Gettysburg Marathon Training, Week 3

Monday, January 7th:

Off.

Tuesday, January 8th:

8:00 pm, 38 degrees, 70%, calm.  Home-Cherry Hill West-Home.  Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.

9mi total - (7:26): 2.4mi warmup, 5x1000m w/400m jogs, 2.2mi cooldown
Target warmup/cooldown paces: 8:10-:40
Actual warmup/cooldown paces: 8:23, 8:25
Target 1000 splits: 3:31-:33
Actual Splits: 3:32 33 31 31 33
Target 400 splits: 2:05-:10
Actual 400 splits: 2:10 10 12 10 05

Not sure where I found all that energy after a long day at work and a 7:00 pm doctor's appointment for Frankie.  Found my rhythm right away and held it the whole workout.  Picture perfect night tonight - the stars were my only witness at the Cherry Hill West track.

Wednesday, January 9th:

7:40 pm, 46 degrees, 70%, 5-10mph.  Maple Shade Loop (L).  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

7mi easy - (8:03)

Unseasonably warmer tonight, but still a nice little headwind on the way back home.  Stayed relaxed and easy the whole way.  No lingering soreness or tightness from yesterday - a nice sign.

Thursday, January 10th:

7:45 pm, 38 degrees, 60%, 0-5mph.  Grove-Lake-Haddon Ave-Maple.  Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.

8mi easy - (7:56)

Ate too much beforehand and started the run with a heavy stomach.  Felt pretty lousy for about 3.5 miles.  Progressively got better on the way back home, really felt great the last two miles.  A lesson in both moderation and perseverance.

Friday, January 11th:

9:00 am, 38-40 degrees, 75%, 0-5mph.  2x Tavistock Loop: Loop 1 w/park perimeter, Loop 2 w/Thursday night run.  Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.

9mi easy - (7:45)

Felt incredibly strong and relaxed on rolling course today.  Handled the hills very well, keeping consistent effort.  Great rebound run after last night.

Saturday, January 12th:

7:35 am, 45-47 degrees, 90%, 0-5mph.  Moorestown.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

10mi total - (7:18): 2mi warmup, 6mi@MP, 2mi cooldown
Goal paces: 8:10-:40/mi for warmup/cooldown; 6:40/mi for MP
Actual splits: 8:26 22, 6:40 40 39 36 37 38, 8:05 12

Timed this workout so that I had some company for a good portion of the MP segment.  Had Ralph near me from about .25mi to 2.5mi, and then had Tom, Ron, and John near me from 2.5mi to the finish.  Helped take the mental burden off of the run, which allowed me to stay relaxed.  Ran the cooldown a tad faster than I wanted, but I just couldn't slow down any more - felt really strong at the end.

Sunday, January 13th:

7:00 am, 45-47 degrees, 70%, calm.  Moorestown.  Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.

8mi recovery - (8:32): 9:42 8:38 15 31 32 36 25 7:42

Very nice recovery run with Larry's group this morning.  I got to help pace them for their moderate long run, and they helped keep me in check on my recovery day.  Opened up a little on the last mile, which felt solid.  Great company, and great way to cap the week.

Weekly Total: 51 miles

Fantastic all-around week.  I can actually feel myself getting stronger on a weekly basis.  Having that symbiotic relationship with other runners really motivates and rejuvenates me.  It's like a snowball effect of positive energy.  I just hope to keep it going because it feels awesome!