2017 Eugene Marathon Training – Week 7

I’m back, baby!  Well, maybe not completely but I ran a repetition during Tuesday’s interval workout at PR 5K pace and today’s long run going clock-wise on the Arlington Loop was my second fastest ever!  Snow made Monday’s run beautiful.  No piriformis pain this week, so life is good.

Training Schedule
Week 7: January 29th – February 4th

Sunday: Recovery run. 8 mi. recovery + strides.
Monday: Medium run. 14 miles w/5 miles @ half marathon pace.
Tuesday: Interval run. 9 miles w/2.5 miles @ 5K pace.
Wednesday: Recovery run. 6 miles + hill repeats.
Thursday: Tempo run. 14 miles w/5 x (0.25 mile @ marathon pace – 5%, 1 mile @ marathon pace + 5%).
Friday: Recovery run. 6 miles recovery.
Saturday: Long Run. 18 miles w/5 miles @ marathon pace.

Mileage Total: ~72 Miles

Adaptations.  I didn’t finalize my schedule on Saturday so I made a lot of changes during the week.  In the end, I didn’t have enough faster than marathon pace “stuff” in the schedule.

I went back and read The Science of Running and realized I misunderstood what the author wrote about threshold pace.  Rather than being slower than marathon pace, it’s faster!  That’s a significant difference! I feel stupid for messing that up, but glad that I caught it relatively early in this training cycle.

Have you been wrong about a running concept? How did you figure it out?

Goal. None. Outcome: Fail!

Workout Details

Medium Run.  14 miles w/5 miles @ half marathon pace 14 miles w/10 miles @ MP+10 seconds [Log Details].

When I woke up, I thought, “Nope” to the idea of running anything faster than marathon pace.  I decided running “steady” was enough.  It snowed overnight and it made for a beautiful run.

I was pretty speedy on the uphill to the Custis Trail about 10 seconds/mile faster than I went last Thursday.  I stayed strong through the rollers but was thankful to rest a little waiting to cross over to the Mount Vernon Trail.

Over the next few miles, I settled into a true steady pace.

I knew I went out a little fast but it was still a good effort.  In the end, I was ran about 20 seconds/mile slower than Thursday.

Overall paces=8:38.

Interval Run. 9 miles w/2.5 miles @ 5K pace 5 x 1K @ 5K pace w/2 minute recoveries [Log Details].

I ran with a club for intervals this week.  It took all my will to get out the door and I was late to the meet-up point, which meant I had to start a workout immediately!  Without a rest, I gasped for air after the first two 1Ks.  I caught my breath and although the pace felt easier, I still struggled to hold it for the distance.  After the fourth repetition, I was surprised that it was my fastest yet!  During the final interval, I forced myself to push rather than striding out.

When it was done, I was happy with the workout since I thought each repetition faster than the one before it.  But, I was shocked to see I ran the last one at my 5K PR pace!

Split paces=7:02, 7:13, 6:58, 6:48, 6:39.  Mean=6:56.

What defines a good interval workout for you?

Tempo Run.  14 miles w/5 x (0.25 mi. @ half marathon pace, 1 mile @ marathon pace + 5% [Log Details].

I did this workout last week and loved it.  I needed to do it as a run commute since I slept in late.

I did a rather long “warm up” across town to Alexandria.  I started the sets in Potomac Yards, which was a nice even stretch but slightly into the wind.  The fast part of the second set was right before I reached the Mount Vernon Trail.  The workout felt easier than last week and my splits were faster.  I noticed I wasn’t slowing as much transitioning from the quarters to the miles, which seemed like a good thing.  Unfortunately, the quarters came on hilly sections of the trail – north of the marina and the airport overpass near Crystal City.

Another great run!  I was impressed that I could do this considering how tired I was.

Split paces=7:06/8:14 (set 1), 7:45/8:19 (set 2), 7:37/8:25 (set 3), 7:27/8:13 (set 4), 7:32/8:25 (set 5).  Mean=7:32/8:19.

Long Run. 18 miles w/5 miles @ marathon pace [Log Details].

From here on out, I’ll move away from mere time on my feet and work in more quality miles during my long runs.  I didn’t bring any food but had a half bagel before the run.

I ran the uphill portion of the W&OD Trail faster than I would have expected.  I was surprised my pace was in the mid-8:00.  I stopped briefly at the junction for the Custis Trail for water.  I starred the marathon pace segment around Lee Highway.  The miles flew by and I was surprised my Garmin was telling me I was running too fast.  Those faster miles ended at Gravelly Point and I slowed down.  But, my pace was still pretty steady until I hit the Four Mile Run Trail and felt the wind in my face.  Still, I didn’t fade too badly.

Boom!  I’m back, baby!  Second fastest time for this route ever.  The next fastest time – two months before my marathon PR…

Marathon pace segment=7:43.  Overall pace=8:20.

Health

Injuries.  I’m down to visiting my chiropractor one day a week!  The timing is perfect – I didn’t have any severe pain in my left hip this week.

Have you tried chiropractic treatments for a running problem?  How did it go?

Weight.  My weight fluctuated a bit this week.  I didn’t focus much on what I was eating, but I’m running well right now, so that’s all that matters.

Sleep.  My sleep wasn’t disrupted this week but there wasn’t enough of it!  I stayed up late Tuesday and Wednesday night.  During Friday’s “recovery” run, I was so tired I thought of Ragnar.

Weather

The air temperature was consistently in the 30s this week.  It snowed Sunday night but it was cold enough that the roads weren’t slick.  It was relatively warm on Thursday, but temperatures dropped again.

Racing Schedule

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