NBC redeemed themselves from their sin of shortchanging the women’s 10,000m final with pretty much horn-to-tape coverage of the women’s marathon. And what an interesting race it was. But there are plenty of other people who can give better analysis than I can.
I just got in from a 24 mile training run in Central Park this morning. Make that a brutal 24 mile training run. I. Am. Pooped.
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The second week of a three week cycle of hard weeks, I ran just under 98 this past week. The only notable aspect to the week was the fact that I ran twice a day all seven days. I’m not compulsive enough to go back and review my training logs to see if I’ve ever done that before. All but three sessions were recovery pace, so I’m still standing on Monday morning.
A look back at the week:
Total mileage: 97.9 miles
Paces this week:
The biggest difference between this past week and the week before it was the weather. For the first time since mid-June, I wasn’t running under a heavy gauze of humidity and high heat. Some mornings were almost pleasant, and you can see that reflected in my paces.
The hill run on Tuesday went well, but really wore me out, so I moved the midweek long run to Thursday. Nonetheless, I was still pretty tired and ended up cutting the run a mile short (yes, I was so beat that I couldn’t even run just one more mile).
By Saturday I was recovered enough to do a marathon pace run that went extremely well. I moved the training paces down last week from 3:13 to 3:10, so I approached the marathon pace run with some trepidation. But I was able to handle the pace, and in fact ran most of the miles a few seconds faster, despite an 8mph headwind in some spots.
My marathon pace right now is about the same as what my half marathon pace was three months ago. So I’m not surprised that I can handle it easily enough. I’ll train at a 7:15 pace for the new few weeks, and if that proves easy to sustain, then I’ll push it down again to 7:10 (~3:08 marathon equivalent).
Steamtown is just nine weeks away. I’m starting to feel that odd, alternating combination of excitement and dread. We’ll see which emotion wins out.
Coming up in Fall Training Week 13: Something new for a tempo run on Tuesday: 10K (25 laps) on the track, alternating 5K and marathon pace for each lap. Then a midweek longish run on Wednesday or Thursday. Sunday is a big 24 miler with 10 miles at marathon pace toward the end. I may do this one in Central Park, but I’m not sure yet.
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“Runners like to train 100 miles per week because it’s a round number. But I think 88 is a lot rounder.”
— Don Kardong
Although I hadn’t intended to, I hit over 100 miles this week. 100.1, to be exact. The plan called for 97. But a half mile extra here, a quarter mile extra there, and over 13 sessions it’s easy to inadvertently tack on a few extra miles. So far, so good. My legs haven’t yet snapped in two, fallen off or worn away to unsightly stubs at the ankles. Nor has the niggling sore spot returned.
Aside from hitting triple digits, the week was notable in a few other areas. I started adding a second recovery session to most quality days. I also started the process of extending the length of a few of my recovery runs by a mile or so, which I’ll be doing to keep the mileage up there for the remainder of training.
A look back at the week:
Total mileage: 100.1 miles
Paces this week:
The tempo run on Wednesday was done inside on the treadmill. I really don’t trust the treadmill’s calibration. Maybe it’s the effect of being pulled backward on the belt, but it always feels as if I’m running a lot faster inside than I am outside at equal paces. I broke up the run into a 2 mile segment at 7:00, then a 1 mile bit at 6:45. Running that fast is a real shock, and I had trouble relaxing my shoulders and arms, as well as getting my legs to move fast enough. I’ll be glad when I can get back to doing these on the track in the fall, after the weather turns cooler.
The other tough run was Saturday’s long training run in Central Park. It was quite hot, with a dew point approaching 70%. I’d planned to do this as a marathon pace run: First 13 easy pace, last 7 marathon pace. It was obvious pretty early that I wouldn’t be able to hit that pace. So I ended up doing 2 miles very slow, then started working my pace down from 8:45 to 7:45, taking 5-10 seconds off per mile, then back up to 8:15 and the last few miles easy.
It felt like a failed run at the time, but when I got home and looked at my splits I realized that I managed to run 16+ miles at about 8-12% slower than marathon pace. So, while it wasn’t a marathon pace run, it was still a well-executed workout considering the course and conditions. I’d like to do more of the NYRR training runs. It was enjoyable to run with other people without the pressure of racing. There were enough people to run with, but not so many that it felt crowded. Everyone was very low key and there was plenty of water. I’m sure I took in more than I normally do on summer long runs; I certainly took it in more steadily, as compared to every five miles or so when I’m relying on stashed bottles between Bronxville and Valhalla.
The heat and humidity subsided yesterday and, at least in the morning, it was — yes, I’ll use this word: “delightful” — to be outside. That is really saying something, considering it’s August in New York. It seems pretty nice out there right now, where I’ll be heading in about 15 minutes. I hope it holds through to tomorrow morning at least, when I have my next session of hill repeats.
Complete non sequitur: My legs are becoming very shapely indeed.
