2019 Cleveland Marathon – Week 2
My long run on Sunday was a little rough. It wasn’t until mid-week that my legs finally felt recovered enough to handle hard workouts. By Saturday, I felt confident about running a marathon again in a couple of weeks!
Training Schedule
April 28th – May 4th
Sunday: Long Run. 16 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Tuesday: Interval Run. 4 x 1.5 miles @ MP-10 sec. w/800m recovery jog
Wednesday: Rest or Cross-Train
Thursday: Tempo Run. 12 miles w/10 miles @ goal marathon pace
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 10 miles
Total: ~61 Miles
Notes. Sunday’s long run took a lot out of me so, instead of running easy on Monday, I took the day off. On Saturday, I hadn’t checked the schedule and only ran 6 miles.
Workouts
Long Run. 20 miles [Log Details].
Wanting a change of scenery, I parked my car in Georgetown and walked down to the terminus of the Capitol Crescent Trail on Water Street.
I ate my one and only gel (Crank Sport e-Gel) just before reaching the water fountain in Bethesda. By that point, I’d covered the 7.2 miles in 9:00 pace. From there, I followed detours for the Georgetown Branch Trail. I followed the detours feeling as though they were taking me far from where I wanted to be. As I approached East-West Highway, the intersection looked familiar and I recognized the start of Beach Drive, which leads to the Rock Creek Park Trails! Roughly 11.7 miles in, there were construction barricades blocked my route. I didn’t want to back-track and saw other runners ahead, so I forged ahead.
At one point, I paused to ask a man put his PIT BULL on a lease so I could run by. After crossing Broad Branch Road, I was exhausted! I ran 9:30 pace for the next four miles even though the terrain was downhill.
Overall pace=8:56.
Cruise Interval Run. 4 x 1.5 mile @ goal marathon pace – 10 sec. w/800m recovery jog [Log Details].
After running a two mile warm-up through my neighborhood, I started the intervals on the Four Mile Run Trail in Shirlington. I felt great during the first repetition. After the recovery, I headed south on the Mount Vernon Trail. My pace was slower on my second repetition on the way to Slater’s Lane in Old Town Alexandria where I turned around. I talked myself into believing I could run the last two hard. And, I did by slowing down substantially during the recoveries!
After the workout, I compared my splits to Week 16 of the last training cycle and each was about 15 seconds slower. Maybe I’m still not fully recovered from the 2019 Boston Marathon?
1.5 mile paces=7:41, 7:50, 7:36, 7:43. Average=7:43.
Threshold Run. 12 miles w/10 miles @ goal marathon pace [Log Details].
I left the house at 6:40am! The air was heavy with fog but the temperature wasn’t bad – around 60 degrees. I started the marathon pace miles on George Mason Drive running uphill, so the first split was slow – just over 8:00. The terrain leveled out when I reached the Custis Trail. I held my pace back a little on the downhill into Rosslyn fearing the pounding might aggravate my knees. Hitting the Mount Vernon Trail, I took in ominous views of the monuments across the Potomac River.
I left the trail and made my way through Crystal City and Pentagon City before starting a cool-down. Reviewing my splits, they were good but a little inconsistent.
Splits=8:02, 7:36, 7:51, 7:43, 7:42, 7:40, 7:36, 7:29, 7:53, 7:33. Average=7:43.
Health
Injuries. Since the 2019 Boston Marathon, I’ve dealt with some tightness in the arch of my left foot.
Allergies. On Friday morning, the vision in my right eye was blurry. I attributed it to allergies but took the day off from work. It resolved itself by mid-day.
Weather
The Washington, D.C. region is getting a noticeable spring this year! Temperatures stayed in the upper 50s in the mornings on most days. It was foggy on Thursday in advance of a warm front, though.
Routes
I’ve been working on a Guide to Washington, DC Area Running Routes and posted it today! I’m still making some small edits and want to add more pictures, but the bones are there so I hit publish.
Gear
Stridebox. This box is what I live about Stridbox – a nice mixture of products I’ve tried (like the Sword Endurance Drink Mix Mix) with those I haven’t (like the Amino Vital Rapid Recovery and Square Organics protein bar.) Also, the tiny Body Glide container is adorable!
Nutrition
Electrolytes. Vitalyte and Dr. Price’s Electrolyte Mix. As summer approaches, I need to start hydrating during my runs. For my long run on Sunday, I mixed up some Vitalyle in a bottle but the flavor was so light that I added a pack of Dr. Price’s Electrolyte Mix to make a 22 ounce concoction of both products. I carried it in my Orange Mud HydraQuiver Single Barrel hydration pack and it kept me well-hydrated during the run.
Product Calories Sodium (mg) Potassium (mg) Calcium (mg) Magnesium (mg) Other
Dr. Price's Electrolyte Mix 5 200 330 Trace Trace
EFS Electrolyte Drink Powder 128 400 213 133 200 The manufacturer suggests one scoop in 12 ounces of water.
Generation UCAN Hydrate 0 300 100 0 50 1 scoop in 16-20 ounces of water.
Liquid IV 50 500 370 0 0
Nuun 10 360 100 13 25
SaltStick Caps 0 215 63 22 11 This product isn't mixed in water. The manufacturer's serving is 1 capsule.
SaltStick FastChews 10 100 30 10 6 This product isn't mixed in water. The manufacturer's serving is 2 tablets.
Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator 5 92 115 50 50
Vitalyte Electrolyte Replacement 80 136 184 4 2 The manufacturer's serving is one tablespoon in eight ounces of water.
(My Guide to Running Nutrition)
Media & Motivation
News. “Kipchoge Proves He Has No Equal, Runs 2nd Fastest Marathon Time in History“, Runner’s World. What an amazing runner! I couldn’t find a telecast of the race on Sunday but I woke up early and monitored it while occasionally dozing.
Podcasts. “Do Your Ears Clog When You Run?“, Runners Connect Extra Kick. I was pleasantly surprised to see this topic addressed on this podcast because I’ve experienced this myself. Ear clogging isn’t always a sign of dehydration. I’m not sure I’d describe it as painful, though. It’s been more of a nuisance for me.
Music. “Uprising,” Muse. I’ve barely started a playlist for the playlist for the 2019 Cleveland Marathon but I’ve been listening to this song a lot lately and it has a good shot at making it in.
(My “Songs of the Week” on Spotify)
Motivation.
[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”raised” width=”800px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”4″ border_color=”#ec5614″ rounded_corners=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]”Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” – W. Clement Stone [/dropshadowbox]
I know I’m pushing my body to perform even though it really wants to recover. But, I did it hoping that stretching out my fitness a few more weeks will help be best my time from the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2019 Cleveland Marathon on Sunday, May 19th.
(My Racing Schedule)
