2020 Boston Marathon – Week 5
The theme for the week: hills! On Sunday, I ran a hilly 12-mile long run and then on Tuesday, I did hard 10 x 3-minute hill repeats. I finished the week by racing the 2020 DCRRC JFK 20K on Saturday.
Training Schedule
January 12th – January 18th
Sunday: Long Run. 13 miles, easy to moderate, hills if possible
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles w/strides
Tuesday: Hill Run. 10 x 3 mins hard uphill, jog down recovery
Wednesday: Rest, cross-train, or strength work
Thursday: Marathon-pace Run. 4 miles @ goal marathon pace
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: 2020 DCRRC JFK 20K
Total: ~46 Miles
Notes. With so much hill work in the schedule, I opted to do strides on Monday instead of hill bounding.
Workouts
Long Run. 16 miles [Log Details]
It’s Jan. 12 before 10am, and check out these balmy temps in and around DC. Plenty of sun and a bit of a breeze into this afternoon, with temps staying up in the 60s. pic.twitter.com/SPxhSCqp94
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 12, 2020
The 50 miles per week program under the LHR Virtual Boston Training Group called for 13 miles, but I added a few because I want to peak closer to 60 miles/week.
From home, I ran through Clarendon. I felt terrible and wondered if I should have taken a rest day. I ate my first of two Clif Shot Energy Gels for energy. Soon thereafter, I stopped at a park honoring Zachary Taylor and Gulf Branch Nature Center to top off my handheld water bottle and rest a little.
After those respites, I climbed the first to two steep hills on Military Road. At the top, I ran into a host from the Pace the Nation podcast! I crossed the Chain Bridge into Washington, DC.
Coming down the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, my pace dipped under 9:00! I took a bathroom break at Fletcher’s Boathouse and then cut down to the Capital Crescent Trail. Crossing the Key Bridge back into Virginia, I suddenly felt great! From there, I headed to the Mount Vernon Trail.
By the time I reached Humpback Bridge, I cut over to Columbia Island Marina. I found a working water fountain near the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove and jogged home.
Mile 16 was where I broke down at the 2019 New York City Marathon. Going that distance and not feeling exhausted gave me a huge confidence boost!
Overall pace=9:49.
Hill Run. 10 x 3 mins hard uphill, jog down recovery [Log Details]
Conditions were drizzly when I started this workout.
750a: Mostly light rain scooting through the DC area this morning… so grab your umbrellas. Should taper off by noon if not earlier. pic.twitter.com/DzqLwEHFdK
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 14, 2020
The prescribed pace was 6:34 to 7:07, but with the number of repetitions, I changed that to 7:00 to 7:30. I chose a hill between the United States Air Force Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery that mimics Heartbreak Hill – about a 4% grade.
I did 10 x 3 minutes up with 4-minute recoveries in between. At the base of the hill, I took a swig of Powerade before starting the next set. In the shadow of grave markers, it was hard to give up.
My paces progressed from 8:52 to 8:28 – much slower than prescribed but consistent and (mostly) with good form. Afterward, my Garmin said I only needed 24 hours of rest, which made me feel that I didn’t work hard enough.
3-minute paces=8:50, 8:50, 8:50, 8:35, 8:35, 8:35, 8:35, 8:35, 8:50, 8:35. Average=8:41.
Marathon-pace Run. 4 miles @ goal marathon pace [Log Details]
I attempted this workout even though my legs were slightly tired from Tuesday’s hill workout and the wind was whipping close to 30 miles per hour! I ran a warm-up down to the Four Mile Run Trail!
Good mornin’ all. Expect steady or slowly falling temperatures today as winds increase, gusting higher than 35 mph at times in and around the DMV. Winds are bringing colder air ahead of the next storm system for the weekend. https://t.co/Y5By9k3ekf
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 16, 2020
The first mile was under 8:00 pace but the second was slower. I turned around after reaching the Mount Vernon Trail. Now fighting the wind on the way back, I called it a day.
Technically, it was a busted workout but overall and given my recent health issues, I felt like I was “well”. Not as fit as I could be, but that I didn’t need to worry about passing out anymore.
Marathon-pace splits=8:03, 8:14, 8:38. Overall pace=8:19.
2020 DCRRC JFK 20K. 12.48 @ 20K pace [Log Details] [Race Report]
I woke up to a little snow on the ground.
D.C.-area forecast: Morning snow before afternoon, then freezing rain and rain in the evening https://t.co/weN6z43Fm7
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 18, 2020
Formulating my 2020 Boston Marathon training plan, back in December, I set an aggressive goal of 7:46 pace. But the morning of the race, I thought 8:20 pace would be good based on the 2020 New Day New Year’s 10K.
I didn’t read the pre-race instructions and arrived at the race site in Carderock, Maryland expecting a 9 am start. I did a warm-up and ran into a friend and then realized my race was at 10 am!
The race started downhill towards Washington, DC and I reminded myself to hold something back.
I reached the mid-point in 51:53 (8:18 pace). On the way back, I wanted to pass a woman in the purple jacket. Running uphill, I would hit bad patches and but noticed I wasn’t slowing down much. With one mile to go, I passed her only to have her immediately pass me back.
By the time I crossed the finish line, it started to sleet.
Time=1:45:49. Overall pace=8:31.
Cross-Training
Beginner Pilates with Caroline Sandry – Episode 5. In this 20-minute episode, the instructor went through more basic pilates moves but focused on arm muscles.
Routes
Hills. Grade Percent Incline Calculator. In advance of Tuesday’s hill repeat workout, there was a bit of discussion in the LHR Virtual Boston Training Group about how we should do the workout and the grade of the incline we should run it on. The coach recommended a 3-5% grade. A Google search for “hill grade calculator” turned up a lot of results but I chose this one to calculate the hill I used. It rose 79′ over 0.35 mile, which is 4.2%.
(My Guide to Washington D.C. Area Running Routes)
Media & Motivation
Podcasts. “Episode 95: Fernando Cabada“, The Morning Shakeout. This is not the first time that I’ve listened to an interview with Fernando Cabada and I was still inspired by his story. Hearing his voice crack as he talked about his past was griping. This time, I learned about his struggle with abusing alcohol and over-the-counter medications.
News. “Virginia to Build New Bikeped Bridge With Long Bridge Expansion ” TheWashCycle. An additional Potomac River crossing for pedestrian traffic is welcomed news for runners. This connection through Long Bridge Park would allow me to avoid going south through Crystal City to join the Mount Vernon Trail. With Amazon’s new headquarters coming, I may want to bypass that area of town in the future.
Racing Schedule
Next race: 2020 Reston 10 Miler on Sunday, March 8th. The goal is 1:22:00 (8:12 pace).
(My Racing Schedule)
