Well here's an adventure for you...
To start I will go back a week or so to when I began a program designed by well known athletic trainer Alwin Cosgrove called "Warp Speed Fat Loss". The program has a pretty strict workout program and nutrition program as well that I decided to test out over a 28 day period to see what would happen. Things were going fine and I was going strong until just one week in I realized, I have a marathon!
This one was the North Face Around The Lake Run. It was organized as a 24 hour run, where people run around the 3.16 mile lake for 24 hours straight; but they lopped a marathon onto it as well to bring in more runners. For me, it was a perfect race. It was located about 5 miles from my Aunts house and it was just under two months from my last one. So I signed up for it. But I forgot this as I started my new workout program.
This had nothing but messy written all over it. But it tested my physical and mental limits in a grand new way, so it was perfect.
I awoke at 5:30am to get to my 6am client and after I trained him I had my own workout: Deadlifts, two 10-minute circuits and about 12 minutes of interval training. After that I showered up and jumped in the car to head up to Wakefield MA. I was on the road by 9am and my crazy long drive began. I stopped 4 times to use the facilities and grab some snacks and some major caffeine to make it through the drive. I also realized I hadn't carb loaded at all, so I stopped at a rest stop and got some horribly tasting Sbarro's pasta. Not gonna lie, at that point I was seriously concerned as to whether or not I would actually be able to run this thing, or even make it there on time.
I hit southern Connecticut around 2ish and that's when the traffic really started. I had planned on getting there with a couple hours to spare (even with a little traffic) so I could nap a little and get a little more solid food in my stomach; but I could see that was not about to happen. Boston traffic was miserable and I rolled into the hotel parking lot, where the start and finish was, at 6:45pm. I ran to the registration tent, got my number, ran to my car and through my running shorts on, down 16oz of water and ran back to the start. The race started at 7pm.
On the first lap my brain was already telling me to stop and I could already tell it would be a tough one to finish. My body felt pretty good, and with the help of my Aunt and Cousins, I was able to down a few packages of Cheese Its which really helped my body out a lot (a phenomenon I discovered during my 50 miler). Now folks, I'll have you know that my worst marathon time was my last one, the Vermont Marathon, where I finished in 4:14. This one I finished in 5 hours!
At midnight I crossed the finish line, downed 8 Oreo's and some Fig Newtons and headed to my Aunts house to pass out. By far one of the most difficult mental challenges where my mind and body both were just destroyed. But I pushed and I eventually finished, giving me that great feeling again and putting me only 3 marathons away from running 10 in one year!
Never Stop, GET FIT
Josh Courage
I awoke at 5:30am to get to my 6am client and after I trained him I had my own workout: Deadlifts, two 10-minute circuits and about 12 minutes of interval training. After that I showered up and jumped in the car to head up to Wakefield MA. I was on the road by 9am and my crazy long drive began. I stopped 4 times to use the facilities and grab some snacks and some major caffeine to make it through the drive. I also realized I hadn't carb loaded at all, so I stopped at a rest stop and got some horribly tasting Sbarro's pasta. Not gonna lie, at that point I was seriously concerned as to whether or not I would actually be able to run this thing, or even make it there on time.
I hit southern Connecticut around 2ish and that's when the traffic really started. I had planned on getting there with a couple hours to spare (even with a little traffic) so I could nap a little and get a little more solid food in my stomach; but I could see that was not about to happen. Boston traffic was miserable and I rolled into the hotel parking lot, where the start and finish was, at 6:45pm. I ran to the registration tent, got my number, ran to my car and through my running shorts on, down 16oz of water and ran back to the start. The race started at 7pm.
On the first lap my brain was already telling me to stop and I could already tell it would be a tough one to finish. My body felt pretty good, and with the help of my Aunt and Cousins, I was able to down a few packages of Cheese Its which really helped my body out a lot (a phenomenon I discovered during my 50 miler). Now folks, I'll have you know that my worst marathon time was my last one, the Vermont Marathon, where I finished in 4:14. This one I finished in 5 hours!
At midnight I crossed the finish line, downed 8 Oreo's and some Fig Newtons and headed to my Aunts house to pass out. By far one of the most difficult mental challenges where my mind and body both were just destroyed. But I pushed and I eventually finished, giving me that great feeling again and putting me only 3 marathons away from running 10 in one year!
Never Stop, GET FIT
Josh Courage
