2017 New York City Marathon – Week 13

It was a high mileage week!  I followed my schedule for the week but between the heat and racing the 2017 Dulles Day on the Runway 10K last Saturday, my legs didn’t have much speed in them.

Training Schedule
September 24th – September 30th

Sunday: Long Run. 18 miles.
Monday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + Recovery Run. 4 miles (PM).
Tuesday: VO2Max Run. 12 miles w/6×1,000m @ 5K race pace; jog 50 to 90% interval time between.
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 15 miles.
Thursday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + Recovery Run. 4 miles (PM).
Friday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Saturday: Recovery Run. 7 miles.

Mileage Total: ~84 Miles

Notes.  I followed the schedule but didn’t quite hit goal pace for the interval workout on Tuesday. 

Goal.  Complete the mileage in the schedule.  Outcome: Success!  Running to work for my medium runs made it possible.

Workout Details

Long Run. 18 miles [Log Details].

Since I raced the day before, I thought I would make this a “time on your feet” long run.  I also felt as though I’d been focusing so much on training lately that I wanted to just enjoy running.  I set out to run the “Arlington Loop”, which covers the W&OD, Four Mile Run, Mount Vernon, and Custis trails.  The early miles sluggish.  I listened to some podcasts as background noise but mostly took in the scenery.  I had a Crank Sport e-Gel at about the 55 minute mark and washed it down with plenty of water at the Airport water fountain.  Along the way, I saw several running friends.  The scenery looking over the river into Washington, D.C. was just beautiful!

On the Custis Trail, I stopped for water at Nelson Street and sat on a bench while I finished my second gel.  By then, it was over 80 degrees out.  My legs felt a little tight after the rest but my legs felt better once I reached the downhill of the W&OD.

Overall pace=9:25.

VO2Max Run. 12 miles w/6×1,000m @ 5K race pace; jog 50 to 90% interval time between [Log Details].

I didn’t know if it was realistic this workout was two days after a 10K, but I’d do my best!  I started the intervals on Four Mile Run after running 4.25 miles.  I felt good during the first two repetitions.  I noticed the same pain in my hips that I had during Saturday’s 10K but it felt like a good pain this time.  My legs had good turnover as I ran south on the Mount Vernon Trail.  I turned around when I reached Slater’s Lane.  The fourth repetition was very slow.  I thought it was mostly due to the uphill but I didn’t get any faster for the final two.

Split paces=7:03, 7:05, 7:13, 7:31, 7:25, 7:23.  Average=7:17.

Medium-long Run. 15 miles [Log Details].

It was 74 degrees when I started this run, which I did as my commute to work.  I went south down to Alexandria, Virginia before heading downtown on the Mount Vernon Trail.  An hour into the run, I felt pretty tired and started a Crank Sport eGel as a pick-me-up.  I stopped for water on Madison Street to wash it down.  I switched to more upbeat music for extra motivation.

I lingered at the water fountain near National Airport for extra rest.  It seemed to help and I ran the rest of the way downtown without unnecessary stops.  During my cool-down, I bought Gatorade from a sidewalk vendor.  The $2 seemed reasonable to me but a fellow patron was trying to negotiate his purchase down to $1.50.  It didn’t work.

Overall pace=8:53.

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

The weather finally broke!  It was 59 degrees when I started this run-commute.  I decided I’d try to run “fast” again even though I have a tough 20 miler on the schedule for Sunday.  Early on, I noticed the stitching on my new Saucony Impulse Short was irritating my belly.  I couldn’t find a way to make it stop so I tried to ignore it.  As I made my way to Slater’s Lane, I recognized a friend approaching!  He gave me a high-five and told me not to stop.  (I really wanted to stop, though.)  Six miles into the run and I started to run “fast” – going well under 8:00 pace.  I stopped for water at National Airport and took my singlet off for the next few miles.  It felt liberating feeling the cold air against my skin after weeks of miserable humidity!

Overall pace=8:20.

Health

Injuries.  I have pain in the arch and heel of my left foot.  I’m guessing it’s plantar fasciitis because it hurts most when I wake up in the morning.

Sleep.  The week started off well.  No televisions shows keeping me up late on Sunday night.  I went to bed between 9pm and 10pm and got at least 7 hours of sleep most nights!

Weight.  No real change in this area.

Weather

Summer has been never-ending.  Morning temperatures were in the 70s through Thursday.  It was 86 degrees by the end of my long run on Sunday!  And, the afternoon temperature was 88 degrees when I started my double on Tuesday.  And then suddenly, the weather dropped to a glorious 59 degrees on Friday morning.

Racing Schedule

Future races.  On Monday morning, I found that I didn’t get into the Tokyo Marathon. I was a little shocked.  I get into everything!

Next race: 2017 Army Ten Miler on Sunday, October 8th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)