Summer of 2020 – Week 9
With the virtual Boston Marathon only 8 weeks away, I increased my mileage a little but kept my focus on getting faster. As July came to a close, I hadn’t really noticed how hot it was but the region broke its record for the most days over 90 degrees.
Training Schedule
July 26th – August 1st
Sunday: Long Run. The lesser of 120 min. or 25% of weekly mileage
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles + 6 strides
Tuesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Wednesday: Interval Run. Repeated 4-min. runs at H pace w/3-min recovery jog
Thursday: Threshold Run. Repeated 2-mile runs at T pace w/2-min rests jog
Friday: Easy Run. 5 miles + 6 strides
Saturday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Total: ~48 Miles
Notes. Even though I was back from vacation, I didn’t find time to get out on my bike or start a weight training routine. But, I followed the running schedule.
Training paces
| VDOT | Easy / Long | Marathon | Threshold | Interval / Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 9:56-11:06 | 9:15 | 8:33 (mile) | 4:54 (1000m) / 0:54 (200m) |
Workouts
Long Run
Post-vacation, I was eager to run a long, steady distance. Unfortunately, the temperature was already 80 degrees when I left my apartment building.
D.C.-area forecast: Extreme heat returns; storms hold off until midweek https://t.co/NOKleyXvRL
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) July 26, 2020
From home, I ran down the Arlington Boulevard Trail into Rosslyn before shuffling up the Custis Trail. The trail was crowded with cyclists so I really had to hug the right side of the asphalt to stay out of their way. About an hour in, when I crested the hill near Glebe Road, I stopped and ate a Clif Shot Energy Gel.
Soon, I cut down to the W&OD Trail and took a water break. A few minutes later, I made my way over to the Four Mile Run Trail and took another break in Bluemont Park.
After each break, I would feel re-invigorated only to have my energy fade from the heat and humidity after about a half mile. At the end of the run, it was 84 degrees (with a “feels like” of 91)!
Overall, I was happy with the pace, though.
Distance=10.83 miles
Pace=11:05/mile
Interval Run
It occurred to me that I wasn’t giving myself enough recovery during my hard workouts. After consulting Daniels Running Formula and doing some calculations, I determined I should do no more than 8 sets of 4 minutes hard and that my recoveries should be equal to or a little shorter than that amount of time.
D.C.-area forecast: Still hot, a bit less humid today, with a slight cool-down in sight https://t.co/3tcnGfgOVU
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) July 29, 2020
I ran my warm-up down to the track at Wakefield High School. Along the way, I notice my Garmin wasn’t recording my distance. (More on that below.) When I arrived at the track, I did a hard reset on my Garmin 645 Music but it didn’t seem to help so I used Strava to record the first repetition. The watch suddenly came back to life but I ended up running 800m instead of 4 minutes for each hard segment because it was easier to track. During the seventh repetition, I felt like I needed to burp but nothing came up so I assumed it wasn’t a good sign that it was time to stop.
It was one of those days where I felt much better than the workout showed.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800m | 3:43 | 3:54 | 4:00 |
| Distance | Set 4 | Set 5 | Set 6 |
| 800m | 4:04 | 4:08 | 4:11 |
Distance=3.89 miles
Pace=10:16/mile
Threshold Run
Every running instinct I had was telling me it was not a good day to run hard – yesterday’s workout did not go very well and the night before, I worked until 9 p.m. and didn’t get much sleep. Oh, and the temperature was already in the low 80s when I started the workout.
D.C.-area forecast: Strong heat eases after today as storms become more frequent https://t.co/jaeX3Gl4Km
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) July 30, 2020
But, not only did I attempt a threshold run, but I left the “If I bonk, at least I’m not stranded somewhere” safety of the track for the trail.
I ran a warm-up to Crystal City and then joined the Mount Vernon Trail. I finished the first 2- mile segment on the Four Mile Run Trail near Mount Vernon Avenue at 9:10 pace, which was slow. I walked longer than usual – 3 minutes. I took a longer recovery than usual – Daniels Running Formula recommends 1 minute for every 5 or 6 minutes of running.
It wasn’t a great run, but it was a hot day. In fact, it’s been a hot month – the region hit 90 degrees all but two days!
We're just piling on now. We've hit at least 90 degrees in DC for the 28th time (out of 30 days) this month, the most on record for any month (by 3!). We now have 37 90+ days in 2020 and are above average for an entire summer. pic.twitter.com/pODJRRuBzf
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) July 30, 2020
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 miles | 18:39 (9:20 pace) | 20:22 (10:12 pace) |
Distance=4.27 miles
Pace=10:19/mile
Health
Injuries. Plantar Fasciitis. Post-vacation, the pain in the heel of my right foot more or less went away! However, the soreness in my Achilles Tendon seemed worse.
Routes
Parks. Thomas Jefferson Park. This week, I modified a route I’ve been running for my easy runs so they end near this park near my apartment building. There’s a grass field and synthetic turf that I can use for strides. There’s also a water fountain so I can re-hydrate.
Trails. “Arlington and Alexandria Seek Funds to Improve the Mt. Vernon Trail”, The WashCycle. This post summarizes recommendations for the Mount Vernon Trail that were proposed as part of a grant application. I agreed with the author that it’s unfortunate that improving the narrow part under Arlington Memorial Bridge wasn’t addressed.
My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes
Clothing
Socks. Feetures Elite Ultra Light No Show Tab. When I bought my Hoka Bondi 6s from my local running store, I also bought some socks. These fit like a glove. There’s a small amount of compression in the mid-foot. And, the fabric is very soft.
Media & Motivation
News. “Garmin Outage Leaves Users Unable to Sync Runs Via Garmin Connect”, Runner’s World. I was able to manually retrieve my workout from my watch but my Garmin 645 Music was malfunctioning early in the week. Starting on Tuesday, it would run but not log any distance. It sorted itself out by Thursday.
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
