Good luck out there this weekend!
Ran that back in 2022 and had a blast. Toughest place for me had to be the highway section and coming through Manhattan.
Good luck out there this weekend!
Ran that back in 2022 and had a blast. Toughest place for me had to be the highway section and coming through Manhattan.
OrangeSoda: This 20 w/10MP is a solid "predictor" kind of workout.
This is your first marathon so you will eventually be running at a pace and a distance that you have never experienced before. It's so much easier to predict a second marathon than it is to predict a first marathon! Even if you don't do exactly this workout, spending some time at MP is probably a good idea to get used to running at that pace while also curbing your enthusiasm to blow through it. MP feels great until it doesn't. Looking forward to seeing your successful debut.
Male, 55, 5'7, 141 lbs
Short term: Training for 4/21 10km at VDOT 48
Longer term: Get back to VDOT 50 for a December marathon PR
Current Level: Leveling up! VDOT 48
Some fine vibes across the Strava-verse this week. People are puttin’ in the work!
My week:
Right around 60k. I know for my best 10k I could be doing more volume, but I just don’t want to. I’m in a less volume, higher intensity mood. I want this cycle to feel different from marathon training and it does.
Three “quality” days last week including
Monday: 6 x 1 min “Repetition” pace. I had this scheduled for Tuesday (7x1), but moved it to Monday AM because of Thursday’s race. That came on the heels of Threshold work the day before. I hit the paces, but I felt the fatigue and decided to only do 6.
Thursday: 5K. 20:50: It doesn’t look spectacular, but definitely an accomplishment for me. Y’all spoke and I listened. On lap 3, I was about 4 seconds behind pace, and instead of saying “OOoops, not my day.” I said “No no no, not this early.” I goosed it to get back on pace, then settled in. There was a pack of four guys about 80 meters ahead of me. I focused on getting closer every straightaway, promising myself “I can rest once I get on the back of that train.” It was probably the backstretch of lap 6 or 7 when I finally caught them. When I got there, there wasn’t any need to rest because I was really just running my goal pace so I passed and dialed back in. The last four laps didn’t suck as much mentally as the race three weeks ago because I knew what to expect. My mind was actually really quiet. Just… “OK, now do it again. OK, now do it again.” I pushed, but stayed under control. Last lap was my fastest. In terms of age grading, that was the second best race of my 25 year adult running career (73.4%). So, yeah, thanks for the push. I would not have done either of those 5ks if I hadn’t come back to this community.
Sunday: Hilly 15.5K mostly zone 2 with 8x400 meter surges to Threshold pace. I’m glad I did it, but I was starting to get a feeling of being overcooked. Need to turn down the heat for a few days. 5 more weeks until my 10k.
I know we're going to have some race results this week and I'm looking forward to hearing how everyone performed.
Snuck under 1:20, or maybe the better phrasing would be grinded it out! That course is no joke. Thanks all for the well-wishes and the thread of course — it keeps me motivated and I definitely learn from everyone else's training. Full report later!
"Hurt so good. Come on baby, make it hurt so good." -John Mellencamp
M - 9 w/ 3x1.5 @ 6:07-6:11. Was supposed to be 4 but like Coach Jeff I was trying to squeeze stuff in early before a race and this was the 4th workout in 7 days and last week was my highest mileage in over a year, so I bailed on the last rep.
T - off
W - 12 w 9 @ 6:26
T - 6
F - 8
S - 5
S - 15 w/ half marathon in 1:20:02. Couldn't quite pull out the sub 80 like thoughtsleader. First race in 4.5 years. Negative split by ~40s. Feel like I executed where my fitness is pretty well even though I lack practice. Glad to get the race monkey off my back before the full one in 6 weeks.
Total = 55
(hi - I wrote a novel)
Orange Soda - Welcome! With regard to your marathon - I think you have sufficient speed and strength to run 2:45, but I'm a bit cautious about going for it this time around. First marathons are always a trip into the unknown, and IME they tend to be more challenging for people with good speed, as they don't comprehend just how "not straining" marathon effort needs to be. And the hills just compound this (the placement of the hills is also a factor - early? late? Gentle rolling hills that flatten out is a much easier course than downhill for the first 16 before hitting the climbs late in the race).
