Fall of 2020 – Week 9
For the first time in 7 years, I was not running the New York City Marathon on the first Sunday in November. Instead, this was a recovery week and I dropped by mileage by 30%. With the lighter load, I did a RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby run on Thursday only to discover I ran it the wrong direction!
Training Schedule
November 1st – November 7th
Sunday: Medium Run. 10 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles + strides
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run. 7 miles (AM) + Weight training (PM)
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Interval Run. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby – Hains Point. 2.5 miles (AM) + Weight training (PM)
Friday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~42 Miles
Notes. This was a recovery week and I dropped by mileage by 30% while maintaining intensity. I scheduled an off day on Wednesday knowing I would be up late on Tuesday watching Election Day news.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy / Long | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slower than 9:55 | 9:30-9:45 | 8:55-9:10 | 8:35-8:50 | 7:35-7:50 (5K) |
Workouts
Medium Run
This was a cut-back week and I spent the morning thinking about how far and fast I wanted to run.
Clocks fell back overnight as Daylight Saving Time ended and I realized this was the first time in seven years that I was not running the New York City Marathon on the first Sunday of November.
D.C.-area forecast: Rocky start to November with showers today, gusty chill tonight and tomorrow https://t.co/GtVgvbxWLK
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) November 1, 2020
When I finally left the house, I started out fast. Listening to a playlist of “liked songs” on Spotify, I felt like I was dancing rather than running as I made my way down the Arlington Boulevard Trail to Rosslyn. I joined the Mount Vernon Trail and by the time I reached the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, I felt hints of sprinkles.
I thought about what I would do now that the Boston Marathon was postponed. I need something to motivate me this winter and hadn’t found a spring marathon – live or virtual – that caught my interest, yet.
It was raining hard by the time I reached Gravelly Point but I still stopped to take a picture.
When I restarted my workout, I noticed the time and distance my Garmin weren’t moving! Irritating, but I’d run this route so often I could estimate how far I’d traveled. I exited the trail about a mile later in Crystal City and encountered a downed tree!
The rest of the cool-down was uneventful. and I just tried to keep my pace up.
I finished the run cold and drenched to the bone but giddy with how good I felt. This was one of my fastest distance runs in a long while!
Distance=10.5 miles
Pace=8:38/mile
Log details, pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 (Strava)
General Aerobic Run
It was another cold and rainy day in the Washington, DC area. I thought it was chilly enough for a pull-over and tights instead of my usual light long-sleeve shirt and shorts.
D.C.-area forecast: Sunny, breezy and trending warmer with really nice days ahead https://t.co/rsVDmk42d2
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) November 3, 2020
From home, I ran north to the Clarendon neighborhood and after a couple of miles, headed west towards Ballston. Running up a steep hill, the sounds of my heavy breathing was interrupted by two women chatting behind me so I sped up as I crossed over to the Bluemont Junction Trail.
Going gently downhill towards the Four Mile Run Trail, I kept pushing the pace until I could not longer hear the women. At the new trail, I saw something election-related written in chalk on the trail but ignored it. I would worry about this stress-inducing presidential election later. A little way down the trail, I saw a deer!
I crossed over to the W&OD Trail and then continued speeding downhill for another mile-and-a-half.
After the run, I took a quick shower and hurried over to the community center to vote. It only took 15 minutes!
Distance=7.25 miles
Pace=8:38/mile
Interval Run
In the morning, I spent some time contemplating which segment I wanted to try. I reviewed the results from the November update and settle on Hains Point because my previous result wasn’t shown.
Before leaving the house, I checked the observed weather at National Airport. Winds were calm, which I took as a sign of a fast time to come!
D.C.-area forecast: Beautifully dry and mild weather into next week https://t.co/GUvak01nt5
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) November 5, 2020
I drove to Crystal City and parked to avoid a long warm-up jog. From there, I ran to the Mount Vernon Trail and crossed the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, DC. I paused for a moment and looked across the Tidal Basin towards the White House. I wondered how the presidential election stand-off would play out.
I started the Hains Point segment at the gate and ran counter-clockwise around the island. Initally, I ignored my Garmin but when I reached the end of the point – about half-way through the segment – I glanced down and saw I was running 7:45 pace. Fantastic! I was able to hold on a finish just a second slower.
Walked a bit before doing a cool-down back into Virginia.
Later, as I was reviewing the segment finishers on Strava, I realized I had been running it in the wrong direction! It explained why my previous attempt wasn’t included in the results. Ugh!
Distance=2.5 miles
Pace=7:46/mile
Cross-training
Weight training. I continued my routine of lifting weights during my lunch hour. On both days, I worked legs with presses, curls, squats, and calf raises; and arms with dumbbell curls and tricep presses. On Tuesday, I worked my back with pull-downs and rows. On Thursday, I stressed shoulders, too.
Clothing
Shoes. New Balance 1080 Fresh Foam. Now that my feet are feeling better, I thought the cushioning from the Hoka Bondis was too much. So, these would be my shoes for long and easy runs but I would continue wearing the Mizuno Wave Rider 23s for speed workouts.
Racing Schedule
Future Races. Now that the 2021 Boston Marathon has been postponed, I spent some time this week considering alternatives. Unfortunately, most of the races I looked into weren’t committing to a real or virtual event yet.
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. – November Results. My best times and current standings 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.
Honorable mention for the segment I ran in the wrong direction:
- Hains Point (2.5 miles): 19:28 (7:46 pace) on November 5, 2020.
Next race: ?
