2022 Erie Marathon – Week 3
Training Schedule
May 22nd – May 28th
Sunday: Marathon-pace run. 15 miles w/8 miles at marathon pace
Monday: Rest or cross-train
Tuesday: Medium-long Run. 10 miles
Wednesday: Recovery Run. 4 miles
Thursday: Lactate Threshold Run. 8 miles w/4 miles at lactate threshold pace
Friday: Recovery Run. 4 miles
Saturday: General Aerobic Run. 7 miles
Total: ~48 Miles
Notes. From looking at the Pfitz schedule, the key workouts were 1) the marathon-pace run, 2) a hard run after a rest day, and 3) a lactate threshold run.
My boyfriend and I were flying to Atlanta for my niece’s graduation on Thursday, so I moved my lactate threshold run to that morning.
Training paces
| Recovery | Long | General Aerobic | Marathon | Threshold | 5K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No faster than 10:25 | 9:55-10:10 | 9:10-9:45 | 8:40-8:55 | 7:55-8:10 | 7:30-7:40 |
Workouts
Long Run
This was a key workout, but the weather was “unseasonably hot and humid.” I was about to concede this would be a treadmill run when I decided it didn’t have to be one or the other. I set out to run outside for 8 miles and then retreat inside for the marathon-pace miles.
D.C.-area forecast: A steamy Sunday with hefty afternoon storms likely https://t.co/6xR2DeuV7T
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) May 22, 2022
It was overcast on the W&OD Trail. I felt sprinkles fall from the sky and mistook them for sweat.
For about a mile, I ran behind another runner keeping the same pace until he stopped just before the Custis Trail. I turned around at Falls Church. Overall, it was a good day for people-watching – I saw a man riding a unicycle, and a man pushing his dog in a stroller. I was back home by 9:47 am. Log details, pt. 1 (Strava)
I intended to only take a 5-minute break before starting the marathon-pace segment on the treadmill, but it took longer to get set up. I turned on Spirit of the Marathon for inspiration. Soon, I noticed the Zwift Runn that was supposed to track my pace wasn’t working. I ran the rest of the workout by effort.
Then, with less than 5 minutes of running left, my tablet shut down (despite being plugged into the treadmill), and I lost my Zwift feed. Frustrated, I turned down the pace.
Distance=8.0 miles
Pace=9:41/mile
Medium-long Run
It had been a stressful few days. My boyfriend and I would be leaving for Atlanta to attend my niece’s graduation in a few days, and I felt utterly unprepared because we scrambled to find a dog-sitter.
I knew if I wanted to fit in a 10-miler today, it would need to be a run-commute, which meant making sure I had everything I needed before leaving the house. To make matters worse, it was raining.
D.C.-area forecast: Mostly cloudy and damp for days https://t.co/coX1Xo9qFX
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) May 24, 2022
In the end, it was a non-eventful run! I headed east on the W&OD Trail. I averaged 9:30 pace, which was faster than my goal, but it felt very easy. On the Mount Vernon Trail, I concentrated on running as relaxed as possible, but my pace didn’t slow. I crossed the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, DC.
Even running up Capitol Hill didn’t slow me down!
Distance=10.24 miles
Pace=9:31/mile
Threshold Run
My boyfriend and I were leaving for Atlanta later in the morning. I was relieved that I could do the same threshold run from Week 1 because I hadn’t planned a different route.
D.C.-area forecast: Cloudy and mild today before a threat of severe storms on Friday https://t.co/YU7CA2iNBh
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) May 26, 2022
I ran a warm-up through neighborhood streets to Ballston. I met up with the Custis Trail. I stopped next to the sign for Waverly Hills. It took a while for my Garmin to get a signal. My pace was a little slow for the first mile – about 8:15 – but, given my GPS problem, I thought it was probably off. But, when I started the second mile, my pace wasn’t much faster. I rounded the turn to the W&OD Trail and cruised through Bluemont Park until I met back up with the W&OD Trail. The final mile was downhill, but my pace didn’t drop much. For the cool-down, I ran very easy up Columbia Pike.
Distance=4.00 miles
Pace=8:10/mile
General Aerobic Run
I exited the hotel and a cool breeze greeted me. I headed north on Peachtree Street and then turned right towards Piedmont Park. It was the weekend of the Atlanta Jazz Festival, and crews were setting up.
I reached the Atlanta Beltline and continued east. The trail was slightly uphill, but I was averaging under 9:00 pace. I took in the sights and tried to recall what was the same or different from four years ago. When I reached what should have been the turn-around – 3.5 miles – I continued. Four years ago, I couldn’t go further because the trail was closed. I turned around after 4 miles.
I reached the hotel but decided to go around the block to find a trail my boyfriend and I had seen the evening before – reconnaissance for our next trip to Atlanta.
Distance=8.11 miles
Pace=9:09/mile
Routes
Trails. Atlanta BeltLine. I visited my brother in December 2018 and ran on “The Beltline,” training for the 2019 Boston Marathon. This rail-trail that starts in Midtown Atlanta next to Piedmont Park is an excellent avenue for distance running. The only downside for the segment I ran was that it was concrete, and there weren’t any water fountains. When I ran here in 2018, there was a lot of eye-catching art. This time, it seemed there mainly was graffiti.
My Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes
Gear
Treadmills. Zwift Runn. Because I anticipated I would run a lot of miles on the treadmill this summer, I wanted a tool to gauge how long those miles were accurate. I purchased this gadget and set it up before my run on Monday. Unfortunately, it seemed just to read the pace that my treadmill displayed. Later, I noticed the instructions with the unit were different than what was on the website, so I may try again. Price: $99.99
Racing Schedule
Next race: Anacostia Parkrun #150 on Saturday, July 30th. Goal is sub-24:00 (7:42 pace).
