2019 New York City Marathon – Week 1

Week 1 of my New York City Marathon training cycle featured a nice mix of long intervals and steady endurance running before a weekend trip to the Shenandoah Valley.

Training Schedule
August 4th – August 10th

Sunday: Medium Run. 10 miles
Monday:  Easy Run. 6 miles
Tuesday: Interval Run. 4 x 5 min. repeats w/1 min. recovery jog
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles + Core strength exercises
Thursday: Tempo Run. 6 miles w/2 miles steady
Friday: Off
Saturday: Medium Run. 12-14 miles

Total: 48-52 miles.

Notes.  This week’s schedule was adapted from Week 6 of the 50-Miler Training Plan in Running Your First Ultra by Krissy Moehl but I changed the workouts on Friday and Saturday in advance of a weekend trip to the Shenandoah Valley.

Workouts

Medium Run. 10 miles [Log Details].

I kicked off my training cycle with an easy run that would come close to equally my recovery run distance – 10 miles.  I woke up late, so it was already in the mid-70s by the time I started the run.  I ran an out-and-back on the Four Mile Run Trail and connected with the Custis Trail.  I kept my heart rate below 160 beats per minute, which is where running started to feel “hard”.  I thought about what it would take to make a good training cycle – getting to bed, eating well – and wondered if I was I ready to make those changes.

I finished feeling as though I did a good job of holding an easy pace.

Overall pace=9:24.

Interval Run. 4 x 1000m repeats @ 10K to half marathon pace w/1 min. recovery jog [Log Details].

I hate running speed workouts by time so I converted 5 minutes to 1000m. It was warm – about 75 degrees – when I left the house but I carried a hand-held with cold water. And, I wore short racer shorts to make me feel fast!

From home, I ran down to the Four Mile Run Trail.  I ran the first two intervals at 7:45 pace and it felt comfortable but maybe a little easy.  I cleared my mind – I didn’t think about work or relationships –  and flowed with the pace.  At the end of the third interval, a cyclist cut me off joining the trail from Mount Vernon Avenue and that interrupted my serenity.

1000m splits=7:45, 7:48, 7:43, 7:35.  Average=7:43.

Long Run. 14 miles [Log Details].

I was going away for the weekend for a trip to the Shenandoah Valley so I decided to do my long run as my commute on Friday.  The temperature was already 76 degrees when I started the run so I ran on the Four Mile Run Trail for shade.  For some reason, I didn’t carry water, but there would be several fountains on my route.  I didn’t pay attention to my pace while I was running but when I hit the lap button, I heard that I was running under 9:00 pace – fast for me this summer!  At Potomac Yards Park, I drank from a water fountain and splashed myself with water.  The Mount Vernon Trail was well-trafficked and I realized it was probably because of Metro construction.

I stopped at the water fountain at National Airport and…  it worked!  The next few miles flew by and I made it to work in plenty of time.

The next day I ran 9 miles before heading for a trip to the Shenandoah Valley.

Overall pace=8:57.

Routes

Hazards.  W&OD Trail – Wilson Detour, NOVA Parks.  The storm that came through the area in early July had some lasting impacts.  The section of the W&OD Trail under Wilson Boulevard has been impassable for weeks.  Although, during my run on Sunday, I noticed many runners ignoring the detour signs.

(My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes)

Nutrition

Nutrition bars. IQ Bar. A sports bar that can make me smarter!  I’ll never know because I just didn’t like the taste.  It had hints of chocolate and coffee but was rather bland.  The bar was 170 calories, 19 grams of carbohydrate, 10 grams of fat, and 10 grams of protein.  It’s probably meant to be a post-run snack.

(My Guide to Running Nutrition)

Media & Motivation

Podcasts.  “Episode 142: Running from LA to NYC with Robbie Balenger and Jackie Howard,” Running Rogue.  What I enjoyed most about this podcast was how the guest went after his dream.  It made me feel as though I could do anything!  (But, maybe not this.)  It was very inspiring.

Racing Schedule

Future races. The New York City Road Runners asked the marathoners to submit their transportation and baggage selections for the race.  For the first time, I will take a bus departing from the New York Public Library Schwarzman Building to the start instead of the Staten Island Ferry.

Next race: 2019 Ragnar Sunset Washington DC on Saturday, September 21st.

(My Racing Schedule)