Fall of 2020 – Week 2
Re-publishing my 2012 Boston Marathon race report had me thinking about pushing myself outside my comfort zone. On Tuesday, I completed the RunWashington Distance Derby Strava Challenge segment on Hains Point as my weekly speedwork. On Thursday, I finished my medium-long run in a relatively rapid 9:32 pace!
Training Schedule
September 13th – September 19th
Sunday: Long Run. 13 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 5 miles + Strides
Tuesday: Interval Run. ? + Weight training (PM)
Wednesday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Thursday: Medium Run. 10 miles (AM) + Weight training (PM)
Friday: Easy Run. 4 miles (AM) = Bike commuting (AM & PM)
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~54 Miles
Notes. I didn’t plan ahead for Tuesday’s interval session and I ended up doing a RunWashington Distance Derby Strava Challenge segment.
Workouts
Long Run
With the Boston Marathon behind me, I wanted to have a strong 13 mile run.
D.C.-area forecast: Warming up a bit today with an evening storm chance; brief taste of fall midweek https://t.co/QsrrxsNh0k
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) September 13, 2020
Ran down the Arlington Boulevard Trail and in Rosslyn, headed south on the Mount Vernon Trail. At Roosevelt Island, my overall pace was 9:37, which I thought was fast.
I”ve spent time in recent days re-publishing my 2012 Boston Marathon race report for this blog and that race was on my mind. As I pushed my effort even harder, I thought to myself, “You’re gonna hurt but you’re not going to die” recalling how badly I felt on that day.
I passed a co-worker on my way to Humpback Bridge, which broke my concentration a little.
I told myself, “The 2012 Boston Marathon will be the second hardest thing I’ve ever done. The hardest will be getting my fitness back.”
I approached the water fountain at National Airport tentatively and when I pushed the button, it was on! I downed a Gu Energy Gel and continued down and over to the Four Mile Run Trail. I ran the next few miles to the W&OD Trail at a consistent 9:44 pace. At the 12 mile mark, I headed home rather than going all the way to Columbia Pike like usual.
I finished the run eager to see how much I can improve over the next year.
Distance=13.10 miles
Pace=9:53/mile
Interval Run
I hadn’t planned the specific workout I would do and that morning, decided I wanted to do something fun. So, I decided to do another RunWashington Distance Derby Strava Challenge segment.
When I left my apartment building, the temperature was in the 50s!
D.C.-area forecast: Comfortable conditions today into tomorrow with late-week showers and a cooler weekend https://t.co/3HQNnCXSzg
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) September 15, 2020
During the warm-up, I listened to “O-o-o Child” and all of a sudden tears started flowing. Work has been very stressful lately – my boss left and the impact of her departure felt uncertain.
I took my new favorite short-cut downtown: the bridge leading to Lyndon Johnson Memorial Grove on the north side of The Pentagon and over to the Mount Vernon Trail.
By the time I arrived at East Potomac Park (“Hains Point”), my emotions had settled and I was ready for a time trial!
The segment is a counter-clockwise arc from the gate on the southern end of Hains Point to the gate on the north side. It was one of those days when it felt like the wind was in your face on both sides but I finished feeling impressed with my time.
I walked a bit before starting the cool-down home. In the end, I ran over 11 miles!
Distance=2.52 miles
Pace=8:15/mile
Medium Run
After several cool days, it was in the high 60 degrees on this morning.
D.C.-area forecast: Showers from Sally brush the area today, leaving behind a clear, cool weekend https://t.co/FBsi1I9Ity
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) September 17, 2020
From home, I ran uphill to Clarendon and through the western edge of Lyon Village to reach the Custis Trail. I stopped for water at Nelson Street and saw I was at 9:45 pace. When I reached the high point of the trail at Glebe Road, I decided to speed up. I ran 9:20 to 9:40 pace on my way to the W&OD Trail.
Feeling good, I continued pushing harder on my way to Bluemont Park. Soon, my pace was hovering close to 9:00. I spent a half mile on the Four Mile Run Trail and then cut back over to the W&OD Trail. The final mile-long segment to Columbia Pike in 8:25 pace!
I was genuinely surprised by how well I ran! Poor man’s altitude dividends in effect!
Distance=10.06 miles
Pace=9:32/mile
Cross-training
Weight training. On Tuesday, I did my workout in my apartment building’s fitness center as planned.
When I arrived on Thursday, there were already two people in the weight room. (The building limits occupancy to two people at a time and requires an advance reservation.) I asked if they were going to be long and went to use other equipment. One of them questioned me about whether I had an appointment and I told her I had. But when I checked my email confirmation, I realized I accidentally registered for the cardio equipment instead of the weight part of the room. Embarrassed, I left and contemplated going to the national corporate gym to which I belong.
Bicycling. I did my usual bike-commute. Confident about the route, I shaved 15 minutes off my trip to work! The trip home was unchanged but that route is a bit harder because it features a longer hill on the west side of Arlington Cemetery.
Routes
Art. “Triumph of Literature” by Alfred Ratinoff, Arlington Library – Columbia Pike Branch. Over the years, I must have passed this mural hundreds of times but it only struck me recently. I noticed the Earth is covering the man’s “business“.
My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes
Media & Motivation
Podcasts. “Episode 250 – Ghosts (Michael Wardian)“, Pace the Nation. Michael Wardian runs so frequently that it’s completely plausible that the host had a flyby with him and invited him on the show. It was interesting hearing about all the running he’s done during COVID-19 and I was surprised that he didn’t sound more disappointed about not doing his trans-continental run.
PaceTheNation · Ep 250 – Ghosts (Mike Wardian)
News. “For BIPOC, Running – and Its Online Forums – Is Not a Refuge From Racial Discrimination”, Runner’s World. It’s hard for me to understand how something that happened to you on a run isn’t a valid topic of conversation on an online forum about running experiences. However, I can understanding wanting to keep “politics” out of team names in races, which is another topic addressed in the article.
Racing Schedule
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. I ran the Hains Point segment this week, adding another route to my resume. My best times are:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island – 1.4 miles. 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020
- Hains Point – 2.5 miles. 20:44 (8:17 pace) on September 15, 2020
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe – 3.1 miles. 26:10 (8:55 pace) on May 21, 2020
Next race: ?
