Summer of 2019 – Week 7
My second attempt at a 50 mile week was successful. I ran a 15 mile long run outside on Sunday. Then, as the temperature climbed close to 80 degrees on most mornings, I did the rest of my workouts on the treadmill.
Training Schedule
July 14th – July 20th
Sunday: Long Run. 17 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Interval Run. 8 miles w/6 x 800m @ 5K-10K pace w/400m recovery jog
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Thursday: Lactate Threshold Run. 10 miles w/6 miles @ marathon pace
Friday: Easy Run. 7 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 8 miles
Total: ~50 Miles
Notes. I ran most of my runs on the treadmill, so I’m not exactly sure how many miles I ran but based on time, I’m fairly confident it was around 50 miles.
Workouts
Long Run. 15 miles [Log Details, pt. 1] [Log Details, pt. 2].
I left my house early so I could finish before 9am and attend the start of a professional conference in town. But, I wasn’t too rushed to chat with a woman during my water stop in Crystal City. On the Mount Vernon Trail, I listened to a happy day mix on Spotify which lifted my spirit. I started a Maurten Sports Fuel Gel 100 when I stopped at Humpback Bridge.
I finished the gel during another water break at Roosevelt Island. By then, I had been averaging around 9:15 pace. The strap on my eight ounce Nathan handheld broke, so I tossed it at Nelson Street. I stopped for water when I reached the W&OD Trail. The section under Wilson Boulevard was still detoured because of the week’s storms. By the time I reached Bluemont Park on the Four Mile Run Trail, I was starting to feel nauseated. I ran-walked the finial 1.5 miles home satisfied that I got in a solid run. By 8:50am, it was already 84 degrees!
Overall pace=9:30.
Interval Run. 8 miles w/6 x 2:30 @ 8.0 (7:30 pace) w/2:30 @ 5.0 (12:00 pace) [Log Details]
I woke up to tired legs from standing at a reception in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress the night before. By the time I was ready to run, it was already 76 degrees outside. I decided to run on the treadmill but not attempt my actual 5K race pace. During the warm-up, I started the treadmill at 5.2 (11:32 pace) and increased it to 5.8 (10:21 pace). I listened to a podcast to make sure my pace was comfortable and then switched to music for the intervals. For that portion, I ran 2:30 at 8.0 (7:30 pace) and the recovered for 2:30 at 5.0 (12:00 pace). I felt good throughout and probably could have gone a little harder.
2:30 paces (by treadmill)=7:30.
Lactate threshold Run. 10 miles w/20 minutes @ 7.2 (8:20 pace) + 25 minutes @ 7.6 (7:54 pace) [Log Details]
The night before, I went out with my boyfriend to see the Apollo 11 rocket projected on the Washington Monument but felt well-rested and eager to do some hard running. Running on the treadmill, I thought this would be a good opportunity to do some extended time at marathon pace. I ran a 20 minute warm-up with the treadmill set at 5.2 (11:32 pace) to 6.0 (10:00 pace). For the lactate threshold segment, I started with the treadmill at 7.2 (8:20 pace). After 20 minutes, I increased the setting to 7.6 (7:54 pace) and ran for another 25 minutes. For a cool-down, I went back and forth between 5.4 (11:07 pace) and 5.6 (10:43 pace).
Lactate threshold segment pace=8:05.
Health
Injuries. I got a blister from wearing heels on Monday night at a professional conference event. It’s really more of an irritation than an injury.
Sleep. It probably wasn’t enough but it was consistently six-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half hours each night.
Weather
On Wednesday, the morning temperature was 80 degrees by 7am with a dew point of 73. It only got hotter after that day. It hasn’t been cooler than 75 degrees since that evening.
Nutrition
Energy gels. Maurten Sports Fuel Gel 100. Having already tried the sports drink of champions a few weeks ago, I decided to try the gel. The texture was a little weird – like squishy little beads. And, the taste was sugary but bland. But most importantly, it agreed with my stomach on Sunday’s long run. One satchel is 100 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrate, and 34 micro-grams of sodium. Here’s how it compares to other gels:
| Product | Calories | Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Potassium (mg) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accel Rapid Energy Gel | 100 | 20 | 115 | - | |
| Carb Boom! | 110 | 26 | 50 | 45 | |
| Clif Shot Energy Gel | 110 | 22 | 60 | - | |
| Crank Sports e-Gel | 150 | 37 | 230 | 85 | A packet is larger than some standard brands, such as Gu. |
| Gu Energy Gel | 100 | 21 | 50 | 60 | The "Roctane" brand of this gel contains caffeine. |
| Hammer Gel | 90 | 21 | 25 | 35 | |
| Honey Stinger Gold | 100 | 27 | 50 | 85 | This product is very sweet. |
| PowerBar PowerGel | 102 | 25 | 206 | ||
| Spring Long Haul | 110 | 15 | 110 | 100 | This product is based on rice and banana. At $2.49/pack, it's more expensive than most brands. |
| Maurten Sports Fuel Gel | 100 | 25 | 34 | 0 | One satchel is 40 grams. |
(My Guide to Running Nutrition)
Media & Motivation
Podcasts. “Episode 752. Chris Ward Has Found Adventure and Himself in Multi-Day Stage Races,” Diz Runs. I still chew on the idea of doing a stage race someday so I listened and pondered if this could be the one. The event was the Desert RATS KoKopelli 150. It’s five days from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Utah.
Music. “That’s What I Like,” Flo Rida. I listened to a playlist on Spotify of Flo Rida for Thursday’s tempo run.
(My “Songs of the Week” on Spotify)
Motivation.
[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”raised” width=”800px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”4″ border_color=”#F11D9A” rounded_corners=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ] “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.“ – Emelia Earhart [/dropshadowbox]
I attended the same professional conference as I did last year and compared how much happier I am now that I changed jobs.
Racing Schedule
Next race: I had already decided not to run the 2019 Crystal City Twilighter 5K on Saturday, July 20th when I saw the race was cancelled due to the heat on Friday. So now, my next race should be the 2019 Ragnar Sunset Washington DC on Saturday, September 21st.
(My Racing Schedule)
