Week 17 recap - Schedule change leads to dead legs on the 20 mile slogfest

Schedule change have me seriously altering my training plan for the first time in the MCM build-up. I will have my lowest mileage week in quite some time, but I went out yesterday to keep the long run streak alive. My training 6 weeks out from the marathon went like this:

• Monday: rest
• Tuesday: 8 miles at easy run pace 8:34/mile
• Wednesday: Speedwork - 7 mile tempo run at 8:04/mile (off my goal of 7:36/mile)
• Thursday: rest
• Friday: Long run - 19.28 at 9:49/mile (way off my goal of 8:46/mile)
• Saturday: rest
• Sunday: rest

Weekly total: 35.35 miles

I tried to run a new route on at a different time than my normal long run time (11:30 am as opposed to 6:00 am) on a different day - too much change. I had to move my long run or likely not do it at all, which would've probably been a worse choice. Because of the time I ended up running it was full 85 F degrees so a slower than expected time was already expected. However, I was unprepared for the complete deadness of legs I developed around mile 14.

Mile 1 - 8:10, Mile 2 - 8:34, Mile 3 - 8:36, Mile 4 - 9:20, Mile 5 - 9:03, Mile 6 - 8:45, Mile 7 - 9:13, Mile 8 - 08:54, Mile 9 - 08:55, Mile 10 - 08:42, Mile 11 - 09:18, Mile 12 - 10:10, Mile 13 - 09:35, Mile 14 - 10:59, Mile 15 - 11:53, Mile 16 - 11:33, Mile 17 - 10:54, Mile 18 - 11:02, Mile 19 - 12:58, Mile 20 - 09:20

My back was a little unhappy with the amount of sidewalk running I did. Believe it or not the concrete sidewalk is a lot more hard to run on than asphalt. Other than that my slow down was merely a lack of energy. I willed myself to go faster several time from mile 16 on, but I couldn't go more than a few steps before I slowed to walking again. This kind of positive split cannot happen on marathon day. I will have to learn to conserve more energy at the beginning.

I did two laps of Lake Artemesia and College Park, which caused me to run through the Greenbelt Metro station twice. I guarantee the people there saw more strange things than a sweaty, salt-caked, shirtless man wandering around the train station, but I few crazy looks.

Oh well... not the performance I was looking for, but I learned a few lessons. One, if it is hot when the marathon is going on I will have to adjust my expectations. Two, NEGATIVE SPLITS! I have to save the energy to have more left in the second half than the first half.

Sunday Long Run (11 mi - 1:28:35 - 8:03 min/mi)

Through running the streets in my area I have become aware that the Glen Dale area has a lot of bats. As I was running the WB&A trail from Race Track Road to Annapolis Road I crossed under Glenn Dale Road in a tunnel. My footfalls flushed out about 20 bats who were apparently living in the light fixtures above me. I am not afraid of much, but I don't fancy the idea of a bat attacking me. I have been buzzed by bats before when running down Prospect Hill Road and know that they are not skillful fliers and can run into you.

On my return trip to Race Track Road I again galloped through the tunnel, but this time the bats weren't moving when I entered the tunnel. I relaxed only to have the bat's great granddaddy get startled and fly out of the end of the tunnel before I exited. Needless to say this cause an adrenaline rush that had my splits drop for the remaining miles.

Today's splits
Mile 1 - 7:57
Mile 2 - 8:09
Mile 3 - 7:57
Mile 4 - 8:02
Mile 5 - 7:51
Mile 6 - 8:55 (with a 1:30 minute walk)
Mile 7 - 7:57
Mile 8 - 7:54
Mile 9 - 7:54
Mile 10 - 7:28
Mile 11 - 8:23

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Sunday Long Run (11 mi - 1:28:35 - 8:03 min/mi)

Sunday Long Run (11.01 mi - 1:34:25 - 8:34 min/mi)

Oh joy, Spring is coming! I ran my long run outside this beautiful, bright Sunday morning without have to dodge barely any snow piles. My goal was to run a an 8:30 min/mi pace and throw down a race pace for the final two miles. I picked up the pace a bit too late on mile 10 to get that mile to 7:45, but mile 11 fell in 7:44. Training is going well. Only five weeks until the race.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Sunday Long Run (11.01 mi - 1:34:25 - 8:34 min/mi)

Sunday Long Run (9.68 miles - 1:19:19 - 8:11 min/mi)

I ran outside today for only the second time this February. It was glorious. I scheduled a long run of 10 miles, but had a bit of a time crunch so decided to cut it short. I did two laps around the neighborhood and my legs remembered what hills felt like. Mostly even splits between 7:50 and 8:30 min/mi paces, nothing too strenuous. Much to my surprise was the fact that I weigh under 190 for the first time this year, which is weird given this weekend I have been eating Ledo's pizza and Five Guys cheeseburgers.

Note: Since I've been running most recently on my treadmill, trails, and city sidewalks I forgot what running on roads is like. Road camber (the tilt on either side of the street intended to assist drainage) stinks. I think my right leg absorbs more of my weight than left because I run on the left side of the road (which is the side facing traffic in my part of the world).

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Sunday Long Run (9.68 miles - 1:19:19 - 8:11 min/mi)

Sunday Long Run (20 mi - 3:13:48 - 9:40 min/mi)

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Sunday Long Run

The plan was to run the standard one mile warm-up followed by 19 miles this morning. I was supposed to run 13 miles at an easy pace then pick it up to goal marathon pace for the last six miles. Well, I totally forgot about the warm-up mile and ran 14 miles with my goal easy pace of 9:40 min/mi. I ran in 45 minute spurts. At the end of each segment I walked and ate a GU gel and drank some water. I completed the 14 miles in 2:12:00 a 9:25 min/mi pace. I then tried to pick up the pace to goal marathon pace. Mile 15 went by in 8:44. Mile 16 in 8:52.

I'd be happy with a 8:50 min/mi marathon pace. That would be a 3:51:26 marathon and a PR for me by 7 minutes. However, I could not hold the pace and started to run/walk the rest of the way home. I finished the run in 3:13:48, a 9:40 min/mi pace. Not bad given its my longest run since October 10th (my last marathon), but I need to get it together for the next marathon. Twenty mile runs (or thereabouts) used to leave me a bit of pain, but now I can run them, stretch and get on with my day.