The marathon is only five weeks away, and I’ve finished the first week of peak training, which entailed running 40 miles this week. Yesterday I did the first of the two 20-mile long runs.

Normally, I stay in Seattle, but I’ve never explored the East Side much on foot. Starting in the Central District, I ran through the I-90 bike tunnel and onto the bridge into Mercer Island. I ran along the I-90 trail into Bellevue. I continued up Bellevue until coming across the 520 bridge; it was my first time on that bridge as a pedestrian. That took me back to Seattle into the Montlake neighborhood. Then I ran up the never-ending hill on 23rd Ave. That challenging hill isn’t so steep as it is long. I finally reached the crest of the hill in Capitol Hill, and ran the home stretch back to the Central District.

There was a bath bomb waiting for me when I finished. It’s like a big alka seltzer for the bath. I soaked in the tub, rubbing off the salt left behind from evaporated sweat. When running that much, the body does weird things like losing a lot of salt and electrolytes, and it must be replaced.

Speaking of electrolytes, I’ve been carrying those Clif shots that taste a lot like strawberry pudding. It’s a good rule of thumb to take one before a long run. Then have another one at Mile 10; the last one is consumed at Mile 14. It’s a good fix when your body has burned through its glycogen stores.

Peak training can feel exhausting, so remember to be extra kind to yourself during this time, especially if it’s your first marathon. You will also be eating a lot extra. Seriously, I’m always thinking about food now. The average person consumes 2,000 calories a day for normal functioning. Running 20 miles burns another 2,000 calories, give or take. On those long run days, your calorie consumption might be around 4,000 calories. I don’t count calories; I just eat until my body feels fulfilled and happy.

Folks ask about weight loss, and marathon training is about gaining endurance, not losing weight. Weight loss might happen as a byproduct of training, but the primary focus should be replacing the calories that have been lost. On the contrary, it’s also possible to gain weight, since you’re eating more and consuming a little more salt, which retains water.

At this point, it might be a challenge to pay attention to other things outside the body. I try not to overcommit outside of work, since rest is so important, especially now. I’m also usually exhausted anyway to do much outside work, art, and marathon commitments. Everything else could wait for just another couple of weeks.

The first week of peak training was a total of 40 miles. This week is a “fall back” week, where the mileage is a little less, so that the body has a chance to rest. The week after is another 40 miles. Then the mileage tapers down to a trickle before the actual race. Until then, the peak is that one last hump to go over. Everything else is down hill from there.