My running shoes were toast and needed to be replaced. I wanted to break them in and get some miles in them before the marathon next Sunday.  Since Brooks no longer manufactures the Trance, I needed a decent replacement and STAT!  I visited my friend, Christina Marie at FitNiche and she fitted me in a pair of Brooks Ravenna 5.  The moment I slipped these shoes on, I was in love with them.

I felt nothing. No pinching. No stiffness in my heels.  No pressure on my bunions. For me and my plantar fasciitis feet, the Brooks Ravenna 5 running shoes are perfect.  And they are so pretty too.

I cannot believe A1A Marathon is this Sunday! Apart from tapering down my miles, eating right and staying hydrated, all I can do from here on out is trust the training, all six weeks of it.

Most marathon training plans follow an 18-20 week schedule with one to two 20 milers.  With the Asics-Kastor training plan, the miles were condensed and jammed into six weeks.  The plan offered adequate rest and a manageable amount of time between the longer runs.  Honestly, the whole training plan was manageable and perfect for a busy mom on the run with multiple marathons under her fuel belt.  (I wouldn’t recommend the plan for a newbie marathoner because the longer distances can be a bit challenging.)

Although the plan did not incorporate speedwork, I added some sprints and tempo runs into the shorter distance runs.  On the longer runs, I just focused on getting in the miles, even breaking them up into smaller portions throughout the day when my schedule wouldn’t allow me to run for hours at a time.  Basically, this plan is more about “time on your feet” than speed, but I did throw in the occasional bridge run here and there, as in the case this past Sunday.

I am so glad I planned a bridge run too!  When I saw the weather on Sunday morning, I totally would have flaked had I not organized and co-hosted the event.  Any other time I would have stayed in bed instead of facing those cold, foggy bridges.

And man it was foggy!

But the fog burned off quick once the sun rose.

Marcia, Nanci, Liz, Chris, Leah, Leah C, Jen G and I ran the two Clearwater bridges while two husbands, Mike and Patrick, cycled along as our bridge bodyguards.

Since my area of Florida is so flat, running these “hills” forces me to run outside of my comfort zone and push myself in a good way.  These bridges are always tough for me, but on Sunday I held a nice pace which was a tad bit faster than last month’s bridge run.  Plus, it’s such great training for Sarasota Half Marathon and Iron Girl Half Marathon which both have big bridges on the course.

Most everyone only had nine miles to run, but I had four more to do after the bridges.  So after a snack at our glorious runner tailgate at Sand Key Park, I ran along Gulf Boulevard for four more miles under the blazing sun.

Miles 13.11
Time 2:22:16
Ave Pace 10:51
Max Pace 7:43

After the bridge run, the Asics-Kastor marathon training plan recommended one day off for rest. Who could argue with that?

Today, I overslept so I swapped my work-outs around. I went to Body Pump at the YMCA and then ran three miles after the weightlifting class. That little switch was such a shock to my legs.  They were not happy about running after weightlifting! Plus, it was a bit hotter than I’m used to which is perfect training for A1A Marathon in sunny Ft. Lauderdale. I’ve heard that race has a tendency to be warm.

Last week, I ran three miles on Wednesday and six miles on Thursday. Both were decent runs, but Thursday was chilly and rainy. I swear, if I wasn’t training for a marathon, I would have totally flaked. This crazy up-down hot-cold-hot-cold is killing me!  Thankfully, my body is still hanging in there. *knock on wood*  I don’t want to jinx myself.

Wednesday, 2/5
3.11 miles
Time 31:30
Ave Pace 10:08
Max Pace 8:09

Thursday, 2/6
6.03 miles
Time 59:46
Ave Pace 9:55
Max Pace 8:10

Next Tuesday after the marathon, I am totally pampering these feet with a pedicure.  How’s that for a post-race celebration?

Speaking of celebrations, join me tomorrow night at 8 pm on Twitter for a Gasparilla Twitter #runGDC Party! Follow me (@denisermt) @TBbloggers and @GasparillaTBR and #runGDC for a chance to win an Gasparilla Distance Classic race entry.