2018 New York City Marathon – Week 14
The week started hard – 18 miles w/14 miles @ goal marathon pace on Sunday – but then eased up before the 2018 Army Ten Miler. I ran well enough but felt run down after suffering from sore quadriceps and sleeping poorly.
Training Schedule
September 30th – October 6th
Sunday: Long Run. 18 miles w/14 miles @ marathon race pace
Monday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + Weight Lifting (PM)
Tuesday: VO2Max Run. 9 miles w/5 x 600m @ 5K race pace
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 14 miles
Thursday: Recovery Run. 6 miles w/6 x 100m strides (AM) + 4 miles (PM)
Friday: Off
Saturday: Recovery Run. 5 miles
Mileage Total: ~62 Miles
Notes. I flipped the order of the recovery runs on Thursday, but otherwise, I followed the schedule.
Workout Details
Long Run. 18 miles w/14 miles @ marathon race pace [Log Details]
“Hmmm… Maybe I should run the National Capital 20 Miler to make sure I run these 14 miles hard,” I thought. At the last minute, I remembered the race didn’t have same-day registration because it’s on National Park Service property. Rats! Heading out my front door, I estimated I was in 3:33:00 (8:08 pace) marathon shape based on my time from the 2018 Navy-Air Force Half Marathon.
For the two mile warm-up, I ran to the Four Mile Run Trail in Shirlington and started the marathon pace segment where the asphalt turns to concrete by the I-395 overpass. From there, I headed east to the Mount Vernon Trail and north to Roosevelt Island.
My pace hovered just above 8:00 – excellent! I slowed down a little sloshing through puddles near Memorial Bridge and started the Crank Sport e-Gel. I stopped for water briefly after the turn-around. It was a cool 63 degrees when I started the run but I could tell it was much warmer now.
On my way to Four Mile Run, I saw a co-worker on his bike. I was so zoned out that he almost hit me waving to get my attention! I ran the second half slightly faster than the first and finished the marathon pace segment in 8:00 pace! I couldn’t be happier given the conditions.
Marathon race pace segment=8:00. Overall pace=8:26.
V02Max Run. 9 miles w/5 x 600m @ 5K race pace [Log Details].
I had low expectations for the workout because I woke up early in the morning and had a hard time getting back to sleep. After a three mile easy warm-up, I was back on the Four Mile Run Trail.
My first two repetitions were fast! I really focused on getting a full range of motion through my hips, which helped. I turned around abruptly mid-way through the third repetition but the lap pace wasn’t slower than the previous two! However by the final repetition, I was really just trying to hang on. Overall, I was happy with how the workout went considering how poorly I felt hours earlier.
600m repetitions=2:28, 2:29, 2:28, 2:30, 2:31. Average=2:29 or 6:45 pace.
Medium-long Run. 14 miles [Log Details].
I woke up early enough that I thought I could finish 14 miles before work. My existing 14 mile route was hilly, so I headed out the door estimating a new way to get the mileage. From home, I crossed into North Arlington and ran downhill along Route 50 to Rosslyn. There, I connected with the flat Mount Vernon Trail. I stopped for water at Roosevelt Island and realized despite the easy terrain, I just wasn’t feeling like running hard. So, I stopped several times over the next two miles for pictures.
For the next six miles, I ran 8:20-8:30 pace – even on the W&OD section by Shirlington, where I normally run slow. I took the final two miles very easy.
Overall pace=8:43.
Recovery Runs. 6 miles (AM) [Log Details] + 4 miles (PM) [Log Details].
I woke up exhausted. I thought, “Maybe I could double tomorrow?” No, I wanted fresh legs for the Army Ten Miler on Sunday. I squeezed in four miles before work and decided to run-commute home.
At around 5pm, I had a Red Bull and some cookies for pre-workout fuel. I was surprised by how speedy my legs felt so late in the day but the junk food made my belly ache.
It was so humid but I enjoyed the vibrant colors at sunset.
Overall pace (AM)=9:58. Overall pace (PM)=9:03.
Cross Training
It looks like I’ve given up on weight training for the rest of this training cycle. Going to the gym just hasn’t been on my agenda after work.
Health
Injuries. My quadriceps hurt from the goal marathon pace miles at the beginning of the week and I’m not sure they fully recovered.
Sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night several times this week thinking about work. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this unstable in my career.
Weather
Early in the week, morning temperatures were in the low 60s. Then, they returned to 70 degrees with high humidity by Thursday. Washington, D.C. is close to setting a local record for 80 degree days in a year!
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2018 Army Ten Miler on Sunday, October 7th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
