2019 Boston Marathon – Week 15
No long run this week as I adjusted my schedule to run hard on Sundays. Only two workouts but I pushed hard on those days, seeking signs from my legs on whether I could set a marathon PR this spring.
Training Schedule
March 17th – March 23rd
Sunday: Easy Run. 8 miles
Monday: Cruise Interval Run. 3 x 2 miles @ marathon pace – 10 seconds w/800m recovery jog
Tuesday: Rest or Cross-Train
Wednesday: Threshold Run. 12 miles w/10 miles @ goal marathon pace
Thursday: Easy Run. 7 miles
Friday: Easy Run. 8 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 16 miles
Total: ~61.5 Miles
Notes. Going forward, I want my hardest weekend workout closer to Monday, which is the day of the week for the Boston Marathon. So, I pushed my goal marathon pace workout to Thursday and pushed everything back a day.
Workouts
Cruise Interval Run. 3 x 2 miles @ marathon pace – 10 seconds w/800m recovery jog [Log Details].
I did the same workout just two weeks ago during Week 13 (and averaged 7:43 pace). It was a slightly overcast 40 degree Monday morning – great running weather. After a two mile warm-up, I reached the W&OD Trail Head. I took a quick drink of water and then started the first repetition on the Four Mile Run Trail in Shirlington.
My pace was overly fast from the start – in the 7:15 to 7:25 range. I gradually eased off the pace over the next 2 miles to complete the rep around 7:35. I made that my goal for the next two repetitions. I headed south on the Mount Vernon Trail and turned around just short of a mile into the second repetition near Slater’s Lane in Alexandria, Virginia.
At the end of the last repetition, I honestly felt like I could have done another. But, I also worried about my fast splits. My goal marathon pace isn’t 7:45 pace. That would be a marathon PR. Am I in PR shape?
3 mile paces=7:35, 7:34, 7:36. Average=7:35.
Threshold Run. 12 miles w/10 miles @ goal marathon pace [Log Details].
I woke up feeling tired but, coming off two rest days, felt confident that I was rested enough to complete this workout. I decided to do the run as my commute to work. I also thought this would be a good mental training opportunity so, I listened to my 2019 Boston Marathon playlist and imagined where I’d be on the course as certain songs played.
Outside, it was raining lightly and the wind was not quite calm but not gusting. I ran an easy mile in my neighborhood and then started the goal marathon pace segment on a long downhill leading to Shirlington. The early miles were on the flat W&OD Trail and Four Mile Run trails in south Arlington. My pace hovered around 7:50, a touch fast but not by much.
From there, I headed north up the Mount Vernon Trail. There was an accident on the George Washington Parkway near the airport creating a rare sight – no trafffic! I had two splits closer to 8:00 pace but the terrain was hillier.
Crossing the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, D.C., I banked left to run a loop though Hains Point. The wind always feels worse on this unsheltered spit of land and by now, the rain was coming down hard. I pretended I was Desiree Linden running during the 2018 Boston Marathon, not my own performance. Further encouragement came from some National Park Service officers, who were doing a group ride. Occasionally one would gave me a nod or thumbs up. I was so relieved when I reached the end of the Point!
I ran two additional miles as my cool-down to work. The goal marathon pace miles were hard, but my last mile was my fastest!
Splits=7:49, 7:43, 7:52, 7:56, 7:39, 8:02, 7:45, 7:44, 7:54, 7:42. Average=7:49.
Health
Injuries. I had some pain in my left arch during Monday’s workout, which I attributed to high mileage on my shoes, and some pain in my right knee all week.
Sleep. I overslept on Wednesday morning, which led to a lunch time easy run..
Weather
The temperature hovered around 40 degrees all week and I ran in shorts or capri tights every day! But, it rained on Thursday morning and winds were gusting strongly on Friday and Saturday.
Gear
Headphones. Jaybird Run XT Wireless Headphones. I’m still searching for a good pair of wireless headphones for running. Even though I had a pretty negative experience with Jaybird’s in the past, I tried this pair after hearing a promo code on The Morning Shakeout. I like the customizable sound but despite the various tips and fins, I couldn’t make these ear buds fit securely in my ears.
Media & Motivation
News. “ Top American Pros and Coaches React to USATF’s New Olympic Qualification Process: ‘For Our Trials, It Takes a Lot of Excitement Out of It’“, LetsRun. As a spectator of the sport, it would be disappointing if the Olympic Trials didn’t produce the runners for the U.S. team.
Podcasts. “The Paradox of Passion with Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness“, Rich Roll. This interview was with the authors of “The Passion Paradox“. The discussion about helping athletes transitioning from sport resonated with me. I remembered how lost I felt when I quit playing field hockey in college.
Music. “All These Things That I’ve Done“, The Killers. The haunting, “Hold on” after “If you can’t hold on” is repeated at the start of the song really helped me power through Thursday’s workout.
(My “Songs of the Week” on Spotify)
Motivation.
[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”raised” width=”800px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”4″ border_color=”#f4d83f” rounded_corners=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]”There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either IN or you’re OUT. There is no such thing as life in-between.” – Pat Riley[/dropshadowbox]
Running a goal marathon pace run through Hains Point in cold rain and wind? Yeah, I’m IN this.
Racing Schedule
Future races. On Monday, bib numbers for the 2019 Boston Marathon were unveiled! I’ll be in Wave 3, Corral 1, which means I’ll start the race at 10:50am.
Next race: 2019 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler on Sunday, April 7th? I’m still not sure about running this race so close to the marathon.
(My Racing Schedule)
