2018 Summer Training – Week 6
On Thursday morning, I ran my long run faster than usual. That night, I lost sleep watching the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup! I missed the start for the Lawyers Have Heart 10K but jumped into the Crofton 10K and placed second woman overall!
Training Schedule
June 3rd – June 9th
Sunday: Easy Run. 60 min. E pace (1 or 2 runs to total 60 min.) + Drills
Monday: Interval Run. 6 strides, 6 x (400m R pace with 400m E pace + 200m R pace with 200m E pace to recover)
Tuesday: Weight Training
Wednesday: Easy Run. 30 to 40 min. E pace + 8 strides
Thursday: Interval Run. 5 x (1,000m I pace with 3 min. E pace to recover)
Friday: Weight Training (PM)
Saturday: 2018 Lawyers Have Heart 10K
Mileage Total: ~43 Miles
Notes. Because I was racing on Saturday, I skipped interval training and ran long on Thursday. I passed on Friday’s weight training session, too.
Workout Details
Interval Run. 6 strides, 6 x (400m R pace w/400m E pace + 200m R pace w/200m E pace to recover) [Log Details]
I ran a two mile warm-up to “my track” – the Four Mile Run Trail. The weather was chilly and wet but not rainy. During the first few sets, I felt good and confident that the workout would go well but my splits weren’t as consistent as I would have liked. I had potatoes for dinner the night before and my gut was happy with that choice. Last week, I messed up the third set so I paid attention during the turn-around this time. In the end, I brought the time for my 400s down but the 200s stayed the same pace.
Split paces=1:32, 0:45 (Set 1), 1:44, 0:44 (Set 2), 1:39, 0:50 (Set 3), 1:44, 0:49 (Set 4), 1:41, 0:49 (Set 5), 1:41, 0:51 (Set 6). Average=1:40 (400s) and 0:48 (200s).
Long Run. 10 miles [Log Details].
I was racing on Saturday, so I skipped the scheduled interval training session and ran long instead. I was excited for the hockey game that evening – the Washington Capitals would have the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup! When the local television broadcast showed a business in Rosslyn with a sign for the Washington Capitals, I ran down Route 50 to see it.
From there, I headed to the Mount Vernon Trail, stopping for water at Roosevelt Island. It was a welcomed break because I was running much faster than usual. I didn’t pay attention to pace or heart rate and just continued running “hard” on the Mount Vernon Trail.
I left the trail in Crystal City and make my way home. I didn’t ease off the pace until I reached the long, steep uphill section closer to home.
I felt good after the run but my Garmin’s recovery advisor suggested that I take three days easy. It wasn’t welcomed news because I knew I was racing in two days.
Overall pace=8:14.
2018 Crofton 10K. 6.24 miles @ 10K pace [Log Details].
When I woke up at 6am and realized Lawyers Have Heart 10K started at 7am, I switched gears and decided to jump into the Crofton 10K instead. Leaving the house, I noted it was humid but not terribly hot. It was about a half hour drive to the race site. I registered without a problem but minutes before the race start, I realized I forgot to affix the timing device to my shoe and had to run back to the car!
Using the tables in Daniels Running Formula 2nd, recent intervals suggested my VDOT was around 43 and Sub-47:00 (7:32 pace) was achievable. But, I remembered the course had a lot of hills, so I ran rather conservatively at the start. (Or so I thought.) A woman passed me in the first quarter mile and I tried to stay in striking distance behind her. I allowed myself to think, “Wouldn’t it be cool to actually win a race?” My Garmin showed 7:11 pace at the start and that time gradually got slower throughout the race as heat and hills got the best of me. I finished in 47:17 (7:35 pace) and was second woman overall – my highest placement ever!
Overall pace=7:35.
Cross Training
On Sunday, I did my normal back and arm routine but increased the weight for some exercises. On Tuesday, I worked my legs hard by increasing the number of repetitions. I skipped the gym on Friday because I stayed up late watching the hockey playoffs.
Health
Sleep. The hockey playoffs were gentler on my workouts because I had off days after both games. Still, I lost sleep watching the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup on Thursday night. It was completely worth it! On Saturday, I overslept and missed the start for the Lawyers Have Heart 10K.
Injuries. My left knee hurt a little after Tuesday’s interval session. I attributed the pain to the new pair of Brooks Pure Flows that I wore because it resolved itself the next day.
Weather
It rained (again!) on Sunday. The weather was cool and comfortable on Monday, though. It stayed in the low 60s until Saturday when the weather spiked to 70 degrees with high humidity.
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2018 Firecracker 5K on Wednesday, July 4th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
