Week three was marked by two things: a continuation of my nagging right groin issue and a really good 20K race/training run on Sunday. I also unexpectedly reached, after five long weeks, my treadmill tolerance saturation point in dramatic fashion, stopping a 14 mile aerobic run at 13.3 miles, simply unable to take another minute in that room, on that contraption.
I hesitate to even call this a high mileage week since in just a matter of weeks my recovery week mileage will resemble what I ran and I’ll be hitting triple digit weeks again for the first time since the summer. But last week I ran a lot of miles, with all except the race run inside on the treadmill again.
Since my leg was still bothering me, I did almost all of my recovery runs at a ridiculously leisurely pace, skipping the strides as usual. I also skipped the 400m intervals in favor of giving my leg further opportunity to heal. I did feel quite good on Thursday, something that’s reflected in the pace at which I did my easy run.
I’m guessing that the extra helping of R&R offered by skipping the speedwork contributed to my good effort on Sunday, which I would characterize as something falling in between a training and a race effort. I raced about 75% of the course.
The good news is that we’re finally getting a spell of warmer weather. I can see our lawn for the first time since December. I’ve got a set of 1200m intervals scheduled for Friday and, unless we get colder temps plus precip again, it’s looking like I may actually be able to run them outside, on a snow- and ice-free track.
The next Mpace training run is in three weeks — the Boston Buildup 25K. I ran that one last year and, unlike the roller coaster course for the 20K, the 25K course is easy to get your head around, if not run: go uphill for sevenish miles, then go downhill for eightish miles. Total climb: +2,456; total descent: -2,600.
Week 4 is a recovery week, with just a little tempo running on Tuesday, one doubles session on Thursday, the aforementioned intervals on Friday and a fast finish 17 miler on Sunday.
Races Like a Girl 
[…] Spring Race Training: Week 3 […]
Woohoo, time to break out the spikes! Congrats on seeing some grass beneath all the white stuff. I can’t believe how you’ve managed as many miles on the treadmill as you have.
I blame that Ice Bear treadmill video for you reaching your limit.
You could always wheel the treadmill out of that room and put it on the footpath. You’d be running outdoors with great traction!
I hope the track is more snow and ice-free than this one:
I predict a negative split for your BB25K race.
Nice race report and you run good.
happily you can run outside!.
My half marathon run sunday(you can see the video on my site) was good, but unfortunately a runner fell down dead for my eyes…Many people try to help, but unfortunately ..
Thats no nice thinks to see when you run and live and dead than close altogether!.
Rinus.
Rinus, that’s awful. I hope I never see such a thing.
I like the video — yep, that’s Holland, all right. Completely FLAT! No wonder there are always such fast times at the Rotterdam marathon. Looked like a messy run, though.
Julie, i hope to never see it again.
I think that Amsterdam is more flat than Rotterdam marathon.
But Eindhoven marathon is verry flat and fast to run, only you must run two round off 21,1 km, not every body likes that.
Schoorl run is beautiful to run i and many top runners go for run there.
Thanks you like the video, i start whit it to run and film because no runner make a video when he or she is running and so can ather people see what is happens when you run and meet ather runners.
So everybody can feel the environment and see what a half marathon or marathon do whit you..
And after the marathon in Apeldoorn on 1 Februari it is nice to run a half marathon 1:59 houre for training, fun and filming and helping two other runners for a PR!!.
Goodluck whit training and running and a lot of sun and heat to NewYork!.
Rinus.