2017 Eugene Marathon Training – Week 5

I hit all my goal paces during my workouts and ran some pretty good mileage!  It would be greedy to ask for more.  One more week of base building to go…

Training Schedule
Week 5: January 15th – January 21st

Sunday: Recovery run. 6 miles.
Monday: Threshold run. 10 miles easy w/6 miles @ threshold pace.
Tuesday: Interval run. 3 x 1 mile @ 10K pace + 10 x 400m @ 5K pace.
Wednesday: Easy run. 7 miles + hill sprints.
Thursday: Tempo Run.  13 miles w/9 miles @ marathon pace.
Friday: Recovery run. 7 miles.
Saturday: Long Run. 20 miles w/6 miles steady.

Mileage Total: ~73 Miles

Adaptations. I ran with a club on Tuesday but otherwise stayed on schedule.

Goal.  I forgot to set a goal for this week, so… Outcome: Fail!

Workout Details

Threshold Run.  10 miles easy w/6 miles @ threshold pace [Log Details].

I didn’t think it would go well since I was still sore from Saturday’s long run.  But, I felt inspired to push myself to dig a little deeper since it was the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  I ran a 10 mile loop that took me though some of the rolling hills on the Custis Trail but the downhill of the W&OD Trail.

I was pretty happy with the effort considering how tired I felt yesterday.  My Garmin recovery advisory said I needed 51 hours of recovery, though!

Threshold segment pace=8:12.  Overall pace=8:31.

Interval Run.  3 x 1 mile @ 10K pace + 10 x 400m @ 5K pace 2x(10x400m @ 5K-10K pace w/1:00 recoveries) + full recovery between sets [Log Details].

I finally felt in good enough shape to run intervals with a group and not get dropped off the back.  I parked in Gravelly Point and jogged downtown to meet up with a group.

 

The first two repetitions were slow as I settled into the rhythm of the intervals and the group.  In the middle off the third repetition, we reached a gate that locked off the rest of Hains Point!  We went around it but then headed back during the fourth rep.  We ran the rest of the workout on the same quarter-mile stretch, but I didn’t mind it.

Did the Inauguration of women’s march impact your running?

One downside of being the slower runner in a group is that you get less recovery between repetitions.  But, my base is solid so I felt like I handled it well.  In fact, I was talking during the repetitions!

I was pretty happy that I was able to hang with the group and took it as a sign that I’m pretty fit right now!

400m splits=1:51, 1:44, 1:48, 1:40, 1:39, 1:41, 1:40, 1:42, 1:42, 1:42 (set 1); 1:41, 1:43, 1:41, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40, 1:37, 1:37, 1:38, 1:38 (set 2). Mean=1:41 or ~6:48 pace.

Tempo Run. 13 miles w/9 miles @ marathon pace [Log Details].

I was still sore from Tuesday’s super intense interval workout.  I thought about breaking this workout into 2 or 3 mile segments but I thought about how I’ve been surprising myself with how much I can do and went for it.

I ran slow during the uphill warmup on my way to the Custis Trail.  The marathon pace (7:40-8:00) segment started on the streets, though, so I was still climbing.  When I reached the trail, the climb continued but I was running under 8:00 pace and that was great.

It was a nice day – mid 40s and sunny.  I ate some Sports Beans with Caffeine in Rosslyn before joining the Mount Vernon Trail.  I was cranking out the miles – expecting a fade at any moment but rallying myself to keep plugging away.  At Gravelly Point, which about 2 miles to go, I thought I was completely done.  I slowed but managed to stay in pace range until the end.

I finished the cool down and felt completely exhausted.  Back home, I showered and had to lie down for about an hour before I could think about moving or eating.  Thank goodness I was teleworking and didn’t have to commute.

Marathon segment pace=7:54.  Overall pace=8:27.

Long Run. 20 miles w/6 miles steady [Log Details].

It was Inauguration weekend.  I thought about running closer to downtown to see the Women’s March on Washington but decided to do an out-and-back on the W&OD Trail instead.

I took the first few miles easy and I felt great heading out to Dunn Loring/Vienna.  I snacked on Gu Chews (Blackberry Pomegranate) and water to keep my energy and hydration in check.

I started the steady (8:25-8:45) segment fast – my pace was in the 8:00-8:10 range!  I slowed down after a couple of miles and then felt myself fading unintentionally.  Soon, my pace had dropped to 8:25-8:30, which was the right range but a sign I’d gone out too fast.

“Let this be a lesson to you for race day!  Do not go out too fast if you feel good!”

My pace slipped a few seconds a mile slower.  It was hard to get my legs to turn over and my hips/butt ached.  I was probably running closer to 9:00 pace by the end of the steady segment.

When I finished the run, I collapsed on a bench for a minute and just let my body feel exhausted.  My base is solid.  One more long run and then I can focus more on getting faster.

Steady segment pace=8:33.  Overall pace=8:46.

Health

Injuries. I had my chiropractor appointments on Monday and Friday.  My piriformis felt find during my interval workout on Tuesday but sore after.  It also hurt some during the marathon pace run.  I noticed it was most painful on the uphills.  It was achy on my long run but not terrible.

Weight.  My weight isn’t budging.  It hovered around 128 pounds all week.

Weather

The week started mild with sunshine and 40 degree temperatures.  It pretty much stayed in that temperature range the entire week but with overcast skies and some light drizzle on some days.

Racing Schedule

Future races. I claimed my guaranteed entry for the 2017 New York City Marathon this week!  I know many recreational runners shoot for a Boston Qualifying time, but qualifying for the New York City Marathon is what motivates me.

Are you planning (or hoping) to run the 2017 New York City Marathon?

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