Pace Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 33:16
Pace: 8:19 min/mi

Comments: Out a little earlier but still not at the usual time. So it was a little cooler but not a lot. Wanted to push the pace the whole way but didn't look at the Garmin except at the end of each mile. Did the first one faster than I thought but then seemed to lock into that pace range the rest of the way.

This probably was a little closer to 10K race pace than HM or marathon. I could really tell on the third mile when my breathing got substantially more labored. Still, it was my first faster effort in a week or so. The key was holding the effort all the way through.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 56:30
Pace: 9:24 min/mi

Comments: Didn't get out the door as early as I wanted but still beat the rest of the runs this week. The temperature difference was substantial although the peak humidity with sun still posed a formidable challenge.

This was another 'no peeking' run in regards to the Garmin. I just focused on getting it done. That said, my heart rate was in the higher levels a lot for the course of this one. That's not optimal.

Tomorrow will be a pace effort. I'll definitely try and beat the sunrise for that.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:59
Pace: 9:29 min/mi

Comments: Sloppy and unpleasant. Got out late so it was very hot and very humid. Add to that a dollop of dehydration and this was a challenge the whole way. I deliberately ignored the Garmin and just focused on getting this one over with.

The good news is that my legs seem to have recovered pretty well from the long run. There was a lot of discomfort on this run but no soreness in my legs at all. With luck, that's going to translate into strength for the next long attempt.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:05
Pace: 9:15 min/mi

Comments: My intent was to put a short and slow recovery run in the day after the long run. I was still feeling sore when I got up the next day so I decided to err on the side of caution. I was still a little stiff going out today but felt much better than the morning prior.

This wasn't fancy at all, just trying to get a comfortable, easy pace. I ended up with a slightly faster pace than I was really aiming for though. But there weren't any major issues with the effort. Finished feeling pretty good, not worn out.

Long Run

Distance: 18 miles
Time: 3:05:55
Pace: 10:19 min/mi

Comments: I bumped the long run back a day out of an abundance of caution and it seems that was the right thing to do. I did pretty well through most of this effort but the last few miles were seriously tough.

I meant to get going at 5 a.m. but let myself sleep a bit longer. I was still out pretty early but I got more sun at the end than I really needed. The first few miles went well except for the water bottles. It was clumsy carrying them but I knew it wasn't an option.

I felt pretty good on the way out but the humidity had me sweating hard. At the turnaround I tried to up my cadence but not my effort in order to keep my momentum going. It worked for just more than five miles. The last three and a half miles were an exhausted slog that got worse every step. Somehow I gutted it out and got it done.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 9

Distance: 34.03 miles
Time: 5:31:19
Pace: 9:44 min/mi

Comments: This was an very unsatisfying week of training. I pushed last week's long run to Monday and it was a shambolic mess. I finished it but was completely wiped out afterward. Recovered for a nice run the next day but then had a forced day off due to work/travel.

So instead of an interval workout, I did a regular training run to follow. Got in a second training run and then hit the weekend malaise again. Saturday turned into another unexpected rest day. The intention was for a Sunday long run but, getting up, that didn't seem like the best idea and the big miles will wait for Monday once again.

I don't think this inconsistency has affected my conditioning or performance... yet. I'm more than a little concerned about the mental side of it, particularly the lack of focus. My enthusiasm has lagged a bit and I find myself dreading doing the workouts.

Some of this is probably the sheer amount of miles at this point. And some of it is the growing load of other responsibilities in my life at the moment. But I am really close to this race now and I need to get my shit together for the final push of training.

Injury update: No issues.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:15
Pace: 9:18 min/mi

Comments: The training plan called for a long run today but I decided to push that effort to Monday once again. I found myself concerned about it yesterday and I was mentally not ready for it when I got up this morning.

After completing this run I'm thinking I did the right thing. This was a good effort but I wasn't particularly dialed into it. It felt more like a recovery effort than a training workout, something that would have become a real issue on a long run.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 55:27
Pace: 9:14 min/mi

Comments: A very nice effort today. Finally got a full night's sleep and got up feeling rested. Got going a shade late but not enough to really make a difference. From the start I worked on a higher cadence but, not specifically to go faster. I wanted a good consistent effort without overexertion.

Truth is, I felt pretty strong the whole way and could have run it at tempo/race pace with just a little more effort. In fact, the times I did check the Garmin was in order to slow the pace down some. Finished without feeling exausted. Which is good because I've got some serious miles to cover this weekend.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:15
Pace: 9:33 min/mi

Comments: Work travel obligated me to take a mid-week off day. With my unscheduled Sunday rest day that's kind of knocked me out of my routine. Today was simply about getting back on track.

I wanted a bit more than a recovery/easy run but nothing extreme. I also didn't get out until mid-morning so there was significant heat and humidity to contend with. Still, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.

The run turned out OK. I did it almost entirely on strength. My heart rate and pace were really all over the place. I hope to get a more polished effort tomorrow.

Recovery Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:35
Pace: 9:38 min/mi

Comments: Because of the unplanned rest day that pushed my long run back, I had to bump the recovery run up a day as well. I haven't done a 'day after' recovery run this cycle but I have been considering it given how tough these runs have been for some reason. As I hoped, this went a lot better overall.

I started off as stiff as one might expect and just tried to hit a rhythm. It turned out I was pretty much dropping into the long run pace so I just decided to keep on with it. There was a bit of stiffness the whole way but not really getting into the land of sore, so I was happy. Finished feeling pretty good, overall.