Adventures of a female master runner in Metropolitan Washington, DC.
Back in December when I put this race on my schedule, I had high hopes for this training cycle and wanted to be in 1:16:40 (7:40 pace) shape by now. Unfortunately, over the past few months, it’s been clear that my speed was lacking. In the weeks before the race, I changed my expectations to 1:26:00 (8:35 pace) but moreover, changed my goal determining my goal marathon pace for the Boston Marathon.
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In mid-December, I started training for the 2020 Boston Marathon. I scheduled several races because I didn’t do much speed-work this summer and missed running fast.
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New Scroll down to the end of the post for the tl;dr version. Prologue After running my slowest marathon ever at the 2019 New York City Marathon, I visited doctors and was treated for high blood pressure and a Vitamin
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Scroll all the way down to the end for the tl;dr version. Prologue This was a strange training cycle because I simultaneously prepared for the New York City Marathon (“NYCM”) using the 12 weeks, 70 miles per week plan in
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After last Sunday’s near medical emergency, I was afraid to run the week after. With my body and mind still reeling from that scare, I forced myself to run this trail race, as preparation for the 2019 Brazos Bend 50 Miler, as planned.. Starting in the middle of the pack and getting back up on the single track trail regulated my pace during the first 5 miles. On the second loop, I ran a little faster. I only came close to tripping once or twice! I finished in 1:42:00 (10:17 pace).
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This was my first time captaining a Ragnar relay team and it was a little stressful! The temperature was around 88 degrees for my first run but otherwise, it was uneventful. For my second run, I “doubled up” and started with Runner Three so our team could finish before the 7pm cut-off. Unfortunately, we still received an unofficial result, which was disappointing. The National Harbor was a great venue but the race itself was unfulfilling because the organizers didn’t give many teams enough time to finish.
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July. The one month in the year when I’m not training for anything! After finishing the 2019 Cleveland Marathon in early May, I took a few days off and then started running regularly again. I ran the 2019 Maryland Half Marathon in early June and then steadily increased my running mileage the next week and the week after. Two days before the race, I returned to Washington, D.C. after spending the weekend in California for my high school reunion. I ran close to 13 miles on Tuesday morning, followed by 6 easy miles on Wednesday.
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I woke up thinking I was running the Lawyers Have Heart 10K but decided to take on a half marathon just three weeks after the 2019 Cleveland Marathon! The early miles were slow because the course was hilly. But, I finally allowed myself to run hard after about eight miles. My time was 1:45:56 (8:06 pace) – 6th woman overall and 1st in my age group!
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This race was pretty high on my list of tough marathons. If the race was a week or two earlier, I think it could be a destination event. It was well organized and there’s just enough to do around downtown for a three-day weekend.
I finished the 2019 Boston Marathon in mid-April and did a “reverse taper” before training again.
Based on the warm weather forecast, I adjusted my expectations considerably and just wanted to finish. The spectators were fantastic – spraying runners with hoses and giving out water. In the final miles, the temperature was 84 degrees! My time was 3:57:09 (9:02 pace) – my second slowest marathon.
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The afternoon heat made it a tough day but the cheering crowds made the race bearable.
I went into the race with a lot of confidence after running the 2019 Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon in 1:38:36 (7:32 pace) – my fastest half marathon in three years! My goal was sub-3:28:00 (7:57 pace). But, in the days before the race, my knees were killing me.
A few miles into the race, I was already sweating. By the time I reached Newton, running 7:59 pace, the temperature was probably just under 70 degrees! I left that town down to 8:08 pace but rallied in Brookline.
My time was 3:34:40 (8:12 pace). My goal marathon for this spring was actually the 2019 Cleveland Marathon so, I plan to take a few days off and then start training again.
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