2021 London Marathon – Week 13
I had another speedy long run with my overall pace falling around 9:30. Two days later I had a fun interval session at the track. On Thursday, I fell a little short of 9 miles at marathon-pace but it was still a good workout.
Training Schedule
August 8th – August 14th
Sunday: Long Run. 16 miles
Monday: 5 miles + strides
Tuesday: Interval Run. 5 x 1000m @ 5K-10K pace w/400m recovery jog
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Thursday: Marathon-pace Run. 12 miles w/8 miles @ goal marathon pace
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Total: ~60 Miles
Notes. The heat and humidity got to me on Thursday and I didn’t hit my mileage. I made up some distance on Friday by running 8 miles.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No faster than 10:15 | 9:45-10:15 | 8:55–9:20 | 8:30-8:55 | 7:40 – 7:50 (5K) |
Workouts
Long Run
The night before, went to a friend’s birthday gathering at a crab shack but it was early enough that I slept well.
The temperature was in the low 70s when I left the house but I knew it would be much higher by the time I finished the run.
D.C.-area forecast: Sunshine returns today with heat and humidity building through midweek https://t.co/FpySfacyGJ
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 8, 2021
From home, I ran to Crystal City, averaging about 9:10 pace! It didn’t feel hard, so I set a goal to finish the next stretch – the Mount Vernon Trail – at around 9:25 pace.
I was surprised by how well I was running but knew the Custis Trail and its rolling hills would be a challenge. When I reached the W&OD Trail, I saw that I completed that hilly 4-mile stage under 10:00 pace! I was so confident that I didn’t even stop for water. I pushed my pace back down to the low 9:00 pace before doing a slow cool-down home.
I hoped this run was a sign that my fitness was improving and my paces would continue to drop over the next two months.
Distance=16.01 miles
Pace=9:31/mile
Interval Run
The night before, I went to bed before everyone in the house but I still woke up late. The last time I did 1000m repetitions was in Week 10 when I did five sets on the W&OD Trail and averaged 8:05 pace. I decided to do the same number but hoped to run them faster.
It was a hot and humid day. Contemplating the workout, I didn’t want to be drenched in sweat. I decided to go back to the track in case I decided to quit the workout.
D.C.-area forecast: Staying steamy with daily storm chances https://t.co/EonZGqChvn
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 10, 2021
When I arrived at Wakefield High School Track, someone was playing “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz on a boom box. There were more people on the track than usual so I did have to watch where I was going.
The first repetition went well and I was hopeful about the workout. During the recovery for my second repetition, I noticed my boyfriend had arrived at the track. I ignored him except for a few waves as I passed him. By the third set, I started to tire but I rallied by the last.
I finished feeling as though I could have gone harder for the workout. I noticed the distance was closer to 0.65 miles and not the 0.62 miles that I’ve been doing on the trail. I averaged 7:39 pace for the workout, which was great considering the distance.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m (pace) | 7:33 | 7:32 | 7:48 |
| Set 4 | Set 5 | ||
| 7:50 | 7:32 |
Distance=4.36 miles
Pace=8:59/mile
Marathon-pace Run
The night before, I went out to dinner with friends and didn’t get as much sleep as I wanted. Unfortunately, I didn’t leave the house until a little after 7 am when it was already 74 degrees outside.
D.C.-area forecast: Record 100-degree heat possible today amid oppressive humidity, storm chances https://t.co/Csy0wctPjd
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 12, 2021
I didn’t start out thinking this would be a marathon-pace run, but when I arrived at the top of the Arlington Boulevard Trail and saw that I was running 9:25 pace, I decided to give it a shot! Running down that trail, I averaged 8:35 going into Rosslyn and decided I needed to slow down. On the Mount Vernon Trail, my pace hovered just above 9:00. I’ve been having “death bed” thoughts lately – as in, “When you’re on your death bed, what will you regret not having done?” And, I asked myself that question about the London Marathon and felt confident that I wouldn’t regret not running it.
I left the trail at Crystal City and stopped for water. This fountain is very unpredictable so I was pleasantly surprised it was on. I stopped at Pentagon City Mall. I wanted to rest but remembered that I had a 10 am meeting. I kept going for a while but then ran-walked back home.
Later in the day, I checked the observed weather at National Airport and it was 80 degrees and 74% humidity when I finished the run.
Distance=7.00 miles
Pace=8:55/mile
Cross-training
Strides. On Monday, I did strides at Thomas Jefferson Community Center.
Routes
Trails. “The Arlington Loop, A Community Gem” BikeArlington. There was a short piece about my favorite long run route. I didn’t know the Four Mile Run Trail section was the last to be completed and before then, people had to go through Shirlington to complete the route.
My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes
Clothing
Shoes. Mizuno Wave Rider 25. It was time for me to get some new shoes. I wasn’t surprised that Mizuno had a new version of the Wave Riders – I had trouble purchasing the 24s earlier in the summer. Unfortunately, this redesign missed the mark. Some of the online reviews noted that the shoe fits small and sure enough, the toe box felt crowded to me. I don’t think I can run a marathon in them and will need to find another shoe for London. Price: $135.00.
Gear
Stridebox. This month’s theme was “Just keep running” – a good mantra for the dog days of summer. For things to eat, it had a Made Good Granola Bar, Pacific Health Labs Accel Gel, Barnana Banana Chips, and Vera Wella Runners Support. For things to wear, it had Luminas Stamina Pro Patch & Power Sleep Patch (with bronze Olympic marathon medalist Molly Seidel on its packaging) and sweat-wicking arm sleeves.
Media & Motivation
News. “Eliud Kipchoge Repeats as the Men’s Olympic Marathon Champion,” Runner’s World. What a dominant performance – beating the silver medalist by 1 minute, 20 seconds. After repeating as gold medalist in the Olympics and breaking 2 hours in the marathon distance, in my mind, he’s the greatest male marathoner of all time or as the kids say, “The Goat“.
Racing Schedule
Future races. 2021 London Marathon. On Tuesday, I read the Wanda Age Group World Championship participants would be receiving an email from the organizers soon about whether the race was going forward. My boyfriend and I talked about not going for various reasons – the timing isn’t ideal with the 2021 Boston Marathon the next week and money is a little tight right now given that we just bought a house. However, we can travel to England from the United States and are fully vaccinated, so deferring probably won’t be an option.
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. My best times are:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island (1.4 miles): 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020.
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe (3.1 miles): 25:47 (8:47 pace) on October 6, 2020.
- Hains Point (2.5 miles): 20:37 (8:13 pace) on November 26, 2020.
Next race: 2021 South Lakes 10K on Sunday, August 29th. Goal is sub-52:00 (8:20 pace).