Also, one thing I don't see from your workouts is what the days before looked like. Running workouts the day after an easy and short run is very different then running them on tired legs. When marathon training, I like to do my long runs the day after running 10-12 miles at easy pace so that my legs already have some fatigue baked in (and then take the day AFTER the long run very easy, to absorb the gains)
I agree with everyone else that doing some marathon pace/marathon effort (I run by feel, not pace, hence the difference in terms) would be very helpful. I will caution that if you run 5-6 miles at "marathon pace" and then have to stop, put your hands on your knees, and catch your breath -- that was NOT marathon pace. It definitely needs to be more controlled than that.
FWIW, I personally think that any first time marathoner should start their race targeting a time 5-10 minutes slower than what they think they can run, based on their training. Then, if they get to 20 and feel good - pick it up. You can run a REALLY good first marathon this way - it won't be the absolute fastest you could run, but it's really hard to get a marathon just right - and harder yet for a first time marathoner.
beers and miles - you have been on quite the weather roller coaster. Hope things have smoothed out. And yes, the Adios Pro 3 upper is awful. Adidas has truly lost their way with the uppers, sadly.
Working Harder - hope you got to go skiing!
Thoughtsleader - great job! I am so sad that they did away with the old course that finished near Wall Street. I know the new course is rough.
Coach Jeff - awesome job on the 5K. I am really proud of you, and happy for you as well!
Gordon Tremesko - great job on the half! Oh so close!
Runner Sam - you asked about goals....yup, I turn 50 in early May (after Broad Street, unfortunately) and I am really looking forward to that jump up in age groups. Age group competition sucks when your age ends in a 9, especially when it's 10 year groups (there's been a few times in the past year that I just missed an age group award, but would have won the 50-54 or 50-59). But of course, everybody takes their turn at the top and the bottom of the age group.
BTW, this is probably also the best time to let you guys know that I have an additional group to compete in that I'm oddly excited about. Admittedly it's a bad news/good news thing. Essentially, a bit over a year ago I learned that my "Runner's Dystonia" was actually young onset Parkinson's disease, and so I've been learning how to manage that and run with it ever since.
[BTW, PD is progressive, but very slowly progressive, and the best thing for it is LOTS of exercise. It's also not something that shortens one's life expectancy at this point, due to all the advances in treatment over the past 20 years. So it's not a great situation, but things could also be MUCH worse. It's also pretty nice to have a doctor who wants you to run and workout as much as possible.]
So that's the bad news. The good news is that now I'm eligible to be classified as a para-athlete, and hopefully that will happen in Boston a few days before the marathon. If and when I get classified, then my entry will be moved into the "para-athlete" division at Boston - complete with separate start and substantial prize money for the top 3 finishers. Which I'm really excited about.
So that's my other competitive goal - be really competitive in the Women's T35-38 division when and where it's offered (again, if I get classified, since nothing is ever certain). (And no, the Paralympics are not an option, because they don't offer anything longer than 400m for women's T-35-38.)
I'm also trying to get back to over 80% age graded. A few years ago when I was running well, I was anywhere between 83-87% age graded, depending on distance. Now I'm around 76-78%. But I keep thinking that 80% is not that far away, and I think I can get there with some focused work.
Also, my week:
Female, 49, 5'4", 106
Lifetime/Masters PRs 5:25/18:51/38:56/1:02:28/1:24:08/2:57:42
Recent best times: 5K in 21:08, 10 miles in 1:10:19, half-marathon in 1:33:20, Marathon in 3:20:29
Upcoming races: Boston Marathon (April)
72 miles running, 1000 yards swimming, and 90 minutes pool-running.
M: 8 miles very easy (9:34) and streaming yoga.
Tu: 11.5 miles, including a track workout of 7x800 in 3:36, 3:36, 3:30, 3:25, 3:21, 3:17, 3:14 (recoveries mostly at 2:1x-2:3x; one outlier at 3 minutes). Followed with leg strengthwork. Sports massage in afternoon.
W: 90 minutes pool-running, 500 yards swimming, and upper body weights/core. .
Th: 9 miles very easy on trails (9:52); streaming pilates in evening.
F: 10 miles, including a tempo on the track in 28:06 (7:12/7:04/6:59/6:51), followed by a relaxed 2x200 in 51 and 50 seconds. Then leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.
Sa: 12 miles very easy (9:12) (in Sub-6:00's favorite place - the Arboretum) followed by upper body weights/core.
