2018 Boston Marathon – Week 6
I ran four workouts this week and they were all packed together. I did general aerobic runs on Monday and Thursday, a medium run on Wednesday, and an interval workout on Tuesday. I took Friday and Saturday easy in preparation for the Reston 10 Miler on Sunday.
Training Schedule
February 25th – March 3rd
Sunday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + Recovery Run. 4 miles (PM).
Monday: General Aerobic Run. 8 miles.
Tuesday: VO2Max Run. 12 miles w/5x1200m @ 5K race pace.
Wednesday: Medium Run + Recovery Run. 15 miles (AM) + Recovery Run. 4 miles (PM).
Thursday: General Aerobic Run. 10 miles.
Friday: Recovery Run. 7 miles.
Saturday: Recovery Run + Speed. 6 miles w/6x100m strides.
Mileage Total: ~72 Miles
Notes. I only ran 13 miles during my to run commute on Wednesday. And, I didn’t double because a lunch-time run would be been too soon. Still, by Friday, my 7 day mileage total was 83 miles!
Workout Details
General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles [Log Details].
I thought it was time to settle into proper training paces based on where my fitness is now rather than what I’d like it to be. With that in mind, I wanted to finish this run at around 8:40 pace. I ran a familiar route from my neighborhood in south Arlington north to the Custis Trail. I was clocking low 9:00 pace, which was an honest aerobic effort. There was construction on the way and I took the detour rather than flouting the construction signs. When I reached the Custis Trail, I ran a quick mile before hooking up with the W&OD Trail. My pace dropped to 8:10 before I eased up for the uphill home.
Overall pace=8:37.
Interval Run. 12 miles. 5x1200m @ 5K pace [Log Details].
After months of mostly slow running, I was actually looking forward to this speed workout! I ran a three mile warm-up, and then ran the intervals on the flat Four Mile Run and Mount Vernon trails. I was a little disappointed in the first repetition. I thought I should be able to get under 7:00 pace and pushed harder for the rest of the workout. I got closer to sub-7:00 during the final two but small hills subverted my efforts. Overall, my average pace roughly translated to a 22:15 5K, which seems a little faster than what I could run right now.
Repeat paces= 7:16, 7:05, 7:13, 7:07, 7:07. Average=7:10.
Medium-long Run. 15 miles [Log Details].
I woke up feeling exhausted. I got dressed but thought I should listen to the fatigue and take a rest day. “You can’t skip a 15 miler,” I thought and mentally prepared myself for a miserable run. Before I left the house, I grabbed a handheld with Gatorade knowing it would be warm and there wouldn’t be any working water fountains. I ran south from my neighborhood in Arlington to Alexandria before heading up the Mount Vernon Trail. I engaged in a good deal of bargaining during the early miles – pointing out all the places I could quite the run and take the Metro into work. Even though I felt tired, my Garmin wasn’t buzzing “Slow” even though I had programmed Pfitz-based slightly slower than marathon pace ranges for this route. I realized I wouldn’t make it to work in time to complete 15 miles. So when I reached the Smithsonian Metro, I stopped my Garmin and boarded the train to work. (I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a former co-worker who I haven’t seen in years on the train!) I finished the run so late that I didn’t think doubling during lunch would be a good idea.
Overall pace=9:02.
General Aerobic Run. 10 miles [Log Details].
I decided to make up some of the mileage I missed the day before and run 12 miles instead of 10. I thought I probably wouldn’t be able to run as fast as I did on Monday. But, I felt surprisingly good as I ran north and mostly uphill to Clarendon and then downhill along Wilson Boulevard to Rosslyn. I headed up the Custis Trail and encountered construction on the long uphill. I was running so well that I didn’t use the water fountains at Nelson Street or the W&OD Trail as excuses to stop. I wondered, “Are you leaving your race on the trail?” But, the pace was similar to earlier in the week.
Overall pace=8:25.
Health
Injuries. My left knee bothered me a little during my treadmill run on Friday. It’s been a little stiff since the 2018 San Diego 50 Miler. I might have hurt it more than I realized when I fell.
Sleep. Generally, I slept very well this week. I forced myself to go to bed early, convinced that I perform better when I get a good night’s sleep. (I gave up on The Walking Dead, which will help my sleep on Sunday nights.)
Weather
The temperature was consistently in the upper 40s for the entire week. There was drizzle on Tuesday during my interval workout and high winds forced me to do my recovery run on the treadmill on Friday.
Racing Schedule
Future races. I saw a video on the New York City Marathon’s Facebook page and smiled when I saw my name flash across the screen!
Next race: 2018 Reston 10 Miler on Sunday, March 4th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
