2017 New York City Marathon – Week 2

I moved my schedule around so I could run long on Friday. That run was a disaster but all things considered it wasn’t a bad week.

Training Schedule
July 9th – July 15th

Sunday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Monday: Medium-long Run. 13 miles.
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles w/10x100m strides.
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 11 miles.
Thursday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.
Friday: Marathon-pace Run. 17 miles w/8 miles @ marathon race pace.
Saturday: Recovery Run. 6 miles.

Mileage Total: ~67 Miles

Notes. I decided to do my long run on Friday morning before catching a flight out of town.  I switched the general aerobic and medium runs scheduled early in the week and moved everything up a day to make that happen.

Goal.  Complete the mileage for the week.  Outcome: Success!

Workout Details

Medium-long Run. 13 miles [Log Details].

I felt pretty good from the start.  My muscle soreness from last week had eased and the humidity felt lower than it has been.  I took the first two miles easy and then pushed to what I’d call “some effort” as I ran through Ballston to the Custis Trail.  About 4 miles into the run, I stopped for water and ate a chewable coffee.  I’d never had one before and wasn’t prepared for the strong taste.  When I reached the Mount Vernon Trail, I felt the caffeine kick in!

I was running faster than I have in weeks – between 8:35 and 8:45 pace for about 4.5 miles!  And normally, I fade significantly at the end of this route but I didn’t today.  “That’s what starting slow does for you,” I thought.

Overall pace=9:14.

General Aerobic Run + Speed. 8 miles w/10x100m strides [Log Details].

For some reason, I thought I needed to do ten miles this morning, so I was happy to see it was only eight!  My stride was strong through the first few miles and I felt happy to be out on the streets.  I thought, “This must be from taking Sunday so easy.”  I finally showed signs of strain as I reached the Custis Trail after a mile of steady climbing.  I stopped for water and did some leg swings.  Continuing on, my Garmin showed my pace was under 8:00!  I slowed down a little but not much.  I finally felt a little tired during the strides.  The 10 repetitions seemed like a lot.  In the end, it was an additional mile!  Every now and again, I have a run that goes spectacularly well and this was one of those.

Overall pace=8:32 pace.

Medium-long Run. 11 miles [Log Details].

By Wednesday, I was groggy getting up.  The weather was just at the point where I normally head to the treadmill, but I thought I’d try to tough it out.  I kept the pace fairly easy during the first few miles though north Arlington.  When I reached Clarendon, I tried to push the pace until I was running with a little more effort but not “hard”.  The route was mostly downhill to Rosslyn, so I tried to just cruise.  When I reached the Mount Vernon Trail, I ran a bit harder.  It must have been too much for the heat because I stopped under a tree on Gravelly Point to drink some water.  I continued on and felt better.  But, I stopped for water again at the fountain in Crystal City.  I ran hard for another half mile or so and then jogged home.  It was a good run.  It would have been better if I’d dialed the pace back just a touch.

Overall pace=9:13.

Marathon-pace Run. 17 miles w/8 miles @ marathon race pace [Log Details].

I was traveling to Austin, Texas on Friday.  I checked the forecasts for both cities and thought running in Washington, D.C. would be better.  I woke up very early and got out the door before 5:30am.  I felt fine during the warm-up.  I started the marathon pace segment on the Custis Trail heading down towards Rosslyn.  I wanted to run 8:35 pace and was just a little slower than that for the first two miles.

By the third mile, though, I stopped on Humpback Bridge to catch my breath.  I though, “Maybe I can do this as intervals.”  I finished the loop around Gravelly Point before stopping again around National Airport.  I didn’t stop long, though.  At the next water fountain, I used the bandana I was wearing to douse my head with water.  I felt a little better.  I kept running south to Four Mile Run but it wasn’t long before I wanted to stop again.  But this time, I walked instead.  I had a plane to catch and I needed to finish the run around 8am.  After 4 more miles of slogging, I called it quits and took a bus home.

Marathon pace segment=9:38 pace.  Overall pace=9:50.

Health

Injuries. Due to travel and an increased training load, I cancelled my chiropractic appointment on Friday.  My left piriformis hasn’t hurt much lately anyway.  The pain in my right calf went away.  However, I had severe foot cramps after my long run on Friday.  I’ve had them every once in a while but this instance had me writhing in pain on my flight.  I’m sure the passengers next to me were wondering what was wrong with me.

Weight. I was a little lighter this week but I suspect it was due to dehydration.

Weather

Conditions were hot but not too humid through Tuesday.  For the rest of the week, I ran in morning temperatures near 80 degrees and dew points in the 70s!  Friday’s long run was miserable.  Today, I ran in Austin, Texas where the weather was similar.

Racing Schedule

Future races.  I received an email this week that I could select my transportation and baggage options for the race.  I think I’ll stick with the Ferry and no bag check.  It’s been working for me these past few years.

Next race: 2017 Dulles Day on the Runway 10K on Saturday, September 23rd. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)