2019 New York City Marathon – Week 9
Sunday’s double in 80 degree heat almost turned into a medical emergency. On Thursday, I just couldn’t will myself to run in the heat again and my weekly mileage suffered for it. Generally, I find myself trying to reconcile two very different training adaptations – running 26 miles fast and completing 50 miles slow.
Training Schedule
September 29th – October 5th
Sunday: Medium-long Run. 10-12 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Interval Run. 8-10 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5-6 miles
Thursday: Long Run. 18 miles
Friday: Recovery Run. 5-6 miles
Saturday: Medium-long Run. 14 miles
Total: 66-70 miles.
Notes. On Thursday, I just couldn’t will myself to run in the heat again. After Sunday’s near medical emergency, I was afraid to run in the heat another day and doubted I could run long before work. The hot temperatures finally gave way on Friday and we finally got a 60 degree morning!
Workouts
Medium-long Run. 10 miles [Log Details].
Based on the the 2018 San Diego 50 Miler, I knew I needed to think about how I should work walk breaks into the my upcoming 50 miler – the the 2019 Brazos Bend. I thought I should try running for 10 minutes around 11:00 pace and then walking for 2 minutes. I also wanted to try some race-day gear so I wore my new Camelbak Circuit Vest and Saucony Peregrine ISOs.
I parked in Rosslyn, Virginia and ran over the Key Bridge to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath. The trail isn’t very technical but I don’t think my goal race’s course is either. It was about 78 degrees when I started the run and I was still tired from a 22-miler the day before.
There was another event on the trail – the D.C. Road Runners National Capital 20 Miler – so there were plenty of runners around. Aiming to complete 12 miles, I turned around after 6. I noticed I had only drunk a few ounces of Gatorade and made an effort to put down a bit more fluid. Shortly after passing Fletcher’s Boathouse, my pace started to slow. Not seeing the point of going much further, I pushed to finish 10 miles and then stopped.
Suddenly, I felt faint. (I didn’t know it at the time but by that time, the temperature had climbed to the mid-80s.) I thought I should drink water, but I felt my jaw locking up. Panicked, when I saw a runner approaching, I lifted my arm as if to flag her down. As she passed by, I felt slightly better so I played the gesture off as a half-hearted runner-wave. I walked a few steps and then my jaw seized again. I couldn’t quite figure out what was happening to me but knew it wasn’t good. I fumbled for my phone so I could call for help. But by the time I got it out and unlocked it, I felt a little better. I texted my boyfriend to let him know what had happened and promised to check in every 5 minutes. The, I started the long 2 mile walk back to my car in Rosslyn, stopping to sit any chance I got.
That evening, my entire body ached – arms, stomach, and my jaw! More than anything though, there was a growing fear in my stomach about running a 50 miler.
Overall pace=11:55.
Interval Run. 6 x 800m @ 5K race pace w/50-90% recoveries [Log Details].
After Sunday’s disastrous run, I was worried about running in the heat again. However, the temperature was near 70 degrees, which passed for cool. I did the run as my commute because I got a late start. For a warm-up, I ran two miles to Four Mile Run Trail and then started the workout. After two evenly paced repetitions, I started running harder on the Mount Vernon Trail. But my stomach still felt sore and my arms weak.
For the fifth interval, I got under 7:00 pace! I was worried that I would crash and burn at any moment. I finished the last repetition before crossing the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia.
During my cool-down, my legs felt absolutely springy!
800m splits pace=7:21, 7:21, 7:02, 7:14, 6:55, 7:07. Average=7:10.
Long Run. 16 miles [Log Details].
The night before, my boyfriend and I watched the Track and Field World Championships at a bar and there were people into it! When I woke up, the temperature was around 50 degrees! It felt so cold when left my townhouse that I went back for arm warmers.
From home, I ran north to the Ballston neighborhood. My goal was to put in a solid medium run before racing tomorrow so I didn’t even pay attention to pace. After 3 miles, I ran east and mostly downhill to Rosslyn and hooked up with the Mount Vernon Trail just in time to pass Michael Wardian running by in an Elvis costume. By the time I reached Humpback Bridge, I really had to slow my pace down. I struggled to get my pace back under 9:00.
I stopped for water at National Airport before running west on the Four Mile Run Trail. Towards the end of the run, the temperature was closer to mid-60s and I rolled my arm warmers up. I tried to run sub-9:00 on the W&OD Trail but my legs were done.
Overall pace=9:08.
Routes
Construction.
The rebuild of the W&OD Trail underpass of Wilson Blvd was completed yesterday and the trail is now open! Enjoy! #ArlingtonBikes #ArlingtonWalks pic.twitter.com/Cz4h9xesBq
— BikeArlington (@BikeArlington) October 2, 2019
I was glad to see this repair was finally done. Since July, runners had to cross Wilson Boulevard at street level, which was a bit dangerous.
(My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes)
Gear
Hydration packs. Camelbak Circuit Vest. After the 2018 San Diego 50 Miler, I decided I needed a hydration pack that holds bottles. This pack has two large, deep pockets in the front for handheld bottles or flasks. (The pack does not come with containers, though.) It also has a 1.5 liter Crux Reservoir in the back. On the right shoulder, there’s a mesh pocket suitable for nutritional products and on the left, a zippered pocket for a phone (however, my Samsung Galaxy S8 is too large for it.) Finally, it’s also very light – only 5 ounces. Price: $85.
Media & Motivation
Websites and Blogs. “Oregon Project Coach Alberto Salazar Banned 4 Years for Doping” and “A Full Timeline of the Nike Oregon Project Doping Investigation,” and Runner’s World. This news rocked the running world this week, although it was not a surprise to some. Now, all of the runners he coached – past and present – are under a cloud of suspicion.
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2019 EX2 Adventures Fall Backyard Burn 10 Mile Race #1: Lake Fairfax on Sunday, October 6th.
(My Racing Schedule)
