The schedule called for 40 miles this week, but it was tough to fit in that amount. I ran a hard twenty miles on the Sunday before this week, so I needed to give myself a rest day on Monday. And once I factored in my weights day on Tuesday, it would be a very hard feat to squeeze in 40 miles from Weds-Sunday, especially if my long run for the week was only 13 miles. Not wanting to bite off more than I could chew, I lowered the overall goal for the week from 40 to 35 or 36 miles.
This was a "step down" week anyway, so as long as I got in my long run, I figured that I would be fine. I was on track with my mileage going into the weekend. The Flyers had another "last 10 miles of the marathon" run on Sunday and I joined in. It is a great run and it is always easier running with a group. The problem was squeezing in the additional 3 miles. I went out the night before, but I was still optimistic that I would wake up early and get in the 3 miles beforehand. That wasn't going to happen. Since a bunch of us were going out to brunch after the run, I knew that I was only going to get in a long run of 10 miles. I was a disappointed since I wasn't able to squeeze in the allotted long run for the week, but I don't think the extra three miles would have made much of a difference. I felt great on the 10 mile run, which is all that really matters. I would much rather run a little less during a week that had a "shorter" long run than to skimp out on a 20 miler which is more important. I got in 33 miles for the week, which is still a sizeable amount. A step down week is intended to give your body a little bit of a rest before a harder week, and that is exactly what I did.
I am trying to make sure that I follow the schedule for this week and stay on track. This week is scheduled to be my last 20 miler and I am would like to get in 38 miles and then start to lower the weekly mileage. Less than a month before the Phila marathon - yeah! I am volunteering again this year at the NYC marathon and I'm hoping that it will excite me even more for my upcoming marathon.
Good luck to all the Flyers running this weekend. See you on the course!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
19 Miles - This Was A Tough One
This week the long run that was scheduled was a 20 miler. This will be my second 20 mile long run and I was looking forward to getting it out of the way. I was hoping not to do alone, so I was glad to see that the NY Flyers were planning a "Last 10 miles of the NYC Marathon" run. I decided to use that for part of the run and do the rest on my own.
I was hoping to run about 7 miles beforehand, but that was not to be. I was tired from the night before (my friend's birthday) and decided to sleep in and do more mileage after the Flyer run. I know how much harder it is to tack on mileage after an organized run but I had no other choice. I planned out a run beforehand that would get me to the start of the Flyer run only a few minutes before they took off. I started at Engineer's Gate and ran the 2.5 miles to the base of the Queensboro Bridge to meet up with my fellow teammates. We then followed the last 10 miles of the marathon course to Tavern on the Green. Then JT and I continued another 3 miles back to Engineer's Gate and then we did one loop of the Reservoir together and I continued on for another one and a half loops.
At the end of the day, I ran 19 miles and it was the hardest of the long runs that I've done so far. That's not to say that this run was extremely difficult (although it was tough), but rather it talks to how well I felt on my previous long runs, even the 20 miler from two weeks ago. I really felt the soreness and discomfort at the completion at the run and felt pretty wiped out afterwards, which I haven't felt in the past. While I was a little discouraged, I realized that not every long run is going to feel great and that I should be happy that I got another very long run out of the way. Training is hard work and sometimes you are going to have a rough day. Try and figure out what made this run different from the others and learn from this experience for next time.
The weather was a bit chilly, but great to run in. The temperature was one of the positive parts of the run. However, there were some things that probably contributed to the difficulty of the run for me. I went out last night for my friend's birthday and got to bed a lot later than I would have hoped. Usually, I make myself get to bed early the night before and make sure that I am as well rested as possible. Also, the course is a very hard surface to run on and probably took a large toll on my legs and ankles. I am used to running on the Reservoir surface one or twice a week to conserve my legs so running on the street and sidewalk for almost 15 miles must have been very jarring for my body. By the end of the run, my legs were very sore and I was shuffling quite a bit, just wanting the run to end. Rather than gut out another mile for no reason, I decided to stop the run at 19. In addition, when I am not doing a long run as part of a race (with mile markers) it is very hard to gauge what my pace is. I was hoping to go out at a relaxing pace but I definitely picked it up during the "last 10 mile" portion of the run and went out quicker than I should have. When you are going just by feel, it could get dangerous and I just need to remind myself not to do this during the marathon. I have been very good on the last few long runs keeping my pace in check and staying calm/consistent and I need to get back to that next time. Unfortunately, I let today's run get away from me a little bit. I know not to do that again. By the time we passed Tavern on the Green and I had another 7.5 miles to go, I knew that things were going to get very tough.
