Of Mice and Marathons

Flourtown Tempo Loop - 20 miles, averaged 6:48 w/ 10 mile aerobic tempo

Final Big Workout: Warmed up about an hour easy moderate (7:14 pace), then 10-mile tempo in 1:03:48 (6:23 average), then cooled down to 20. I ended up walking for a bit because I was feeling really good and worried I might try to continue. I finished feeling better than I ever have. I got the effort I needed and 20 miles. No sense to keep pushing 3 weeks out. I've done that and you get burned. Saved it for the race.

Weather was ideal . . . for character building. 44 degrees with rain and windy (feels like 38 degrees). It was cold and soggy but manageable and my breathing was really solid during the tempo. Legs weren't snappy but they moved. A perfect way to be at this point. Very pleased with my fitness.

Splits: 6:26, 6:28, 6:25, 6:24, 6:22, 6:21, 6:20, 6:21, 6:21, 6:19

I resisted the urge to really push in the second half. Kept the effort right while still runningn the paces I wanted. A very good workout today.

College Hill Loop - 7.5 miles easy, no watch

Felt very good today, but still kept it very easy. Cold and very windy. Glad I decided to do the workout yesterday instead of today.

AM: Forbidden Drive (SE) - 10.25 miles, averaged 8:06. Did some strides.

PM: Treadmill - 4.5 miles in 34:04. Did 4 x 1 minute on/off @ 10.6-10.8. Funny how 5 x 1 mile around the same pace on the roads somehow feels much easier.

AM: Forbidden Drive (NW) - 11 miles, averaged 7:51.

Stopped off at the track a little after 8 miles and did 6 x 200 in ~37 seconds. Warm and sunny.

PM: Neighborhood loop - 4.25 miles, averaged 8:12

AM: Forbidden Drive (SE) - 10.5 miles, averaged 7:39. Did a few strides.

PM: Off

AM/Lunch: Flourtown Tempo Loop - 13.25 miles total

This workout has beeen brought to you by 4 Dogfish 90 Minute IPAs the night before.

4.25 mile warm up with a half mile at marathon pace, followed with a few strides and some half-hearted drills while still warming up. Soggy and and a little bit of wind. Decided to run the tempo loop  in the easier direction (which still features some slight grades)

All week I wasn't sure what the workout was going to be, but I knew it was LT-focused. Decided I have done plenty of 1 and 2 mile repeats and needed an honest LT effort so I went with a 5-mile tempo, which I don't think I've ever done on the roads. Usually I do it on the treadmill (which works really, really well). Goal was to run no slower than 29:30, but 29:15 seemed more sensible given current fitness and 29 flat wasn't out of the question given that I ran some of the fastest mile repeats I've ever run (by far) 2 weeks ago and figured 5-8 seconds slower average sounded about right.

5-mile LT tempo in 28:59 (5:48 average)

Splits: 5:49, 5:49, 5:48, 5:48, 5:44

Effort was right on as the last minute and a half was getting difficult but not impossible.

4 mile cool down

PM: Treadmill next to Megan - 5 miles in 38:29

Forbidden Drive (NW) - 10 miles, averaged 7:44

Wissahickon Valley Trails - 10.75 miles, averaged 8:08. Did 6 x 200 strides on the track in 36.5

I finally found the Secret Indian. He's not so secret now that many of the leaves are gone.

Germantown Ave to Forbidden Drive to Wiss Bike Trail (o&b) - 18 miles, averaged 7:24

Did just a couple few minute segments after 10 miles at marathon pace. Nothing to count for quality miles, just a little pace changing to stay sharp.

Treadmill - 7 miles. Not sure the time as I paused it to let Megan in and the mill reset. About 38 minutes for 5, then another 14 and change for 2 miles with strides.

AM/Lunch: 8.25 miles, averaged 8:01. Did half a set of strides. A half-hearted run all around.

PM: 5 miles, averaged 7:38. Did 8 x 200 on the track in 38 seconds. Didn't try to kill them, just got about a second faster on each.

AM: 8 miles, averaged 7:36. Did some strides. Felt pretty good.

Shirtless on Nov 12. That's probably the last one.

PM: Treadmill - 5 miles in 37:57

Flourtown Tempo Loop - 13.75 miles total

10 Day Out Workout 10k Wave Tempo

Coach Bam gave me this one about a year and a half ago and I did it before Sugarloaf. It is supposed to be a 12k tempo, but you are guaranteed to work plenty 10k total quality miles at this stage in a buildup. I pulled the last set. When I did it before I pulled it after starting the first k of the last set.

