

So far the training has gone fairly well. I missed the best of one week do to a vacation, but I was somewhat active (see previous post about the Grand Canyon), so I felt strong when I needed to run again. For the most part, here is the routine:

Monday: Rest or cross train
Tuesday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Wednesday: Cross train
Thursday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Friday: Rest or cross train
Saturday: mid-distance run (increasing from 5-10 miles over course of training), every other week being at race pace
Sunday: Long run

Two highlights of my training so far: hitting a PR 5k time on a treadmill and running 16 miles on a day with miserable conditions (rain/sleet/snow/wind).

The long run started at 10 miles and has slowly creeped up from there. I don't plan on running more than 22, but do plan on going 20 at least twice prior to the marathon.
   

South Rim of the Grand Canyon in March

I recently traveled to the Grand Canyon, and yes, it is appropriately named, if you haven't been there. It has always been a place I have wanted to see ever since hearing about kids who went there with their families when I was in grade school.

I camped in Mather Campground, located in the south rim area of the park. It was a decent campsite, though being in higher elevation (around 7000 feet) and in mid-march, the temps did get into the upper teens over night, which wasn't a big problem as I had come prepared from Minnesota with warm clothing. Staying two nights, it gave me a chance to see a couple of trails.

The first night I saw the rim trail, which is extremely popular as it is all blacktop and provides for epic views. It is accessible in a variety of shuttle bus stops, but I walked from the campground to it, as it still wasn't too far.

The next day I headed out early (with a partner) as we shuttled over to the South Kaibab trailhead. We began a hike into the canyon, which started out with some switchbacks (even a little bit of ice), and the tone was set. We made our way down to a place called Skeleton Point and decided to turn around and head back up. This made for roughly six miles round trip. The trail was heavily used, by both people and mules.

What a special place the Grand Canyon is. I'm glad I got to go, and would I go back? You bet! The place is huge and I only saw a sliver of it.

 

 

 

Visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico

I recently got the opportunity to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico. I spent about a day and a half there, which I felt was sufficient time to explore. Here are some of the activities I did.

Hiking just outside of town. There is a free place to park and go on a hike through the woods, I believed it was called Sierra del Norte. It wasn't too busy and provided for some nice views of the landscape.

Checking out the art galleries and shops downtown. I spent several hours downtown Santa Fe, browsing churches, art galleries, shops, the State Capitol, and just downtown in general. It was a pleasant downtown catered to visitors.

Eating Mexican food. I ate at 3 Mexican restaurants while in Santa Fe, and I was never disappointed. I honestly don't remember the names, but each had a different appeal. One was a Fast food-esque Mexican place (not like Taco bell, though), where I enjoyed a beer and some chips with guacamole. The next was a nice sit down place where I remember having a couple of margaritas along with my meal. The final was a place downtown known for being good, where whatever I ordered was just one notch spicier than I'm used to, which led me to drinking a lot of water. Conclusion: this is a good area for Mexican food!

It was a joy to visit Santa Fe, and I would definitely go back.