Well, two 20 milers are out of the way and only one more to go. To all the NYC marathoners, good luck with your tapers.
I was hoping to run about 7 miles beforehand, but that was not to be. I was tired from the night before (my friend's birthday) and decided to sleep in and do more mileage after the Flyer run. I know how much harder it is to tack on mileage after an organized run but I had no other choice. I planned out a run beforehand that would get me to the start of the Flyer run only a few minutes before they took off. I started at Engineer's Gate and ran the 2.5 miles to the base of the Queensboro Bridge to meet up with my fellow teammates. We then followed the last 10 miles of the marathon course to Tavern on the Green. Then JT and I continued another 3 miles back to Engineer's Gate and then we did one loop of the Reservoir together and I continued on for another one and a half loops.
At the end of the day, I ran 19 miles and it was the hardest of the long runs that I've done so far. That's not to say that this run was extremely difficult (although it was tough), but rather it talks to how well I felt on my previous long runs, even the 20 miler from two weeks ago. I really felt the soreness and discomfort at the completion at the run and felt pretty wiped out afterwards, which I haven't felt in the past. While I was a little discouraged, I realized that not every long run is going to feel great and that I should be happy that I got another very long run out of the way. Training is hard work and sometimes you are going to have a rough day. Try and figure out what made this run different from the others and learn from this experience for next time.
The weather was a bit chilly, but great to run in. The temperature was one of the positive parts of the run. However, there were some things that probably contributed to the difficulty of the run for me. I went out last night for my friend's birthday and got to bed a lot later than I would have hoped. Usually, I make myself get to bed early the night before and make sure that I am as well rested as possible. Also, the course is a very hard surface to run on and probably took a large toll on my legs and ankles. I am used to running on the Reservoir surface one or twice a week to conserve my legs so running on the street and sidewalk for almost 15 miles must have been very jarring for my body. By the end of the run, my legs were very sore and I was shuffling quite a bit, just wanting the run to end. Rather than gut out another mile for no reason, I decided to stop the run at 19. In addition, when I am not doing a long run as part of a race (with mile markers) it is very hard to gauge what my pace is. I was hoping to go out at a relaxing pace but I definitely picked it up during the "last 10 mile" portion of the run and went out quicker than I should have. When you are going just by feel, it could get dangerous and I just need to remind myself not to do this during the marathon. I have been very good on the last few long runs keeping my pace in check and staying calm/consistent and I need to get back to that next time. Unfortunately, I let today's run get away from me a little bit. I know not to do that again. By the time we passed Tavern on the Green and I had another 7.5 miles to go, I knew that things were going to get very tough.
Well, two 20 milers are out of the way and only one more to go. To all the NYC marathoners, good luck with your tapers.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Staten Island Half - 10/12/08
The marathon training continues and is still going well. Today was my first time doing the Staten Island Half Marathon (and my third half marathon in three weeks, although last week was part of a 20 mile run). The weather was great, although not necessarily ideal. The sun was out and it wasn't humid, however the late 9:40AM start allowed for some hotter temperatures during the second half of the run. There were stretches during the race on long, straight roads with no cover from the sun, but I never felt overheated. It was an out and back course, and was relatively flat with a few major hills, the last one coming with only a few miles remaining (yikes!). I was happy to have run the race and now I can check another borough off of my half marathon checklist (Bronx and Brooklyn remain). These days, I jump at the chance to run a local race outside of Central Park and usually am able to run a good time as well. Today was no different. I ran a time of 1:43:15 (7:52 pace) which is my fastest time in two years, and only one second off of my second best time (the Runner's World Half in April 2006 - 1:43:14).
