2018 New York City Marathon – Week 6

After five weeks of building mileage, this was a cut-back week.  I was tempted to add on miles because I missed a medium run last week but I suppressed that urge.  Then, Saturday’s 15 miler was the fastest long run of this training cycle.

Training Schedule
August 5th – August 11th

Sunday: Recovery Run. 5 miles + Weight Training.
Monday: General Aerobic Run. 10 miles.
Tuesday: Recovery Run. 5 miles.
Wednesday: General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles w/10 x 100m strides.
Thursday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Friday: Off.
Saturday: Medium-long Run. 15 miles.

Mileage Total: ~55 Miles

Notes.  I followed the schedule except on Wednesday, I did eight strides instead of ten after my general aerobic run. When I started this training cycle, I wanted to weight train twice a week but I only scheduled one because I haven’t followed through when I’ve scheduled two.

Workout Details

General Aerobic Run. 10 miles [Log Details]

Last week’s mileage was low so I considered changing this workout to a medium run – particularly because I felt great after a good night’s sleep!  But, I reminded myself that this was a cut-back week.

I followed a 10 mile route through Arlington and I kept my effort easy during the early miles.  To escape the sun, I ran in the shade.  My shoulders and thighs ached from Sunday’s weight training workout and foam roller session but otherwise, I felt pretty good.  During the final mile on the W&OD Trail, I did a set of “pick-ups” – running easy and then hard from electricity pole-to-pole.

Overall pace=9:45.

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

When I woke up, my bedside weather station said it was already 77 degrees outside.  But when I headed out for the run, it didn’t feel miserable.  Nervous about a work presentation later in the day, I listened to pop music to settle my nerves and improve my mood as I ran three miles north through the Arlington suburbs to Custis Trail.  I ran another three miles on the W&OD Trail before completing eight instead of ten strides before heading home.

Overall pace=8:46.

Medium-long Run. 12 miles w/20 minutes @ half marathon pace [Log Details].

The night before, I stayed up until 11pm and didn’t wake up until 6:45am!  I’m not a “roll out of bed” runner but was out the door just after 7am.  I sipped on a 5 Hour Energy drink as I ran through Clarendon and Rosslyn.  Normally, my pace is low-8:00 in this downhill section but I wasn’t’ seeing that today.  Feeling beat and performing poorly, I thought about quitting the run several times but convinced myself I just had to finish.  I took the Custis Trail detour on Lee Highway and it was a chore.  On the W&OD Trail, I felt sick to my stomach and though I might faint so I slowed down.

Overall pace=9:40.

Medium-long Run. 15 miles. [Log Details].

It was about 80 degrees at the start of the run with a dew point at 71 – miserable running conditions.  With three months until race day and finishing up the endurance portion of my training cycle, I decided it was time to start focusing on running faster.  I started with the warm-up to the Mount Vernon Trail and pushed myself to stay around 8:45 pace.  At Gravelly Point, I nudged my target down to 8:25 pace.

I took a 3-minute recovery at Roosevelt Island, Crank Sport e-Gel, and drank a lot of water.  On the Custis Trail, I ran slow up Lee Highway and after Glebe Road, tried to find 8:00 pace.  I managed 8:30 pace for a couple of miles but on the last stretch of the W&OD Trail, I gave up.  Sub-9:00 overall for a long run is not bad for me these days!  I finished the run with a lemonade tea and splash fountain, followed by a bubble bath and trip to District Taco.

Overall pace=8:59.

Cross Training

On Sunday, I rocked my weight training session and did some body work that evening. In addition to my normal exercises (stiff-legged dead-lifts, chest presses, tricep presses, dumbbell curls and shoulder presses), I added leg presses to work my quadriceps a bit more. Later, I spent about 20 minutes with a foam roller.

Health

Sleep.  I woke up sometime between 2am and 4am almost every night but managed to fall back to sleep quickly.  I had a lot on my mind this week because I’ll be taking on a new job temporarily in two weeks and felt responsible for both.

Weight.  My weight spiked due to poor eating habits (like eating the breakfast buffet at work instead of oatmeal at home) and not tracking my calorie intake.

Weather

This week might have been the hottest of the summer. Morning temperatures were in the mid-70s or higher every day and I actively sought shade on my runs. The air and wind were relatively dry and calm, though.

Racing Schedule

Future races.  I decided to pass on the 2019 Tokyo Marathon.  However, I visited the Across the Years website and thought about doing the 48 or 72 hour option.

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