2016 Boston Marathon Training – Week 16

It feels great to be tapering!  I ran well at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler on Sunday and then started my taper after Monday’s long run.  Or, did I?  My training load was still pretty high.  At the end of the week, I re-assessed and moved my final hard workout up a day so I could take Saturday off.  And, my knee finally healed enough that I could run pain free!

Training Schedule
 April 3rd – April 9th

Sunday: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.
Monday: Specific Endurance Run.  20 miles steady.
Tuesday: 6 miles easy + hill sprints.
Wednesday: Fartlek Run.  11 miles w/8 x 2 min. @ half marathon pace.
Thursday: Progression Run. 12 miles w/last 6 miles moderate.
Friday: 8 miles easy.
Saturday: Specific Endurance Intervals. 2 miles easy, 2 x 4 miles @ marathon pace w/5-min. active recoveries, 2 miles easy.

Mileage Total: ~79 Miles

Adaptations.  The biggest deviation from the plan was running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler on Sunday and then a long run on Monday.

The book is fairly silent on how to adjust the taper.  Basically, the guidance is to look at previous tapers and determine what usually works best for you.  So, I looked at the tapers for my marathon PR (the 2013 New York City Marathon) and the race where I under-performed (the 2015 California International Marathon).

I decided the back-of the-book schedule was too much mileage for me and moved the last hard workout up a day so I could take Saturday off.

Details

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.  [Race Report].

Specific Endurance Run.  20 miles steady [Log Details].

I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler the day before and felt sluggish at the beginning.  To make matters worse, by the time I reached Potomac Yards, I was having some GI distress.  There’s been a lot of construction in this neighborhood and I thought I could find a port-a-potty.  I gutted it out until I reached a local coffee shop.  Thank goodness!  (To show my appreciation, a couple days later, I went to the location closer to my house and bought cupcakes).

When I reached the Mount Vernon Trail, I turned on a podcast thinking it would keep my pace honest.  I switched to music on the Lee Highway uphill on the Custis Trail.  I ran it strong but felt like stopping the entire time.  I kept going but stopped at the water fountain at the 13.8 mile mark to drink and catch my breath.  At the junction for the W&OD Trail, I stopped for water again.  My legs seemed to have a bit more pep after that break.  It was great finishing my last long run of this marathon cycle!

Average pace=8:52.

Fartlek Run.  11 miles w/8 x 2 min. @ half marathon pace [Log Details].

At the beginning of the run, my left hip was tight and I noticed a weird feeling – not quite pain – in the back of my knee.  I wondered whether I’d torn something in my knee when I fell.  But, the fartlek intervals went well.  I set my Garmin for 7:20-7:30 pace for half marathon pace and although it was constantly telling me I was too slow, in the end all but one of the repetitions was in range.  I stopped to take pictures during the recoveries.

After the harder running was finished, I settled back into 9:00+ pace.

Half marathon pace segments=7:34, 7:16, 7:29, 7:24, 7:20, 7:18, 7:25, 7:27.  Average=7:24.

Progression Run. 12 miles w/last 6 miles moderate [Log Details].

The run started off rough.  My knee was sore during the first few miles as was my left hip.  It was also cold and windy.  When is this training cycle going to be over?!  The moderate segment started on a steep uphill.  I ran it well and felt good after it.  I kept thinking the word “moderate” to keep my pace honest.  By the end, I was flying close to marathon pace but it didn’t feel “hard”.

Moderate pace miles segment=8:31.

Specific Endurance Intervals. 2 miles easy, 2 x 4 miles @ marathon pace w/5-min. active recoveries, 2 miles easy [Log Details].

I slept in on Friday morning and did this workout – the final hard workout of this marathon training cycle – in the afternoon.  It was very windy out so I had doubts about being able to hit marathon pace, which I set at 7:50 to 8:10 pace.  It was rough running over the 14th Street Bridge at the start of the first repetition.  The wind just about blew me into the river!  On the other side, the winds were calmer and at my back.  I ran south on the Mount Vernon Trail and I managed to get down to marathon pace for the segment.  At the turn-around, I ran a little slower since the wind was now in my face.  But, in the end, I hit marathon pace during that segment, too.  During the second recovery, I stopped at the location of my melt down two weeks ago after I fell and took a selfie.  Despite the bad weather and busted knee, I completed the hardest parts of my training and now I was tapering in earnest for the Boston Marathon!

Marathon pace 4 mile segments=7:58 and 7:56.

Other Running-Related Activities

Nutrition.  I wanted to clean up my diet a little bit this week since I was tapering.  I did pretty well early in the week.  I ate a small breakfast, nutritious lunch, and a modest dinner.  I was also drinking 2 liters of water each day.  But, by the end of the week, I lost my willpower and was eating cupcakes at lunch and pizza for dinner.  Oh well.  I tried!

Media of the Week

Song.  “Last Nite,” by The Strokes.  This song gave me the boost I needed during my last hard workout on Friday.

Podcasts.  “How to Adjust Your Training When Running Goes Wrong,” by RunnersConnect.  In this episode gave a great history of the incredibly helpful RunnersConnect website.  It also got me thinking about getting a running coach for my next marathon training cycle.

The Week Ahead

Inspiration.  “Winning is the science of being totally prepared.” – George Allen, Sr.