Fall of 2020 – Week 11
This would be my last hard week of training because I decided to run the 2020 Alexandria (Virtual) Turkey Trot next week. But, it was still a stressful week because my boyfriend and I put a contract on a house! Ultimately, we didn’t get it, though, and by Thursday I was relieved to run off some of the anxiety!
Training Schedule
November 15th - November 21st
Sunday: Medium Run. 14 miles w/5 miles @ goal marathon pace
Monday: Easy Run. 6 miles + strides
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run. 9 miles (AM) + Weight training (PM)
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: Threshold Run. 12 miles w/4 miles @ threshold pace + Weight training (PM)
Friday: Easy Run. 7 miles
Saturday: Easy Run. 6 miles
Total: ~60 Miles
Notes. I changed Thursday’s threshold run from steady pace to cruise intervals because I thought it would actually give me a better sense for what I could run for an hour.
Training paces
| Recovery | Easy / Long | Marathon | Threshold | Repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Slower than 9:40 |
9:25-9:40 |
8:55-9:10 |
8:25-8:40 |
7:40-7:50 (5K) |
Workouts
Long Run
On Friday, my boyfriend and I went back-and-forth about putting a bid on the house we say last Thursday. Ultimately, we decided not to but we went to see another house we liked on Saturday morning.
Mulling whether to put a bid on this second house, I didn’t sleep very well on Saturday night. On top of that, it was a cold and windy day for running.
Foggy-headed, I ran very easy on the Custis Trail to Rosslyn, Virginia. I started the marathon-pace miles at the end of the Mount Vernon Trail. As soon as I picked up the pace, I noticed how windy it was! But, my splits for the first four miles were very consistent: 9:00, 8:55, 8:57, 9:01.
I left the trail in Crystal City. Out of no where, I found a burst of energy. Instead of going straight to Long Bridge Park, leap-frogged over to Pentagon City. Somehow, I threw down an 8:38 mile to finish the workout!
I ran about 2 miles easy home thinking about the prospect of owning a home!
General Aerobic Run
On Monday night, my boyfriend and I put a bid on the second house that we liked. Our offer was under asking but we thought the house was grossly over-priced. We gave the sellers until 2 p.m. today to get back to us.
With all the stress, I didn’t sleep well so I had a Sword Energy Chew caffeine tablet before heading out into the cold.
I ran north to Clarendon obsessively thinking about the house. On the Custis Trail, I lifted my eyes long enough to see a Ragnar teammate running with her dog and someone else. It was great thinking about doing another relay some day.
I cut over to the W&OD Trail and then the Four Mile Run Trail. By then, I was comfortably running sub-9:00 pace.
Later that afternoon, my boyfriend and I learned the sellers didn’t accept the offer we made on the house. We were both disappointed but not entirely surprised.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
400m |
1:59 |
1:59 |
1:59 |
|
|
Content |
Content |
Content |
|
Content |
Content |
1:59 |
1:59 |
Threshold Run
From home, I ran 3 miles easy up to the Custis Trail and then started the repetitions. I timed the first two so my second rest period would coincide with moving over to the Mount Vernon Trail in Rosslyn.
It was a stressful week with all the real estate drama and I felt so much relief to just run!
I finished the repetitions just before the steep pedestrian bridge near National Airport. They were slower than I wanted but probably closer to true threshold pace. I exited the trail in Crystal City for a 3-mile cool-down home.
| Distance | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 mile (time) |
8:13 |
8:04 |
8:15 |
|
|
Set 4 |
Set 5 |
|
|
|
8:15 |
8:18 |
Cross-training
Weight training. On Tuesday, I did my usual workout but I was anxiously awaiting a call from our realtor. The gym was more crowded than usual so I skipped the lateral pulldowns. Two announcements about wearing masks.
Health
Weight. I didn’t weigh (or take my blood pressure) this week. I just stopped something I’ve done almost without fail for years.
Clothing
Media & Motivation
News. “As the Coronavirus Tears Through Rural Maryland, An Ultramarathon Plans to Race On“, The Washington Post. I can’t speak for that event in particular but based on my only ultra-marathon experience, I can see how this event could be done in a socially distanced manner. I barely interacted with a soul except at the aid stations.
Podcasts. “Des Linden: The Pandemic Doesn’t Have to Sideline Your Progress“, Running for Real. Like many runners, I struggled with motivation once Boston was postponed. I remembered seeing something about Destober but ignored it because I knew I couldn’t participate. Hearing more about it, I’m glad Des put on something to help keep people going until racing returns.
Racing Schedule
Runner rankings. RunWashington’s DMV Distance Derby. My best times are:
- Teddy Roosevelt Island (1.4 miles): 10:08 (7:38 pace) on May 12, 2020. 14th overall/1st female.
- Custis Climb – Key Bridge to Glebe (3.1 miles): 25:47 (8:47 pace) on October 6, 2020. 16th overall/4th female.
