2022 Erie Marathon – Week 1

2022 Erie Marathon - Week 1 Banner

Training Schedule

May 8th - May 14th

Sunday: Long Run. 12 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Lactate Threshold Run. 9 miles w/4 miles @ LT pace
WednesdayRecovery Run. 6 miles
ThursdayRecovery Run. 5 miles
Friday: General Aerobic Run. 9 miles
Saturday: Recovery Run. 4 miles

Total: ~45 Miles

Notes.  The Pfitz plans begin on a Monday, so for my long run, I repeated the distance from last week. From there, I used the 55 to 70 miles per week plan as my base, however I made Wednesday’s 11-mile medium-long run a 6-mile recovery run.  I also cut Saturday’s recovery run by a mile.

Training paces
Recovery Long General Aerobic Marathon Lactate Threshold 5K
No faster than 10:25
9:55-10:10
9:10-9:45
8:40-8:55
7:55-8:10
7:30-7:40

Workouts​

Long Run

When I let the dog out into the backyard in the morning, I realized it was colder than I thought it would be.  It had been raining for about 36 hours straight, and I was also concerned that the Four Mile Run Trail, which my usual 12-mile course covers, might be flooded.  So, I created a new route and hoped for the best.

But, before heading off for my first run of the training cycle, I took a selfie.

Pre-Run Selfie - 05082022
Pre-Run Selfie - 05082022

I was heading towards the W&OD Trail when I noticed the county opened the new town square in Green Valley!  On the trail, I headed west and into the wind.  I was averaging 9:40 pace, which was a little fast.  Four miles later, I continued climbing on the Custis Trail.  I realized it had been a long time since I’d run this way and took in the subtle changes in the landscape.  I exited the trail in a neighborhood I’ve never been.  I marveled that I could live somewhere so long and still discover new places.  I wound my way to Clarendon, running uphill again, and thought, That detour was not worth it.  Once I was going downhill, my pace dropped under 9:00.

When I reached my neighborhood, I realized the detours I took from my planned route would make the course short.  I did a back-and-forth on a side street until my Garmin hit 12 miles and then walked home.  Not a bad start to the training cycle.

Distance=12.00 miles

Pace=9:19/mile

Lactate Threshold Run

After a drunk man splayed out next to me on the Metro bus on Monday, I decided my days of sitting on the bus were over.  I contemplated a run-commute but couldn’t configure a route that allowed me four miles of continuous running and only 5 miles of warm-up and cool-down.

For my warm-up, I ran north through Ballston to the Custis Trail I fiddled with my new watch for a moment and then started the threshold run segment.  The course was a bit of a cheat because it was downhill.. Still, the pace felt hard from the start.  But, I told myself, “These are the workouts you have to do if you’re going to get faster.”  As fast as I thought I was running, a man passed me on the W&OD Trail!  I detoured to the Four Mile Run Trail at Bluemont Park. Glancing at my watch, I was going a bit too fast.  My route was short so I ran on Columbia Pike to the community center before doing a one-mile cool-down home.

Distance=4.00 miles

Pace=8:00/mile

General Aerobic Run

I woke up to the sound of rain pounding the ground.  I contemplated whether I’d want to run on the treadmill but decided it was warm enough outside – almost 65 degrees – that I should be able to withstand the conditions.

By the time I left the house, it had stopped raining.  From home, I traversed neighborhood streets to Pentagon City.  A drizzling rain started as I stepped foot on the Mount Vernon Trail.

I had been running at 9:00 pace but slowed down to 9:30 pace on the Four Mile Run Trail.  When I reached the W&OD Trail, I thought about easing up on the pace again but remembered that the entire run was supposed to be at a “general aerobic” pace.  Overall, it was a solid run.

Later in the afternoon, I ran 4 miles.  My boyfriend and I were going to Massanutten for the weekend, and I didn’t want to run there.  It has been years since I’ve done a double!

Drive to Massanutten - 05132022
Cave Hills Farms Brewery - 05142022

Distance=9.12 miles

Pace=9:21/mile

Routes

Strava Global Heatmap.  Before heading out of town, I checked the Strava Global Heat Map to see if there was an area around Massanutten where I could run.  I also used Google Maps to get a more accurate picture of the terrain.  In the end, I decided the area was probably too hilly for a run.

Strava Global Heatmap - Massanutten
Strava Global Heatmap - Massanutten

Parks. John Robinson, Jr. Town Square. During my long run on Sunday, I passed a new square under construction for some time but opened this weekend.  Green Valley is a historically Black neighborhood in south Arlington.  The former park wasn’t particularly well-maintained, so it’s good to see such a nice space in this neighborhood.  I noticed it has a water fountain!  More information on the art installation is available on the county’s website.

Robinson Town Square - 05082022
Robinson Town Square - 05082022

Gear

Headphones.  Aftershokz Open Run.  After over three years of loyal service, my current pair of Aftershokz headphones wouldn’t charge.  I bought this newer model, and I think the sound quality is better.  I was disappointed that only the Pro model, which is $50 more, works with the app. I would have liked to customize the music settings.  Price: $129.95

Aftershokz Open Run Headphones
Aftershokz Open Run Headphones

Media & Motivation​

Podcasts.  “Brad Stulberg,” Rich Roll.  This episode was a powerful episode from the start.  It drove home how I might not know how someone else is struggling.  Overall, the episode is about groundedness and having more self-compassion.  His take-away advice is to focus on steady progress and consistency over perfectionism and start with things you’ll do or let go of in service of your core values (2:12:15 mark).

Racing Schedule​

Runner rankings.  Potomac River Running’s Regional Runner Rankings – Winter 2022. Racing is back in full force in the Washington, DC region, and I’m back in the rankings!  I was 28th in my age group.  Qualifying races were the 2021 Alexandria Turkey Trot and the 2022 Reston 10 Miler.

Next race: Anacostia Parkrun #150 on Saturday, July 30th. Goal is sub-24:00 (7:42 pace).