2017 New York City Marathon – Week 4

Unlike last week when warm temperatures drove me inside, I ran all my workouts outside.  I ran a general aerobic run with strides on Monday, and medium runs on Tuesday and Thursday. Today, I ran my first 20 miler of this training cycle!

Training Schedule
July 23rd – July 29th

Sunday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Monday: General Aerobic Run + Speed. 10 miles w/10x100m strides.
Tuesday: Medium-long Run. 14 miles.
Wednesday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Thursday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Friday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Saturday: Long Run. 20 miles.

Mileage Total: ~74 Miles

Notes.  The schedule was the same as last week except a 20 mile long run.

Goal.  Complete the scheduled workouts.  Outcome: Success!  This week is when the schedule becomes hard and my goal was just to get the 74 miles in.

Workout Details

General Aerobic Run + Speed. 10 miles w/10x100m strides [Log Details].

I was excited to be out on the roads again after so many days on the treadmill last week

It was a hot morning – 77 degrees and 88% humidity.  Normally, I’m a little slow to motivate on Mondays but I got a good night’s sleep the night before.  I finished 8.5 miles feeling pretty energized but rested a bit before starting the strides.  I programmed my Garmin for 25 seconds “on” and 1 minute of rest.  A full minute felt a little long between repetitions, but since my early strides were sluggish, I was thankful for the long breaks.  I thought, “It’s going to be rough when you start doing real intervals!”  I was absolutely drenched in sweat.

Pace for general aerobic run=9:10.  Overall pace=9:36.

Medium-long Run. 14 miles [Log Details].

I finished this running feeling a little disappointed from pushing too hard in the middle miles but overall, it wasn’t bad.

The morning weather was the nicest it’s been in weeks – 70 degrees, low humidity, and even a slight breeze!  I ran pretty easy for 3 miles and then increased the pace to something that felt just a little bit harder once I reached the Custis Trail.  On the downhill leading to Rosslyn, I ran a little harder.  On the Mount Vernon Trail, I was running so strong that I closed in on 8:00 pace!  But, I started feeling a little tired after just a few miles.

I ran as hard as I could for another mile in Crystal City and then walked a bit during the cool-down home.

Overall pace=9:08.

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

I started this run feeling tired, but in the end, I nailed it!

I woke up at 5am and was out the door by 6am still wanting a significant amount of more sleep.  I ran the warm-up miles well.  I listened to a podcast to keep the pace easy.  I felt some pain in my right ankle, though, and got a little concerned.  “Is this from the increased mileage?” I thought.  I reached the Custis Trail and physically felt better.  For some reason, I found myself thinking about how I used to run close to 8:00 pace on medium runs and found myself running even harder.  I run best when I have a chip on my shoulder.

Overall pace=9:09.

Long Run. 20 miles. [Log Details].

Having played field hockey most of my life, I’ve struggled with feeling like I was part of a team when running with other people.  Today, I felt it in spades.

I thought it would be good for me to run with a club of faster runners.  I ran 6 miles on my way to the meet up with them.

I knew I would be the slowest of the group but the woman who I raced most of 2015 Rock ‘n Roll DC with stayed with me.  She’s become a much faster runner than I am and I struggled to match her pace.  At some point, we started talking about my alma mater and I found myself telling her most of my life story.  I’ve heard that this happens when you run with people but was surprised by how easily I shared it.  By the end of the run, I was barely shuffling but she stayed with me the entire time.  After the run, we met up with the rest of the group.  I felt connections that reminded me of being on a team.

Overall pace=9:11.

Health

Injuries. I had some pain in my feet and ankles on some of my runs this week.  I also dealt with post-race foot cramps.  None of these aches, pains, and annoyances have flared into “injuries” but I’m watching them.

Sleep.  I slept well during the first part of the week.  I went up to bed early rather than falling asleep on the couch and then turning in.  But, I reverted to bad habits on Wednesday night as I tried to catch up on work.

Weight. Back to a normal routine after traveling to Austin, Texas for work last week, I dropped a few pounds and my weight stayed pretty steady during the week.

Weather

After last week’s brutal heat, the weather was almost pleasant for summer in Washington, D.C. this week.  Starting on Tuesday, morning temperatures were in the low 70s.  The dew points and humidity were still on the high side, though.  It rained on Friday, which led to nicer conditions today.

Racing Schedule

Future races.  I’ve started looking for a second fall marathon (or ultra-marathon).  I’m looking at races in December or January.  But, I may drop the idea since I’m stilling thinking I’ll do the Tokyo Marathon in February.

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