2021 London Marathon – Week 1
This week, I would be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with Wednesday marking two weeks since I received my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine! I started this training cycle easy, though. On Sunday, I ran a 16-mile long run around Arlington, Virginia (my hometown) and on Thursday, I did a similar route for an 11 mile “medium” run.
Training Schedule
May 16th - May 22nd
Sunday: Long Run. 16 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Thursday: Medium Run. 11 miles
Friday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Total: ~42 Miles
Notes. I wanted an easy start to this training cycle so I omitted the speed workout that will occur on Tuesdays going forward. And because it’s too early to settle on training pace, I ran by feel.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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Workouts
Long Run
On Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to a retired racing greyhound event at a local vineyard but because I mostly relaxed on a picnic blanket sipping wine, I woke up the next day feeling ready to run!
From home, ran through Crystal City – soon to be National Landing – on my way to the Mount Vernon Trail. I changed the usual way I ran through this area due to all the construction but it didn’t change the distance. My pace was 9:30, which was probably a bit fast.
Once I was on the trail, I ran north. It was overcast, so views of the monuments on The National Mall from across the Potomac River were obscured. But, I managed to maintain my 9:30 pace.
I stopped for water at the fountain next to Roosevelt Island and then headed west on the Custis Trail. Along the way, my mind was pre-occupied with problems that I was having at work. The solitude of running wasn’t helping me find solutions, though. It was just giving me more time to ruminate. On the rolling hills of this trail, my pace dropped to just under 11:00/mile.
At the junction with the W&OD Trail, I stopped for water again before heading southeast towards Columbia Pike – my neighborhood. On the downhill, I tried to pick up the pace but the best I could muster was 9:30. I exited the trail and shuffled home.
For the first time in my running life, I’m living in a single family home! When I got home, I cooled myself off using the backyard hose and then relaxed in a lawn chair with my dog Meraz at my feet.
Medium Run
Earlier in the week, Meraz got a hold of my smartphone and cracked the screen! I was overdue for a new phone but didn’t want to get a new one in this unexpected way. Plus, it meant I had to run without music or the ability to take pictures.
I ran a similar route to Sunday except I skipped Crystal City and the Mount Vernon Trail and ran south on the Arlington Boulevard Trail to reach the Custis Trail in Rosslyn, Virginia. After about two miles of running, I decided to pick the pace up a little. For the next two miles, I got my legs to find 8:30 pace! After meandering through Rosslyn, I headed up the Custis Trail. Unlike Sunday, this time I did the rolling hills just under 10:00 pace – about a minute/mile faster! The downhill on the W&OD Trail was also faster than my long run averaging just under 9:00 pace.
Cross-training
Strides. This training cycle, I will be doing strides every week on Mondays. This week, I did them at Thomas Jefferson Community Center Park and used it as an opportunity to take a selfie using my new iPhone.
Racing Schedule
Future races. 125th Boston Marathon. On Wednesday, I received confirmation of my acceptance into the race! I opted to purchase the insurance just in case I felt too tired to run it after the London Marathon the week earlier. The cut-off time for this year’s race was over 7 minutes!
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. My best times are:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island (1.4 miles): 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020.
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe (3.1 miles): 25:47 (8:47 pace) on October 6, 2020.
- Hains Point (2.5 miles): 20:37 (8:13 pace) on November 26, 2020.
Next race: 2021 South Lakes 10K on Sunday, August 29th. Goal is sub-52:00 (8:20 pace).
