
The planned route for last Saturday’s long run. It didn’t go so well.
A mixed week… with awesome training partners!!!! And not so awesome running. In retrospect I should have known better. Peak week of training set to happen Holy Week. Yeah, that was a pretty bad idea. I can’t blame my coach for this, since he doesn’t know the life of a pastor during Holy Week. I naively thought that I’d be fine combining a busy work week with lots of miles (for me at least). So what happened? It started out well enough.
Actually it started great. Monday I treated myself to a massage. I felt great! Monday and Tuesday were easy run days. Great!
Wednesday
Unexpectedly (but important), I started Wednesday morning with an early morning drive to Los Angeles…the Federal Building, and office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I was there in support of our Oxnard pastors who are being deported (We Shall…). This wasn’t planned but it was certainly important! Hopefully we’ll receive some good news on this one soon!
Workout buddy #1. And then we had Wednesday night track. My assignment was 8×800 (two 800s short of a true Yasso 800 workout). Everyone else was doing a different workout this night. I asked my coach, “still the 800s?” He said, “yes.” So I immediately recruited my friend Maria who runs a bit faster than me to help with pacing. She pulled me through a great workout…the first split was a head pounding 3:47 (probably my fastest 800). Then we slowed down a bit and averaged 3:54 for the remaining 7. This was a great workout and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her pacing…and the encouragement of others telling me to keep up!

The back side of a communion altar I made for our fellowship hall.
Thursday
This is a rest day as far as running is concerned. The day was filled with preparations for our Last Supper Meal…or what I’d like to do in the future – Dinner Church.
Friday – workout buddy #2
Only five miles today and I ran it at 5am with my friend Brenda. Great conversation in a fog filled morning. I did scare her when I checked my watch…created a shadow with my arm and headlamp…made her scream…then I screamed…she thought the shadow was a big dog.
The day ended with Good Friday worship. I had a headache and went to bed early so I’d be rested for the next day.

Smiling…but I know my eyes enough to see that I looked very tired. I don’t take too many photos while running. This day I told Issa that we might as well do a selfie with the beautiful scenery since we were already going so slow.
Saturday – workout buddy #3
Long rung day. But I had to go the the church’s Easter Egg Hunt first. I greet everyone and read a story (The Tale of the Three Trees). This meant that our long run didn’t start until around 11:00am. I was ok with this because I don’t actually start running the Boston Marathon until 11:15am.
Everything started well enough…except that it was the warmest day in weeks. I started getting tired at mile 9 – way too early! The wheels came off pretty quickly after that. At mile 11ish we stopped at a restroom and doused ourselves with water. That helped for a bit, just a bit. I was able to run to a scheduled walk break at mile 12. But after that I had trouble running more that a couple minutes at a time.
I was exhausted! It wasn’t my legs, but rather just a sense of great fatigue. I’m surprised I was able to make it to almost 20 (19.24). I would say this was my worse run ever. But it wasn’t because I wasn’t running alone. My friend Issa was running with me…walking with me…offering to go and get her car for me…running some more…walking some more…and always encouraging.
I wish this long run had been successful. Then I remembered… getting to Boston wasn’t easy… training for endurance isn’t easy… but it’s all worth it. And regardless of how I feel about Saturday’s run…it was just a run and I GET TO GO AND RUN THE BOSTON MARATHON IN TWO WEEKS.
Today I am thankful for Maria, Brenda, and Issa. You all helped me get through a very hard week!

I checked and March was my highest volume month ever. My previous high was 177. I’d like to get over 200 some day.
Here’s my training log:
Nancy Switzler | Workouts: 3/25/2018 – 3/31/2018 | ![]() |
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Strength Training
4:04 PMWalk Completed: 4.38 mi ~ 1:40:33 (22:56 min/mi)
Monday, March 26, 2018
11:38 AM5 Miles Easy
Planned: 5 mi
Completed: 5.01 mi ~ 51:31 (10:17 min/mi)
Workout Comments: Heart rate reading was crazy at the beginning…once again not matching perceived effort. Then it suddenly went to what I’d consider normal.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
7:03 AM5 Miles Easy
Planned: 5 mi
Completed: 5 mi ~ 48:54 (9:46 min/mi)
Workout Comments: Except for almost getting run over by an idiot who didn’t even look to her right when turning, this was a very nice run.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
5:57 PMRun – Track Workout
With TRIBE: Yasso 800’s: 8 x 800
Planned: 7.3 mi
2 Miles Warm-up (Easy)
6 Strides
8 x 800 Meters @ Goal Marathon Time w / equivalent rest (ie if Goal Marathon time is 4:30 you would reach each 800 (1/2 mile) at 4:30 with 4:30 recovery.)
1 Mile Cooldown (Easy)
6 Strides
8 x 800 Meters @ Goal Marathon Time w / equivalent rest (ie if Goal Marathon time is 4:30 you would reach each 800 (1/2 mile) at 4:30 with 4:30 recovery.)
1 Mile Cooldown (Easy)
Completed: 2.06 mi ~ 21:11 (10:15 min/mi)
6:39 PMRun
Completed: 0.83 mi ~ 6:55 (8:22 min/mi)
6:49 PMGood
Run
Completed: 5.97 mi ~ 1:09:17 (11:36 min/mi)
Workout Comments:
3/29/2018 8:23 AM
Nancy Switzler
We ran the first 800 too fast…probably my fastest ever. Then settled in for nice hard effort for the rest.
We ran the first 800 too fast…probably my fastest ever. Then settled in for nice hard effort for the rest.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
7:11 AMStrength Training
Completed: 42:04
Workout Comments:
3/29/2018 8:20 AM
Nancy Switzler
Dicharry single-leg focus
Dicharry single-leg focus
Friday, March 30, 2018
5:08 AM 5 Miles Easy
Planned: 5 mi
Completed: 5 mi ~ 54:59 (10:59 min/mi)
Saturday, March 31, 2018
10:59 AMTerrible
Run – Long Run
20 Mile Long Run
Planned: 20 mi
Nice and Easy.
Completed: 19.24 mi ~ 4:02:55 (12:37 min/mi)
Workout Comments:
3/31/2018 3:57 PM
Nancy Switzler
I have one unprintable word to describe today’s run!
So discouraging
I have one unprintable word to describe today’s run!
So discouraging
Totals
Completed Strength Training: 42:04
Completed Walk: 4.38 mi ~ 1:40:33
Planned Run: 42.30 mi // Completed Run: 43.12 mi ~ 8:15:44
Completed Walk: 4.38 mi ~ 1:40:33
Planned Run: 42.30 mi // Completed Run: 43.12 mi ~ 8:15:44