2018 San Diego 50 Miler – Week 6

With Sunday’s medium run, I surpassed 3,168 miles for the year and set a new personal record!  Running conditions were miserable due to cold temperatures and strong winds.  I ran my last long run on the treadmill.  Now, I’m tapering for the San Diego 50 Miler!

Training Schedule
December 24th – December 30th

Sunday: Medium-long Run. 12 miles.
Monday: Easy Run. 5 miles + Core Strength Exercises.
Tuesday: VO2Max Run. 9 miles w/6-8 x 5 min. w/1 min. recovery.
Wednesday: Easy Run.  4-6 miles.
Thursday: Off.
Friday: General Aerobic Run. 7 miles hilly.
Saturday: Long Run. 18-22 miles.

Mileage Total: ~55-61 Miles

Notes.  This was the second week of “fine tuning” in my training program.  Usually, I run the maximum mileage for every run but I missed that mark this week.  I was rushed for time on Tuesday and ran shorter repetitions than I did last week, and I couldn’t pull of 22 miles on Saturday.

Workout Details

Medium-long Run. 12 miles [Log Details].

I was exhausted after yesterday’s long run but heartened that this would be my last back-to-back long run of this training cycle!  I thought about finding a dirt trail – I haven’t run a lot of miles off-road – but, I didn’t have time.  I left the house just before noon.  It was Christmas Eve and there weren’t very many people out on the roads as I ran north towards Rosslyn and the Custis Trail.  I felt as though I was running pretty fast – especially once I hit the downhill on the W&OD Trail – but my Garmin showed that was an illusion.

With this run, I ran hit an overall mileage record – surpassing 3,168 miles for the year!

Overall pace=9:00.

VO2Max Run. 9 miles w/6-8 x 5 min. w/1 min. recovery [Log Details].

I got a late start for this workout and knew I wouldn’t have time to do one more repetition than I had the week before, which is what my training plan prescribed.  My legs were dead from the start.  I ran about 10 seconds per mile slower than I managed last week for shorter intervals.  I was disappointed in myself when I cut the workout short, but my legs just didn’t any more to give.

1,000m paces=7:44, 7:45, 7:51, 7:46, 7:45, 7:56, 7:47.  Average=7:48.

General Aerobic Run. 6 miles [Log Details].

It was a cold 20 degree morning.  Getting dressed, I put on my warmest clothing items except my wool socks were in the laundry.  I thought, “Your feet are rarely cold,” and headed out the door.   On my way to the W&OD Trail, I could barely feel my feet!  I thought about turning back for home but stopped at the bathrooms at Glencarlyn Park for warmth.  I took off my shoes and socks and heated my feet under the dryer until I could feel the blood flowing again.  It was a miserable run but surprisingly fast!

Overall pace=8:09.

 

Long Run. 18-22 miles [Log Details].

I decided early on that this would be a treadmill run.  It’s going to be 70 degrees during my goal race and I didn’t see the benefit in suffering through the cold.  Plus, I wanted to test wearing my Camelbak in a tank top rather than a long-sleeve shirt to see if it would chaff my shoulders.

I set the treadmill for 5.6, which is 10:42 pace.  I felt a little self-conscious wearing a Camelbak on the treadmill but told myself, “This isn’t the weirdest thing people have done in the gym.”  I listened to race day playlist, took two salt tablets every half hour or so and ate about 200 calories every hour.  My Camelbak was moving around quite a lot.  After about an hour, I took it off in fear of chaffing.  During a break, I retrieved a small towel from my gym bag and tried to wedge it between the straps and my skin but it didn’t help steady the pack.  At the two and a half hour mark, I started feel a little full and sick but ran through it.  During my next break, I noticed my left pinky toe was very sore!  I got through the next 5 mile block but decided to end the workout for fear of blisters.  I did one more mile and called it a day.

Lesson learned:

• Think about ditching the Camelbak for a handheld water bottle at Mile 30.

Overall pace=10:47.

Health

Sleep.  I slept like a baby this week!  No doubt it was due to the holiday on Monday and less stress.

Injuries. I felt pretty good this week!  I still have some pain in my left foot in the mornings, though.  I had some chaffing during last Saturday’s long run that led to some sore spots on my left side and back.

Weather

Winds were noticeable but mild on Sunday.  They picked up on Christmas Day.  On Tuesday, the temperature dipped below freezing and stayed that way all week.  I ran in the coldest temperature that I have all year on Friday!

Racing Schedule

Future races.  I finally booked my flight and hotel for the San Diego 50 Miler this week.  This is really happening!

Next race: 2017 Fairfax Four Miler on Sunday, December 31st?  It might be too cold for me to run.  But, I’m planning to at least pick up my hoodie. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)