Feb. 2-8
Mo: off
Tu: 7 (plus strides)
We: 6
Th: 10 x 200m @ 40 sec. average on track (200m jog recoveries)
Fr: off (hamstring/groin tight)
Sa: Hilly 8k DCRRC race in 32:26 (7th overall)
Su: 17
Week total: 45.5
Feb. 9-15
Mo: off (groin sore)
Tu: 7
We: 6
Th: fartlek: 3 x (3, 2, 1 min) with equal recoveries
Fr: 5
Sa: 3 x 2k @ 6:32 average (2 min. rest), 50 min. easy, 3 x 2k @ 6:24 average (2 min. rest)
Su: 5 on treadmill (snowstorm)
Week total: 50
Feb. 16-22
Mo: off
Tu: 9 x 1k averaging 4:04 (6:32/mi.) on rolling hills w/ 90 sec. rest
We: 7
Th: off (fighting off cold)
Fr: 5
Sa: 5 (aborted long run because of very cold weather)
Su: 8 (again skipped long run because of snow)
Week total: 33
Feb. 23 - March 1
Mo: off
Tu: 16 mile progression from 7:35-45 to 6:45/mi. on rolling hills
We: 5
Th: off (fighting off cold)
Fr: 6 (plus strides)
Sa: off
Su: 5 on treadmill (skipped St. Patrick's 10k because of ice storm)
Week total: 34
March 2-8
Mo: off
Tu: 4 miles @ 6:38, 1 hour easy, 4 miles @ 6:38
We: 7
Th: off (snow storm)
Fr: 7
Sa: 6 miles easy, 6 x 40 sec. (about 200m) hills with jog back recoveries
Su: 3
Week total: 46
From one point of view, I've run disappointingly low mileage especially beginning in the third of these five weeks, given that I'm in a marathon training cycle building up to an April 20 race. That's true. But from another point of view, this has probably been my best late winter training period since I started running. Rules number one and two in distance running are: don't get sick or injured. For the first time in several years, I managed to follow those rules during this most difficult time of the year. When something hurt or I noticed cold symptoms, I backed off or took a day off - often thanks to the sound judgment of my coach, Ryan Vail. That, plus the additional days I took off because of winter storms during this period, meant that my overall mileage was lower than desired. True. But still I avoided illness and injury, managed to get in some good workouts every week, and am on track to pick things up now that the weather is improving. New England really got hammered this winter, but down here in DC this winter was actually pretty mild until these five weeks. On the whole, last winter was much worse here, because it was basically like these past five weeks for three full months. And last year I was quite sick for most of February, so it seemed like I was starting from scratch again at this point in early March. This year, although I'm not in ideal shape right now and haven't been running a lot of miles, at least I'm healthy and have gotten in some good workouts recently. I look forward to testing my fitness at next weekend's Rock n' Roll DC Half Marathon. After that my sights are firmly set on Boston. Lately I've had several good workouts on hills, both long and short, and I'm eager to find out what those Newton hills really feel like from miles 16-21 of the Boston course. It has not escaped me that from the start line in Boston to the top of heartbreak hill is roughly the same distance to where I dropped out in Pisa, after which it's mostly downhill to the finish line on Boylston Street. If I'm strong enough to negotiate both the downhills and the uphills in Boston, and just enough stronger than I was in Pisa to hang on for those last five, mostly downhill miles, then on April 20th I might run my best marathon to date. That's the goal, anyway. With the snow melting and the first signs of Spring beginning to appear, I'm feeling optimistic.
Mo: off
Tu: 7 (plus strides)
We: 6
Th: 10 x 200m @ 40 sec. average on track (200m jog recoveries)
Fr: off (hamstring/groin tight)
Sa: Hilly 8k DCRRC race in 32:26 (7th overall)
Su: 17
Week total: 45.5
Feb. 9-15
Mo: off (groin sore)
Tu: 7
We: 6
Th: fartlek: 3 x (3, 2, 1 min) with equal recoveries
Fr: 5
Sa: 3 x 2k @ 6:32 average (2 min. rest), 50 min. easy, 3 x 2k @ 6:24 average (2 min. rest)
Su: 5 on treadmill (snowstorm)
Week total: 50
Feb. 16-22
Mo: off
Tu: 9 x 1k averaging 4:04 (6:32/mi.) on rolling hills w/ 90 sec. rest
We: 7
Th: off (fighting off cold)
Fr: 5
Sa: 5 (aborted long run because of very cold weather)
Su: 8 (again skipped long run because of snow)
Week total: 33
Feb. 23 - March 1
Mo: off
Tu: 16 mile progression from 7:35-45 to 6:45/mi. on rolling hills
We: 5
Th: off (fighting off cold)
Fr: 6 (plus strides)
Sa: off
Su: 5 on treadmill (skipped St. Patrick's 10k because of ice storm)
Week total: 34
March 2-8
Mo: off
Tu: 4 miles @ 6:38, 1 hour easy, 4 miles @ 6:38
We: 7
Th: off (snow storm)
Fr: 7
Sa: 6 miles easy, 6 x 40 sec. (about 200m) hills with jog back recoveries
Su: 3
Week total: 46
From one point of view, I've run disappointingly low mileage especially beginning in the third of these five weeks, given that I'm in a marathon training cycle building up to an April 20 race. That's true. But from another point of view, this has probably been my best late winter training period since I started running. Rules number one and two in distance running are: don't get sick or injured. For the first time in several years, I managed to follow those rules during this most difficult time of the year. When something hurt or I noticed cold symptoms, I backed off or took a day off - often thanks to the sound judgment of my coach, Ryan Vail. That, plus the additional days I took off because of winter storms during this period, meant that my overall mileage was lower than desired. True. But still I avoided illness and injury, managed to get in some good workouts every week, and am on track to pick things up now that the weather is improving. New England really got hammered this winter, but down here in DC this winter was actually pretty mild until these five weeks. On the whole, last winter was much worse here, because it was basically like these past five weeks for three full months. And last year I was quite sick for most of February, so it seemed like I was starting from scratch again at this point in early March. This year, although I'm not in ideal shape right now and haven't been running a lot of miles, at least I'm healthy and have gotten in some good workouts recently. I look forward to testing my fitness at next weekend's Rock n' Roll DC Half Marathon. After that my sights are firmly set on Boston. Lately I've had several good workouts on hills, both long and short, and I'm eager to find out what those Newton hills really feel like from miles 16-21 of the Boston course. It has not escaped me that from the start line in Boston to the top of heartbreak hill is roughly the same distance to where I dropped out in Pisa, after which it's mostly downhill to the finish line on Boylston Street. If I'm strong enough to negotiate both the downhills and the uphills in Boston, and just enough stronger than I was in Pisa to hang on for those last five, mostly downhill miles, then on April 20th I might run my best marathon to date. That's the goal, anyway. With the snow melting and the first signs of Spring beginning to appear, I'm feeling optimistic.
