2023 New York City Marathon – Week 2
Training Schedule
July 9th - July 15th
Sunday: Long Run. 12 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Speed Run. 12 x 400m @ 5K pace w/400m recoveries
Wednesday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Thursday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Friday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~45 Miles
Notes. I’m following the Hansons Marathon Method, but decided to lengthen the long runs. This week, I scheduled 12 miles instead of 8, which was in the plan.
I had some training paces in mind at the beginning of the week (below), but I soon realized they would need to be adjusted.
Training paces
| Recovery | Aerobic | Long | Marathon | Strength | 5K-10K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No faster than 11:40 |
10:40-11:40 |
10:05-10:25 |
9:35-9:55 |
9:25-9:45 |
8:45-9:05 |
Workouts
Long Run
I created a 12-mile route that would start downhill on the Arlington Boulevard Trail in the sun, but if I left early enough in the morning, it shouldn’t be too harsh. After having coffee and some peanut butter toast, I left my house a little before 7 am.
I snaked through my neighborhood for two miles before reaching that trail. I kept my pace easy, but I was still surprised to see my pace was over 10:00. I thought I would have run faster than that, given the terrain.
In Rosslyn, I got my first look at the demolition of the RCA building. From there, I ran up the Custis Trail. This time, I was surprised by how fast I was going on the rolling hills. I could tell the heat was getting to me, so I stopped for water and ate a Crank Sport eGel about 7 miles into the run.
Before the run, I hoped my legs would feel good enough to speed up on the W&OD Trail but when the time came, I knew I should push too hard. I managed 10:20 pace before slowly heading home.
Speed Run
From home, I ran through neighborhood streets until I arrived at Wakefield High School Track. When I arrived, I noticed it didn’t feel particularly hot. The old-growth trees in the adjacent neighborhood provided good shade; one tree at the 100m mark also helped.
Last week, I’d done 200m repetitions in preparation for this workout, so I knew it would be mentally tough. So, I broke the workout into the first four sets, the middle four, and the final four. I took a brief water break between each block.
I expected the 400m repetitions would come in around 2:00 – from memory, that seemed to be what I ran last summer. But, I was surprised to see my pace was consistently in the 7:30 range.
I couldn’t have been happier with how well the workout went.
400m/400m: 2:00/2:56 (set 1), 1:57/3:03 (set 2), 1:55/2:51 (set 3), 1:55/3:02 (set 4), 1:56/2:57 (set 5), 1:59/2:52 (set 6), 1:59, 2:53 (set 7), 1:57/3:08 (set 8), 1:56/3:02 (set 9), 1:51/3:00 (set 10), 1:56/3:08 (set 11), 2:00/3:01 (set 12).
Average 200m=1:56 (7:43 pace)
Health
Injuries. Left Knee. During my speed workout, I felt a twinge in my left knee. I kept running, but I will watch it in the coming weeks.
Routes
Art. During my run through Rosslyn on Sunday, I came across this canvas piece obstructing the view of the construction surrounding the RCA Building. I wish more developers find creative ways to make their sites visually interesting for the community.
Media & Motivation
Podcasts. Ali on the Run, “Episode 656: Erica Stanley-Dottin, 2:52 Marathoner & Tracksmith Community Manager.” This show was the second of two podcasts that I listened to this week on masters female runners. The guest was more relatable because she worked hard to get to where she was rather than make it seem like she was naturally talented. It would be interesting for her to speculate on why “The List” is so short.
But what was a little difficult about the podcast was hearing Ali sound so upbeat when battling breast cancer.
Racing Schedule
Next race
2023 George Washington Patriot Run (10 Miler), Sunday, September 10th. Goal is 1:20:00 (8:00 pace).
Future races
- 2023 Army Ten Miler, Sunday, October 8th. Goal is 1:20:00 (8:00 pace).
- 2023 New York City Marathon, Sunday, November 5th. Goal is 3:44:00 (8:33 pace).
