2023 New York City Marathon – Week 5
Training Schedule
July 30th – August 5th
Sunday: Long Run. 8 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Speed Run. 5 x 1000m w/400m recoveries
Wednesday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Thursday: Threshold Run. 6 miles @ marathon pace
Friday: Easy Run. 7 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~44 Miles
Notes. The long run leading into Week 5 of the Hansons Marathon Method is 8 miles, but I continued adding mileage and tried for 13 miles this week.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy | Long | Marathon | Strength | 5K-10K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No faster than 11:40 | 10:00-10:40 | 9:30-9:50 | 8:45-9:05 | 8:30-8:50 | 7:40-8:00 |
Workouts
Long Run
It was a stressful and emotional morning. Through Ancestry.com, I discovered a close relative I knew existed but couldn’t find through other means. Now that I’m in touch with her, I’ve been stressed about how to establish a relationship. What am I going to say to her after all these years? But I tried to put all that aside and headed out for my run before 7:30 a.m.
A thunderstorm hit the region the night before, but it was a lovely day for a run.
From home, I ran through my neighborhood and the National Landing neighborhood until I reached the Mount Vernon Trail. I was running a comfortable 10:00 pace by then.
Before reaching Rosslyn on the Trollheim Bridge, I passed my first downed tree from yesterday’s storms.
Before the long uphill at the start of the Custis Trail, I stopped to text my relative about our call. She said she wouldn’t be able to talk until 3 p.m., which took the stress off of me finishing my run at a specific time.
I passed two more fallen trees after turning right at Langston Boulevard. I encountered at least six more trees until I left the trail in Ballston!
When I arrived back in my neighborhood, I thought about running more, but the goal wasn’t to exhaust myself.
I arrived home a few minutes after 10 o’clock, so I wouldn’t have been home in time for my call. But I managed to call my relative later that afternoon.
Distance=13.13 miles
Pace=9:57/mile
Speed Run
In addition to the family drama causing stress, I’m presenting at a conference in the Netherlands in two weeks. If it wasn’t enough that I haven’t finished my PowerPoint slides and notes, I haven’t finalized my travel arrangements either! But despite it all, I’m getting my workout done.
I left my house at 6:45 a.m.
After a short warm-up, I arrived at Wakefield High School Track. The usual crowd was there – a coach training a client, an older woman with a walker, and three or four runners doing a speed workout.
The workout was going well – my splits were very consistent. But by the fourth repetition, the high school football team arrived at the track for practice, and I started losing my concentration.
The workout felt too easy, though. I should have pushed myself a little more.
1000m/400m: 4:55/3:03 (set 1), 4:53/3:03 (set 2), 4:48/2:49 (set 3), 4:51/3:01 (set 4), 4:46/4:18 (set 5).
Average 1000m=4:51 (7:50 pace)
Distance=8.51 miles
Pace=4:56/mile
Threshold Run
Last week, the hot weather led me to run this workout on the treadmill. But thunderstorms from the weekend brought cooler weather for today!
I ran a two-mile warm-up to Shirlington on the W&OD Trail and started the marathon-pace segment on the Four Mile Run Trail near I-395.
The first mile was just under 9:00 pace. It felt fast, but I thought it was something I could maintain. The second mile ended at the Route 1 overpass, which messed up the split. I continued north on the Mount Vernon Trail, and when the third mile was also around 9:00 pace, I felt good about the effort. The final mile was 9:08 pace, but overall, it was great pacing!
Distance=6.04 miles
Pace=8:57/mile
Gear
Anti-chafing. Body Glide. I’ve been having more chaffing issues this summer than most. In addition to Body Glide, I’ve been slathering petroleum jelly on my bra and shorts lines. But I’m finding it wasn’t enough on most post-run showers.
Nutrition
Electrolytes. SaltStick FastChews. The heat has been so intense that I’ve been taking salt tablets on my long runs. Two tablets have 100 mg sodium and 30 mg potassium, but I typically take one at a time.
Routes
Art. Reclining Liberty. During my easy run on Saturday, I passed this unique art installation of the Statue of Liberty lying down.
My Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes
Media & Motivation
News. “USATF Announces Noon Start Time for Olympic Marathon Trials,” Runner’s World. The immediate question is, Why? The race is in Orlando, Florida, in February, which doesn’t seem conducive to cool temperatures. The article implies that it may be because of television coverage.
Racing Schedule
Next race
2023 George Washington Patriot Run (10 Miler), Sunday, September 10th. Goal is 1:20:00 (8:00 pace).
Future races
- 2023 Army Ten Miler, Sunday, October 8th. Goal is 1:20:00 (8:00 pace).
- 2023 New York City Marathon, Sunday, November 5th. Goal is 3:44:00 (8:33 pace).
My Guide to the New York City Marathon
