2017 Eugene Marathon Training – Week 8
Lately, I’ve been crushing my workouts but this week was the complete opposite. Missed goal paces, disrupted sleep, a blister… And skipped workouts! On the bright side, I made a regional runner ranking in my age group for 2016.
Training Schedule
Week 8: February 5th – February 11th
Sunday: Recovery run. 7 miles + strides
Monday: Medium run. 12 miles w/2 miles @ half marathon pace + 3 x 1200m @ 10K pace + 2 x 800m @ 10K pace
Tuesday: Interval run. 7 miles w/3 miles @ 5K pace
Wednesday: Recovery run. 4 miles + hill repeats
Thursday: Tempo run. 14 miles w/9 miles @ marathon pace
Friday: Recovery run. 6 miles
Saturday: Long Run. 18 miles w/6 miles @ MP+5%
Mileage Total: ~68 Miles
Adaptations. On Tuesday morning, I knew I was too tired for an interval workout after the grueling workout the day before, so I slept in and ran in the afternoon. On Thursday morning, I woke up tired and with a blister on my right foot, so I opted for rest. The first workout I skipped in this training cycle!
Goal. Include some mileage at 10K pace. Outcome: Fail! I couldn’t get down to that pace during Monday’s attempt.
Workout Details
Medium Run. 12 miles w/4 x 1 mile @ 10K pace 12 miles w/2 miles @ half marathon pace + 3 x 1200m @ 10K pace + 2 x 800m @ 10K pace [Log Details].
This run did not go well. I felt fine during the warm-up but during the half marathon pace segment, even though I increased my effort, it wasn’t showing up as speed. I knew I was in trouble when I couldn’t get close to 10K pace during the first interval, which was downhill! The desire to quit took over and I stopped near Roosevelt Island to gather myself. I continued but then stopped again by the George Washington Parkway crossing that would take me home. I didn’t think I could run another step I thought, Just keep going and see what happens. I forged on just running harder than a shuffle for the intervals.
I felt utterly destroyed at the end of the workout. I knew I had pushed my body too far.
Splits=8:04 (2 miles @ half marathon pace); 7:30, 8:13, 8:16 (1200m @ 10K pace); 8:16, 8:26 (800m @ 10K pace).
Easy Run + Hill Repeats. [Log Details].
Usually, I only write about workouts but since I skipped the interval workout on Tuesday, I thought I’d write about the easy run followed by hill repeats I’d been doing.
I live in a neighborhood with “Heights” in the name, so I have quite a few options for hills. But, Walter Reed Drive between Four Mile Run and S. Pollard Street is steep and has fewer intersections than other options. It’s a favorite for runners in south Arlington County. A few weeks ago, I encountered an elite doing multiple repetitions of the hill.
Each quarter mile repetition took about 2:45. I’d rest a little after each one and then jog downhill. The rests were about 3 minutes.
I felt a little ashamed that three repetitions was all I could do. But, hills are not my strength at all!
Split paces=11:02, 11:03, 11:12.
Long Run. 18 miles w/6 miles @ MP+5% 18 miles easy to steady [Log Details].
I thought about making up the tempo run and doing my long run on Sunday. But, I decided to listen to my body and just run easy as scheduled on Friday.
I felt better on Saturday morning but not great. I didn’t understand why I was still feeling so flat when I hadn’t run hard since Monday. I didn’t think I’d be able to run very hard and left the house with low expectations.
I didn’t feel terrible during the uphill sections of the W&OD and Custis trails. I ran those 7 miles at about 8:50 pace. But, I was grateful for the rest before hitting the Mount Vernon Trail. At 9.2 miles – about the midway point – I took a picture.
From then on, I stopped every 15 minutes under the guise of drinking fluids but in truth, I was already sapped. I was also running into the wind at this point, which didn’t help. Strangely, my legs felt spry. I just didn’t have any energy.
“I never want to do that again,” I thought. Not good when you’re not even mid-way through a marathon training cycle.
Overall pace=8:53.
Health
Injuries. My piriformis issue is becoming a distant memory. However, I’m still seeing my chiropractor once a week. I woke up to a nickle-sized blister on the pad of my right foot on Thursday! I popped and drained it. It felt fine the next day.
Weight. Initially, I was happy with my three pound weight loss but quickly realized it was a sign that I was over-training. After getting some rest, my weight was back to normal by the end of the week.
Sleep. Even though I was exhaust after Monday’s workout, I had trouble sleeping over the next few days. I stayed out late at my running club’s annual meeting on Wednesday night and was too tired for Thursday’s workout. I took Friday off from work to rest.
Weather
The week started cold but not terrible – 30 to 40 degrees. On Tuesday, I took advantage of the higher than normal temperatures and ran during lunch in shorts. The temperatures dropped by the end of the week and it was windy.
Racing Schedule
Runner Rankings. Best of 2016 Runner Rankings, from Potomac River Runners. I was pleased to see I made 16th in my age group in this regional runner ranking. Up 5 slots from last year!
Next race: 2017 Rock ‘n Roll DC Half Marathon on March 11th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.) I finally registered this week!
When was the last time you “crashed and burned” during a workout? How did you bounce back?
I feel out of place asking because I know you’re a much better and more experienced runner than me Julia. But are you sure your current schedule isn’t just a little too intense?
In a 7 day period I see 4 very hard sessions. 2 of your 3 recovery days include either strides or hill reps. No planned rest days at all. That sounds much worse than anything the Hansons or Pfitzinger would demand of you. I doubt if I could handle one week like this, let alone several in a row!
I hope to see you back on top form soon, and thank-you for posting such an honest account of a tough week.
Yes! I definitely have been overdoing it a bit. In particular, I think the Monday workouts have been too hard going into Tuesday’s intervals. I ran much easier today.
I’m also going back and revised the plan. I wrote it 8 weeks ago and should have revisited it. I think I have a better sense for my limits now.
I definitely don’t want to feel that bad again!