2019 Boston Marathon – Week 12

Last week, I ran so well that I prepared myself for a slow-down this week.  But, every workout – even intervals on the treadmill – was solid.  I finished the week thinking, “This is fitness!”

Training Schedule
February 24th – March 2nd

Sunday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Monday: Cruise Interval Run. 4 x 1.5 mile @ goal marathon pace – 10 seconds w/800m recovery jog
Tuesday: Rest or Cross-Train
Wednesday: Tempo Run. 11 miles w/9 miles @ goal marathon pace
Thursday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Friday: Easy Run. 10 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 10 miles

Total: ~54 Miles

Notes.  I followed the schedule but strong winds led me to run Monday’s workout on the treadmill and as usual, I also added four miles to Saturday’s long run.

Workouts

Cruise Interval Run.  4 x 1.5 mile @ goal marathon pace – 10 seconds w/800m recovery jog [Log Details].

Strong winds blew through the Washington, DC region and when I woke up on Monday, they were about 40 miles per hour!  Thinking fighting that type of resistance would be pointless, I ran this workout after work at my gym on a treadmill while watching The Avengers but listening to the later part of my 2019 Boston Marathon playlist.  For the first 3 repetitions, I set the treadmill at the 7.9 setting.  The pace felt fast but I was able to hold it comfortably.  For the last repetition, I increased the speed to 8.0.  Satisfied with a strong effort, I finished the workout after 9pm.

Treadmill setting pace=7.9 (7:36 pace) for 3 repetitions, 8.0 (7:30 pace) for the fourth.

Threshold Run. 11 miles w/9 miles @ goal marathon pace [Log Details].

Absolute exhaustion!  Despite the rest day, I woke up feeling extremely tired.  After downing some coffee and a pop tart, I started this workout as my commute to work. After less than three-quarters of a mile, I starred the goal marathon pace segment running south to Alexandria.  I chose a route that had some intersections where I would be thankful for a brief rest.  Despite heavy legs, I was surprised that I was still hitting paces in the 7:50s!  Four miles later, I finally reached the Mount Vernon Trail and the next five miles were uninterrupted.  I finished the hard miles after crossing 14^th Street Bridge into Washington, DC.

When I reviewed my splits, I almost couldn’t believe how consistent they were!

Splits=7:55, 7:56, 7:56, 7:55, 7:44, 7:51, 7:50, 7:54, 7:59.  Average=7:53.

Long Run. 14 miles [Log Details]

Going into the run, I felt spry enough to push the pace faster than “easy”. When I left the house, the temperature was in the 40s but the winds were calm.  Still, I was a little chilly in just a long sleeve and three-quarter tights.  I ran the first two miles uphill to Clarendon at just over 9:00 pace and picked up the Arlington Boulevard Trail.  In Rosslyn, I connected with the Mount Vernon Trail and headed south.  With so many water fountains out of commission, I ran with my new Orange Mud HydraQuiver Single Barrel.

My pace was very erratic for the next five miles – under 8:10 at times but over 8:30, too.  Midway through the run, I felt so good that I started thinking about getting revenge for last year’s Boston Marathon and pushed myself to run hard around National Airport.  But, when I reached the Four Mile Trail, my pace dropped to the 8:30 range.  Then, I finally ran more of a cool-down pace when I reached the W&OD Trail.  I felt incredibly confident after the workout and thought, “This is fitness!”

Overall pace=8:20.

Health

Injuries. After last week’s long run, I felt a dull ache in my left side – as if I strained a muscle.  It lingered for a few days and then disappeared.

Sleep.  Early in the week, I slept fitfully but by Wednesday night, I was sleeping soundly again.

Weather

On Monday, 20 mile per hour winds with 40 mph gusts blew through the region!  Otherwise, the weather was just cold – around 30 to 45 degrees most mornings.

Gear

Subscription boxes.  Over the past three years, I’ve tried all three major subscription boxes for runners: Runner Box ($20/two months), Runner’s World Box (no longer unavailable), and StrideBox ($19.95/month).  Reviewing the cards that came with every box, out of the three my favorite was…  StrideBox!  It offered the widest variety of products that I actually found useful, so I re-subscribed to the service.

(My Guide to Running Gear)

Nutrition

Sports drinks. VFuel Ultra Endurance Drink Mix. I got this packet through a StrideBox way back in December 2016.  I finally tried it during this week’s long run.  The directions on the packet suggested mixing it with 20-26 ounces of water.  The taste was very subtle – almost like sugar water with a slight mystery flavor at the end.  It has 200 calories, 49 grams of carbohydrate, 235 micrograms of sodium, 85 mg of potassium, 10 mg of magnesium, and 20 mg of calcium. Price: $38.25/50 servings.

(My Guide to Running Nutrition)

Media & Motivation

News.  “2019 New York City Marathon Entrants By The Numbers,” Runner’s World.  There were 12% more applicants this year compared to last year’s drawing making it even harder to get into this epic race.  I wondered if all of us finishers crowing about the fabulous weather in 2018 contributed to the increased interest.

Music.  “Where Is the Love“, Josh Vietti.  I referenced this version of this classic song last week.  It’s been a staple in my racing playists for a while now.  I find it inspiring and calming at the same time.

(My “Songs of the Week” on Spotify)

Motivation.  This Nike video was a very inspiring take on athletic women and societal norms.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”raised” width=”800px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”4″ border_color=”#f4d83f” rounded_corners=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]”Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”” – Oprah Winfrey[/dropshadowbox]

I put in a lot of hard work over the past two weeks.  I’m hopeful it pays off next month!

Racing Schedule

Future races. 

Next race: 2019 Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon on Saturday, March 9th! Consulting the “Race Equivalency Chart” in Hansons Marathon Method, my goal is sub-1:40 (7:38 pace).

(My Racing Schedule)