Summer 2017 Training – Week 5
Another week, another race! I ran a 10K today. Earlier in the week, I did a tempo run on Tuesday and a medium run on Wednesday. Overall, it wasn’t a bad week. I just felt a little off. I enjoyed the signs of summer, though.
Training Schedule
June 4th – June 10th
Sunday: Maintenance Run. 10 miles.
Monday: Recovery Run. 8 miles.
Tuesday: Lactate Threshold Run. 8 miles w/4 miles @ 15K to half marathon pace.
Wednesday: Medium Run. 12 miles.
Thursday: Off.
Friday: Recovery Run. 4 miles.
Saturday: Lawyers Have Heart 10K.
Mileage Total: ~48 Miles
Notes. I increased my mileage a little bit this week and pretty much stuck to the schedule.
Goals. Run 48 miles for the week and lose 1 pound. Outcome: Partial success! I hit my mileage goal but my weight loss fell a little short.
Workout Details
Maintenance Run. 10 miles moderate [Log Details].
I was a little tired from running the Belmont Bay Belmont Stakes 5K the day before.
I tried taking the early miles easy even though my goal for this run was a “moderate” pace – maybe 8:20. As I was running through Clarendon to the Custis Trail and feeling myself speed up, I reminded myself, “You’re not even half way through this run,” I stopped for water at the water fountain near Nelson Street. By then, I was a little winded. Less than a mile down the road, and after two steep climbs, I stopped for a bit.
I felt better when I restarted and ran steady until I stopped again for water at the W&OD Trail junction.
It was a good run, I was just a little tired. I reminded myself that I’m trying to lose weight and it’s getting hotter. I should probably expect my paces to be a bit slower.
Overall pace=8:42.
Lactate Threshold Run. 8 miles w/4 miles @ 15K to half marathon pace [Log Details].
I ran the Alexandria Running Festival Half Marathon in 7:52 pace, so I had a good gauge for where this workout should fall. But, I still had some doubts about completing this workout. I set the pace range for 7:40-8:00 pace and headed out to the Mount Vernon Trail.
During the first mile, my pace was in the low 7:50s. After getting that indicator, I swiped my Garmin to overall pace and just tried to keep the pace steady. I turned around at the mid-point and my Garmin vibrated because my pace was in the slow range. I sped up until it stopped. I swiped back to lap pace and saw I was in the mid 7:50s. I knew I would slow down on the National Airport overpass. But surprisingly, it only dropped 6 seconds/mile. I stopped for water with 0.15 miles to go in the segment. I didn’t want to run past it and double-back. I took the cool-down home very slow.
Lactate threshold pace=7:59. Overall pace=8:47.
Medium Run. 12 miles [Log Details].
My goal for this workout was to switch the post-run narrative from, “I felt great going out the door and faded at the end”, to something more like, “I started easy and finished strong.”
I had a good first mile. As I waited to cross Route 50, there was another runner with me. My neighborhood has been “revitalizing” over the years and moments like these strike me as odd. When I moved here, I hardly ever saw another runner.
I kept the pace slow and easy until I reached the flatter sections of the Custis Trail. I started a gel that I hadn’t tried before at the mid-way point. It was very sugary and I felt jittery for the next mile. I reached the point where I wanted to run a little faster, but… I didn’t have it in me. I dropped the pace to around 9:00, but I was hoping for faster.
I was a little disappointed with how the run went, but I kept in mind that I’m running on a calorie deficit these days, so I shouldn’t expect fast times.
Overall pace=9:23.
Lawyers Have Heart 10K [Log Details].
My time was 45:45 (7:30 pace). It was my fourth race in four weeks. It was the best weather for this race that I could remember – high 60s at the start. I parked in Arlington and fretted over getting a ticket.
I felt pretty good during the race. I tried bucking the recent trend of going out too hard by running negative splits. I got off track in the middle miles but in the end, my splits were pretty even. I made it back to my car and didn’t have a ticket!
Time=46:43. Overall pace=7:30. Split paces=7:41, 7:27, 7:22, 7:41, 7:35, 7:35, 1:26 (7:13 pace).
Health
Injuries. My piriformis was a little irritated during Wednesday’s medium run and at today’s race. It’s frustrating how just when I think it’s gone it flares up. But, it’s definitely not the sharp pain that it’s been in the past.
Weight. I ended the week at the same weight that I started it. But, I still think my weight loss is progressing nicely. And, I realized this week that I shouldn’t expect great running results when I’m in a calorie deficit.
Weather
I started to feel the effects of the summer during my runs this week. The air temperature hovered in the mid-60s, which was nice, but the humidity was in the 70-80% range in the morning hours. I finished my workouts completely drenched in sweat.
Racing Schedule
Next race: Fletcher’s Cove Park Run on Saturday, June 17, 2017 (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
Are signs of summer popping up in your area?