Coming up in Fall Training Week 12: If this week is anything to go by, I’ll hit triple digits again. I’ve got a full dance card, with hills on Tuesday, a mid-week long run on Wednesday, an easy run with some miles at marathon pace on Friday, and then a mere 16 miles on Sunday.
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Actually, more hilarious than inspiring.
During yesterday’s evening run, I saw a squirrel dragging a 10″ long Italian hero loaf across the path; an amazing score from the tourist information center along the Bronx River Parkway (which was just nearby), or perhaps something that was thrown from a passing car.
The squirrel panicked when it saw me, assuming I was going to swoop in and grab its treasure. So I stopped and watched. Squirrel dragged the loaf, like a canoe, over the path and into the grass and safety of trees. I wonder what the squirrel will do with it.
We’re heading into the city for a 20 mile training run in Central Park. It doesn’t seem that bad out right now. But that will change. At least it’s not raining.
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After three back-to-back 90+ mile weeks, I took a week of recovery. I ran 70 miles over 11 sessions this week, many of them inside on the treadmill. The majority of those miles were at recovery pace, with two exceptions.
Aside from early Friday morning, which offered a few hours respite from what has been a multi-week stretch of heat index days at 90 or above, the weather was horrible. You better believe I took advantage of the cool and dry (relatively speaking) temps on Friday. I did some hard running outside that morning: 2 miles very easy, followed by 10 miles with alternating chunks at (well, almost at) my current marathon pace of 7:22.
I couldn’t quite hit 7:22 on most of the miles, but I wasn’t that far off. I do know that it just felt really good to run fast without feeling like a blanket soaked in hot molasses had been thrown over me. I wonder how many more heat and humidity-related analogies I can think up over the summer.
This morning I did 16 miles inside on the treadmill to avoid the thunderstorms and that too went very well. I did 2 miles very easy warmup pace followed by 14 at 8:20-8:30. My heart rate during those harder miles was a mere 70-72%. This is good, because in a week or two I again move my training paces downward from a 3:13 marathon to 3:10. I think I’ll be ready for it.
One of the advantages to training over the summer in New York is that the fall brings big surprises in terms of fitness gains. During last summer I was working on a mileage base rather than training for a fall race. I spent the whole summer running lots of miles at 70% heart rate, suffering through the heat and humidity, wondering if it was doing me any good. Then I ran a few races in the fall, when the weather had turned cooler, and I was completely blown away by how much faster I’d become. And this was with no race-specific training.
So whenever I start whining to myself during a miserably hot run, I remind myself that my hidden treasure awaits in a few months if I remain patient and keep the faith.
A look back at the week:
Total mileage: 70.2 miles
Paces this week:
I’ve got a minor issue with my left shin, a spot on the bone that is sometimes tender to the touch. I’m aware of it sometimes when I run — not a pain, really, but more just a spot that’s asserting itself. A stiffness, maybe. It’s a different sensation than I had with shinsplints last year.
I don’t want to screw around with things like possible stress fractures. So I’m icing it a few times a day. If it doesn’t go away, I’ll probably sacrifice some mileage in the coming weeks and if that still doesn’t help, I’ll go to the orthopedist.
Sort of reminds me of that stupid joke:
“Doctor, doctor, I have this strange pain on my shin.”
“When do you feel this strange pain?”
“When I press on it. What should I do?”
“Don’t press on it.”
This week my Swiss sunglasses (which Jonathan won in the Westchester Marathon last fall) began to fall apart. At $129 retail (and Swiss made, no less), I’d expect them not to fall apart. But even Krazy Glue was not up to the task of keeping the right lens from popping out with the slightest pressure applied while cleaning. So I’ll keep them as my “backup” glasses to throw in a gear bag. Too bad, because aside from the fact that they were a bit too dark and had frames that obstructed the ground view and had a tendency to fog up, I liked them. Er, maybe I didn’t like them that much, on second thought. To replace them, I ordered new ones from Zappos that have photosensitive lenses and are nearly as light as the dying Swiss pair. I hope they don’t fall apart in nine months, but at $62 I won’t be heartbroken if they do.
The NYC Half Marathon was run this morning. And I am glad I wasn’t there. Jesus, those people looked HOT, and I don’t mean “hey, baby” hot. I know that NYRR is planning to move it to another month. Good idea! July is the hottest month, usually. I’d consider running it during the fall or spring, or even winter, but not in high summer. At least it gave me something to watch during my long run this morning.
Coming up in Fall Training Week 11: Back up to 97ish miles and — weather and bodyclock permitting — a 20 mile marathon pace training run in Central Park at 7AM.
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Well, I’m in the thick of training now. This week was designed to be a little easier than last, although when you factor in the heat wave’s effects, I probably worked about as hard as last week. I just felt much worse doing it!
We’ve had temps in the 90s and dewpoints above 70, which means heat indices in the 100F range. Yoiks, that makes for some lame paces.
