2018 Boston Marathon – Week 2
I completed all of my workouts despite going through the first week of a stressful bathroom remodeling project. I ran well but struggled towards the end of my long run on Saturday. I also had some worrisome pain in my ankle all week.
Training Schedule
January 28th – February 3rd
Sunday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + Recovery Run. 4 miles (PM).
Monday: Lactate Threshold Run. 10 miles w/4 miles @ 15K to half marathon pace.
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run. 10 miles.
Wednesday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Thursday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Friday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Saturday: Long Run. 18 miles.
Mileage Total: ~72 Miles
Notes. I ran Wednesday’s easy run on the treadmill since I planned to shower at the gym that day.
Workout Details
Lactate Threshold Run. 10 miles w/4 miles @ 15K to half marathon pace [Log Details].
The contractor I hired for my bathroom remodel wanted to start at 8am! I tried to leave the house by 6am, but got a late start. I ran the first 4.5 miles easy through the center of Arlington on the way to the Custis Trail through Clarendon. I started the lactate threshold segment near Glebe Road. I felt pretty good during the tempo segment but couldn’t quite get my pace down to what I thought my half marathon pace should be right now. I was a little disappointed with the effort, but given the fact that I ran a marathon pace workout two days before, it wasn’t terrible. I was 20 minutes late meeting the contractors, though, and had to shower at work.
Half marathon pace segment pace=7:58. Overall pace=9:09.
General Aerobic Run. 10 miles [Log Details].
When I came home on Monday night, my bathroom had been gutted! I didn’t expect to lose the use of my toilet until the next week. I woke up, got dressed for my run, and then went to the coffee shop across the street to use the facilities and get my morning caffeine shot. The temperature was mild, but the winds were gusting up to 30 miles per hour! I ran the same route as the day before except I didn’t speed up when I got to Glebe Road. I wanted to run something in the 8:40 pace range but came up a little short.
Overall pace=8:50.
Medium-long Run. 12 miles. [Log Details, Part 1 and Part 2].
I felt surprisingly good during the run, probably because I ran very easy on the treadmill the day before. On my way to Rosslyn, I stretched my legs thoroughly every time I had to stop to cross the road.
The run was going great until I noticed my Garmin had stopped six miles into the run during the short, steep uphill on the Custis Trail. I restarted it but a few minutes later, saw it had shut down again. When I stopped for water at Nelson Street, I opened the Strava app on my phone and used it to capture the rest of the workout. I was in a groove and skipped the water fountain at the junction for the W&OD Trail. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I ran sub-8:40 pace for the second half of the run!
Overall pace=8:42.
Long Run. 18 miles [Log Details].
I ran easy for the first three miles on my way to the Custis Trail. At Nelson Street, I drank some water and started a Luna Bar. I had a light dinner the night before and only a few bites of a croissant for breakfast and worried I was under-fueled. About an hour into the run, heading downhill towards Rosslyn, I took one Sword Caffeine Chew. I stopped for water at Roosevelt Island to wash everything down. I tried to pick up the pace on the Mount Vernon Trail but heading into the wind, I wasn’t seeing a drop. I stopped at Gravelly Point to take the second energy chew and take pictures of the airplanes landing.
By the time I reached the Four Mile Run Trail, I was exhausted. I sat for a minute or two and finished the Luna Bar. I managed to keep going and finish the scheduled mileage but ran very slowly. Last week, I felt confident that endurance wouldn’t be a problem for me, but after this run, I felt less confident about that.
Overall pace=9:07.
Health
Injuries. All week, I had pain in my right foot that radiated up to my ankle. Massage seemed to help but it’s worrisome.
Sleep. I slept pretty well – getting about 7 hours of sleep each night.
Stress. I lost access to my shower and toilet sooner than expected. It took me a few days to get my act together and move into a hotel.
Weather
The temperature was mild during the week – from mid-30s to 50 degrees. However, the winds were blowing in the 15-20 mile-per-hour range most days. By Saturday, the temperature dipped into the 20s with wind chills in the teens.
Racing Schedule
Runner rankings. “Best of 2017 Runner Rankings,” by Potomac River Running. I didn’t expect to make the ranking since I didn’t run all out during a couple of races last year, but I was 17th in my age group!
Next race: 2018 Reston 10 Miler on Sunday, March 4th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