Warmed up 3.5 with just two strides (needed to do 4 miles up with a half mile at MP as usual but didn't)

Goal was around 5:50-5:55 for the HMP ks and 6:18-6:23 for the MP ks.

(HMP, MP) (times are in min/mile)

Set 1 (5:52, 6:26)

Set 2 (5:59, 6:20)

Set 3 (5:59, 6:14)

Set 4 (6:03, 6:19)

Set 5 (6:03, 6:15)

6:09 averaged for 10k w/ 5:59 average for HMP and 6:19 average for MP. Got faster on the marathon pace and slower on the half marthon pace. This is a deceptively hard workout. Legs felt like lead today. Fairly typical for the final workout. Hoping for the best in 10 days though.

4 mile cool down with some strides.

Probably need to think about tapering rather than just knocking a few miles of my morning runs as I did this week, so it's afternoon off, baby double tomorrow, off on Saturday, and the usual 7 days to marathon stuff Sunday to Saturday.

AM: 6.25 miles, averaged 7:37. Felt really good.

First day in hat and gloves. About 36 degrees, sunny, and glorious!

PM: Off. Megan and Oliver are on watch making sure I don't eat everything in the house. Taper, taper, writing on (student) papers.

Day off. Taper.

Germantown Ave to Forbidden Dr up Valley Green - 13 miles, averaged 7:14. Did some strides.

Kept the run pretty steady at 6:50-7:10 once I got to Forbidden Drive and for the first 8 miles or so before doing strides. The idea was to stay sharp without doing a workout and to put a nice layer of anti-freeze on my lungs because it should be cold next weekend and I haven't had a ton of colder weather running this fall. Should be plenty of chilly air this week to help continue to adapt.

College Hill Loop (short version) - 6.25 miles, averaged 7:47

6 miles, averaged 7:24. Did a few strides. Feeling good.

Flourtown Tempo Loop - 9 miles, averaged 6:55

Dress Rehersal 3 mile tempo in 18:39 (6:05, 6:17, 6:17). Felt okay for this point in a taper.

Went with the no look method on the first one. I knew I was too fast based on effort but I couldn't bear the thought of looking at the split and seeing a 6:30 and have the effort on the edge of AT (stupid). I do that every time even though I knew exactly what pace it would be. Stupid me. Reeled it back in and monitored the next two miles and those felt slow. I imagine starting at 6:25-6:30 will feel really comfortable.

Goal is to have 6:15-6:23 as my cruising speed once I get beyond mile 10-12 or so. I've decided to wear my Garmin in the marathon rather than my Timex so I can keep an eye on things, and hopefully get in a group so I don't have to keep too close an eye on it.

Short an easy the next three days with some strides sprinkled in.

5 miles, averaged 7:33

Wyndmoor - 4 miles, averaged 7:24. Did some strides. Feeling good.

I'd like to copy this guy on Sunday, but we shall see.

4 miles, averaged 8:11. Did some brief pickups around goal pace to a bit faster.

Feeling the best I ever have before a marathon. Not stale, feeling fresh, which doesn't mean much other than I go into the race with a better positive attitude than I usually do and hope for the best.

Went to the expo and got my bib. #504. I also found a lucky penny before catching the train. I started finding lucky pennies the day before key races Philly RnR 2013. I'm not superstitious, but it gives me something to do.

Good race for me. Good PR. ~21 second negative split. Report to follow.

Report

After really having a tough time in Boston this April, I wanted to get my marathon PR for the year, particularly on a non-aided course (previous PR was on a net drop of ~500 feet). I was embarrassed by that performance in Boston because I thought it made my goals going into it look arrogant, but the heat really got to me that day.

I've never felt better in a taper or during a marathon. All week I felt really good. Never felt stale. I took a day off a week out from the race rather than closer to it to avoid that. That (or something else) worked. I wanted to run in the 2:45 range at the fastest but knew I probably didn't have that based on workouts and 2:46-low to 2:48-high was probably a sensible target because that's what most of my workouts were.

Had a good breakfast with 2 pieces of toast and jam and two bananas. Coffee and about 20 oz of water. Popped a salt cap, which I have never used, but may have helped make my race today.

Got in about 3/4 of a mile of warm up and managed to find some porta-potties for last minute bathroom stop given that I probably haven't run much before 9:00AM or 10:00AM all fall.