I did just over 96 miles with three hard workouts: hills on Wednesday, an easy run on Friday and a 22 miler today. The muscle soreness reported last week has eased off, although I did wake up at 3AM last night with it again, but not as severe as last week. I’m hoping this means it’s going to repeat last season’s pattern as something that shows up early in the training cycle, then disappears as my legs get used to the load.
No Billat surges on the Friday run since I wanted to preserve my legs for today. I still had trouble, mostly owing to the weather.
A look back at the week:
Total mileage: 96.1 miles
Paces this week:
I managed to get in the hill run before the worst of the heat wave took hold. I did them a bit slower this time around, with the net effect being that not only did I not have to walk during any of them, but my rest periods were slower and the repeat times completely consistent. In other words, my performance didn’t dramatically crater for the fifth and sixth repeat. That has to be good for something.
The long run today was a real bitch. I’d originally wanted to do 12 miles at easy pace followed by 10 at 105% x marathon pace. That plan quickly fell apart after mile 15. Oddly enough, my heart rate was in a very reasonable range, but my legs felt dead and I was out of breath (might have something to do with the heat, humidity and bad air quality). And this was inside on the treadmill. I can’t fathom how Jonathan managed to run 22 miles outside this morning.
I eased back on most of the remaining miles, running around 8:30 pace with the final two at a 9:40 crawl. At least I ran the whole 22, despite several attempts to talk myself out of it.
In other news, I registered for the first of two NYRR training runs in Central Park. I’ll be doing some marathon pace running on this one (if I go; at $7, I won’t feel too bad if I decide to bag the idea for one reason or another come August 2). It’s a good deal: race-like support and a crowd to pull me along. I do wonder how I’ll hack getting into town by the 7:00AM start. If I get DOMS again, maybe I’ll be up anyway!
Coming up in Fall Training Week 10: A much appreciated recovery week. Ahhh.
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Nice little article about the effects of heat and humidity from Gina Kolata in the New York Times yesterday. It mentions the Mini 10K I ran in last month, specifically how the conditions conspired to bring the finishing times to their lowest in 10 years. I feel somewhat vindicated now.
The forecast for this weekend is typical July in New York: oppressive steamroom with thunderstorms. I’m off to do a tempo run on the treadmill this morning, the first of many runs I’ll do inside in the coming days.
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The past two weeks featured lower mileage. Week 5 ended with a half marathon (for which lowering the mileage didn’t help; it was a dreadful race despite having been somewhat “rested” for it). Week 6 was a full recovery week.
We’re back into another heat wave, so I’ve spent lots of quality time with the treadmill for the past few days. I felt quite sluggish this past week, probably leftover fatigue from said race, but also the usual wacky hormonal ups and downs.
A look back at week 5:
Total mileage: 76.9 miles
And week 6:
Total mileage: 63.5 miles
Paces over both weeks:
These aging muscles really felt the lingering effects of the half marathon effort this week. I walked quite a bit on Tuesday, having spent most of the day with my friend Hillary and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Sophia, strolling around Central Park (including taking a load off for two go-rounds on the carousel).* It was interesting to experience the park from a perspective that doesn’t involve running fast and being in pain. Aside from the fact that it was fun to play hookey in a beautiful place with a friend on a work day, I think all the walking also helped recovery. Overall, I was grateful for the lower mileage (relatively speaking) and slower paces this week.
The party’s over for awhile starting tomorrow. The mileage goes right back up to 90 again. I had thought I’d do a Thursday evening 5K race in Van Cortlandt Park, but I’m going to reevaluate that idea based on what the weather does. No more hot weather races. If it’s still miserable then, I’ll take it inside and do a tempo run instead.
Next week caps the “base” phase. That’s followed by 6-7 weeks of “build,” during which I reintroduce the regular midweek long run and start adding in more marathon-pace running every week, along with the usual training runs (hills, intervals, etc.). And, of course, more miles. That phase leads up to a 4-5 week “peak” phase, followed by the taper, to bring me into mid-October as “race ready” as possible. It’s still over three months away, but I’m starting to feel excited about this next race. Let’s hope I can sustain that interest over the coming weeks, when I will surely need the occasional boost to my motivation.
Coming up in Fall Training Week 7: The mileage pops back up to 90. In there is another set of hill repeats, either a tempo run or a 5K race, a midweek and weekend long run, and lots and lots and lots of recovery miles.
*The trip to the carousel yielded one of those wonderful “only in New York City” exchanges. We noticed that there was no brass ring and asked a ticket taker about it. His response was, “Brass Ring? Oh. They just moved it to Brooklyn.”
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Two wildly divergent views on what Central Park has to offer runners.
First, the good from the New York Times. Includes a very handy interactive map.
Next, the bad from New York Magazine, regarding the tensions between walkers, dog owners, runners and cyclists. Can’t we all just get along?
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Races Like a Girl 