2018 New York City Marathon – Week 2

Fully recovered from jet-lag and a cold, this felt like the first week of marathon training.  Like a good runner, I pushed myself during workouts but eased off on recovery days.  On Saturday, I completed my first marathon-pace workout of this training cycle.

Training Schedule
July 8th – July 14th

Sunday: Recovery Run. 5 miles + Weight Training.
Monday: General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles w/10 x 100m strides.
Tuesday: Recovery Run. 5 miles.
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Thursday: General Aerobic Run. 9 miles + Drills.
Friday: Off.
Saturday: Marathon-pace Run. 16 miles w/8 miles @ marathon race pace.

Mileage Total: ~55 Miles

Notes. Last week was rough due to jet-lag and a cold.  After recovering from both, I stuck to my schedule and got in my first solid week of training.

Workout Details

General Aerobic Run. 8 miles w/10 x 100m strides [Log Details].

I re-read Pfitz’s guidance on “general aerobic runs”.  He suggested these runs should be no more than 81 percent of maximum heart rate, which for me is 132 to 152 beats per minute.  That’s what I’ve been calling “recovery”!  I ran a loop that took me to Four Mile Run Trail.  I found myself thinking about my race goal for the New York City Marathon and doubt crept in.  “Can I make this body do what it used to do?”  I went up the Mount Vernon Trail to Crystal City.  I did the strides on the western edge of Arlington Cemetery.

Overall pace=9:37.

Medium-long Run. 12 miles [Log Details]

I really just wanted to get this run in.  From home, I ran to the Mount Vernon Trail.  I wanted to have a good run but not too hard.  It pretty swampy at the start – 78 degrees and a dewpoint around 65 when I left the house.

I carried a handheld with Gatorade but stopped to sip water at Roosevelt Island and Nelson Street on the Custis Trail.  I thought about running by effort but the competitor in me countered, “You don’t have a heart rate goal.  You have a time goal.”  I left the trail at Quincy Street in Ballston.  I started to feel a little tired and wanted a break.   By the end of the run, it was well over 80 degrees by the time I finished the run.

Overall pace=9:22.

General Aerobic Run. 9 miles w/form drills [Log Details].

Some days, I feel great for no rightful reason and this was one of those days.  Heading out the door, I knew I shouldn’t go out too hard because I had a marathon-pace run in two days.  Plus, I finished 12 miles the day before.  But, my legs were turning over very well.  My route took me up to North Arlington and back.  I did some form drills – four sets of 15 lunges, kick-butts, and high knees – before heading home.  Despite the temperatures and gentle climbs, it was one of my fastest runs in a while!

Overall pace=9:08.

Marathon-pace Run. 16 miles w/8 miles @ marathon race pace [Log Details].

Based on my performance at the 2018 Crofton 10K, I thought I should shoot for 8:16 pace (a 3:36:28 marathon).  I felt good during the warm-up running north to the Custis Trail.  As the marathon-pace segment approached, I felt dread because I knew this was going to hurt.

The first two miles were close to goal pace but I knew they were was actually slow because I was mostly running downhill.  The third and fourth miles were in the 8:30 pace range and I thought that was good considering the heat.  But by the time I reached Gravelly Point, I’d slowed significantly – my pace was well over a 9:00 mile!  With my heart rate at 180 bpm, I stopped at National Airport.  I rested for a minute or two and restarted.  I told myself I could stop again with a mile left but then countered, “Don’t give up before you succeed!”  I might not hit my time goal but I wouldn’t quit the workout!

I took a very long break when the 8 miles were over and then finished with an incredibly slow cool-down home.

Marathon race pace segment=8:47.  Overall pace=9:29.

Cross Training

On Sunday, I did a 45 minute weight lifting routine that worked my arms, chest, shoulders, and back.  I performed chest presses, tricep presses, dumbbell curls, upright rows, shoulder presses, stiff-legged dead-lifts, seated cable rows, and lateral pull-downs.

Health

Sleep.  It was a great week for sleep!  Work messed it up a little on Tuesday night but generally, I got at least seven hours each night.

Injuries.  Walking to the gym after Sunday’s recovery run, I felt a dull pain behind my right knee.  I thought it might be a cramp from dehydration.  Sure enough, the twinge was gone the next day.

Weather

The morning weather was almost perfect on Sunday – not quite 70 degrees and a cloudless sky.

It was even cooler on Monday before spiking to 80 degrees on Wednesday. The week ended with temperatures in the 70s.

Racing Schedule

Next race: 2018 Navy Air Force Half Marathon on Sunday, September 16th (My Complete Racing Schedule.)