Summer of 2020 – Week 1
It was the first week of my new training cycle! Even though there isn’t a goal race on my calendar, the prospect of getting faster is providing motivation. On Saturday, I even scoped out my neighborhood track for next week’s interval workout.
Training Schedule
May 31st – June 6th
Sunday: Medium Run. The lesser of 120 minutes or 25% of weekly mileage
Monday: Easy Run. 5 miles + strides
Tuesday: Interval Run. 3 x 200m R + 200m jog + 200m R + 400m jog + 400m R + 200m jog
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Thursday: Easy Run. 5 miles + strides
Friday: Tempo Run. 1 mile runs @ T pace w/1-min. rests + 4 x 200m R pace w/200m recovery jog
Saturday: Easy Run. 4 miles + strides
Total: 42 Miles
Notes. It was the first week of my summer training cycle and I stayed on schedule.
Workouts
Long Run
Ah, the promise of the start of a training cycle!
The schedule called for the lesser of 120 minutes or 25% of my weekly mileage. My goal was 45 miles for the week, which meant this run should be around 11 miles.
I left my apartment building at 7 a.m – early for me these days. I thought about carrying a handheld with water but figured I would be alright. The weather was beautiful – about 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!
D.C.-area forecast: Springtime bliss for the last day of May; could hit 90 degrees by midweek https://t.co/RgdsSl4Vzq
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) May 31, 2020
Cutting through the neighborhood for a mile, I ran down the Arlington Boulevard Trail to Rosslyn, Virginia. Along the way, I thought about the protests across the country this week after George Floyd’s murder. They weighed heavy on my heart even as the sweet smell of honeysuckle filled my nose and made me feel hopeful.
I made my way to the Mount Vernon Trail and enjoyed beautiful views of sunlight shimmering on the Potomac River.
My running pace was a steady sub-8:45 pace through Gravelly Point, which was open to cars again and teeming with people. When I left the trail in Crystal City, I suddenly felt like I might hyper-ventilate. Thinking about the events of the world were making me more upset than I realized. Just as I recovered by thinking about other things, I passed a sign that read, “Silence is Betrayal”.
Overall, the run felt good. It was a little slow, but the pace helped me realize it’s going to take time to get my speed back.
Overall pace=9:06.
Interval Run
In the early days of the Daniels’ Running Formula half-marathon plan, it seemed the goal was just to get the legs moving with some fast 200m and 400m repetitions.
The weather was cool and a little drizzly when I left my house.
D.C.-area forecast: Partly cloudy today with blast of heat, humidity Wednesday https://t.co/NiIui8KNhf
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) June 2, 2020
I figured the local high school was probably still closed due to COVID-19 so I did the workout on “my track” – the Four Mile Run Trail. After a 1.5-mile warm-up, I put on my trusty Best of Flo Rida playlist and got to work!
Thankfully, the trails weren’t crowded so I didn’t worry too much about social distancing. I felt runners were going out of their way to smile at me – maybe because of recent events.
The workout itself was fairly uneventful. I felt like I was running all out but my split were slower than I expected.
After consulting Daniels later that afternoon, I saw that my times lined up with a 40/39 VDOT, which equates with a 3:50-3:55 marathon. I’ve got a long way to get to a Boston Marathon qualifying time of a sub-3:48 marathon.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.12 mi. | 0:53, 0:45 | 0:53, 0:53 | 0:52, 0:52 |
| 0.25 mi. | 1:47 | 1:48 | 1:52 |
Tempo Run
A storm passed over the region the evening before and I woke up to a power outage. When the lights returned, I consulted the VDOT tables in Daniels before heading out. I thought my goal pace should be around 8:12 to 8:22 for 1-mile at T pace.
D.C.-area forecast: Afternoon storms a risk yet again, and flirting with 90 through Saturday https://t.co/QhcqS4dTaE
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) June 5, 2020
I ran my warm-up to the Four Mile Run Trail. I put on a playlist of fast music and finished the workout without any problems but I knew the pace was too hard.
Towards the end of the last repetitions, a fellow-runner clapped at me and it startled me. I thought, “Now is not the time to make sudden sounds around
black people.”
On the cool-down home I lost my breath again thinking about racism in our culture and my own life. I felt like I need to be doing more.
Referencing the VDOT tables in Daniels again, I felt my previous guess that I should be training in the 39/40 range was accurate.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | 400m @ R pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mile @ T pace | 8:28 | 8:03 | 0:53, 0:55, 0:54, 0:53 |
Health
Injuries. I haven’t seen a doctor but I’m pretty sure I have a bad case of plantar fasciitis. It started maybe a month ago with pain as soon as I put weight on my feet first thing in the morning. They are also a little swollen, which could be a side effect of my high blood pressure medication. Whatever the cause, I need to start paying attention to my feet!
Routes
Tracks. Wakefield High School. It’s funny how moving just 2 blocks away has changed my perspective. When I first moved into the neighborhood, I went to this track and it didn’t feel very safe. It was in an isolated field without many lights. Several years ago, it was renovated but I got so hung up on the track at Washington & Lee.
This week, tracks re-opened in Arlington County. It’s almost exactly 2 miles from home, which makes for a perfect warm-up. The track hasn’t been very crowded.
My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes
Gear
StrideBox. My change of address was processed and I received the June box at my new apartment. It had a Protein Puck, Just the Cheese, Honey Stinger Protein Waffle, Pro Bar Nut Butter, Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Fizz Tablet, and a My Mix 2 Go container.
Media & Motivation
Podcasts. “Episode 185: Good and Bad Fatigue, How to Assess and Manage Both“, Running Rogue. I wish I’d heard this episode about nine months ago! I definitely over-trained last fall – my body wasn’t adapting to the back-to-back long runs but I wasn’t paying attention. I’m dealing with the consequences now and need to implement some post-run recovery habits.
Magazines. “You’re Never Too Old to Be Serious About Your Running,” Runner’s World. I’m starting to feel my age. Everything hurts! Reading about Jennie Rice (who ran a 3:27:50 marathon at 70 years old and breaking a world record) and Gene Dykes (who clocked a 2:55:17 at 73 years old)
Racing Schedule
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby – May 2020. Currently, I’m the Queen of Theodore Roosevelt Island and third female for the Custis Climb.
Teddy Roosevelt Island. 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020.
Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe. 26:10 (8:55 pace) on May 21, 2020
Next race: ?
