2016 New York City Marathon Training – Week 19

2016 NYCM Week 19 Infographic

My last training week before the New York City Marathon was a mixed bag.  I ran my long run well but my attempt at running goal marathon pace was slow.  Insomnia played a role but the weather was ideal…  I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings!


Training Schedule
October 30th – November 5th

Sunday: Medium Run. 13 miles.
Monday: 6 miles recovery.
Tuesday: 7 miles general aerobic.
Wednesday: Dress Rehearsal. 8 miles w/2 @ marathon pace.
Thursday: 6 miles recovery.
Friday: 5 miles recovery + strides.
Saturday: 4 miles recovery.

Mileage Total: ~49 Miles

Adaptations. I did a lot of hard running last week without much sleep.  Worried I might be slightly over-trained, I switched Wednesday’s dress rehearsal to Tuesday and gave myself a day off on Wednesday.  About 16 hours until the marathon, I’m not sure it was enough rest.

Goals.  Starting Wednesday, get 6-8 hours of sleep a night.  Outcome: Fail!  I only got about 6 hours on those days.


Workout Details

Medium Run 13 miles [Log Details].

I wanted to watch the Marine Corps Marathon at Mile 24 starting at 10am when the elite runners would come through.  I started this run at 7am thinking I would finish by 9am.

My warm-up was through Crystal City.  I saw runners heading to the start and the Marines and police officers preparing for the race.  The water stops had so many cups of water!

After navigating the commotion, I picked up the pace when I was on the Mount Vernon Trail.  I felt great!  My legs felt rested despite running really hard the day before.  As the miles ticked by, I turned off my music so I could hear the howitzer at the start of the race.  Somehow, I missed it.

View of Monuments - 103016
View of Monuments – 103016

In Rosslyn, I got my first view of the Marine Corps Marathoners on Lee Highway as I ran up the Custis Trail.  I stopped to watch and gave a quick, “Let’s go runners!” but remembered I needed to finish this run on time so I could do some real cheering!

A mile or so later, I left the Custis Trail and ran through the Ballston area.  The pace felt hard but my Garmin wasn’t showing a drop relative to my miles on the MVT.

I felt a little concerned with my training after this run.  The fade at the end had me wondering whether I’ve been pushing it too hard lately.  I wasn’t sure if I’m recovering adequately.

MP+10% segments (4.06 miles) pace=8:08.  Overall pace=8:21.

Dress Rehearsal. 8 miles w/2 @ marathon pace [Log Details].

I didn’t do this run as a true dress rehearsal because I didn’t want to worry about laundry.  But I wore a similar outfit – a singlet, arm warmers, and shorts.

I kept the warm-up easy.  Mentally, I tried to get myself to a place where I felt like I was running the marathon.

Fall on the W&OD - 110116
Fall on the W&OD – 110116

When I started the 2 miles at marathon pace segment, I tried to dial into what that effort should feel like rather than trying to hit a specific time.  But, I immediately wondered, “Which two miles of the race am I aiming for?  The first two or last two?”  I didn’t look at my Garmin until a mile in.  It said 8:28 pace.   “Wow, that’s slow.”  I picked it up a bit after that.  But, I thought,  “Do you see yourself running this hard by the time you reach Central Park?”  I finished the repetition in 8:18 pace, which means that second mile was about 8:08 pace.  It felt a little hard for how I’d want to run 26.2 miles.

Given how hard I’ve been training lately, I was expecting faster.  But, given how hard I’ve been training lately, maybe I was tired.

MP segment pace=8:18.  Overall pace=8:49.


Health

My insomnia continued into this week and it left me feeling run down all week.  I tried going to bed later and it seemed to help me sleep through the night.  My left hip was pretty sore early in the week and my lower legs were stiff, too.

 


Weather

Almost ideal running weather!  Morning temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s most days.  I felt comfortable in a long sleeve shirt, shorts, and light gloves all week.


Racing Schedule 

Next race: 2016 New York City Marathon tomorrow!  (My Complete Racing Schedule.)