Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time:  36:40
Pace: 9:10 min/mi

Comments: Not a bad effort but I'm ready for a day off. The two runs after the intense long run were a bit more of a challenge than I expected. Of course, I also could have run them when it was less hot and without sunlight but I figure the adversity will help on raceday.

Still feel a little stiff, particularly in the right leg but no real aches to speak of. I have been uneven in terms of quality sleep but that, and good diet, are the priority over the next two weeks. I'm also doing some of the raceday homework I have been putting off.

Recovery Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 39:01
Pace: 9:45 min/mi

Comments: Out later so had to contend with the heat/humidity. It was uncomfortable but, since this was a very easy effort, I figured it would contribute to the acclimatization strategy. So even though that made things a bit of a slog, I still spent a lot of this run easing up on the pace.

I did the first half a little faster than I was planning but got the effort closer to what I wanted on the second half. I really need to get the 10 min/mi pace dialed in prior to the race. I want to have a solid higher gear I can depend on if need be.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 14

Distance: 30.06
Time: 4:34:22
Pace: 9:08 min/mi

Comments: First week of the taper down. I ended up taking an extra rest day on Saturday because I felt really dragged down. That worked out well, though, with the strong pace effort on the Sunday long run. I've shifted the runs around next week to give another four-day run of workouts before the next off day.

I'm feeling like the strength to complete the race is there and the stamina is in the ballpark of hitting the four-hour goal. The latter is going to be a near thing though. I'll have to be very careful on the first half of the race to make it work. I need to sit down and do a little research to be ready for what the course throws at me.

Injury update: There has been tightness and various muscle aches in my upper right leg for awhile. None of it has blossomed into anything severe, but I don't want any surprises now I am in the home stretch.

Long Run

Distance: 12.03 miles
Time: 1:46:52
Pace: 8:53 min/mi

Comments: Last long run for this marathon preparation. The goal today was to get 10 miles at race pace, allowing two miles at a minute slower for warm up/hills. Needless to say, I didn't need the wiggle room.

I really wasn't mentally into this one getting going. Felt kind of 'blah' and unmotivated. But, after the first half mile or so I started focusing on upping the cadence to handle the early hills and hit a very strong groove. After that, I worked on keeping focused and not dropping off from fatigue.

As promising as this effort is, my heart rate was pushing it for a large portion of this effort. Which makes it really unclear if I can sustain this kind of effort over the full marathon. So I need to do some research and have a gameplan ready come raceday.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:23
Pace: 9:20 min/mi

Comments: I've really been undecided about how to wrap up this week. I don't need another long run effort but some distance is required. I also am interested in a bit of pacing with it as well. The first result was deciding to put a run in today but keep it a regular one.

So I did the four mile course near the house with the hills. Things were a touch warmer but a lot more humid, which may be close to what I need to expect on raceday. The real focus here was pacing on the hills which I have woefully neglected thus far.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 56:24
Pace: 9:23 min/mi

Comments: After going back and forth about it in my head, I decided to nix the interval workout and go for six miles at training pace. The cool front left it very nice this morning although I did drag my feet getting out the door. Still, this is the coolest I've done a run in a while.

Like yesterday, I felt really sluggish and slow getting going but, it turned out, I was actually cranking a solid pace. Too fast, really. I spent a lot of the first half of the run applying the brakes. I felt a little better with the pace on the second half but still could have opened it up with ease.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:06
Pace: 8:46 min/mi

Comments: The cold front eased through today bringing rain again. I put off the run till the afternoon when the moisture had moved through and temperatures were significantly more reasonable. Bit of wind to contend with though.

So I planned on just doing an easy run for this one, maybe long run pace. I felt really sluggish starting out and it didn't really lift much as I passed the "warm up" period. Which was weird because I was hitting pace run speed.

I'm guessing this is the more temperate weather payoff. That will likely get tested again tomorrow.

Recovery Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:37
Pace: 9:39 min/mi

Comments: Lotta weirdness this morning so I didn't get out at the usual time. Instead it was a late morning run which meant heat, humidity and hills. None of which was particularly pleasant but probably good to endure in case things turn out like that on raceday.

My legs felt remarkably fresh for having run 20 miles on Sunday. There was some stiffness but nothing that really affected my ability to get this one done. In fact, I probably turned this effort in a little on the fast side.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 13

Distance: 43:43
Time: 7:03:48
Pace: 9:45 min/mi

Comments: That's it for peak week. At the end of it, peak week turned out slightly shorter than week before last. But when you compare 20 mile long runs, I had a far better performance this week. Not just faster but much more in control the whole way. That's partly due to more agreeable temperatures but it's also a bit of training.

Now beginith the taper. Next week will be a lot like the week before last. Biggest difference is a longer pace run on Saturday before a more reasonable long run next Sunday. I might add an extra off day depending on how I feel.

Injury update: My right knee, quad and IT band have been achy this week. Nothing major but sore and unhappy. If it keeps up into next week I'll start regular icing.

Long Run

Distance: 20.04 miles
Time: 3:17:25
Pace: 9:51 min/mi

Comments: After a not insignificant amount of anxiety regarding this run, I was astonished how well it actually went. With the flooding this weekend, I wasn't sure if parts of the course would be underwater but it turned out OK. A bit of debris to dodge but nothing major.

The big upside was a break in the temperatures. This run was a good ten degrees cooler than my last one at this distance. Still humid as the bejesus but that wasn't as oppressive with the break in the heat.

I did the first ten miles an hour and 45 minutes then cranked out the second fifteen minutes faster. According to the Garmin, I set a half marathon PR, meaning I did 13.1 miles somewhere in there faster than both my races this spring.

If nothing else, this was a big confidence builder. I feel pretty good about my chances of finishing the race next month. Still not taking bets on getting under four hours, though.