Going into the race, I didn't have a definite strategy. I wanted to run quicker than last week (which was part of a 20 miler and run at a marathon pace), but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go all or not, or at least close to it. I decided to go a little bit easier in the beginning and start at an 8:30 pace (or 17:00 through two miles allowing for adjustments) and adjust my time accordingly depending on how I felt. At this point in my training, the specific pace isn't as important as being in control and feeling comfortable. The key for me is to not have huge swings in pace and to adjust my pace gradually if I want to go faster. If I am running a quicker pace, I am fine staying with it as long as it feels good and I am not straining.
I started the race at what felt like a relaxed pace. I was weaving through traffic a bit but became settled towards the end of the the first mile. As the mile 1 sign passed me by, I looked down at my watch and saw 8:00 on the dot. This was faster than I originally planned so I told myself to slow down a bit. Therefore, I relaxed a bit, so I thought, and got into a good groove. However, after going past the mile 2 sign, I saw that I ran faster than mile 1, with a time of 7:54. I did not want to tire myself out too quickly, so one more time, I tried to slow down a little bit but ended up completing mile 3 in 7:47. At this point, I realized that there was no use in trying to fight my pace. I felt good, comfortable and controlled and figured that I might as well stay at this pace throughout. It's one thing for me to try and go out at a fast pace right out of the gate (which can tire me out very quickly if I miscalculate), but if my pace naturally gravitates to a certain time then this must be my body letting me know what it can handle. Usually, I can tell within the first 3 or 4 miles how the rest of the race was going to go and this felt like a good day. It was just one of those days I guess, and I decided to take advantage of it. After mile 3, I revised my goal to around an 8:00 pace and to remain as consistent as possible. The rest of the race from that point forward went relatively smoothly - my pace hovered around 7:50 for most of the run, except for the huge hill towards the end. Nothing deflates you more than thinking you only have 3 or 4 miles to go and seeing a big hill in front of you and having no idea how far it goes.
I had my usual soreness in my knee and right ankle but nothing I couldn't run through. The turnaround point allowed me to say hi to a number of Flyers running the race. When I saw the Laminator, he was all by himself towards the front of of the pack and way ahead of me (congrats on your incredible PR). People tell me that the Philadelphia course is relatively flat with a few hills, so I am hoping that today's course gave me a small preview of what it is like to run on a flatter course. It allows me to lengthen my stride and makes it easier to keep a steady pace, since you don't have to continually adjust for hills. This was definitely a confidence booster for me, and helped me to further define what my strategy will be on race day and what pace I can handle.
Below are the mile splits from the race:
Mile 1- 8:00
Mile 2- 7:54
Mile 3- 7:47
Mile 4- 7:57
Mile 5- 8:07
Mile 6- 7:42
Mile 7- 7:57
Mile 8- 8:18
Mile 9- 7:49
Mile 10- 7:51
Mile 11- 7:55
Mile 12- 7:50
Last 1.1 miles - 7:21 pace (total of 8:05)
Total time: 1:43:15; average pace of 7:52
The key to the next week is to be smart. I have run three half marathons in three weeks and a total of 38 miles this week which is the most I have run since I last trained for a marathon. Even though I have been feeling pretty good post race, I need to get my rest days in and stay off my feet and keep up with my spinning/strength training throughout the remainder of the schedule. With my mileage increasing, rest and cross training are as important as ever to my overall well-being.
Going into the race, I didn't have a definite strategy. I wanted to run quicker than last week (which was part of a 20 miler and run at a marathon pace), but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go all or not, or at least close to it. I decided to go a little bit easier in the beginning and start at an 8:30 pace (or 17:00 through two miles allowing for adjustments) and adjust my time accordingly depending on how I felt. At this point in my training, the specific pace isn't as important as being in control and feeling comfortable. The key for me is to not have huge swings in pace and to adjust my pace gradually if I want to go faster. If I am running a quicker pace, I am fine staying with it as long as it feels good and I am not straining.
