I ran 45 km this week. Not bad for my first week of marathon training. Although, that number is a bit inflated because I did my normal Sunday long run today (Saturday) so I can go snowshoeing tomorrow.

Sunday: 10 km long run
Monday: Off
Tuesday: 6 km steady run
Wednesday: 10 km steady run
Thursday: 5 km fartlek
Friday: Off
Saturday: 14 km long run

In addition to running, I logged a few hours on my bike commuting and I curled Tuesday night (weird sport for cross-training, but it will do).

At the start of the week, I was having serious doubts about training for a marathon and my fitness level. My first run was brutal. After about 7 km, my knees and hip flexors started seizing up. I finished the 10 km route, but I was hurting and my feet were blistered. The workouts since have felt a lot better. My feet are toughening up and my muscles are getting stronger. I’m still worried about my knees, but I’m sure the ligaments will strengthen up with time. I need to buy new running shoes, so that might help.

At the start of the week I went grocery shopping and prepped a bunch of recipes from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet. I’ve been using vegan, raw food to give my body a boost during training, which means eating a lot of nuts, hemp seeds, dates, and vegan protein powder. My body has been recovering quickly from workouts, so I think it’s working.

Other than a torrential downpour on Tuesday, the weather has been pretty good for running – cold, but clear. I haven’t been brave enough to bust out the vibrams. I might for some of the shorter training runs. So far, it’s been enough of a challenge running in conventional shoes and I don’t want to push my body too hard.

One week down, 16 more to go.