2021 London Marathon – Week 5
It was a relatively cool weather week and it led to some great workouts. On Sunday, I completed the “Arlington Loop” for my long run and felt like I could have gone further. On Tuesday, I ran 1000m repeats on the trail as fast as I’d done shorter intervals. And on Thursday, I cruised through a marathon-pace run.
Training Schedule
June 13th - June 19th
Sunday: Long Run. 18 miles
Monday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Tuesday: Interval Run. 3 x 1000m @ 5K-10K pace w/400m recovery jog
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Thursday: Medium Run. 11 miles. 3 x 1 mile @ goal marathon pace w/400m recovery jog
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Total: ~56 Miles
Notes. On Saturday, I decided to run the Arlington Boulevard Trail on the opposite side of the road and ended up going long.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No faster than 10:15 |
9:50-10:35 |
8:55--9:20 |
8:30-8:55 |
7:35 - 7:45 (5K) |
Workouts
Long Run
It was 67 degrees, so I was less concerned about hot and humid weather, but I still managed to leave the house at 7am! For the route, I planned to do the “Arlington Loop” counter-clockwise.
From home, I got to the W&OD Trail by winding through a mile of neighborhood streets. I felt a little hungry and started snacking on Honey Stinger Chews (Pink Lemonade) only 15 minutes into the run. I didn’t start out listening to music or podcasts. Unhappy with my job and turning 50 soon, my thoughts went to bigger picture questions like, what did I want to do with the rest of my life?
In Shirlington, I cut over to the Four Mile Run Trail. Unsure of my endurance, I held myself back to 10:30 pace. I cut over to the Mount Vernon Trail and when I stopped for water at National Airport, I turned on a podcast. I wasn’t going to solve the grand questions of life on this one run.
My pace came down to 10:10 as I headed north on the trail. At Roosevelt Island, I took my usual water break before heading up the rolling hills of the Custis Trail At the Nelson Street water fountain, I ate most of a Maurten Gel 1oo for additional fuel. At Glebe Road, my average pace for the past three miles was a little over 11:00. The terrain switched to a gentle rolling downhill and I figured my pace would drop but my legs just weren’t turning over and I still averaged 10:00 pace. Ironically, at the end of the run, I felt like I could have kept going, though.
Interval Run
I woke up to a lovely 68-degree morning. My schedule called for 1000m intervals, which would be the longest repetitions I’ve done since last August.
I ran my warm-up on the W&OD Trail to Bluemont Park and was surprised that the pace was sub-10:00. It didn’t feel as though I was running any harder than usual. I started the first repetition heading towards the Custis Trail. My legs felt good and the first repetition was under 8:00 pace despite being slightly uphill. I finished the second in 7:40 pace and then turned around. Surprisingly, the third wasn’t much slower. Granted, the last rep was downhill but it still came in at 7:21 pace!
I was genuinely surprised by how well this workout went. Averaging the same pace for long intervals as I did for shorter ones points towards improving fitness.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0.62 mi. (pace) |
7:57 |
7:40 |
7:38 |
7:21 |
Marathon-pace Run
The cool morning weather continued so I thought it was time to try a marathon-pace run.
I didn’t have a great route in mind, so I took the Arlington Boulevard Trail down to Rosslyn for a four-mile warm-up and started running the marathon-pace segment at the end of the Mount Vernon Trail. The first mile felt easy and I lapped an 8:54 mile. The next three came in similarly at 8:58, 8:50, and 9:03. I left the trail in Crystal City and continued running hard up to Long Bridge Park. The last mile came in at 8:40 pace, but that could have been a Garmin malfunction due to the tall buildings. Still, it was a great effort!
During the cool-down home, I mulled over some recent work problems and contemplated whether it was time for a change. I would be having lunch with a mentor of mine (at a social club on Juneteenth no less!) the next day and needed to be prepared to talk about my professional goals.
Cross-training
Strides. I did strides two times this week – Monday and Wednesday.
Gear
Smartphones. Garmin Forerunner 645 Music. Two weeks ago, my dog cracked the screen on my Android smartphone. I used it as an opportunity to buy a new iPhone 11. Since then, I’ve noticed the Garmin malfunctioning that I’ve been experiencing has gone away! There must have been some Bluetooth setting that resolved itself with the new operating system.
Routes
Parks. Lubber Run Park. On Friday, I decided to run an unfamiliar route and went through this park. It’s between two roads that I ran on quite frequently – George Mason Drive and Arlington Boulevard. The trail is only a mile long but it’s very tranquil and worth the occasional trip. There is a water fountain and if the theatre is open, bathrooms.
Media & Motivation
“Episode 238: Hope and Houlihan“, Running Rogue. This was a great break down of the Shelby Houlihan controversy and how the excuses given for the positive doping test strain credulity. As the hosts says, rather than spending time defending this athlete, look for other runners to root for at the U.S. Track and Field Trials.
“Episode 602: Brogan Graham“, Rich Roll. I went back and listened to this older episode because the host kept referencing it and I’m glad I did. The guest is one of the founders of the November Project and he talked a lot about how he was helped by white privilege and what he’s done to make the events more inclusive.
Racing Schedule
Future races. 2021 London Marathon. On Wednesday, we got an email from the race organizers essentially saying, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can’t guarantee that entrants will be able to travel to the country for the race. Hopefully, protocols will change in the next two months and fully vaccinated people will be able to enter the country without having to quarantine but until then, I’m not making any travel plans.
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).
