2018 San Diego 50 Miler – Week 5

Last week’s recovery continued with easy running through Tuesday of this week.  My plan called it “fine tuning” but my lungs labored and legs lacked “pop” after so many days off.  But, this would be my last back-to-back long run weekend!

Training Schedule
December 17 – December 23

Sunday: Easy Run. 5-6 miles.
Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Easy Run. 7-9 miles.
Wednesday: VO2Max Run. 9 miles w/5-7 x 5 min. w/1 min. recovery.
Thursday: Easy Run. 3 miles.
Friday: General Aerobic Run. 7 miles.
Saturday: Long Run. 25 miles.

Mileage Total: ~56-59 Miles

Notes.  I slept in on Wednesday and pushed my interval workout to Thursday.  In retrospect, that was a bad idea because it meant I ran two hard days before my 25 mile long run on Saturday!

Workout Details

 

VO2Max Run. 12 miles w/5-7 x 1200m w/1 min. recovery [Log Details].

I took the day off from work but my body didn’t allow me to sleep in much.  I headed out the door at around 8:30am.  After a 15 minute warm-up, I started the intervals on the Four Mile Trail heading towards the Mount Vernon Trail.  It was a beautiful morning – the air was crisp and the trail was mostly my own.  The first few repetitions didn’t feel overly hard but I still would have liked a longer recovery.  I told myself, “Come on!  Camille Herron can run 100 miles at this pace!”  I turned around during the fourth interval near the Washington Marina.  The fifth repetition was slower because there’s an uphill between the Marina and the Airport.  But, my splits were incredible consistent!

1,200m pace=7:35, 7:41, 7:35, 7:38, 7:48, 7:33, 7:37.  Average=7:38.

General Aerobic Run. 7 miles [Log Details].

Even though I took this day off from work, too, I started later than I should have.  I scheduled a service call for the day and didn’t know when they would arrive.  I planned on doing an out-and-back on the W&OD Trail.  I checked my phone a mile into the run and saw a voice message saying the technician would arrive between 10am and 11am.  I should have just enough time to finish the run.  I ran fairly hard during the workout – motivated by a 10am deadline and up-tempo music.  Before the turnaround, I flew by a Ragnar teammate at Bluemont Park and shouted out to her!  My legs felt a little flat but I finished the run at 9:58am!  Of course, the repairman arrived closer to 11am.

Overall pace=8:29.

Long Run. 25 miles [Log Details].

This would be the first part of my last back-to-back long run weekend.  I wanted to experiment with goal pace, nutrition, and my gear.  The forecast showed rain, but the weather was pretty good at the start – warm and just a little windy.  I was sweating in a long-sleeve and questions the choice of wearing something so heavy.

My legs were sore and didn’t want to do more than a shuffle from the start.  A mile into the run, I realized I forgot my salt tablets and caffeine tablets!  I knew I would really have to watch my hydration for this run.  I turned on a podcast and snacked on raisins during the early miles on the W&OD Trail.  I took my first break on the Custis Trail near the detour for Ballston.  I didn’t really need it but I grabbed a breakfast bar from my Camelbak.  A mile or so later, I left the trail and headed towards the steep hills of Military Road in North Arlington.  I really struggled.  I even found myself asking, “Why are you doing this to yourself?”  But, I just kept plodding along.

I took my second break at the Chain Bridge and finished another box of raisins before running downhill on the Capital Crescent Trail. When I reached Georgetown, I gazed at all the shoppers and was heartened by the modest Christmas tree near Key Bridge.

I crossed back into Virginia and took my next break at the water fountain on the Mount Vernon Trail near Roosevelt Island and ate a Luna Bar.  The water tasted amazing!  By the time I reached Gravelly Point, the winds started picking up and it started raining.  I thought about taking another break on the Four Mile Trail under Route 1 but pushed onward until the end.

Lesson learned:

• If I keep a slow and steady pace, I won’t need to take very long breaks.

Overall pace=10:45.

Health

Injuries. With so many rest days, I thought I would physically feel better when I returned to running but my long-lingering piriformis and probable plantar fasciitis issues weren’t any better.  After my 25-miler on Saturday, everything hurt!

Sleep.  It was a pretty good week for sleep!  The Walking Dead is on hiatus and I took two days off from work.

Weather

For most of the week, the temperature hovered around 40 degrees in the morning.  The conditions weren’t terrible, though – no snow, rain, or high winds.  On Saturday, the temperature was warmer but it was windy and rainy.

Racing Schedule

Runner rankings.  Potomac River Running’s Regional Runner Rankings – Fall 2017.  I didn’t make the age group rankings.  I had a good 2017 Dulles Day 10K but a disappointing 2017 Army Ten Miler due to the heat.

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