2022 Erie Marathon – Week 9
Training Schedule
July 3rd - July 9th
Sunday: Long Run. 20 miles
Monday: Rest or cross-train
Tuesday: Recovery Run. 6 miles
Wednesday: Medium-long Run. 13 miles
Thursday: Recovery Run. 5 miles
Friday: Medium-long Run. 11 miles
Saturday: Recovery Run + Speed. 6 miles + 6 x 100m strides
Total: ~61 Miles
Notes. This week, the Pfitz 55-75 mile/week and up to 55 miles plans were pretty similar – both had a 20-mile long run on Sunday and two medium-long runs during the week. I kept the mileage on the lower side of the ranges.
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
Yesterday, I bought a new car, and with all the excitement, I didn’t get as much rest as I’m used to having.
I watched Stranger Things while getting ready for my run. I found a route I did last August in slightly warmer conditions that looked appropriate for today. I left the house before 7:30 am after having peanut butter toast and coffee.
From home, I cut through neighborhoods to get down to the W&OD Trail. I kept the pace super slow – just under 10:30. On the Four Mile Run Trail, near the water treatment plant, I started a Gu Energy Gel (Mint Chocolate). Soon, I cut over to the Potomac Yard area. I marveled at how far along the new Metro stop had come.
In Alexandria, I crossed the George Washington Parkway to join the Mount Vernon Trail. By then, my pace had dropped closer to 10:00 but still felt easy. But, it was warm, so I stopped at the water fountain near National Airport for a drink.
On the Custis Trail, I ran by heart rate instead of pace and slowed down to just under 14:00 pace. My heart rate was unbelievably high at one point, so I stopped and dried off my wrist and watch. Sure enough, my heart rate dropped back down to an aerobic pace.
I stopped for water on the W&OD Trail. I ran a few steps and then started walking. It was so hot and I realized I didn’t pay close enough attention to the route. This course would be too long. I ran-walked my way towards home and stopped my Garmin when it hit 20 miles.
(At 10:50 am, it was 78 degrees with a 63 degree dewpoint at National Airport.)
Medium-long Run
I woke up feeling fatigued and contemplated not doing the run entirely. Each moment I hesitated meant my work day was approaching and the temperature was increasing. I could do a run-commute but recent experience showed that coming home by Metro took longer than both ends of my driving commute. I do some quick math and decide to do a treadmill run by time – 2 hours and 20 minutes, which is what a 13 mile run should take me on the roads.
I tried to get my Apple account to pair with the television to no avail, so I turned the television in front of the treadmill to a documentary I had been watching. I set the treadmill to 5.2 setting (11:32 pace), which from experience was a comfortable effort for medium-long runs. It was a pretty uneventful run. When the documentary ended, I switched to watching “Peaky Blinders,” a show I’ve been meaning to check out for a while now.
I felt like a “weather wimp” but when I checked the statistics later, it was 86 degrees and 68 dewpoint when I would have been finishing my run!
Medium-long Run
Thursdays are my telework days, so I had a little extra time in the morning. I managed to get out the door by 6:30 am. The temperature was in the lower 70s, which was nice.
I started running 10:15 pace, which was a little fast but didn’t feel hard. Two miles in, I met up with the Arlington Boulevard Trail, which is mostly downhill but my pace didn’t increase too much – 9:40 on average. In Rosslyn, I cut over to the Custis Trail and started the steep uphill climb. I mostly paid attention to keeping my heart-rate low and did the 4-mile section in 10:21 pace. At one point, I had a “flyby” with some of my Ragnar teammates! I took a long break catching up with them. After our chat, I really took off. When I reached the W&OD Trail, I opened up my stride a bit. I averaged 9:30 pace on the downhill, which was fast, but I felt fantastic.
Nutrition
Sports drinks. Maurten Drink Mix 160. I went to my local running store and bought more before my run. It made a huge difference. Each pouch goes with 17 ounces of water, which is a little awkward for my 12-ounce handheld water bottle. Each serving delivers 40 grams of carbohydrate Price: $42.00/box of 18.
Racing Schedule
Next race: Anacostia Parkrun #150 on Saturday, July 30th. Goal is sub-24:00 (7:42 pace).
