Fall of 2020 – Week 7
This week, I hit all my goal paces and distances. I’ve been struggling for over a year now and it felt great thinking that I’m coming out on the other end of it. And, I got several doses of motivation this week including a 2020 Boston Marathon Virtual Experience finisher box!
Training Schedule
October 18th – October 24th
Sunday: Medium Run. 14 miles w/4 miles @ goal marathon pace
Monday: Recovery Run. 6 miles + strides
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run. 10 miles (AM) + weight training (PM)
Wednesday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Thursday: Cruise Interval Run. 4 x 1 mile @ half marathon pace w/400m recovery jog (AM) + weight training (PM)
Friday: Recovery Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~60 Miles
Notes. It was raining on Monday, so I skipped the strides. But otherwise, I nailed this week’s schedule.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy/Long | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slower than 10:00 | 9:30-9:45 | 8:45-9:00 | 8:30-8:45 | 7:45 (5K) |
Workouts
Long Run
When I woke up, I didn’t feel great and worried that my body was a bit over-trained. But, the weather was perfect – about 43 degrees! In fact, it was so chilly that I wore gloves.
D.C.-area forecast: Outstanding October weather continues as we warm into midweek https://t.co/XJIigEL6cI
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) October 18, 2020
I broke the run into 3 segments: 7 miles easy, 4 miles @ goal marathon pace, and a little over 3 miles for a cool-down. Once again, I listened to my pre-maturely created 2021 London Marathon playlist.
For the easy part, I ran mostly uphill from my apartment building to the Custis Trail. At the water fountain, I tried to topping off my hand-held, which was filled with Sword Endurance Drink, but there were suds on the bottle! I blew some off and maybe got another 4 ounces of water.
I started the marathon-pace segment at the end of the Mount Vernon Trail in Rosslyn, Virginia. I was a bit anxious but visualizing how far each mile would be on the trail settled my nerves.
I hit the mid-point across from Lady Bird Johnson Park (until this week, I didn’t know that stretch of the trail was in the District of Columbia) at 8:47 pace – right where I wanted to be. But, I knew I needed to “bank time” before the pedestrian bridge by National Airport so I pushed a little harder. In the end, I finished all 4 miles at 8:40 pace!
I ran the cool-down from Crystal City back home. About mid-way, when I stopped to take a picture of the U.S. Air Force Memorial, I saw my boyfriend across the street!
We met up and exchanged a few words before I continued on my way.
I felt pretty good at the end – like I worked hard but didn’t exhaust myself.
Distance=14.28 miles
Pace=9:30/mile
General Aerobic Run
I thought I might be too exhausted for an interval workout two days after a long run with marathon-pace miles, so I planned a steady-paced run instead.
Looking outside from my living room window, there was a lot of moisture in the air and I thought it might be humidity. Once I got outside, though, I realized it was actually drizzle.
D.C.-area forecast: Morning clouds and drizzle before partly sunny afternoon as weather warms https://t.co/EZek6WgOEP
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) October 20, 2020
From home, I pushed the pace relatively hard down the Arlington Boulevard Trail into Rosslyn, Virginia and crossed over to the Mount Vernon Trail. Along the way, I sipped Gatorade from my handheld water bottle to make sure I had enough carbohydrate in my system.
Across the river from the Lincoln Memorial, I stopped for a picture.
The next two miles flew by. My legs felt like they used to feel: strong, powerful, and lean. Running felt effort-less! I’ve been struggling for over a year now and it felt great thinking that I’m coming out on the other end of it.
I exited the trail in Crystal City. At that point, my overall pace was 9:00! The route home had some steep uphills so at the end, my pace was much slower.
Distance=10.57 miles
Pace=9:11/mile
Threshold Run
Once again, it was a foggy morning. This time, about 60 degrees when I left home.
D.C.-area forecast: Morning fog and warm afternoon sun through Saturday. Cooler on Sunday. https://t.co/9UwmNrCWgf
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) October 22, 2020
I ran the same route as I did on Tuesday. But this time, I ran an easy pace down the Arlington Boulevard Trail.
Like Sunday’s long run, I started the hard segment of the workout – this time cruise intervals – at the end of the Mount Vernon Trail in Rosslyn, Virginia. I peeked at my Garmin a few times during the first mile but mostly tried to run by effort. At the end of it, I was genuinely surprised by how easy 7:50 pace felt. And then the second repetition was only slightly slower! The third mile had a little piece of Humpback Bridge, which marks the end of Columbia Island and I struggled a little. I told myself, “Just get out of Gravelly Point“. It was still 7:51 pace. The final segment was in Crystal City and I knew the tall buildings would throw the GPS off. I wasn’t surprised the last split was above 8:00 pace.
I started the cooldown in Long Bridge Park but took a bathroom break a few minutes in. A mile or so later, my Garmin malfunctioned for the second time this week!
Once again, at the end of the workout, I knew I worked hard but I didn’t feel completely spent.
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mile (Time) | 7:52 | 7:59 | 7:51 | 8:07 |
Distance=11.04 miles
Pace=9:12/mile
Cross-training
Weight training. On Tuesday, I did my usual routine: leg press, leg curls, squats, seated cable row, seated lateral pulldown, dumbbell curls, and tricep presses (not in that order). It felt hard but manageable, which made me think I got the weight, repetitions, and sets about right. On Thursday, I added calf raises to my routine in hopes that it will help the plantar fasciitis.
Gear
Long-sleeve shirt. On Thursday, I got an email that I had a package. I assumed it was one of the many online orders I’ve done during COVID-19 but was surprised when I opened it and saw the 2020 Boston Marathon Virtual Experience Finisher Box!
I registered for the race but didn’t run it because I hadn’t run over 20 miles since which was my replacement for the Boston Marathon, the 2020 Runners Run Marathon. I was thrilled to get the shirt but the package also contained other premiums including a lanyard, Sam Adams bottle opener, and a lapel pin.
Nutrition
Sword Endurance Drink Mix. Looking through my archive, I was surprised I hadn’t written much about this energy drink. It tastes pretty good and comes in a variety of flavors. One packet goes in 20 ounces of water and contains 140 calories and 35 grams of carbohydrate.
Media & Motivation
Movies. Skid Row Marathon. This week, I finally got around to watching this documentary that chronicles the relationships between Craig Mitchell, a judge on the Superior Court in California, and former criminals who have lived in Los Angeles’ “skid row“. The show follows several members of the Skid Row Running Club‘s as they prepare for marathons in Ghana and Rome. But ultimately, it’s a tale of second chances and redemption. I recommend it highly.
Podcasts. “Episode 292 – What’s New With You with Alison Desir“, Ali on the Run. In this episode, the host caught up with the founder of Harlem Run, who she interviewed in Episode 3. I hadn’t heard the earlier episode but had read and shared Alison’s Outside Magazine article after Ahmaud Arbery’s murder. When I have time, I’m going to go back to that earlier episode and reflect on how diversity in the running community may have changed between then and now.
Racing Schedule
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. – September Results. My best times and current standings are:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island (1.4 miles): 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020.
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe (3.1 miles): 25:47 (8:47 pace) on October 6, 2020.
- Hains Point (2.5 miles): 20:44 (8:17 pace) on September 15, 2020.
Next race: ?
My Racing Schedule
