2023 New York City Marathon – Week 3
Training Schedule
July 16th - July 22nd
Sunday: Long Run. 12 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Speed Run. 8 x 600m w/400m recoveries
Wednesday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Thursday: Threshold Run. 6 miles @ marathon pace
Friday: Easy Run. 7 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~48 Miles
Notes. Once again, the biggest departure from Hansons Marathon Method is an increase in my long run. Instead of 8 miles, I scheduled 12. Wednesday’s easy miles were on the treadmill.
With three weeks of training under my belt, I edited my pace ranges for the next few weeks:
Training paces
| Recovery | Aerobic | Long | Marathon | Strength | 5K-10K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No faster than 11:00 |
10:40-11:40 |
10:20-10:50 |
9:35-9:55 |
9:25-9:45 |
7:35-8:05 |
Workouts
Long Run
I’d been listening to a lot of music lately, so I opted for a This American Life podcast instead. From home, I made my way to the mostly downhill Arlington Boulevard Trail.
In Rosslyn, I stopped and had what remained of my Crank eSport Gel from last week. On the Custis Trail, the episode I had been listening to ended, and I opted to listen to the next. On the uphill, a runner commented on the humidity. I acknowledged her but didn’t want to expend too much energy. Shortly after, I passed her and the man.
I stopped for water and refilled my bottle. A mile or so down the trail, I ate a Salt Stick Chew.
I almost collided with a runner going straight on the W&OD Trail as I turned left to join it. I stopped again at Bluemont Park.
Surprisingly, the humidity didn’t bother me – I ran close to 30 seconds per mile faster than last week!
Speed Run
I still wasn’t quite sure how fast I should run these intervals. In the spring, I ran the 2023 Cherry Blossom 5K in 7:30 pace, but I was much fitter at that time. I decided to use last week’s workout as a gauge.
I ran a 1.4-mile warm-up from my house to the Wakefield High School Track. Unlike last week, the sun was a little harsher but still fair running weather. Mentally, I broke the eight sets into blocks of two so it wouldn’t seem so daunting. But, I found it wasn’t as taxing as the week before.
I finished feeling like I hadn’t felt this good during a run in a long time. The intervals felt effortless!
600m/400m: 2:50/2:57 (set 1), 2:47/3:00 (set 2), 2:46/3:00 (set 3), 2:53/3:01 (set 4), 2:50/2:55 (set 5), 2:53/3:00 (set 6), 2:46, 2:57 (set 7), 2:51/3:02 (set 8).
Average 200m=2:50 (7:40 pace)
Threshold Run
I feared this day for weeks – my first attempt at goal marathon pace in the summer. Should I try to run that effort in Washington, DC’s heat and humidity?
I woke up early – I got some news related to a relative and it upset me. On top of that, my boyfriend and I were dog-sitting, so I needed to feed and let the dogs out before leaving the house..
With all the stress, I decided not to put too much pressure on myself by worrying about goal paces and just run base on effort.
I had received some distressing news in the morning and was very upset. I ran my warm-up down to the W&OD Trailhead and prepared to do the marathon-pace miles starting after the I-395 overpass on the Four Mile Run Trail.
As I ran past the Glebe Road overpass that had been closed for months, I looked over and saw it was open. Oh well! It would have been nice to have done an uninterrupted effort.
I continued on the Four Mile Run Trail. I noticed the tire tracks on the decking near WMATA bus depot. Some bicyclists had complained it was slick so I looked for skid marks in the morning dew. A quarter-mile later, I was running north on the Mount Vernon Trail.
I was so relieved when I reached the turn-around. I was lost in thought for the next two miles but was surprised that my overall pace hadn’t moved much – 9:19. I struggled a little during the final mile but finished with just the right amount of fatigue. I was able to run most of my cool-down home.
Health
Injuries. Left Knee. My knee hurt a little during this week’s track workout but not much. I wore my Nike Zoom 2% this week, and maybe that’s the difference.
Nutrition
Pre-workout nutrition. Oatmeal. I haven’t thought about pre-long run nutrition in a while – I might have a slice of bread with peanut butter, but that probably hasn’t been enough. On Sunday, I tried having oatmeal with walnuts and dried fruit.
Media & Motivation
News. “And This Year’s Fittest City in the United States is…” Runner’s World. “The city had the highest percentage of residents that had exercised in the last 30 days.” The article also notes the “…proliferation of community assets that help promote active lifestyles.” Things that make Arlington, Virginia, great for running include, but are not limited to:
- The Custis Trail and Four Mile Run Trails.
- Pacer’s Running Store. Okay, it started in Alexandria, but the owner lives in Arlington.
- Michael Wardian. It’s very inspirational to pass him on runs.
- The Marine Corps Marathon. Sorry, but it starts and ends at the Pentagon, which is in Arlington, Virginia, not Washington, D.C.
- Water Fountains. Many of which are winter-proof, which means you can rely on them yearround.
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).
