2019 Cleveland Marathon – Week 4
With only a month since the 2019 Boston Marathon, I wondered if my body was rested enough to run well in another. But, would it matter? The weather forecast for the Cleveland Marathon was predicting a scorcher…
Training Schedule
May 12th – May 18th
Sunday: Easy Run. 8 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Tuesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Wednesday: Rest or Cross-Train
Thursday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 3 miles
Total: ~34 Miles
Notes. It was taper week! So, all my mileage was easy. Flying out of town early on Saturday morning, I decided to take Saturday off.
Workouts
Easy Run. 8 miles [Log Details].
This wasn’t a “long run” because… I’m tapering! It started out in light rain. It was chilly – just over 50 degrees – so I wore a light long-sleeve shirt and short tights. Worried about how sore my legs were during my taper for the 2019 Boston Marathon, I tried running in the Brooks Glycerin 17, which have more cushioning, to take it easy on my legs.
I ran down to the W&OD Trail and ran towards the Four Mile Run Trail. My legs did feel springier – I was averaging about 8:40 pace – but I wondered it that was me making it seem that way. On Four Mile Run Trail, I stopped to take a picture of a lone orange flower.
At the Mount Vernon Trail, I headed north. By the time I reached National Airport, it was raining hard but it didn’t really bother me. I was just happy that I was only running 8 miles.
I exited the trail in Crystal City and ran neighborhood streets on my way home.
Overall pace=9:05.
Easy Run. 5 miles [Log Details].
As the days went on, I became increasingly worried about soreness in my legs. In the days leading into the 2019 Boston Marathon, my legs and knees were so sore that I resorted to taking ibuprofen. But, I also wondered if my legs had gone stale from so much easy running during that taper. I considered adding some strides to the workout.
From home, I did an out and back to the W&OD Trail near Shirlington. My legs felt fine – not too heavy but not as light as they felt earlier in the week. On my way back, I thought strides on asphalt might be a bad idea if I’m worried about sore knees. Plus, I thought I should stick to the plan. I knew the next day would be an off day, though.
Overall pace=8:59.
Easy Run. 6 miles [Log Details].
Rather than trying to squeeze in a run before my 7am flight to Cleveland on Saturday morning, I decided my last run at home would be in the afternoon. I wanted to say, “Good bye” to Washington, D.C. before heading out of town, so I ran the run as my commute home.
From work, I ran down to the Tidal Basin and crossed into Virginia via the 14th Street Bridge, thinking about the marathon pace runs I did this winter training for the 2019 Boston Marathon. They were so tough! But, I knew I ran them well and should feel confident about my confidence.
Mid-way through, I noticed the temperature. It was warm – about 80 degrees. The high temperature forecast for the marathon on Sunday. In my mind, it didn’t feel so terrible. But, I was only running 7 miles.
Overall pace=9:06.
Health
Sleep. Dracarys! Like millions of people, my sleep suffered last Sunday after I stayed up late watching Game of Thrones. But in general, I didn’t rest well this week.
Injuries. My legs felt horrible in the days before the 2019 Boston Marathon but during this taper, they felt fine!
Weather
The temperature was a little chilly in Washington, D.C. to start the week but it climbed steadily. Honestly, I was more concerned about the forecast in Cleveland for Sunday’s marathon – close to 80 degrees!
Clothing
Shoes. Brooks Glycerin 17. The foam sole on these shoes really helped reduce the pounding on my muscles. My legs were so beat up before the 2019 Boston Marathon that I thought about breaking a cardinal rule of running by wearing new shoes for my goal race. I liked the ride but I wasn’t sure I wanted to wear it for the race. Price: $150.
Nutrition
Carbo-loading. Carbo-Pro Powder. Five days out from the 2019 Cleveland Marathon, I supplementing with carbohydrate powder by adding a scoop to every cold beverage I drank. Each time, it added 200 calories and 50 grams of carbohydrate to my diet each day. This continued for the next two days but unfortunately, I forgot to pack some for my trip to Cleveland so supplementation ended early.
(My Guide to Running Nutrition)
Media & Motivation
News. “Nike Told Me to Dream Crazy, Until I Wanted a Baby,” New York Times. In her op-ed piece, track and field star Alysia Montaño chastised Nike for the company’s hypocrisy for elevating female athletes in its marketing but, through its sponsorship contracts, undercutting women who want to take a break in their career to have children by not paying them until they race again.
Music. “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen. On Sunday, I spent time going through the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Inductees List and played a lot of Bruce.
(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” ] Tough times never last, but tough people do. – Dr. Robert Schuller [/dropshadowbox]
It’s been a long training cycle with several highs and lows. But, I handled it all. Sunday’s race will be hard but… I’m tough!
Racing Schedule
Future races. I finally booked my hotel and rental car for the 2019 Cleveland Marathon on Tuesday. By mid-week, I broke down the course and researched the different neighborhoods. By Friday, I was excited for the weekend despite the forecast.
Next race: 2019 Cleveland Marathon on Sunday, May 19th.
(My Racing Schedule)
