2022 Erie Marathon – Week 6
Training Schedule
June 12th - June 18th
Sunday: Marathon pace Run. 16 miles w/10 miles @ marathon pace
Monday: Rest or cross-train
Tuesday: General aerobic + speed. 8 mi w/ 10 x 100m strides
Wednesday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Thursday: Medium-long Run. 11 miles
Friday: Easy Run. 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 4 miles
Total: ~49 Miles
Notes. The workouts between the two Pfitz plans were widely different – one was a 58 mile week while the other was 41 miles. I kept the first two workouts the same and leaned towards the easier week. But, On Saturday, I came down with a cold and couldn’t complete the easy run.
Training paces
| Recovery | Long | General Aerobic | Marathon | 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
On Saturday afternoon, I had a life-changing nap on the new sofas we had purchased. With a good night’s sleep, I felt fantastic. But, there was a threat of rain in the forecast.
I ran the warm-up on W&OD Trail. I used it as an opportunity to visit Jennie Dean Park and find the water fountains. I deleted my Apple account and lost my nascent playlist for the Erie Marathon, so I listened to a selection of random songs. I ran 4.5 miles at a 10:21 pace.
I started the marathon-pace segment on Four Mile Run Trail at the Metrobus depot on Eads St.
I turned left onto the Mount Vernon Trail. I contemplated stopping for water but decided to press on with a handheld full of Maurten.
I passed a runner friend of mine. I turned around at Roosevelt Bridge – about 4.3 miles into the goal marathon pace segment – and tried running harder. On the return trip on Four Mile Run Trail, it started to rain. With 10 minutes to go, I finished my Maurten mixture.
I missed goal marathon pace by a few seconds, but it was a great workout! I ran 11:30 pace home. And I wasn’t exhausted that afternoon.
General Aerobic
I let the dog out the back door, and the humidity assaulted my body. The temperature outside was 77 degrees, and the dewpoint was 73 at 5:50 am at National Airport. I consulted an online source about that combination (150) and decided to run outside but adjust my pace expectations.
For a route, I chose to go out and back on the W&OD Trail. I averaged around 9:45 pace on the way out, which I knew was fast for the humid and uphill conditions.
At Falls Church, I turned around. I knew I didn’t have to rush back because the dog walker would be coming, and I would have plenty of time to make it to work before my 10 am meeting. In Bluemont Park, it started to sprinkle.
On the way back, I averaged just over 9:00 pace! I couldn’t get my strides workout to sync with my Garmin, so I just headed home.
Medium-long Run
I woke up feeling exhausted – I’ve only been getting about 5 or 6 hours of sleep this week. I contemplated not doing the run or trying to squeeze it in on the treadmill mid-day because I was teleworking, but I forced myself out the door.
I went down the Arlington Boulevard Trail. Even though I felt tired, I thought my pace would be faster than the 9:20 shown on my Garmin. I told myself if my pace fell below 10:00 at any point during the run, I might need to cut the run short.
On the Custis Trail, I focused on my heart rate instead, keeping it under 162 beats per minute. I exited the trail at George Mason Drive. I had been wanting a bathroom break and remembered there was a McDonald’s where the road intersects with the Bluemont Trail. Feeling pressed for time, I didn’t have time to stop.
I finished the run at 8:40, and with a shower, logged on in time for a training session I had to attend.
Health
Illnesses. On Saturday, I started to feel sick. My symptoms were nasal congestion and sneezing. Given my experience, I didn’t think it was COVID-19 because having the virus and the vaccine resulted in a fever. Still, I was too tired to run on Saturday.
Injuries. Rotator Cuff. In the fall of 2020, I hurt my shoulder during a weight training workout. The range of motion has been so poor that I’ve considered going to a physical therapist. This week, I noticed my shoulder was strangely almost back to normal!
Gear
Treadmills. Zwift Runn, pt. 2. I wrote about setting this device up during Week 3. I gave it another go this week and couldn’t get the unit to read anything different than what the treadmill was showing. In the end, I’m not sure this was worth purchasing, and in the future, I will run by effort or heart rate on the treadmill. Price: $99.99
Media & Motivation
Podcasts. “Episode 204: Tommie Runz,” The Morning Shakeout. This cast was a powerful listen. I got a sense of how this strong runner turned his life around. And, for the interview skills of the host. It was clearer a hard topic for the guest to talk about, but as a listener, I was glad he got Tommie to open up.
Racing Schedule
Future races. The Boston Marathon announced the registration period for the 2023 Boston Marathon. Thankfully, they followed past practices and races run through September 16, 2022 qualify for entry, which means I can use my time at the 2022 Erie Marathon.
Next race: Anacostia Parkrun #150 on Saturday, July 30th. Goal is sub-24:00 (7:42 pace).
