After hitting a personal best (PB) in last week’s half marathon, this week brought renewed confidence in my marathon training. Despite feeling good about my progress, my knee was still sore from the race, reminding me to tread carefully as I continued with my program.

Monday: Recovery Run
To ease back into training, I started the week with a recovery run. I kept it deliberately slow to help my body recover from the race effort: “Took it super easy, felt OK. Not that bad.” This run was all about loosening up and letting my muscles recover.

Strength Training on Tuesday
Tuesday focused on strength training with core exercises and weights. I could feel the benefits, particularly with helping my knee feel more supported during runs. Consistency here was key to managing potential injury.

Badminton Decision
Mid-week, I played badminton again but realized that the sport was still flaring up my knee. I made the tough decision to stop playing until after the marathon to give my knee a better chance to heal:
“Going to stop badminton until after the marathon, seems to flare up the knee every time I play.”
Though I enjoyed badminton, the bigger goal of completing the marathon came first.

Friday’s Long Run – 19.5K
Friday was my long run for the week, clocking in at 19.5K. The route had a slight elevation, but the focus was on maintaining an easy pace due to my knee soreness from earlier in the week. I also practiced my gel strategy, taking one at 9.6K and another at 16K. I noted:
“Tried to take it easy, knee a little sore after badminton. Felt good to go easy. Took 2 gels, 1 at about 9.60k and the second about 16k.”
Despite the knee discomfort, I felt good during the run, and the gels helped me maintain my energy levels to the end.

Coach Jen’s Feedback
Jen was pleased with my progress and the execution of the long run. She noted:
“What a great long run! Really strong and great to see that you seem to have your gel strategy sorted.”
She also praised my consistent speed during Fartlek sessions:
“Really consistent speed on your Fartlek session as well. You do really well on these.”

Although tapering was for the last weeks of the training, Jen was already helping me think ahead and prepare mentally:
“As the marathon is still 7 weeks away, we’ll start to taper your running in the final 3 weeks before the race. How are you feeling so far? Any concerns or thoughts as we get closer to the big day?”
Her feedback reassured me that the hard work was paying off, but I needed to keep an eye on my knee and recovery.

Looking Ahead
With 7 weeks to go until the marathon, I’m feeling a lot more confident about my training. The decision to stop badminton was hard but necessary to protect my knee. Now, it’s all about staying consistent and fine-tuning the details—like my gel strategy and pacing—so that I’m fully prepared for the marathon day.

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Weekly Summary

• Total Distance: 50.53 km
• Total Time: 5:42:49
• Key Workouts:
  • Recovery Run (Monday): Easing back into the week after the half marathon.
  • Strength Training (Tuesday): Focused on core and weight exercises to support my knee and overall fitness.
  • Badminton Decision (Wednesday): Realized badminton was aggravating my knee and decided to stop until after the marathon.
  • Long Run (Friday): 19.5K with steady pacing, gels taken at 9.6K and 16K.