Su: 21 miles progressive, split as the first 7 miles averaging 9:17 pace, the next 7 miles averaging 8:21 pace, and the next 7 miles averaging 7:35 pace, plus a 1/2 mile cooldown. Followed with injury prevention work.
This was my peak week of Boston training, and I was pretty happy with it, especially the Friday and Sunday workouts, both of which felt smooth and controlled. I'm only doing one 20+ mile long run this cycle, but I honestly think at this point I only need one. And I really believe that as we get older it's really important to only do as many workouts as you need.
Also, because I'm sure it will get some questions - Tuesday's interval workout was not intended to be that sharp a cut-down. It's just that the workout started on an unlit track before the sun rose, and I find it really hard to run fast in the dark. As the sun rose, my splits got faster.
M-25. Goal Race: Marathon @ 2:45 (ish?)
Mon - 7 easy
Tue - 7 easy
Wed - 9mi progression avg 6:03 (618/6:15/6:11/607/603/600/556/552/ 5:49). Felt better as I went on, but tired from 18 a few days before.
Thu - 7 easy
Fri - 6 easy
Sat - 6 easy
Sun - AM: 3x2mi (1min r) @ 6:00 // PM: 7x1200 (1min r) avg 4:20 [17 total]
Week Total: 62 miles
Double T felt pretty smooth this week. Would have liked to have been a bit higher mileage overall, but work and tired legs did me in. Will probably shoot for 70-75 next week with a 20miler as my last big long run.
Male, 30, 6'4", 150 lbs
Races: Marathon 4/14/24
Mn - 8.25 @ 7:20s
Tu - 20' @ 6:05s + WU/WD = 7.75
Wd - 5 @ 7:50s
Th - 11 @ 7:20s
Fr - 7 @ 7:15s + 4 Strides
Sa - 5k in 17:32 + WU/WD = 8.25
Su - 20 @ 7:10s
Total - 67
Notes - Happy with a hillier than normal tempo on Tuesday. On Saturday, similar to last year at this race, I wasn't sure the type of shape I was in so I went out at a harder effort but fell apart some via 5:29 5:47 5:39. Last year it was 5:26 5:39 5:28. Happy enough with it, got to talk to TheStoneCutter some prior to the race, great guy, always a pleasure, he had a bunch of athletes in the race that he coaches. I was happy with the LR on Sunday, didn't go into it with a real plan but kept the effort moderate, middle 10 miles included some hills/trails (1000' elv total) and the first and last 5 were just under 7 pace. Now that my work test (Wd) is behind me I am going to up the mileage until a seven day taper before the marathon.
Coach Jeff ROC - Great race! glad you were able to rally after falling off some early, that is tough to do.
ThoughtsLeader/ Gordon Tremeshko - Great races! I got to catch the stream of the elites on TV. Glad you were able to feel the pain of racing again GT, nothing like running just over a time barrier to keep the fire going.
Darkwave - That is some tough news, I guess you have been working through it over the past year. I'm glad you already have an athletic lifestyle. My race over the weekend was a USATF midatlantic series race where all the clubs compete via age grading, plus age group placing is more coveted than a typical race. We have a few 50-59 women and I figured that you place pretty well in comparison. The 80%+ is a good goal.
OrangeSoda - Another good week.
M, 46, 6'1", some shape
Races: nothing on the schedule yet. Probably 5k goal mid May
M - off
T - 5.5 w/ 25' tempo @5kish effort (hilly route)
W - 3.5 easy
T - 4.75 w/ a dozen 20"x90" fartlek
F - ski day. woke up to a foot of fresh and it continued all day with another foot. knee deep in the glades all day long
S - 4 easy
S - 5.5 easy
still just slowly finding a groove. hip is still kicking back a bit which is why i didn't even bother with anything "long" this week. I'll give it a few more weeks and if it doesn't improve guess i'll need to see about some imaging. Got a couple gym sessions in too which will start to be a more regular thing moving forward. Ski season is probably wrapped for me now so back to more of a running focus.
Coach - Great work on that 5k!
DW - great week and interesting take on the long run. be very curious to see how that works out for you. i've had that thought but as someone that's really believed in long runs with loads of quality i haven't had the stones to put it in practice. probably just still the denial stage of getting old.
Edit - Tuesday was not 5kish effort, more like HM to M effort.
