2018 Summer Training – Week 8
Tuesday’s interval run didn’t go very well but I crushed Friday’s. I ran today’s long run harder than usual because… I’m on vacation next week!
Training Schedule
June 17th – June 23rd
Sunday: Easy Run. 60 min E pace (1 or 2 runs to total 60 min) + Drills + Weight Training
Monday: Interval Run. 3 x (1,000m T pace with 1-min rest), 3 x (800m I pace with 2-min rest)
Tuesday: Weight Training
Wednesday: Easy Run. 30 to 40 min E pace + 6 strides
Thursday: Interval Run. 2 x (200m R pace with 200m E pace to recover), 3 x (1,000m T pace with 1-min rest), 2 x (200m R pace with 200m E pace to recovery)
Friday: Off
Saturday: Long Run. 60 to 90 min. E pace + Strength Training
Mileage Total: ~43 Miles
Notes. I slept poorly on Wednesday night and was too tired to run on Thursday morning, so I moved that workout to Friday.
Workout Details
Interval Run. 3 x (1,000m T pace with 1-min rest), 3 x (800m I pace with 2-min rest) [Log Details]
When I woke up at 5am, it was already 75 degrees, which didn’t bode well. The workout looked tough on paper but I told myself it was only six hard intervals. I created the workout for my Garmin and set T pace at 7:35 to 7:45 pace and I pace at 6:55 to 7:05 – roughly the recommended VDOT 43 to 44 ranges in Daniels’ Running Formula – and headed out the door. I ran the 1000m repetitions fine – not great but around my goal. However, when I turned around and started the 800m set, I just couldn’t find another gear to run faster. In fact, I ran the 800m repetitions slower than the 1000m intervals! It was disappointing but I reminded myself that the conditions weren’t great.
1000m intervals=4:44, 4:43, 4:49. 800m intervals=3:50, 3:55, 3:44. Average=4:45 (1000s) and 3:49 (800s).
Cruise Interval Run. 2 x (200m R pace with 200m E pace to recover), 3 x (1,000m T pace with 1-min rest), 2 x (200m R pace with 200m E pace to recovery) [Log Details].
As I ran a two mile warm-up to the Four Mile Run Trail, I thought this workout should be easier than Monday’s. Plus, I was coming off a full day’s rest. And indeed, the first set of 200m repetitions felt effortless. I carried that momentum into the first 1000m and was genuinely surprised by how well I was running. The final repetition was a little slower than the other two, but I always run a little slow on the Glebe Road stretch of the trail. Overall, I thought I ran very well. It’s amazing what rest can do!
200m intervals=0:46, 0:46. 1000m intervals=4:28, 4:31, 4:34. 200m intervals=0:48, 0:49. Average=0:47 (200s) and 4:31 (1000s).
Long Run. 60 to 90 minutes [Log Details].
At last! The day when I would leave for my long-awaited vacation had arrived! In a few short hours, I would be on a plane to Stockholm, which would be the first city on a seven-day cruise around the Baltic Sea and include a visit to St. Petersburg, Russia! My flight was a red-eye so I had plenty of time to get in a run. I decided to do a moderately paced effort because I knew my next few runs would probably be on the treadmill. And, I wanted to run downtown, even though it was cloudy and drizzly, so I could see the monuments and appreciate the beautiful city where I live.
From my house, I hooked up with the Mount Vernon Trail in Crystal City and crossed the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia. Running through Hains Point, I kept my pace in the 8:30-8:40 pace range and thought about my upcoming trip. I stopped at the bathrooms just before leaving the park hoping the water fountain would work but it didn’t. I ate a Crank Sport e-Gel and washed it down with water from my handheld.
After lingering at the Martin Luther King Memorial for a while and finally finding working water fountains, I made my way to the 14th Street Bridge and back into Virginia.
Overall pace=8:55.
Cross Training
Hitting the gym after a very slow recovery run on Sunday, I did my usual arm, back, and shoulder routine. On Tuesday, I worked legs heavy and then did some arm curls and tricep dips.
Health
Weight. I started eating and drinking like I was already on vacation, which meant I missed my weight loss goal for the summer. Still, I lost six pounds in eight weeks.
Sleep. I started waking up at 5am to “beat the heat”. This meant going to bed earlier. I woke up at 3am on Thursday morning for about an hour and then for good at 6am, so I didn’t work out.
Weather
Summer arrived this week. When I woke up at 5am on Tuesday, it was already 79 degrees. It was less humid on Wednesday. I ran in light rain on Friday and drizzle today.
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2018 Firecracker 5K on Wednesday, July 4th. (My Complete Racing Schedule.)
