2018 New York City Marathon – Week 13
This was the peak mileage week for this training cycle – 70 miles with only three more weeks of hard training to go! The weather finally dipped into a more runner-friendly range and my workout paces dropped.
Training Schedule
September 23rd – September 29th
Sunday: Long Run. 18 miles
Monday: Recovery Run. 5 miles + Weight Lifting (PM)
Tuesday: VO2Max Run. 10 miles w/6 x 1,000m @ 5K race pace
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 15 miles
Thursday: Recovery Run. 6 miles w/6 x 100m strides (AM) + 4 miles (PM)
Friday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles
Saturday: Off
Mileage Total: ~70 Miles
Notes. I skipped weight training on Monday. I only managed the morning run on Thursday but ran four miles on Saturday to hit my mileage target for the week.
Workout Details
Long Run. 18 miles [Log Details, pt. 1] [Log Details, pt. 2]
I did the “Arlington Loop” for this run and wanted to hover around 9:00 pace for the early miles. There was a light rain at the start of the run, which was refreshing. On the Four Mile Trail near Route 1, I dropped down to around 8:50 pace. I messed up the laps on my watch, so I reset the workout at National Airport.
The next few miles flew by. At Roosevelt Island, I ate a Crank Sport e-Gel and downed some water. After that break, I increased my effort to something that felt “hard”. By the time I reached the water fountain at Nelson Street, it was raining hard! I found myself running close to 8:00 pace on my way to the W&OD Trail. The route was flooded at Wilson Boulevard. Ignoring the “turn around, don’t drown” advice, I ran through it.
I was so happy with how hard I ran but I paid for it later with sore quadriceps.
Overall pace=8:40.
V02Max Run. 10 miles w/6 x 1000m @ 5K race pace [Log Details].
Reviewing this same workout from two weeks ago and from Week 13 last year, I set my Garmin for 6::55 to 7:10 pace for the 1000m repetitions and headed to the Four Mile Run Trail.
During the first repetition, I saw a detour ahead at Glebe Rd. Unfazed, I ran up a side road and ultimately made my way back to the trail. For the next repetition, I slowed a little when I encountered a puddle under Mount Vernon Avenue. Then, during the third, I came across a section of the trail that was flooded. I did the final three sets going back and forth between those two roads.
1000m repetitions=4:11, 4:16, 4:20, 4:21, 4:19, 4:18. Average=4:18 or 6:58 pace.
Medium-long Run. 15 miles [Log Details].
I got up early enough to get the run in before work. It was humid, but I told myself this should be the last warm day – the overnight lows would be in the 60s for the rest of the week. The 15 mile route took me through Pentagon and Crystal City to the Mount Vernon Trail. At Gravelly Point, I pushed the pace a little.
It was a fairly uneventful run. I stopped for water at Roosevelt Island where I also ate a few ClifBloks. I finished the pack during a break at the Nelson Street fountain on the Custis Trail. I took breathers at the junction with the W&OD Trail and at Bluemont Park. I wasn’t very winded but I knew my body was struggling a little with the conditions.
Overall pace=8:49.
Medium-long Run. 12 miles [Log Details].
I got a late start but squeezed this run in before work. From my house, I ran north to Clarendon and then ran downhill through Rosslyn to the Custis Trail. On my way, I meditated on another potential job change. On the uphill on Lee Highway, I thought, “Don’t force it.” I realized that the revelation applied not only to the pace I was running but my career. Relieved of that decision, I settled into the run. I realized I was running much faster than usual – close to 8:00 pace! I stopped for water at Nelson Street but I felt so good that I ran past the water stops at the W&OD Trail and Bluemont Park. It was a great run! In fact, it was my third fastest time running this route.
Overall pace=8:08.
Cross Training
I skipped weight lifting this week.
Health
Injuries. After Sunday’s long run, I suffered from sore quads for the rest of the week. And, Friday’s medium-long run left me with sore knees on Saturday.
Sleep. I slept well early in the week but by Thursday, I was dragging. I felt dizzy during my recovery run that morning and slowed down significantly. I felt fine the next day.
Weather
This was the rainiest September on record for Washington, D.C. Heavy showers stopped by Wednesday morning but the air was still damp. Then, fall arrived! Morning temperatures were under 70 degrees and winds were consistently around 10 mph.
Racing Schedule
Future races. I still haven’t made travel and hotel arrangements for the 2018 New York City Marathon! I’m thinking of taking a vacation after the race, so it’s becoming complicated.
Next race: 2018 Army Ten Miler on Sunday, October 7th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
