Sunday, April 8, 2018

Boston Marathon Training Week # 17

The finish line is in sight. Well, not quite literally. But the training plan is about done; a part of me is waxing nostalgic and sad to see it come to and end, and can't wait to start doing all over god willing again one day. Another part of me is relieved and happy, and enjoying some much needed down time from running.

Not that all the running has ceased. Keeping a good bit of the intensity up, but dropping the overall volume. Had a solid, challenging midweek workout, some more hill, and one last longish run.

Met up for breakfast with eight or ten of the fellow Wilmington area runners headed to Boston. We are all excited, hashing out plan, sharing dreams and goals. Once again it is so cool to be doing this together, and to feel part of a small community representing the area. We'll be getting on planes in a couple of days...

Trying as always to remain humble, grounded. Thankful, and grateful. The excitement builds daily within in me. Like a slow, long lasting natural high. I am so looking forward to just being on the actual course, in the actual race- apart from any sort of time goals etc. Its almost hard to fathom after all this time and anticipation it's less than 10 days away

I feel like I have done the work. Not perfectly, but to the best of my ability at all the given times. We all second guess as runners-but I trust the process as much as I trusted it several months ago. Win or lose so to speak, I am determined to finish the deal.


Week # 17 (4/2/18-4/8/18)

Total miles 37.0


Monday:  6 miles. Mostly on the Farm. Easier pace, then 10 x 100m striders at 3-5k pace. Legs felt snappy. Run time- 48:01 (8:00 pace)

Tuesday:  Rest/ recovery

Wednesday:  7.61 miles.  Carolina Beach State Park, to and back. About 2 miles of hills at moderate pace Yellow Blaze and Sugarloaf trails. Felt alright, was warm evening ran shirtless which I enjoyed. Run time- 1:02:09 (8:10 pace)

Thursday:  11.3 miles. WO2. 3 + (3 x 2T, w/ 2 mi jog recovery) + 2. Used Snows Cut bridge loop that we used last Saturday for T running. Pushed pace pretty hard, was a good challenging run. Felt a little off in the miles before. But sort of went away or ran through. Was windy too. Full mile T splits: 6:24, 6:20, 6:29.  Run time- 1:20:29 (7:07 pace)

Friday:  Rest/ recovery

Saturday:  12.12 miles. WO1 5 + 3M + T + 2.  Roads, north end and back and CB neighborhoods. