Fall of 2020 – Week 11
This would be my last hard week of training because I decided to run the 2020 Alexandria (Virtual) Turkey Trot next week. But, it was still a stressful week because my boyfriend and I put a contract on a house! Ultimately, we didn’t get it, though, and by Thursday I was relieved to run off some of the anxiety!
Training Schedule
November 15th – November 21st
Sunday: Medium Run. 14 miles w/5 miles @ goal marathon pace
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles + strides
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run. 9 miles (AM) + Weight training (PM)
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: Threshold Run. 12 miles w/4 miles @ threshold pace + Weight training (PM)
Friday: Easy Run. 7 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~60 Miles
Notes. I changed Thursday’s threshold run from steady pace to cruise intervals because I thought it would actually give me a better sense for what I could run for an hour.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy / Long | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slower than 9:40 | 9:25-9:40 | 8:55-9:10 | 8:25-8:40 | 7:40-7:50 (5K) |
Workouts
Long Run
On Friday, my boyfriend and I went back-and-forth about putting a bid on the house we say last Thursday. Ultimately, we decided not to but we went to see another house we liked on Saturday morning.
Mulling whether to put a bid on this second house, I didn’t sleep very well on Saturday night. On top of that, it was a cold and windy day for running.
D.C.-area forecast: Milder today with gusty late-day showers and storms, then seasonably cool through midweek https://t.co/l36w4xxQ3M
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) November 15, 2020
Foggy-headed, I ran very easy on the Custis Trail to Rosslyn, Virginia. I started the marathon-pace miles at the end of the Mount Vernon Trail. As soon as I picked up the pace, I noticed how windy it was! But, my splits for the first four miles were very consistent: 9:00, 8:55, 8:57, 9:01.
I left the trail in Crystal City. Out of no where, I found a burst of energy. Instead of going straight to Long Bridge Park, leap-frogged over to Pentagon City. Somehow, I threw down an 8:38 mile to finish the workout!
I ran about 2 miles easy home thinking about the prospect of owning a home!
Distance=5.00 miles
Pace=8:56/mile
General Aerobic Run
On Monday night, my boyfriend and I put a bid on the second house that we liked. Our offer was under asking but we thought the house was grossly over-priced. We gave the sellers until 2 p.m. today to get back to us.
With all the stress, I didn’t sleep well so I had a Sword Energy Chew caffeine tablet before heading out into the cold.
D.C.-area forecast: Breezy and turning colder before temperatures rebound late in the week https://t.co/uYO5Xmird5
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) November 17, 2020
I ran north to Clarendon obsessively thinking about the house. On the Custis Trail, I lifted my eyes long enough to see a Ragnar teammate running with her dog and someone else. It was great thinking about doing another relay some day.
I cut over to the W&OD Trail and then the Four Mile Run Trail. By then, I was comfortably running sub-9:00 pace.
Later that afternoon, my boyfriend and I learned the sellers didn’t accept the offer we made on the house. We were both disappointed but not entirely surprised.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400m | 1:59 | 1:59 | 1:59 |
| Content | Content | Content | |
| Content | Content | 1:59 | 1:59 |
Distance=8.98 miles
Pace=8:54/mile
Threshold Run
Today, I would do a workout similar to Week 7‘s 4 x 1 mile @ 7:57 pace. Before leaving home, I programmed my Garmin to target 7:50 – 8:05 pace for the repetitions.
It was the first sub-freezing day of the winter!
D.C.-area forecast: Cool sunshine today, but it turns milder Friday and Saturday https://t.co/VA3MPy1W1y
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) November 19, 2020
From home, I ran 3 miles easy up to the Custis Trail and then started the repetitions. I timed the first two so my second rest period would coincide with moving over to the Mount Vernon Trail in Rosslyn.
It was a stressful week with all the real estate drama and I felt so much relief to just run!
I finished the repetitions just before the steep pedestrian bridge near National Airport. They were slower than I wanted but probably closer to true threshold pace. I exited the trail in Crystal City for a 3-mile cool-down home.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mile (time) | 8:13 | 8:04 | 8:15 |
| Set 4 | Set 5 | ||
| 8:15 | 8:18 |
Distance=6.25 miles
Pace=8:43/mile
Cross-training
Weight training. On Tuesday, I did my usual workout but I was anxiously awaiting a call from our realtor. The gym was more crowded than usual so I skipped the lateral pulldowns. Two announcements about wearing masks.
Health
Weight. I didn’t weigh (or take my blood pressure) this week. I just stopped something I’ve done almost without fail for years.
Clothing
Shoes. Mizuno Wave Rider WaveKnit. The Wave Rider has been my go-to training shoe for a while. When it came time to retire my current pair, I took a chance and bought the model with an alternative upper. Although I bought the same size I always do (8.5), the toe box feels a little shorter. I think I’ll go back to the traditional model for my next purchase.
Media & Motivation
News. “As the Coronavirus Tears Through Rural Maryland, An Ultramarathon Plans to Race On“, The Washington Post. I can’t speak for that event in particular but based on my only ultra-marathon experience, I can see how this event could be done in a socially distanced manner. I barely interacted with a soul except at the aid stations.
Podcasts. “Des Linden: The Pandemic Doesn’t Have to Sideline Your Progress“, Running for Real. Like many runners, I struggled with motivation once Boston was postponed. I remembered seeing something about Destober but ignored it because I knew I couldn’t participate. Hearing more about it, I’m glad Des put on something to help keep people going until racing returns.
Racing Schedule
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. 14th overall/1st female.
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe (3.1 miles): 25:47 (8:47 pace) on October 6, 2020. 16th overall/4th female.
Next race: 2020 Alexandria Virtual Turkey Trot 5 Miler. Last year, I wasn’t cleared to run yet so I missed out on this race, which has been an annual tradition of mine. From looking at the weather forecast, next Tuesday or Friday would be the ideal days.
My Racing Schedule
