CIM Training – Week 13
The Hanson people are trying to kill me. I ran 80 miles this week, which is a pretty heavy load already. On Wednesday, I realized I had ran 20 miles at goal marathon pace in the past 5 days! And, my left knee started to show the strain. It’s been sore since my last tempo workout. But, I started to get excited about running the New York City Marathon next weekend as my long run! I’ve been thinking of it as a reward for all the hard training I’ve been doing for CIM, which surely is a sign of some kind of sickness.
The Details
As usual for this part of the plan, there were three workouts in the schedule this week. The interval workout was 5 x 1K @ goal 10K pace, the tempo workout was a jump from 8 to 10 miles at goal marathon pace (GMP), and a 20 mile long run.
Intervals (5 x 1Ks @ goal 10K pace w/400m recoveries). [Log Details]
The loneliness of the late fall marathon runner.
Starting the work-week with an early morning track workout can be a little brutal but I managed to get up and out of the house by 6:45am. When I got to the track, I was shocked to see there was no one else there:
I’m not sure if it was the cold snap (it was a crisp 38 degrees) or that so many runners are tapering for fall marathons. I actually ran the workout with my headphones in because I had the track to myself the entire time.
I sped through the first rep. My Garmin was buzzing at me that 6:50 pace was faster than I should be running. I slowed down a little during the second repetition and took a Gatorade break during the rest period. The third rep was fast again but it felt pretty comfortable. The workout didn’t feel taxing at all under the end of the fourth rep. I kept the pace comfortably hard for the last speed session. I was happy knowing I crushed the paces.
When I came home, I checked the pace charts in Hansons and realized goal 10K pace should have been in the 6:40 to 6:50 pace range. Why didn’t I check this the night before? Even though the splits were “slow”, I feel really good about the workout because I know I could have run the reps faster. I actually only gave the workout 6 out of 10 stars for difficulty. It actually felt pretty comfortable.
Goal 10K pace repetitions: 4:14 (6:50 pace), 4:22 (7:05), 4:11 (6:52), 4:22 (7:03), 4:22 (7:04). Average was 4:18 (6:57) pace.
Tempo Run (16 miles w/10 miles @ goal marathon pace).
[Log Details]
“You know, there’s no getting the pace back once you let it go.”
For the next three weeks, this will be my mid-week tempo session.
I didn’t have a good feeling about the run from the first mile. My legs just felt dead. My lower legs in particular felt like they were strained. I was also irritable about running in the dark. Two miles in and I was already having to pump myself up. I headed south on the Mount Vernon Trail. I felt like I was running into the wind and thought maybe that was the issue and I’d feel better once I headed north. I turned around just after I finished my third mile. I didn’t feel any boost and decided I would check out for miles 4 and 5. I thought to myself, “You know, there’s no getting the pace back once you let it go.” I acknowledge that and tried to put in more effort. However, during the 5th mile by the airport, I was really struggling and threw in a 7:54 mile. I always get a boost at the north end of the airport and today was no exception. I told myself I was more than half way done and reminded myself of how well I’d done over the weekend. I fought to maintain pace on the 14th Street Bridge. With one mile to go, I somehow found another gear. The first mile of the easy section felt rough but I felt pretty good by the end of the workout.
I can hardly believe I ran 20 miles at goal marathon pace in the last 5 days!
If I were to guess, I’d say I’m in 3:25 (7:50 pace) marathon shape right now. I’m hoping the elevation drop at CIM will be worth about 2 minutes. As hard as I’ve worked this training cycle and as positive as I’ve tried to be, I’m afraid it might not be enough to finally get under 3:20 in a few weeks.
Goal marathon pace miles: 7:38, 7:37, 7:36, 7:38, 7:54, 7:34, 7:45, 7:37, 7:39, 7:35. Average was 7:40. Overall pace: 8:07.
Long Run (20 miles). [Log Details]
Taking a little pressure off by ignoring my Garmin for a few miles.
I realized I should be using these 20 milers as dress rehearsals for marathon day. I’ve been thinking I’d wear my new Saucony Bullet Shorts but I still haven’t found a shoe that I feel good about. I decided to wear the Saucony Kinvaras. I was a little disappointed with them as a shoe for speed work, but maybe I’d like them for long runs.
My legs felt great out the door! The first 5 miles were mostly downhill and flat but I was still surprised by how easy the run felt. A little after 5 miles in, I hit the Mount Vernon Trail. By then, I was running about 8:25 pace. I decided to run that section of the trail by feel and not look at my watch. I wanted to take a little pressure off myself when it came to running by pace rather than effort. At about 11.4 miles into the run, I arrived at the start of the Custis Trail. It begins with a steady one mile climb. I slowed down a lot but reminded myself that the California International Marathon is a net downhill. But then, my headphones gave out. No music for the next 7 miles. I didn’t struggle that much without the tunes. I don’t need music to run, I just like running with it. I stopped for water at around 14 and 16 miles. Oddly, I wasn’t thirsty or hungry on this run. At the W&OD Trail, I ran downhill for a 2.5 miles. I felt very tired but was surprised that my pace didn’t slow all that much from the start of the run. I finished feeling tired but not exhausted, which was reassuring.
Overall pace: 8:26.
Other Running-Related Activities
Future Races. I booked my train ticket to New York City this week. And, it wasn’t a day too soon as there were only a few cheap seats left on the Acela that gets me to New York City before noon. The expo closes at 5pm, which means I have to get to my hotel in Times Square from Penn Station, drop off my bag, and get to the Javits Center in that 5 hour window.
Gear. The pain in my knee has me thinking about the shoe I’m wearing for my GMP workouts. I don’t think the Pure Flows are a good choice for the marathon. I don’t think they’re absorbing enough impact. I ordered a pair of the Saucony Breakthru, which appear to have more cushioning than the Kinvaras. (I’m wearing a lot of Saucony these days. I’m ready for my sponsorship!)
Media of the Week.
Song. “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” Beastie Boys. I’m getting excited for the New York City Marathon!
Podcast. I also enjoyed the Pace the Nation podcast episode featuring Matt Centrowitz Jr. It’s great to hear that elites are, in so many ways, just like the rest of us off the track.
Picture. I took a lot of pictures on my easy run on Sunday. I think this is my favorite.
The Week Ahead
The schedule for next week looks a lot like this week. I have 6 x 1 mile @ half marathon pace on Monday, and 10 miles @ goal marathon pace on Wednesday. However, since I’m running the New York City Marathon next weekend as my long run, I’m going to add an extra easy day on Saturday before the marathon on Sunday.
Inspiration. “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.” – Khalil Gibran