Male, 31, 6'0", 125 lbs
Race: Mad City 50K
Goal: 2:50-52
Week of March 17:
M: 5.25 @ 7:21 avg
T: 11.01 @ 7:19 avg
W: AM: 6.01 miles @ 7:39 avg
PM: 3 mile W/U 6x 1 mile w/ 2 min jog recovery, 3.12 down
TH: 11.38 @ 7:14 avg
F: 10 miles @ 7:35 avg
S: 9 miles @ 7:22 avg
Sun: 24.01 miles @ 6:32 avg w/ last 6 @ 50K effort
Total: 90.41 miles
Back in Ohio and thankfully the weather was fairly nice this week! Staying on 7 days of running again to make the weekly targets much more manageable.
Wednesday:
Had to push out my workout to the afternoon due to some early work conflicts. With our local track now closed due to construction I took to one of my old workout loops next to our run club. The loop is a .69 loop that has some a couple sharp turns where I have to jump on and off side walks and into the street. Thankfully no mishaps and I managed to put together something decent. I was really worried about being able to knock this one out but I was able to get into a fairly nice rhythm and put together my best workout on this loop.
Splits: 5:04-5:02-4:59-4:58-4:57-4:55
Recovery: 2 minutes @ 7:45-8 min avg
Sunday:
Kept a pretty tame St. Patricks Day weekend with this run hanging over my head. Had a pretty good morning breakfast set up (2 grilled cheeses, coffee, Maurten 320, Maurten bar) and while I felt slightly bloated in the first four miles this ended up helping out later in the run. Ran the first 4 miles solo before meeting up with some pals for miles 4-12.5. Maurten gel at mile 5 and then Espresso Love Gus every 4 miles or so. Started the first 13.5 in Cloud Monsters and then put on Alpha Fly 3s for the final 10.5 We had a nasty wind hitting so I decided to do an out and back. With the workout starting at 18 I knew I'd be running the first .75 of the workout into the win with a slight uphill but would be rewarded coming back. Quickly dropped around 6:15-6:20 for the first couple miles before kicking off the workout. The first mile was a bit slow but I expected that to be the case and looking at the gap it was right on 5:30. Focused on settling into a grove for the next two knowing the final 3 miles would have some rolling and I'd be faced with a big hill over the last mile. Came off the hill at 5:45 pace so the last 4 minutes was me ripping pretty strong to get under 5:30. Looking at the GAP paces, the effort definitely feels right in line with those splits. Was really proud of my ability to stay engaged and still have some life in me at mile 24 with 90 miles on the legs that week.
Final 6 Mile Splits (GAP): 5:36 (5:30), 5:29 (5:30), 5:24 (5:26), 5:24 (5:24), 5:27 (5:21), 5:25 (5:11)
After bombing two long run workouts in a row this was a nice change and definitely a confidence builder. I rerolled my bad foot accidentally stepping in a hole 200 meters into my Saturday run so I just need to make sure I don't reaggravate it more than it is. It doesn't bother my stride but sharp turns are not fun.
Also a side note, I think I prefer my Vaporfly 2 over the Alpha Fly 3. I'm able to be much more aggressive with the V2 than I am with the A3. The upper on the A3 is incredible but it feels more like a slap on the ground rather than a pop that I get from the V2 if that makes sense. The Vaporfly 3 is still trash to me though at faster paces. May need to get a fresh pair of Vaporfly 2's or gamble on getting a pair of Alpha Fly 1's for the first time.
M35, 5'10/155
SBs: 5:09 (hilly ~ 80' gain mile)/23:32/1:19:53
Upcoming: Boston
Thanks all for the kind words, some comments on your stuff later
Week was not much of note as I mini-tapered for the Half:
M: 6.66E
TU: 6E
W: 6.5 ft. 4x1000, 2x400 w/ 1'rest. Averaged a pretty easy feeling 3:40is pace on the 1,000s, and then up to 5:30 pace on the 400s
TH: 6.5E
F: 6.5E
S: 3.6E
SU: NYC Half 1:19:53 (59s PB, and locked in 2025Q of Sub-1:23 for NYCM)
Pre-Race: Not much sleep per usual, but I did get 2 decent chunks in the night, and had slept well in the week ahead of it. Watched The Ten replay (no spoilers) when I woke up about 30 mins early and wasn't gonna be able to get any more sleep. Men's race pretty sweet. Made my subway, dropped my bag off, and had about 50' from there. Jogged pre-security for a little over a mile. Went to port-o line but bailed thinking Corrals would be better, which was correct. Used various getting to the start/bathroom moments to do strides, drills etc. I was concerned a few weeks ago about the shoes (Adios Pro 2), but got in a good workout and generally figured out lockdown/stability with them. Turned out to be a complete non-issue.
