Of Mice and Marathons

AM/Lunch: 8.4 miles, averaged 10:40. HR 121.

PM: 8.3 miles, averaged 9:52. HR 127.

Weekly mileage PR Monday to Sunday of 113.3. Two strong workouts and a hill blast session. Thinking I’ve turned a corner. Last twoish weeks were a little rough. 8 weeks to race day.

Late: AIS and PT

AM: 8.4 miles, averaged 9:04. HR 131.

6 degrees. Really did not want to get up early and go out, but I did. Bit of ice here and there but manageable.

PM: 8 miles in 72' on the treadmill. HR 139.

Same overall pace, but at 2% in the gym. It's definitely harder inside this time of year. Felt good today.

Lunch: 8.7 miles, averaged 8:53. HR 136.

PM: 8 miles in 76' on the treadmill HR 139.

Moved midweek workout to tomorrow afternoon. It was very cold and the wind was blowing hard and I had the worst night of sleep in years, coupled with the onset of a cold. We were supposed to get a small amount of fast accumulating snow and I didn't want to get halfway through it and not be able to finish and also not be able to do it tomorrow if I ran faster today. Overall, I figured the results would not have been what I wanted.

It was likely a smart idea as I spent much of the afternoon in bed after running. So much for a productive day working from home. Thankful to be able to just take a day and crash though.

AM: Off.

Was planning a short shakeout, but slept in to try to kill the cold. Will try to get the workout in later today.

PM: 17 miles, averaged about 7:40. HR 158.

10 x 1k w/ 3' Recoveries

The weather wasn't much better than yesterday. Higher winds in fact.

The purpose of this workout was to start the first few reps at 10-mile effort and for the last 7-8 to be at 10k effort to get the legs prepared for some of the Canova-style kilometer intervals with floats (with the intervals being slightly faster than MP). Admittedly, the recovery was quite long, but I kept them around 8' pace, when I would normally be content to just shuffle as slow as I felt like. Typically I would do 90' recovery for this workout and do them around LT. But not during marathon training.

Ended up pushing through the workout but never felt great, certainly not as strong as last week's 9 x 1 mile, which was actually a better performance. I imagine it was the mild cold I have, which seem to affect my running more than they used to.

I was hoping to start in the 5:50ish range per mile and then cut down through the 5:40 range, but I wasn't even close.

Splits: 3:51, 3:50, 3:47, 3:45, 3:42, 3:40, 3:43, 3:42 3:42, 3:41

About 6:01 average, which I think is exactly what I did for 9 x 1 mile with the same recovery last week. I was also running about this pace (as I recall) for 12 x 1k with THIRTY SECONDS recovery in November. I guess it is just mileage, but it looks awful on paper.

My goal will change with the workouts over the next few weeks, but I think even running a PR will be difficult. Getting under back under 2:50 is the provisional goal. I will know better when I try my 13-mile tempo @ 6:30 pace this weekend.

Late: AIS and PT

AM: 8.4 miles, averaged 10:05. HR 126.

PM: 8.5 miles, averaged 9:48. HR 121. First few w/ Megan.

Slept in a bit this morning to kill the cold. The most bizzare dreams lately.

AM: Oakland Spin Class for 80’. HR 132.

Good effort. Busted up my cold a bit. Was going to run at lunch but I took and early long nap that crossed that off. I was planning to triple anyway, so that’s okay.

PM: 10.4 miles, averaged 9:27. HR 130.

Off.

I flared up my cold in solid fashion. Moved to more of a head cold, which I haven't had for two years, at which time I had three in a row and it killed my running. Did not want to take the day off, but realized any running at all would not help anything (other than anxiety of having to take days off at this stage in a marathon). Can't really do much work either, and I need to grade. Slept a bit in the middle of the day with the aid of some nightime medicine.