Lined up and didn't feel too nervous, and I tried to keep telling myself "we are going to have a good day." The first few miles are in the city and I tried not to weave too much (I still did a little). I kept a light eye on my Garmin and clicked off some splits as I planned. The first 6-6.5 miles are in Center City, so you go by the Liberty Bell and the like. Miles 1-7: 6:34, 6:34, 6:28, 6:30, 6:27, 12:49 (6:26). Took a gel a bit after 10k. 10k split 40:12 (6:28). Effort felt almost easy, but on reflection the effort was EXACTLY where it needed to be (future Jason take note)

Crossed the bridge into University City and West Philadelpha ("born and raised . . . on the playgound . . ."). This is where the hills are. They do slow you, but they aren't significant because you get it back on the down stretch. The Zoo is over here as is Penn. Miles 8-12: 6:33, 6:16, 6:32, 6:14, 6:26  (you can see in the first 4 miles of this section where the ups and downs are!). Since I live in the hilly, extreme outer sections of the city, these hills were small potatoes but I ran them by effort and kept off my watch.

Back toward the Art Museum for the halfway point and out to Manyunk to the turn around and 20-mile mark. Felt very good, but had another gel. I was able to see Megan and hear her among the crowds. I hammed it up for the camera. Hit the halfway as planned in 1:24:24 (6:26). Miles 13-20: 6:22, 6:20, 6:21, 6:25, 6:25, 6:22, 12:48 (6:24). I started picking it up as you can see, trying to knock off some splits in the teens but didn't want to get hit by my famous side stitches. Took a salt cap around 16-17 miles and half a gel around mile 18. I was still feeling good but could tell I was getting tired. Legs still felt decent. I could see the faster runners coming the other way starting at mile 17 or so.

Headed back down Kelly Drive from Manyunk back into Center City. I tried my best here to really pour it on but I was able to just save face, which was sufficient today (and heck if you just maintain in the last 10k you had a really good day). A bit of light, but unwanted wind in the final miles. Miles 21-26.2: 6:20, 6:18, 6:30, 6:27, 6:27, 7:56 (6:26 for 1.2).

My legs started to lock around 25-25.5, which should indicate I ran right on. Around this time I asked the crowd for a little support whipping up my arms and yelling at them. They responded, I would dig in, and my legs would lock. I'd do it again. I had a good time with them, but I stopped short of yelling "Do I have to go to Boston to get some real crowds?"

I finished and recovered pretty quickly with only a mild, delayed coughing fit.

I split the race 1:24:24/1:23:58 for a 26 second negative split, a overall PR of 4 minutes and 30 seconds and a non-aided PR of about 10+ minutes from my Boston blowup. I'm very happy about my race today. My second successful marathon of 5. Fortunate to have great blog support, Megan's incredible support, and the time and health to do this.

Thanks to Sasha for continuing to operate the blog. I've knocked 48 minutes of my time in 3 years. Not bad, especially considering I won't ever get to say that again :-)

One of me pointing to the camera and one where Megan caught my good side going into the finish :-)

Day off. Legs are fairly sore. Not as bad as my first one but much worse than the other three.

I'll be sticking with my one week rest period after a marathon as I have done for the last two. This rest period is perfectly timed given that it is Thanksgiving week and Megan and I are headed to Maine.

I haven't set plans for spring, but I know I am doing my five week recovery (including the off week), then 6-8 weeks of base. Not sure if there is a spring marathon in there. Megan wants me to pace her for a BQ, so it's possible I'll do that at Glass City at the end of April and then throw down a screamer at Sugarloaf. I have scoped out a number of shorter races to shake the icicles off in February and March.

Rest day. Legs are loosening up. Probably go for a long walk later to stretch out.
 

Day off. Drove to Maine with Megan and Oliver. It stormed a bit and traveling was slow but I took it easy and we were fine. Legs are still a little sore! It's in the quads, which are never sore so it makes sense that it's taking time to recover. No trot for me again this year. I'll make sure it happens next year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rest day. Lots of indulgences and thanks.

Rest day. Watched my cousin play basketball. I think he scored about 30 points.

Drove back from Maine with Megan and a very grumpy Oliver. Dad sent me home with a bunch of vension. If I hadn't eaten so much in the last 3 or 4 days I would have had a venison steak and egg breafast. Maybe next weekend.

Back to the roads tomorrow. Weather looks to be warmer than when we left (40-50 degrees). 60 degrees tomorrow!

4 weeks of recovery and rebuilding before a base period starts today. Still not sure about spring racing plans but it's early. I just like to have a plan so I can fit different periods of running together so it is focused. I might try to run a sizable half marathon PR while working on bringing my 5k and 10k times down.

Last rest day. I am guessing Forbidden Drive has missed me.