I started the race at what felt like a relaxed pace. I was weaving through traffic a bit but became settled towards the end of the the first mile. As the mile 1 sign passed me by, I looked down at my watch and saw 8:00 on the dot. This was faster than I originally planned so I told myself to slow down a bit. Therefore, I relaxed a bit, so I thought, and got into a good groove. However, after going past the mile 2 sign, I saw that I ran faster than mile 1, with a time of 7:54. I did not want to tire myself out too quickly, so one more time, I tried to slow down a little bit but ended up completing mile 3 in 7:47. At this point, I realized that there was no use in trying to fight my pace. I felt good, comfortable and controlled and figured that I might as well stay at this pace throughout. It's one thing for me to try and go out at a fast pace right out of the gate (which can tire me out very quickly if I miscalculate), but if my pace naturally gravitates to a certain time then this must be my body letting me know what it can handle. Usually, I can tell within the first 3 or 4 miles how the rest of the race was going to go and this felt like a good day. It was just one of those days I guess, and I decided to take advantage of it. After mile 3, I revised my goal to around an 8:00 pace and to remain as consistent as possible. The rest of the race from that point forward went relatively smoothly - my pace hovered around 7:50 for most of the run, except for the huge hill towards the end. Nothing deflates you more than thinking you only have 3 or 4 miles to go and seeing a big hill in front of you and having no idea how far it goes.
I had my usual soreness in my knee and right ankle but nothing I couldn't run through. The turnaround point allowed me to say hi to a number of Flyers running the race. When I saw the Laminator, he was all by himself towards the front of of the pack and way ahead of me (congrats on your incredible PR). People tell me that the Philadelphia course is relatively flat with a few hills, so I am hoping that today's course gave me a small preview of what it is like to run on a flatter course. It allows me to lengthen my stride and makes it easier to keep a steady pace, since you don't have to continually adjust for hills. This was definitely a confidence booster for me, and helped me to further define what my strategy will be on race day and what pace I can handle.
Below are the mile splits from the race:
Mile 1- 8:00
Mile 2- 7:54
Mile 3- 7:47
Mile 4- 7:57
Mile 5- 8:07
Mile 6- 7:42
Mile 7- 7:57
Mile 8- 8:18
Mile 9- 7:49
Mile 10- 7:51
Mile 11- 7:55
Mile 12- 7:50
Last 1.1 miles - 7:21 pace (total of 8:05)
Total time: 1:43:15; average pace of 7:52
The key to the next week is to be smart. I have run three half marathons in three weeks and a total of 38 miles this week which is the most I have run since I last trained for a marathon. Even though I have been feeling pretty good post race, I need to get my rest days in and stay off my feet and keep up with my spinning/strength training throughout the remainder of the schedule. With my mileage increasing, rest and cross training are as important as ever to my overall well-being.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Grete's Half Marathon Plus Seven
I finally took the plunge and signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23rd. I've been using a training program for the last two and a half months and have been feeling pretty good so far. This weekend was the first 20 miler on the schedule (and my first one since training for NYC in 2006) and I was ready to give it a try. The Grete's Half Marathon was this weekend, so I decided to add another 7 miles (approx.) to it for a total of 20 miles. I originally planned to run a 9:00-9:10 pace for the entire run, but as I thought more about it, I realized that this would be a good opportunity for me to try running at a "marathon" pace. The more runs I do at my goal pace, the easier it will be to do during the marathon. Therefore, I had a goal pace of 8:45-8:50 for the half marathon portion, and a little slower for the 6.7 miles prior to the race. No reason to tire myself out. If this went well, then I felt that this could be a good race strategy for the marathon.
Today showed me what could happen when there is a combination of great weather and a consistent, controlled pace (finally). The weather was in the low-mid 50's which is what I like and there was a slight drizzle, but nothing heavy. As for the entire 20 mile run, I felt as good as I could have hoped for. My pace for the half marathon was very consistent and I was able to hit the same mile pace (within 10-15 seconds) for nearly the entire race. Other than my hips and ankles, which got sore by the end of the run, I felt really good and made sure to make a mental note of what this felt like. So if I start to struggle a bit in the coming weeks as the mileage increases, I want to be able to think back and remember that it is possible to feel strong on a 20 mile run.
