2017 Eugene Marathon Training – Week 4

My first 20 miler of the training cycle is done. I missed some speed work but ran a lot of miles that should help me in a marathon.  My mantra was, Get fit!

Training Schedule
Week 4: January 8th – January 14th

Sunday: Recovery run. 6 miles.
Monday: Threshold run. 6 miles @ threshold pace.
Tuesday: Interval run. 4 miles @ half marathon pace + 10 x 400m @ 5K pace.
Wednesday: Recovery run. 7 miles.
Thursday: Tempo run.  8 miles @ marathon pace.
Friday: Aerobic run. 7 miles easy to steady.
Saturday: Long Run. 18 miles easy.

Mileage Total: ~71 Miles

Adaptations. I realized I couldn’t do a threshold run before my chiropractic appointment on Monday, so despite running long on Saturday, I ran it on Sunday. Then, I couldn’t muster the effort for 400m repetitions after the half marathon pace miles on Tuesday. On Saturday, I ran 22 miles instead of 18 so I would feel better about hitting 22 by the end of this base building period.

Goal. Run the 18 mile route from last week 10 seconds/mile faster. Outcome: Fail!  But I’m sure it was only because I ran longer instead.

Workout Details

Threshold Run. 6 miles @ threshold pace [Log Details].

This workout was scheduled for Monday, but I realized I had a chiropractor appointment at 8am. Even though I ran long the day before, I thought I would try to move it up.

It was also cold – barely 20 degrees with 20 mph winds and 30 mph gusts! I worried there might be slick spots from yesterday’s snow but when I reached the Custis Trail, it was clean!

For the threshold pace segment, the wind was at my back and I was flying! I looked at my Garmin for the first time about 2 miles into it and I was around 8:10 pace. Despite feeling I was running at the same effort, the pace kept dropping. Soon, I was running close to 8 minutes flat!

I was surprised I ran so well.  I thought, You can do so much more than you think you can.

Threshold pace segment=8:04.

Interval Run. 4 miles @ half marathon pace + 10 x 400m @ 5K pace [Log Details].

I decided it was time to work some half marathon pace miles into my schedule since I thought that would truly be speedwork for the marathon.

I started running at half marathon pace on Mount Vernon Trail in Rosslyn.  It was a little slick on the wooden bridges by the Roosevelt Bridge but I was running about 7:33 pace.  My pace stayed pretty consistent even though I was fighting. I kept telling myself, You can do this!, even though I felt like I could stop at any moment.

After that segment, I rested a bit and then tried to run the 400m intervals.  You’re done, I told myself.  I just didn’t have the energy to do more.

Honestly, that effort was closer to 10K.  I was happy I completed the workout but wasn’t going to kid myself about how hard that workout felt.

Half marathon pace segment=7:36.

Tempo Run. 8 miles @ marathon pace [Log Details].

The “fast club” I ran with before the 2016 New York City Marathon was doing the same workout but in the end, I decided to run on my own to ensure I would run my goal pace.

My legs felt incredibly uninspired during the warm-up.

Once I started the marathon pace miles, I felt the urge to fight for the pace.  I thought about a podcast with Jared Ward that I listened to recently.  I told myself that this workout will help me get fit and getting fit will help me finish the marathon.  Over the course of the segment, I shortened that thought into, Get fit!

 

What running mantras get you through hard workouts?

I finished in my desired pace range.  (I lost the shoe clip I got in a Stridebox a while back, though.)

Marathon pace segment=7:59, 7:57, 7:36, 7:43, 7:53, 7:53, 7:50, 8:17.  Average=7:54.

Long Run. [Log Details].

I realized if I really wanted to run 22 miles in three weeks, I should probably throw down a 20 miler this week.  I decided to do an out and back on the W&OD Trail.  Strangely, I think I’ve only done that once.

It was cold and rainy when I started.  I listened to a podcast so I would keep the pace easy.  I felt pretty good through the first hour and had a Crank Sport e-Gel for energy. There was a guy running maybe 20 feet behind me for a while.  He was running so close that he had to dart to the left to avoid running into me when I stopped at Gallows Road!

At the turnaround, I tried to pick up the pace but my legs wouldn’t drive any harder. I had an Accel Gel two-hours into the run but it didn’t help.  I stopped my watch at Lee Highway to wait for the light and accidentally hit the “Save” key.  Ugh!  Now, my workout would be two files.  I was annoyed but reminded myself that it didn’t matter.

I was too tired and cold to feel anything but relief at the end of the run.  My first 20 miler of the training cycle was complete!

Overall pace=8:56.

Health

Injuries. I had a chiropractor appointment on Monday and Friday this week. My piriformis continued to improve but flared up during Thursdays marathon pace run.  At this stage, I would say I mostly feel mild to moderate dull irritation on some runs but not pain.

Weight.  Despite knowing that losing weight while marathon training is hard, I didn’t think I’d have trouble losing a few pounds during this base cycle!  I buckled down and my weight dropped a little.

Weather

It was 22 degrees on Sunday but with 20+ mph winds and 30+ mph gusts!  The winds calmed down on Monday and Tuesday, but the air temperature was still sub-freezing. Then, the temperature warmed up considerably.  I ran in shorts on Friday!  But, Saturday’s long run was miserably cold and rainy.

How did you cope with this week’s cold weather?

Racing Schedule

Next race: 2017 Rock ‘n Roll DC Half Marathon on March 11th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)