Splits
| Mile | Time |
| 1 | 6:18
| 2 | 5:57
| 3 | 5:57
| 4 | 5:55
| 5 | 6:14
| 6 | 5:54
| 7 | 6:13
| 8 | 6:06
| 9 | 6:06
| 10 | 6:14
| 11 | 6:06
| 12 | 6:05
| 13 | 6:50 (1.1)
Race: I posted up right next to the 1:20 pacer as this was my goal, and on a hilly/tough course I figured this would keep me in check. The first mile was pretty frantic. More zigzagging that I'd like to not get stuck running 6:30 pace. Some erratic running by people in front, and a U turn early on before it had really strung out. It was an uphill mile too. I didn't panic when I saw 6:18 stopping my watch. It had felt pretty easy and I trusted the pacer would step it up for the next few downhill ones. Mile 2 captured the beginning of the long hill in Prospect Park (with a lot of downhill before), and mile 3 had the rest of it before a long downhill. So sub-6 on mile 3 was pretty quick even as a net downhill mile. Very quickly we were ahead of schedule (6:06 pace). I felt the PP hill for sure, but the downhill/flat sections allowed for recovery. Mile 4 also quick, flat and downhill. Mile 5 and the endless Manhattan bridge incline. This felt tough, and I was working to run this in 6:14. Fortunately again I hit the downhill in time mentally/physically and just cruised it getting most of the time back. After finishing the bridge we went into Manhattan I grabbed a water and then a gel from the station and started to feel like I needed fluids at each possible moment as the sun/heat rolled in. Got the gel down. Mile 7 was slower for me, mostly I think as I took the gel, a decent number of turns and the pacer slowed down. Mile 8 and FDR, I was officially concerned the pacer was not doing the assignment and was backing down to 6:10 miles. Either way I went 6:06/6:06 for the next 2 mostly flat/downhill miles. Was generally moving up place-wise. It was a bit frustrating doing so much solo running on such a windy section, but it felt like nobody was keeping a consistent pace. Since I hit the same split to the second...I evidently was. Mile 10 had the last sustained uphill and this is where the race got super-hard for me. I hit 6:14, but exiting FDR and heading across 42nd-Times Square and then the Park, I was definitely feeling it including some fleeting stomach issues. Somewhere in mile 11, that 1:20 pacer passed me. I focused on just keeping him in sight as miles 11 and 12 on rolling sections were steady if labored 6:06 and 6:05. I was losing distance, but not much from him and some others. But I was hurting and the Central Park uphills I'd usually ignore were now cruel and daunting. I started to bargain, you know all that stuff. But no I wasn't gonna walk. If I was running, I might as well keep it together. When I saw the first desirable X00m to go thing, I was going hard no matter what. But I was feeling pretty terrible. I finally saw the 200m to go sign (no 400 one I guess). I dug deep and it must've been a really ugly-looking kick. I knew I wasn't getting into a smooth sub-5:30 pace like in my half PR or last marathon. Heck I felt like maybe 5:4x max? But I did pass a few runners and finished absolutely exhausted after the line. Look down and see 1:20:55. Close shave, and so glad I forced myself to kick. I think maybe I ran 85 the last 400 and I might've done a 95 if I'd wimped out.
Post-Race: Overall, very pleased and celebrated accordingly with brunch drinks and food. My previous half was on a much easier course. In that race, I ran 13.12 miles, as it was a smaller race and straight as an arrow (out and back) pretty much. Yesterday, I ran about a tenth of a mile more distance (with the crowds and harder tangents). Course difficulty was also a huge step up, as Tobacco Road Half does have about 2/3 the elevation gain but those are gentle hills with a very kind grade. Legs are pretty sore today (especially quads), so I'm going to take the day off. I got in some cooldown/walking yesterday. Boston is now gravy (mostly just want to enjoy and have fun). Didn't get in NYC 2024 with non-NYRR time, so I'm happy I have 2025 handled.