My run before the half consisted of starting at the 72nd street transverse, running north to Engineer's Gate, then running 3 loops of the reservoir, and then running back to the start of the race on 70th street. I was able to go out at a 8:55-9:00 pace and it felt good and I stayed calm and relaxed throughout. It allowed me to loosen up well and remain only a little bit above my overall goal pace. I timed it perfectly so that I could just continue into the start of the race without any stopping. As for the half marathon, I started out at a 9:03 pace for the first mile and it turned out to be a good idea, forcing me not to go out fast. After weaving around some people traffic for the next mile, I tried to settle into my goal pace which I was able to do around mile 4. I made sure to stay relaxed and try and keep up the 8:50 as long as possible. I was in a good groove for the rest of the race and kind of had the "autopilot" feeling that I had at the Queens Half last year. While I was starting to get sore by the last few miles, I was able to pick up the pace a bit for miles 12 and 13. Although I was happy for the race to be over, I did not feel "spent" or exhausted.
I will continue to practice my race pace on upcoming runs, and try and hone the strategy that I used today since it seemed to work well. I also need to remember to ease into a race (which happened today) and gradually pick up the pace. It will come. Next up on the schedule is the Staten Island Half Marathon. Not sure yet if I will race it or not.
Below are the splits from today:
Prior to Half Marathon:
-About 6.7 miles: 58:16 total time
Grete's Half Marathon:
Mile 1 - 9:03
Mile 2 - 8:49
Mile 3 - 8:39
Mile 4 - 8:51
Mile 5 - 8:46
Mile 6 - 8:49
Mile 7 - 8:41
Mile 8 - 8:54
Mile 9 - 8:57
Mile 10 - 9:08
Mile 11 - 8:35
Mile 12 - 8:36
Last 1.1 miles - 9:10 (mile pace of 8:20)
Overall time for the half: 1:55:02; pace of 8:46
Approximate pace for 19.8 mile run - 8:45-8:46 (total time of 2:53:18)
Today showed me what could happen when there is a combination of great weather and a consistent, controlled pace (finally). The weather was in the low-mid 50's which is what I like and there was a slight drizzle, but nothing heavy. As for the entire 20 mile run, I felt as good as I could have hoped for. My pace for the half marathon was very consistent and I was able to hit the same mile pace (within 10-15 seconds) for nearly the entire race. Other than my hips and ankles, which got sore by the end of the run, I felt really good and made sure to make a mental note of what this felt like. So if I start to struggle a bit in the coming weeks as the mileage increases, I want to be able to think back and remember that it is possible to feel strong on a 20 mile run.
My run before the half consisted of starting at the 72nd street transverse, running north to Engineer's Gate, then running 3 loops of the reservoir, and then running back to the start of the race on 70th street. I was able to go out at a 8:55-9:00 pace and it felt good and I stayed calm and relaxed throughout. It allowed me to loosen up well and remain only a little bit above my overall goal pace. I timed it perfectly so that I could just continue into the start of the race without any stopping. As for the half marathon, I started out at a 9:03 pace for the first mile and it turned out to be a good idea, forcing me not to go out fast. After weaving around some people traffic for the next mile, I tried to settle into my goal pace which I was able to do around mile 4. I made sure to stay relaxed and try and keep up the 8:50 as long as possible. I was in a good groove for the rest of the race and kind of had the "autopilot" feeling that I had at the Queens Half last year. While I was starting to get sore by the last few miles, I was able to pick up the pace a bit for miles 12 and 13. Although I was happy for the race to be over, I did not feel "spent" or exhausted.
I will continue to practice my race pace on upcoming runs, and try and hone the strategy that I used today since it seemed to work well. I also need to remember to ease into a race (which happened today) and gradually pick up the pace. It will come. Next up on the schedule is the Staten Island Half Marathon. Not sure yet if I will race it or not.
Below are the splits from today:
Prior to Half Marathon:
-About 6.7 miles: 58:16 total time
Grete's Half Marathon:
Mile 1 - 9:03
Mile 2 - 8:49
Mile 3 - 8:39
Mile 4 - 8:51
Mile 5 - 8:46
Mile 6 - 8:49
Mile 7 - 8:41
Mile 8 - 8:54
Mile 9 - 8:57
Mile 10 - 9:08
Mile 11 - 8:35
Mile 12 - 8:36
Last 1.1 miles - 9:10 (mile pace of 8:20)
Overall time for the half: 1:55:02; pace of 8:46
Approximate pace for 19.8 mile run - 8:45-8:46 (total time of 2:53:18)
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