Kara's Camp: My Training Day in Pictures

I am currently well into a training block geared specifically for the Boston Marathon. My days all seem to blend together right now. When I am training for a marathon I often feel like I am in the movie "Groundhog Day." Each day is just like the one before. You might think that this would be a miserable existence, but I actually thrive off of the routine. Each week my workouts and long runs progress just a little bit, and I find comfort in knowing what each day will hold.

I am often asked what my day looks like, so here goes! A typical day in the life of Kara Goucher:

I usually wake up around 7:00am. I eat breakfast and work on emails on my computer for 20 minutes or so before I get my son Colt. He has breakfast with me and we hang out until I have to pack up my bag to head over to practice.

Shalane [Flanagan, Kara's training partner] and I typically start our run at 8:30am. We will run between 80 and 88 minutes, then we'll head to the locker room to change our clothes before we are off to our core session.

Core starts at 10:00 am and usually finishes up around 11:15am. After core training I head home to have lunch with my boys. When we are finished with lunch I spend some quality time with Colt hanging out and playing before it's time for the both of us to take a nap. Adam [Goucher, Kara's husband] and I put Colt down for a nap around 1:00 or 1:30 pm and as soon as he is down I hop in bed as well. I usually sleep for about an hour before I'm up and at it again.

At 3:00 I see a massage therapist. For a good hour I get the gunk worked out of my body. When I am done at 4:00 pm, I head out for my second run of the day. My second run is anywhere from 32 to 48 minutes. I usually get back home between 5:00 and 5:30 pm. After a quick shower I make some dinner for my family. We usually eat between 6:00 and 6:30 pm. Then we have some play time, followed by Colt's bath and bedtime. By 7:45 pm Colt is asleep and Adam and I take a couple of hours to hang out together. We watch TV, chat, and give our cats some much-needed attention. Bedtime for me is 10:00 pm so I get ready for bed, curl up under the covers, and read for a while until I can't keep my eyes open anymore, then lights out!

This is the routine that I have followed since joining my coach, Jerry Schumacher, in October 2011. I thrive on this routine and the reliability of it. It works well for me, my family, and my running.

Here are some pictures of my typical day:


What a view!


Taking in the beauty after the run


At massage/chiropractor appointment with Drew Hohensee


On a training run in  Colorado Springs


Dinner!

Which routines work for you? Are you similar to me, happiest when you are in a familiar pattern? Or do you like to mix things up?

— Kara Goucher, Elite Marathoner