2017 New York City Marathon – Week 2
I moved my schedule around so I could run long on Friday. That run was a disaster but all things considered it wasn’t a bad week.
Training Schedule
July 9th – July 15th
Sunday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Monday: Medium-long Run. 13 miles.
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles w/10x100m strides.
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 11 miles.
Thursday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Friday: Marathon-pace Run. 17 miles w/8 miles @ marathon race pace.
Saturday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Mileage Total: ~67 Miles
Notes. I decided to do my long run on Friday morning before catching a flight out of town. I switched the general aerobic and medium runs scheduled early in the week and moved everything up a day to make that happen.
Goal. Complete the mileage for the week. Outcome: Success!
Workout Details
Medium-long Run. 13 miles [Log Details].
I felt pretty good from the start. My muscle soreness from last week had eased and the humidity felt lower than it has been. I took the first two miles easy and then pushed to what I’d call “some effort” as I ran through Ballston to the Custis Trail. About 4 miles into the run, I stopped for water and ate a chewable coffee. I’d never had one before and wasn’t prepared for the strong taste. When I reached the Mount Vernon Trail, I felt the caffeine kick in!
I was running faster than I have in weeks – between 8:35 and 8:45 pace for about 4.5 miles! And normally, I fade significantly at the end of this route but I didn’t today. “That’s what starting slow does for you,” I thought.
Overall pace=9:14.
General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles w/10x100m strides [Log Details].
For some reason, I thought I needed to do ten miles this morning, so I was happy to see it was only eight! My stride was strong through the first few miles and I felt happy to be out on the streets. I thought, “This must be from taking Sunday so easy.” I finally showed signs of strain as I reached the Custis Trail after a mile of steady climbing. I stopped for water and did some leg swings. Continuing on, my Garmin showed my pace was under 8:00! I slowed down a little but not much. I finally felt a little tired during the strides. The 10 repetitions seemed like a lot. In the end, it was an additional mile! Every now and again, I have a run that goes spectacularly well and this was one of those.
Overall pace=8:32 pace.
Medium-long Run. 11 miles [Log Details].
By Wednesday, I was groggy getting up. The weather was just at the point where I normally head to the treadmill, but I thought I’d try to tough it out. I kept the pace fairly easy during the first few miles though north Arlington. When I reached Clarendon, I tried to push the pace until I was running with a little more effort but not “hard”. The route was mostly downhill to Rosslyn, so I tried to just cruise. When I reached the Mount Vernon Trail, I ran a bit harder. It must have been too much for the heat because I stopped under a tree on Gravelly Point to drink some water. I continued on and felt better. But, I stopped for water again at the fountain in Crystal City. I ran hard for another half mile or so and then jogged home. It was a good run. It would have been better if I’d dialed the pace back just a touch.
Overall pace=9:13.
Marathon-pace Run. 17 miles w/8 miles @ marathon race pace [Log Details].
I was traveling to Austin, Texas on Friday. I checked the forecasts for both cities and thought running in Washington, D.C. would be better. I woke up very early and got out the door before 5:30am. I felt fine during the warm-up. I started the marathon pace segment on the Custis Trail heading down towards Rosslyn. I wanted to run 8:35 pace and was just a little slower than that for the first two miles.
By the third mile, though, I stopped on Humpback Bridge to catch my breath. I though, “Maybe I can do this as intervals.” I finished the loop around Gravelly Point before stopping again around National Airport. I didn’t stop long, though. At the next water fountain, I used the bandana I was wearing to douse my head with water. I felt a little better. I kept running south to Four Mile Run but it wasn’t long before I wanted to stop again. But this time, I walked instead. I had a plane to catch and I needed to finish the run around 8am. After 4 more miles of slogging, I called it quits and took a bus home.
Marathon pace segment=9:38 pace. Overall pace=9:50.
Health
Injuries. Due to travel and an increased training load, I cancelled my chiropractic appointment on Friday. My left piriformis hasn’t hurt much lately anyway. The pain in my right calf went away. However, I had severe foot cramps after my long run on Friday. I’ve had them every once in a while but this instance had me writhing in pain on my flight. I’m sure the passengers next to me were wondering what was wrong with me.
Weight. I was a little lighter this week but I suspect it was due to dehydration.
Weather
Conditions were hot but not too humid through Tuesday. For the rest of the week, I ran in morning temperatures near 80 degrees and dew points in the 70s! Friday’s long run was miserable. Today, I ran in Austin, Texas where the weather was similar.
Racing Schedule
Future races. I received an email this week that I could select my transportation and baggage options for the race. I think I’ll stick with the Ferry and no bag check. It’s been working for me these past few years.
Next race: 2017 Dulles Day on the Runway 10K on Saturday, September 23rd. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
I think I saw you while I was running in Austin on Saturday morning! I apologize if that sounds stalker-ish– I live in Austin and have been reading your blog for awhile. If you have time you should also check out the Shoal Creek Trail north of downtown. I like to do a 5 mile loop between 15th and 38th Street. Most of it has good shade and it’s less crowded than the trail downtown.
How miserable did I look? 🙂 Thanks for the tip! I may head to the treadmill tomorrow since I’m supposed to run a tempo tomorrow.