Winter of 2019 – Week 5
With my blood pressure under control and having passed a “stress test” last week, I increased my marathon-pace workout on Thursday to three miles. Feeling better right on time to start training for the 2020 Boston Marathon!
Training Schedule
December 8th – December 14th
Sunday: Long Run. 8 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Tuesday: Interval Run. 6 miles w/8 x 200m @ 5K race pace w/1 min. recovery jog
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Marathon-pace Run. 6 miles w/3 miles @ goal marathon pace
Friday: Off
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~32 Miles
Notes. This week, my goal was to run a schedule similar to the training schedule I’ll have for the 2020 Boston Marathon: long runs on Sunday and workouts on Tuesday and Thursday.
Workouts
Long Run. 8 miles [Log Details]
Although I felt confident enough to leave the treadmill., I stuck to a relatively flat course around south Arlington. I ran the long downhill to the W&OD Trail trailhead and then grabbed a quick drink of water. Then, I headed east on the Four Mile Run Trail. For most of the run, I listened to “Raise Your Glass“, by P!nk on repeat. She helped me get down to 9:20 pace. On the Mount Vernon Trail, I stopped for water at National Airport, but the fountain was off. It’s hard to describe the fatigue in my legs. It’s like delayed onset muscle fatigue that refuses to go away. Changed playlist to Flo Rida playlist. Stopped for water again in Crystal City but that fountain was also off! I ran very easy on the most difficult part of the course – the back side of the Air Force Memorial.
That afternoon, I felt fine running errands before trimming my tree (I couldn’t find tinsel anywhere!) but went to bed very early.
Overall pace=9:51.
Interval Run. 6 miles w/8 x 200m @ 5K race pace w/1 min. recovery jog [Log Details]
When I woke up, the temperature was nice – about 55 degrees. In fact, the forecast was showing snow the next day.
D.C.-area forecast: A mild morning before temperatures tumble. Wet snow possible late tonight. https://t.co/aOA2Y95EzZ
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) December 10, 2019
I ran the intervals on a flat section of the W&OD Trail in South Arlington – about 2 miles from my house. I went back and forth between the intersection with Barcroft Park and George Mason Drive, which was exactly 0.20 miles. The intervals felt amazing because I was finally feeling good after weeks of feeling crappy!
Reviewing my splits after the run, it suggests a sub-3:35 marathon goal (8:12 pace) based on Hanson’s 5K VO2 range, which is exactly what I was thinking. And the next day, Garmin Connect showed me in “Productive” status!
200m splits=6:57, 7:10, 7:18, 7:24, 6:53, 7:19, 7:03, 7:38. Average=7:13.
Marathon-pace Run. 6 miles w/3 miles @ goal marathon pace [Log Details]
The muscles in my legs were a little tired in the morning from standing for hours in high heels at my office holiday party.
D.C.-area forecast: Chilly sunshine today, but then a wet start to the weekend https://t.co/KmdKBSKtDL
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) December 12, 2019
Last week, I encountered a construction zone on the Four Mile Run Trail under I-395, so I took a different route to the trail during my warm-up and cool-down. During the marathon-pace segment, I constantly asked myself, “Does this feel like how you’d feel at the end of the race?” If anything, I thought my stride was a bit stronger than it would be but the effort felt about right.
In the end, the pace was very close to what I did last week. Looking ahead to my 2020 Boston Marathon training cycle, this might be my goal pace.
Goal marathon pace segment=8:21.
Health
Illness. Based on information that I’ve read online about sports participation and high blood pressure, I should be fine returning to training. I’ve been on medication for over a month and have had two successive measurements below 130/80 two weeks apart. And, my doctors haven’t found any signs of organ damage due to years of untreated high blood pressure. More importantly, I have my energy back!
Clothing
Shoelaces. iBungee Laces. Buying new laces has been on my “to do” list for ages. My existing laces are frayed and in danger of snapping. I bought three different colors – white, teal – to supplement the black laces that I already have.
Media & Motivation
Websites and Blogs. “Fascinating Stats from Strava’s 2019 Year End Report“, DC Rainmaker. Strava released some pretty neat information from all the activities in their database. I thought the gear graphic was interesting – I should invest in some Nike or Saucony Kinvara, Brooks Hyperion, or Adidas Adizero Adios.
“That’s What She Said,” Tianna Bee. I think this was the first post I’ve read in a long time about a female-related health issue other than pregnancy. Tianna Bartolett is a track & field athlete who specializes in the 100m. Lately, her performance has been impacted by uterine fibroids.
Racing Schedule
Future races. LHR Virtual Boston Training Group. As I mentioned last week, I joined this training group. Training starts on Monday!
Next race: 2019 Fairfax Four Miler on Tuesday, December 31st.
(My Racing Schedule)
