Monday, April 8th:
5:35am, 52 degrees, 70%, 0-5mph. Maple Shade Loop (M). Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.
6mi recovery - (8:25)
Haven't run this pace for an entire run in a couple of weeks and, man, did my body need it! Felt so good to run so easy today. Actually finished feeling very strong the last mile. Beautiful weather this morning didn't hurt either.
Tuesday, April 9th:
8:50pm, 78-73 degrees(!), 40%, 0-5mph. 4x CHW Loop. Adidas Supernova Glide 4.
12mi total - (7:18): 2mi warmup, 4x1.5mi w/0.5mi easy jogs, 2mi cooldown
Target pace: 6:25-:30/8:00-:30
Actual paces: 6:26/8:26, 6:23/8:06, 6:24/8:07, 6:24/8:13
Was feeling kind of run down in the morning, so I slept in and I wasn't sure I was even going to run tonight until I stepped out the door. Even then, I wasn't sure if I was going to do the workout or not. But once I got moving on that first interval, I knew I had it in me. I was surprised how well I handled the suddenly hot temperature, but I was sure to take in 2oz of Gatorade every 2 miles to stay fully hydrated. I never had to press too hard aerobically during any of the intervals, and I finished feeling like I had another one or two in me. I did have some slight soreness in my left soleus on the cooldown jog, however, so after an easy day tomorrow I am going to give myself an extra rest day this week. No need to push the envelope at this point in the game.
Wednesday, April 10th:
Rest. Too hot and too tired to run today. Will jump back on the saddle tomorrow.
Thursday, April 11th:
4:50am, 62 degrees, 90%(!), 0-5mph. Garden State-Grove-Maple-Grove-Garden State. Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.
7mi very easy - (8:24)
A perfect storm of crumminess. Very humid temps. Very long day at work yesterday. Very sick child. Very little sleep. Just felt like I was sleepwalking through the entire run. I wisely ran entirely on feel and never checked my watch until I was done. It wouldn't have mattered anyway - that's what I had today. Here's to a better tomorrow.
Friday, April 12th:
5:00am, 47 degrees, 90%, 15-20mph. Maple Ave and back. Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.
10.5mi easy - (7:54)
Met up with Tom and the two Johns to pace them for some of their tempo run. Wind was gusty at times in the one direction, but I fell into an awesome rhythm after about 3 miles and had tons of energy to finish the run. I am so thankful to have the group to keep me level-headed and positive during stretches where I would otherwise feel lousy. I always seem stronger after joining them. :)
Saturday, April 13th:
6:35am, 42-48 degrees, 70%, 0-5mph. Haddonfield, including 3x Tavistock for tempo. Adidas Adizero Tempo 4.
14.5mi total - (7:04): 2.25mi warmup, 10mi Marathon Simulator, 2.25mi cooldown
Target splits: 6:47 47 42 37 37 37 37 37 37 37
Actual splits: 6:47 49 40 37 34 35 35 36 36 31
I tried to completely simulate the marathon experience this morning, from the time I woke up, what I ate before running, when I took my Gus and Gatorade, what I would wear in conditions like today, what running on a rolling course would feel like, and what my race strategy splits would be. Overall, the run went very well.
First of all, I would take today's weather on marathon day in a heartbeat. Just perfect. That's the one element totally outside my control, of course, but man that would be nice to have a day like today in 2 weeks.
Some things I learned: I started the run this morning with arm sleeves and Under Armour shorts but would probably do without them in similar conditions on race day. I felt like I was getting warm after 6 miles, and by mile 8 I ditched the arm sleeves and felt the better for it. I think I would get a little better ventilation without the Under Armour shorts also.
As far as the splits, I was very happy. The first few miles felt very easy, like I was holding back, the way the first few miles should feel. With the undulating terrain, there are times within each mile where the pace may vary anywhere from 6:20ish to 6:55ish and the important thing I practiced today was to keep an even effort - the pace will always level back out. I tried to run splits today about 2-3 seconds faster per mile to account for Garmin error come race day; for instance, if my watch says 6:47 for the first mile, I might actually have run a 6:50 mile since the Garmin is usually slightly off. While 2-3 seconds difference may not sound like much, it adds up to about an extra minute on race day. I decided after this morning, though, that for number purposes, I am not going to worry about that difference on race day and just shoot for 6:50 the first 2 miles, 6:45 the 3rd mile, and then 6:40 for miles 4-13. From the halfway point to 20 miles I plan on running 6:37-38/mi pace to make up for the time given up the first few miles, and then run the last 10k with whatever is left in the tank. The goal is to run a 6:40 average overall with a slightly negative split, which would get me in that 2:55 finishing time ballpark.
The fueling strategy today felt comfortable. I took a Gu and some Gatorade after the warmup, and then took about 4oz of Gatorade at miles 4/7/10 of the tempo. I took a Gu at mile 5 of the tempo. The way the marathon course is set up is a stand every 1.5-3mi with beverages. I think I will try to hit as many stands as possible for at least the first 30k of the race and adjust my intake appropriately - 2oz to 4oz at a time. I also plan on taking a Gu 15 minutes before the race starts, and then additional ones at miles 4/10/16/21. Once I pass the 21 mile mark, hopefully I will have executed my race plan and fueling plan properly and will be running strong to the finish, taking any additional fuel on an "as needed" basis.
It felt good to really practice all these little details today. Hopefully, I have taken out as many of the "surprise" elements as possible - now it just comes down to seeing what kind of weather I get and implementing the plan I have already rehearsed.
Sunday, April 14th:
7:00am, 44-52 degrees, 65%, calm. Moorestown-Riverton Loop. Brooks Ravenna 3.
12mi regeneration - (8:27): including 8x100m strides at the end
A fantastic cap to the week. Probably the most beautiful morning of the season so far. Nice relaxed regeneration run with the two Johns through beautiful Riverton. The trees are in bloom, the wind was breathless, and the sun was sitting just so on the horizon for most of the run. Opened up the last mile for the strides and felt spectacular. Today I really did feel like "The Jet Pulverizer!" :)
Weekly Total: 62 miles
Two weeks to go! This week started off blah but kept getting better and better once Friday rolled around. The excitement is building, especially starting with Boston tomorrow. I still don't have the nervous energy, but I am feeling the momentum building.
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