2018 New York City Marathon – Week 9
Weather was my biggest challenge this week, particularly during my run-commute on Monday. Still, I completed my workouts! On Wednesday, I retreated to a treadmill. I found a comfortable marathon pace for Saturday’s run, but after, wondered if it was hard enough.
Training Schedule
August 26th – September 1st
Sunday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + Weight Lifting (PM).
Monday: Medium-long Run. 15 miles.
Tuesday: Recovery Run + Speed. 7 miles w/6 x 200m strides.
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 13 miles.
Thursday: Recovery Run. 6 miles (AM) + 4 miles (PM).
Friday: Off.
Saturday: Marathon Pace Run. 16 miles w/12 miles @ marathon race pace.
Mileage Total: ~67 Miles
Notes. There were discrepancies between the schedule I entered in RunningAhead and what I had here. As a result, I was short a mile and missed the strides for Tuesday’s workout.
Workout Details
Medium-long Run. 15 miles. [Log Details].
This was a run-commute. My workplace is only 6 miles from my house, though, I ran south from my house in Arlington, Virginia to Alexandria and took the Mount Vernon Trail north to Washington, D.C. The first seven miles were mostly flat or downhill, and my legs felt great. But by the time I reached Old Town, I started fading. I stopped for water in a park near the waterfront and drank an uncomfortable amount of water. Just like the 2018 San Diego 50 Miler, I felt no matter how much I drank, I couldn’t rehydrate. Plus, I had to ration the 12 ounces of Gatorade in my handheld. I stopped at National Airport even though the fountain was STILL BROKEN! From then on, I stopped at regular intervals and slowed to a crawl. I finally reached a water fountain near the Jefferson Memorial. Exhausted, I stopped my watch at exactly 15 miles at the top of Capitol Hill.
Overall pace=9:37.
Medium-long Run. 13 miles. [Log Details].
The local news reported there was a heat advisory for the area with 80 degree temperatures and 90% humidity at 7am. I decided to do a two-hour run on the treadmill.
Unlike some runners, I’m pretty treadmill tolerant. I don’t get bored and I enjoy the opportunity to have drinks, gels, and gear within reach. For entertainment, I listened to a podcast during the first hour. For the most part, the treadmill was on the 6.1 setting, which is 9:50 pace, but my Garmin showed I was running faster. I concentrated on running through my hips, which were incredibly stiff. It was painful at times but it actually felt good. I drank ice water from a handheld and after so much hot and humid running this summer, it was amazingly refreshing. After an hour, I took a break, switched to music, and went up to the 6.4 setting, which should be 9:24 pace.
Overall pace=8:34 (by Garmin).
Recovery Runs. 6 miles (AM) [Log Details] + 4 miles (PM) [Log Details].
Over the years, I’ve noticed I tend to run a little faster after a treadmill run and this day was no exception. In the morning, I ran an out-and-back on the W&OD Trail to Bluemont Park and my legs felt downright springy!
That evening, I got home at around 7:30pm and didn’t feel like running. I consoled myself that it was only four miles and completed the double.
Overall pace (AM)=9:00. Overall pace (PM)=9:24.
Marathon Pace Run. 16 miles w/12 miles @ marathon race pace [Log Details].
Running towards the Mount Vernon Trail, I started the marathon pace miles in Crystal City. Excited and apprehensive at the same time, my Garmin was set for 8:25 to 8:50 pace. My first “marathon pace” mile was 8:40 and I told myself to holding that pace for the next 11. At first, the pace felt easy and I forced myself to slow down. It started to feel a little difficult about 4 miles in when I crossed the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, D.C. I did a loop through East Potomac Park (“Hains Point”) and then headed west towards the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
There, I drank water and rested a minute or two. On the way back, my wireless headphones gave out and I used it as an excuse to take another break. In the end, I wondered if I ran fast enough but felt the steady pace was more important.
Overall pace=8:43.
Cross Training
I performed seated cable rows, upright rows, chest presses, stiff-legged dead-lifts, lateral pull-downs, tricep presses, leg presses, shoulder presses, and dumbbell curls. I also did bodywork throughout the week – mostly working my glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings with the foam roller.
Health
Sleep. Strangely… I slept pretty well this week – at least seven hours each night! In fact, for the first time in a while, I got over five hours the night before my Saturday long run.
Weight. My weight didn’t change much but I went back to tracking my meals.
Weather
Hottest week of the summer? Beginning on Tuesday, morning temperatures stayed around 79 degrees. The next day, I retreated to a treadmill. Saturday was a few degrees cooler due to thunderstorms the night before.
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2018 Navy Air Force Half Marathon on Sunday, September 16th (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