THOUGHTSLEADER - well done on a PB in a race with that many bodies to weave, and on that tough a course. sounds like you ran smart and really gutted it out. that should give you confidence you can handle the hills and magnitude of boston
beersandmiles: monster long run this week, that's a great confidence builder
RunnerSam-- great 5k + LR combo over the weekend. that will definitely get your marathon legs calloused
darkwave--- smart that you know how many hard efforts and long runs you need at this point rather than forcing what might have worked in the past. i'm still figuring out that skill. if there's only going to be one 20+ miler in this build, it's nice knowing you got that one in smoothly during a nice week
Gordon Tremeshko-- welcome back to racing, i am in the same boat - learning to hurt again! hats off to you, you are in a good spot.
Coach: Awesome race, and that took some mental fortitude to bridge the gap and then keep pushing, smart move to dial back a bit after the strong/frequent workouts + race
Gordon: Great comeback race, looks like you could have a great marathon in store
Dark: Huge week, looks like you'll be in great form for Boston
Orange: That's a strong week and I of course am envious of the double-T, interested to see how the 20-miler goes, you are definitely really fit overall
RS: Solid 5K that I'm sure was a grind, and an impressive long run
WorkingHarder: jealous of the skiing, I don't think I've gone since 2021, which is too long a drought
beers: Very quick despite the obstacles on that Wednesday workout, nice beastly LR there too
darkwave: Definitely should be happy with your workouts. Your 20-miler philosophy... I've actually been thinking of going the other way. After a couple of years of listening to Daniels "don't exceed 2.5 hours" and trying to make up for it with doing progressions like your Sunday run, I'm trying to plan a 3-4 20 miler schedule for my end-of-year marathon. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to schedule my training, but I'll look forward to comparing notes. The Parkinson's is not great news (he understates), but (not sure what to say here.) All I know is that you're way tougher than I am, and I can't imagine that's gonna change.
OrangeSoda: You're gonna "crush" it. 😁 (Starting to worry that my bad puns are not only bad, but dated. Do they still make Orange Crush?)
RunnerSam: 20 miler the day after a hard 5k. I'm humbled.
beersandmiles: That Sunday should have you feeling confident for sure. I'm not sure if you are following a specific plan or just some general guidelines, but how is preparing for a 50k different from a marathon prep? Would you do that kind of workout if you were "only" aiming for 42.2k?
THOUGHTSLEADER: Loved that race report... I absolutely would have been cursing myself out when the pacer passed me, thinking I had messed up my race.... "I started to bargain, you know all that stuff.": That cracked me up. Hell, yeah.... Thanks for that. Great work.
Catching up on shout-outs:
Orange Soda - double threshold days have to be very hard when combined with a full work day.
RunnerSam - that's great that you got to see StoneCutter - I miss having him on this thread. That was a solid long run for the day after a fast 5K. And yup, I've been meaning to run that 5K at some point. The only issue is that it's often the same week as the Shamrock races in Virginia Beach, and those are great also.
WorkingHarder - I hope the hip turns around. Perhaps the gym sessions will help? As for quality in long runs, I've found that I prefer it because it makes the long run more mentally interesting.
BeersandMiles - great long run. Interesting on the VF2 versus the AlphaFly.
ThoughtsLeader - great race report. There's a lot to be proud of in that performance - both the time and the way you fought.
Also, regarding the Parkinsons - I know a lot of people aren't quite clear what to say or how to handle it. I honestly don't care whether people discuss it or not - I just wanted to mention it because a) it explains why I'm running Boston and b) does influence some of my training decisions. For example - I taper much less than I used to, just because tapering makes all the PD stuff worse. Given a choice between A) some residual fatigue but legs that are listening to me and B) tons of energy but the legs are too stiff to move fast, option A gives me a faster and more enjoyable marathon.
I also wrote up a quick guide on how I personally prefer it be discussed (if it is discussed), just because I've found this makes people more comfortable. So...
* Sympathy is not wanted; respect is OK, but only if earned.
* I am here for all of your Parkinsons questions.
* I am here for all of your Parkinsons jokes; especially the bad ones. (I've been trying to find out if any of the new spinal implant stuff has a Kipchoge upgrade option.)
* Everybody has some issue that they are balancing with running, be it age, a nagging achilles injury, trying to raise children, training in tough weather. I prefer that my Parkinsons be treated like any other issue.
* Inspiration Porn (e.g., "she's doing X with Parkinsons, so what's your excuse") is awful. Please don't do it.
