2018 San Diego 50 Miler – Week 1

The 2017 New York City Marathon was only two weeks ago and I’m already training for the 2018 San Diego 50 Miler!  I ran three hard workouts including a 25 mile long run on Saturday – part one of two endurance runs for the weekend.

Training Schedule
November 19th – November 25th

Sunday: Easy Run. 4-6 miles.
Monday: Easy Run. 4-6 miles + Core Strength Exercises.
Tuesday: VO2Max Run. 8 miles w/6 x 5 min. w/1 min. recovery.
Wednesday: General Aerobic Run. 6 miles.
Thursday: Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler + Core Strength Exercises.
Friday: Rest.
Saturday: Long Run. 25 miles.

Mileage Total: ~52-56 Miles

Notes.  I started with Week 17 of the 50-mile training plan in Running Your First Ultra by Krissy Moehl.  The schedule had an easy run on Thursday, but I ran the 2017 Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler instead.

Workout Details

VO2Max Run. 8 miles w/6 x 5 min. w/1 min. recovery [Log Details].

The schedule called for 5 minute repetitions but I have to admit I haven’t read the book from cover-to-cover to know if the author prescribed paces.  I thought that time translated to 1,000m and headed out the door.  I ran the intervals on the flat Four Mile Run Trail.  I tried to find a pace that felt “steady” for the first one and thought, “This is why you should have read the book.”  I tried to maintain the same pace for the rest of the workout.  By the end of my fourth repetition, I could tell my quads were sore.  This was a hard workout!

Split paces=7:34, 7:35, 7:28, 7:30, 7:35, 7:33.  Average=7:33.

General Aerobic Run. 6 miles [Log Details].

I knew the best way for me to run “hard” workouts is to go fast from the beginning.  Early in the run, it occurred to me that it didn’t make sense to run this fast since I was running a race the next day, but I went with it anyway.  Besides, the air was crisp and the sun was shining – it was a great day for a run!

Overall pace=8:31.

Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler + Core Strength Exercises [Race Report].

This was my 12th consecutive running of the Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Miler, having decided years ago that I didn’t want to travel for Thanksgiving.  I decided to treat the race as a workout since I had run a hard interval workout two days before and had a big weekend ahead.  I ran pretty even splits even though I felt as though I was fading at the end.

Once again, I skipped the strength exercises after the run.

Overall pace=7:29.

Long Run. 25 miles [Log Details].

In the days before the run, I planned my route very carefully and programmed the segments in my Garmin to equal exactly 25 miles.  I also planned my food and hydration.  I had a bagel and banana with coffee as a pre-workout meal and packed about 500 calories worth of food for the run.  My Camelbak carried 1.5 liters of water – about 2 hours of fluid.

I started the run on the Four Mile Run Trail and took my first break near National Airport.  I immediately realized the one minute time allowance that I’d given myself for aid stations wouldn’t be enough.

I knew I was running a little fast and tried to dial into a pace that, if for some cruel reason I had to run this distance again, I could hold.

Another five miles later, I stopped at Roosevelt Island and refilled the bladder in my Camelbak.

I crossed the river into Georgetown.  My carefully arranged segments were off on the Capitol Crescent Trail.  I didn’t reset them, though.  I wanted to know how far off I was I could figure out where to add distance.

In the final miles, I passed Michael Wardian on the W&OD Trail.  It seemed like a good omen that I’m going to be an ultra-marathoner.

After the run, I thought, “Run that twice?! You are out of your ever lovin’ mind!”  And, throughout the day, I kept thinking, “Nope, you still wouldn’t be done yet.”

Most important lesson learned:

• Filling the bladder of my backpack is going to take some time.

Overall pace=10:15.

Health

Injuries. I’ve had some pain in my left foot – mostly in the morning.  I’m assuming it’s a light case of plantar fasciitis.  My piriformis pain is on both sides now but is mild.

Sleep.  I started taking melatonin in the evenings to help with my asleep.  It seems to be helping.  I’m noticing I’m not waking up in the middle of the night.  But, I’m a little drowsy in the morning.

Weather

The week started cold – about 40 degrees.  Wednesday was a beautiful day – chilly but sunny.  It was a frigid 35 degrees in the morning for the 2017 Alexandria Turkey Trot.  On Saturday, the sun made it feel much warm.

Racing Schedule

Future races.  I got my official registration card for the 2018 Boston Marathon this week!  I need to remember to submit my time from the 2017 New York City Marathon in case three minutes improves my seeding.

Next race: 2017 Fairfax Four Miler on Sunday, December 31st. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)