Summer of 2020 – Week 8
This week, I was on vacation in the Finger Lakes region of New York. I completed my long run the Saturday before leaving Virginia so I only did two workouts during the trip. Even though there was a rail-trail nearby, I felt safer running them both on the track.
Training Schedule
July 19th – July 25th
Sunday: Marathon-pace Run. Run to total not more than 10% of weekly mileage, but at least 4 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 5 miles + 6 strides
Tuesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Wednesday: Interval Run. Repeated 1,000m runs at I pace w/3-min recovery jog
Thursday: Threshold Run. Steady 20 min. run at T pace + 6 x 200m R w/200 recovery jog
Friday: Easy Run. 4 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Total: ~44 Miles
Notes. I didn’t do any cross-training. When I wasn’t running, I was lounging on the couch or wading in Cayuta Lake.
Training Paces
| VDOT | Easy / Long | Marathon | Threshold | Interval / Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 10:09-11:20 | 9:28 | 8:44 (mile) | 5:00 (1000m) / 0:55 (200m) |
Workouts
We arrived at our cabin at Cayuta Lake on Saturday evening. The next day, I admired the view from the dock and went for a short run around the neighborhood.
On Monday, I went to check out the Catharine Valley Trail in Montour Falls (more below under the “Routes” heading) and the high school track nearby. On Tuesday, I ran on the roads near the lake again.
Interval Run
The morning of my first vacation workout, I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to run. My boyfriend suggested I try the track at the nearby Odessa-Montour Junior-Senior High School. instead of driving to the high school in Watkins Glen, which was further away. I drove over at 9:30 a.m. and the track seemed fine – there weren’t any people around except a woman walking around the track with her daughter. The only downside was it was very exposed – not a tree in sight and the temperature was in the high 70s.
I started the repetitions with the goal of getting under 5-minutes for each “hard” 1000m. Daniels Running Formula dictated I should run no more than 8% of my weekly mileage in this range, so I was only doing 5 sets. Whenever I passed the woman walking, I said, “Good morning” or waved. I wasn’t local and didn’t know if the track was open to the public. (Although, if I was a scofflaw, so was she!) I felt tired, but I used my recent mental trick of not stopping unless I fell off pace, and got the workout done.
After the workout, I thought, “This workout didn’t feel as bad as last week.” And then concluded, “Maybe it’s time for me to move up to the next VDOT training level.”
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m | 4:55 | 4:55 | 4:57 | 5:07 | 4:59 |
Distance=3.83 miles
Pace=10:26/mile
Threshold Run
Now that I finally found a safe place to run, I was feeling less anxious about running during my vacation. It was another hot day but the temperature was slightly cooler than the day before when I drove back to the Odessa-Montour Junior-Senior High School Track at around 8 a.m. This time, there was a woman running and her son was playing in the in-field.
The temperature was in the low 70s when I started the workout. After a 2.5-mile warm-up, I started the threshold segment. My Best of Latin playlist kept me motivated the entire time. With one lap to go, my favorite song in the mix, “Whenever, Wherever” by Shakira played and it felt like perfect timing! After, I did the 6 x 200m intervals.
I felt fairly strong throughout but thought the workout should feel easier before I increase the goal pace.
Distance=2.34 miles
Pace=8:33/mile
Health
Injuries. Plantar Fasciitis. I didn’t do any icing, heating or stretching during vacation. The pain flared up after my track workout on Thursday but wasn’t severe. In the meanwhile, my left Achilles Tendon became sensitive to the touch, which I knew was not good.
Routes
Trails. Catharine Valley Trail. Before leaving for vacation, I checked the Strava Heat Map and the Run Spots tool on RunningAhead for potential running routes. This rail-trail in Finger Lakes region of New York looked like a good option. There’s a walking trail through Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area but the main section of the path starts in Montour Falls at Mile 2.75 and heads south in the path of the old Chemung Railroad. Ultimately, the location felt too isolated for my comfort – on a mid-day run, I only saw one other runner. But visiting the nearby Shequaga Falls was worth the trip.
Tracks. Odessa-Montour Junior-Senior High School Track. The high school in the town near the cabin where we were staying in at Cayuta Lake had a nice track. Running loops for an 8- or 9-mile workout can be monotonous, but I felt safe and seemed open to the public.
My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes
Clothing
Travel. Last summer, I traveled to Athens, Greece and learned some valuable travel tips that I revisited for this trip.
- I packed three sets of running clothes and one pair of shoes.
- After each run, I washed the outfit with a few drops of laundry detergent in the bathroom sink and dried them outside on the deck. I also sprayed my shoes with deodorizer and stuck my Drysures into them.
Media & Motivation
News. 2020 MCM Weekend is Officially Virtual Only. On Monday, the Marine Corps Marathon joined other large running events and officially canceled. I will miss cheering for the runners that weekend.
“Guidance on Return to Road Racing Released”, FastRunning. The London Marathon still hasn’t announced cancelation so I was interested in this piece. The element that I thought was most problematic was maintaining social distancing at the start and finish of races. It’s hard to understand how any road race with over a few dozen entrants could achieve this.
Websites and Blogs. “How to Upload Your Garmin Workout During the Outage“, DC Rainmaker. With Garmin down, this guide came in handy. The company hasn’t confirmed the reason for the outage but it’s been reported to be ransomware.
Podcasts. How to Change Your Brain With Dr. Andrew Huberman (+ Utkarsh!),Rich Roll. This week, the guest is an expert neuroplasticity. The big take-away from the discussion was if you want to change, you have to start with your behavior and then your thoughts and feelings will follow.
Racing Schedule
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. I didn’t run any segments this week. My best times remain:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island – 1.4 miles. 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe – 3.1 miles. 26:10 (8:55 pace) on May 21, 2020
