2017 New York City Marathon – Week 1

It was my first week training for the 2017 New York City Marathon!  My schedule was tough but I completed all of my workouts despite heat, humidity, a rain storm, and very sore muscles.

Training Schedule
July 2nd – July 8th

Sunday: Recovery Run. 5 miles.
Monday: Lactate Threshold Run. 9 miles w/4 miles @ 15K to half marathon race pace.
Tuesday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Wednesday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Thursday: General Aerobic Run. 10 miles.
Friday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Saturday: Long Run. 17 miles.

Mileage Total: ~65 Miles

Notes.  I followed my schedule – Pfitz 18/70-85 – to the letter.  I didn’t run close to 15K to half marathon pace on Monday, though, due to the heat.

Goal.  Complete all the workouts.  Outcome:  Success!

Workout Details

Lactate Threshold Run. 9 miles w/4 miles @ 15K to half marathon race pace [Log Details].

It was a hot and humid day, so I didn’t think it would be wise to run my recent half marathon pace from May which was 7:52.  Instead, I set my Garmin for 8:10-8:30 pace.

During the warm-up, I noticed pain in my right calf.  It was the same pain from the 2017 Eugene Marathon that I thought was a fluke.  When I stopped for water near National Airport, I loosened the laces on my shoes to see if that would alleviate the pressure.  I started the tempo segment a few steps later.  I ran the goal pace fairly easily and at the end, wondered if I took it too easy.

4 miles @ 15K to half marathon pace segment=8:38.  Overall pace=9:06.

Medium-long Run. 12 miles [Log Details].

Despite the Fourth of July holiday, I didn’t allow myself to sleep in.  I knew I needed to start my runs earlier so I could run during the coolest part of the day.  Walking downstairs to start my morning routine, I noticed my right calf and quadriceps were tender.

During the early part of my run, it was eerie how few people and cars were out on the roads.  After a couple of miles, I was relieved when my aches and pains went away and I felt like running!  I was listening to podcasts during this run and one of the episodes was about a young man who contemplated suicide.  Like last week, I found my concerns floating away and feeling more appreciative.

Physically and mentally, I thought this was a good but exhausting run.  I actually completed a nap before 11:30am.

Overall pace=9:17.

General Aerobic Run. 10 miles [Log Details].

I woke up to the sounds of rain.  I thought about running outside anyway but it seemed pretty heavy.  I decided to run on the treadmill.   On my drive to the gym, I saw a runner and thought, “You are such a wimp.”  But, he was the only one I saw so I felt like I’d made the right choice.

I selected the indoor setting on my Garmin and the treadmill for 6.9, which should be 8:42 pace.  I wear a foot pod on this pair of shoes and thought it would be calibrated.  Unfortunately, I saw it was being way too generous with my pace.

I felt great during the run, though.  I found myself gaining desire and confidence about training.  “I’m in great shape,” I thought.  But after the run, I painstakingly edited each lap to reflect the treadmill setting so I’d have a more realistic idea of how fast I ran.

Overall pace=8:27.

Long Run. 17 miles [Log Details].

Since I’m following a plan, I thought I should have more time to think more about executing my workouts this marathon cycle.  The night before, I chose a route.  The morning of, I set my goal pace while fueling up for the run.

I wanted to start out easy, so I listened to a podcast.  I stopped quickly for water on the Custis Trail and a few minutes later, started a Honey Stinger Gold Gel.  It was very sweet so I nursed it for the next 40 minutes or so.

Near Roosevelt Island, I stopped for water again.  There’s still a chlorinated taste to it so I didn’t have much water.  The next few miles flew by.  The trail was crowded, though, and I had to be mindful of people around me.  I saw a friend at Gravelly Point and stopped to chat with him for a while.  Like so many people in the area, he’s training for the Marine Corps Marathon and was also running 17 miles.  I stopped for water again near National Airport and when I reached the W&OD Trail.  I’d been running strong but by then, I started wilting.  (The temperature was over 80 degrees.)

 

After the run, I doused myself in the water splash fountain and then sunned myself on a bench to dry out.  I was exhausted but was really happy with the run.

Overall pace=9:24.

Health

Injuries.  My right calf hurt and I had general muscle soreness (mostly in my quadriceps and hips) all week.  I used The Stick on my calf and it helped quite a bit.  For the sore muscles, I used therapy balls and a foam roller but I didn’t get as much relief.

Sleep.  I tried going to bed earlier so I could get up around 5am.  I wanted to start my runs before it got too hot.  (Hahaha!)  For the most part, I did a good job getting up.

Weight.  After weeks of trying to lose a few pounds and failing, I indulged this week.

Weather

Hot and humid every day of the week with morning temperatures in the 75-85 degree range.  Torrential rain drove me to the treadmill on Thursday.

Racing Schedule

Next race:  2017 Dulles Day on the Runway 10K on Saturday, September 23rd. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)