2020 Boston Marathon – Week 6
After racing the 2020 DCRRC JFK 20K last week, it was back to the grind with an interval run on Tuesday before a doctor’s appointment and starting a new job! I also ran a hilly marathon-pace run on Thursday.
Training Schedule
January 19th – January 25th
Sunday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles w/hill bounds
Tuesday: Interval Run. 6 x 800m @ goal marathon pace – 20 sec. w/400m jog
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Marathon-pace Run. 4 miles @ goal marathon pace, hills if possible
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles w/strides
Total: ~40 Miles
Notes. Racing on Saturday meant rearranging my schedule a little. I ran on the treadmill on Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and skipped the strides.
Workouts
Interval Run. 6 x 800m @ goal marathon pace – 20 sec. w/400m jog [Log Details]
I did this workout early (for me) because I had an 8:15 am doctor’s appointment. Later that day, I was also starting a new job today! (Well, going back to my old job.)
My goal marathon pace is 8:08, so I programmed my Garmin for 7:43 to 7:53 pace before heading out into the dark. The temperature was in the mid-20s.
D.C.-area forecast: Sunny and cold with less wind today as temperatures slowly moderate https://t.co/tsctBwKdZr
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 21, 2020
I ran a warm-up down to the W&OD Trail.
I planned to do an out-and-back eastbound towards Shirlington, squeezing half-mile segments of trail and asphalt. I was happy to see each repetition was within my goal pace range. I headed back after I reached the Four Mile Run Trail terminus at Shirlington Road. My pace suffered running into the wind but overall, I knew it had been a successful workout!
Oh, and I was starting a new job today! (Well, going back to my old job. Still, not a day when I wanted to be late for work.)
800m split paces=7:38, 7:41, 7:54, 7:54, 8:00, 7:56. Average=7:50.
Marathon-pace Run. 4 miles @ goal marathon pace, hills if possible [Log Details]
Before the work-out, I edited the goal pace range from 8:00 – 8:15 to 8:10 – 8:25 because I haven’t been hitting 8:08 very consistently. The temperature was just above freezing.
D.C.-area forecast: Not quite as cold today, while weekend starts wet and ends dry https://t.co/hZHp53OAY2
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 23, 2020
Normally, I would run on the Four Mile Run Trail. However, because the workout said “hills if possible, I ran my warm-up to the W&OD Trail.
According to the Grade Percent Incline Calculator., the first mile was a 1-2% grade. On the way out, I averaged 8:39 pace and on the way back, 8:06 pace. The effort felt hard and I worried that my goal marathon-pace was too fast.
At the end of the workout, I didn’t feel spent, though. I actually felt ready for a long run this weekend.
Marathon-pace splits=8:32, 8:45, 8:17, 7:55. Overall pace=8:22.
Cross-Training
Pilates Workout Series. Having graduated from Beginner Pilates with Caroline Sandry, I found this series on Amazon Prime. Unfortunately, the first episode was a little too difficult for me and I only did about 25 minutes of exercises.
Health
Hypertension. On Tuesday, I had a follow-up visit with my nephrologist to make sure that my high blood pressure medication (Lotrel) wasn’t negatively impacting my kidneys. The appointment went well! My lab work looked good and I don’t need to see this doctor again for 6 months!
Nutrition
Energy chews. Kramp Krusher Extreme Training and Endurance Chews. Before my marathon-pace run on Thursday, I snacked on a few of these gummies that I got in a Stridebox. A serving (5 pieces) has 80 calories, 19 grams of carbohydrate, 160 micrograms of sodium, and 45 mg of potassium. The chews are also vegan and gluten-free. Some people might find them too sour but I liked them.
(My Guide to Running Nutrition)
Media & Motivation
News. Highlights from the 2020 Houston Marathon and Half Marathon Runner’s World. It’s great that television networks (in this case ESPN-3) are carrying more races. On Sunday morning, I started watching the race at home and finished it while running on the treadmill at the gym. Some of the commentators weren’t very knowledgeable but it was fun seeing so many records challenged.
Racing Schedule
Future races. Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Championship (or the Wakanda championships as my boyfriend calls it) created a private Facebook group for the participants. It was reassuring to see several runners are also trying to run both the Boston and London marathons.
Next race: 2020 Reston 10 Miler on Sunday, March 8th. The goal is 1:22:00 (8:12 pace).
(My Racing Schedule)