Female, 49, 5'4", 107
Lifetime/Masters PRs 5:25/18:51/38:56/1:02:28/1:24:08/2:57:42
Recent best times: 5K in 21:08, 10 miles in 1:10:19, half-marathon in 1:33:20, Marathon in 3:20:29
Upcoming races: Boston Marathon (April)
58 miles running, 1000 yards swimming, and 2.5 hours pool-running.
M: 1 hour pool-running.
T: 8 miles very easy (9:30) plus upper body weights/core.
W: 12 miles, with a track workout of 3x3200 in 14:14 (7:12/7:02), 13:57 (7:02/6:55), and 13:44 (6:56/6:48). Recoveries of 4:42 and 4:50 between. Followed with leg strengthwork.
Th: 9 miles very easy on trails (10:05) in the morning; streaming Pilates in evening.
F: 12 miles very easy (9:24) plus drills and strides, followed by upper body weights/core.
Sa: 17 miles, including a marathon effort workout of 2x5 miles at marathon effort with one mile float between. Splits were 38:39 (7:44 pace) and 39:19 (7:52 pace) with a mile in 8:23 between the two. Followed with leg strengthwork.
Su: 90 minutes pool-running and 1000 yards swimming.
Just two workouts this week - long intervals on Wednesday and a marathon effort workout on Saturday. The long intervals went decently, confirming that I'm pretty much where I wanted to be fitness-wise at the end of this cycle.
Saturday's long run was in pretty tough weather conditions - steady to heavy rain and 45 degrees, with a brisk wind. But...it could be like that on race day, so I sucked it up and did the workout.
Unfortunately, I figured out about 20 minutes into it that my raincoat was no longer waterproof. And of course, once I was soaked, I just got colder and colder (marathon effort is not enough to keep one warm) and the run suffered.
The paces were not what I had hoped for during this last workout. On the other hand, I run this workout at marathon effort - and I'm pretty sure that I'd be happy with the paces I held during that workout if I was racing a full marathon in that type of weather.
Despite the above, I'm still happy I did the workout on Saturday instead of waiting until Sunday. IMHO, there's multiple reasons to run marathon pace/effort workouts, including both fitness and practicing the skills needed to run a good marathon. Managing bad (but safely runnable) weather is a very important skill to have and to reinforce via practice from time to time.
M-25, Goal Race: Survive a Marathon
Well, this week was a bit of a rollercoaster 😅. I think Double T + work and not sleeping finally caught up to me. Planned 20 with 10@ MP on Wednesday and felt like I was running through sludge. Got to 15 and made the 4 mile walk-of-shame back to my car (out and back route). A hilly 18 a couple weeks ago (with 8mile Fartlek) felt honestly very moderate and gave me a lot of confidence I’d be able to handle the distance, but I felt empty by 12 miles this week. Hoping it was just an off day as that was my last long run to test everything out.
M- 7 easy
T- 7 easy
W- 15 avg 705 over hills (bailed workout)
Th- 6 easy
F- 6 easy
Sa - 6/6 double
Sun- 16mi total with
6k(22:26 / 6:01/mile)
5k (18:26/ 5:56/mile)
4k (14:37 / 5:53/mile)
3k (10:50 / 5:49/mile)
2k (7:08 / 5:45/mile)
1k (3:32 / 5:42/mile)
all with 90 sec rest between.
Total- 69 miles
Sunday workout in vaporflies (normally don’t workout in plated shoes), and felt excellent. Big confidence booster after Wednesday, honestly felt like I could have done more reps. I think my general fitness is in a decent spot, but the distance is still very daunting to me after this week. I guess we’ll see where that leaves me after race day.
Down week for me. The NYC Half really got my quads (right one especially). Running on that including a good workout - 3 reps of 1.65 miles at threshold resulted in runners knee on the right side. I’ve done 2 days on the Peloton and hopefully will be good to go tomorrow. 3 weeks from Boston, so mostly just trying to get to 100%, fitness will be fine.
Colin Sahlman runs 1:45 and Nico Young runs 1:47 in the 800m tonight at the Desert Heat Classic
Molly Seidel Fails To Debut As An Ultra Runner After Running A Road Marathon The Week Before
Megan Keith (14:43) DESTROYS Parker Valby's 5000 PB in Shanghai
Hallowed sub-16 barrier finally falls - 3 teams led by Villanova's 15:51.91 do it at Penn Relays!!!
Need female opinions: I’m dating a woman that is very sexual with me in public. Any tips/insight?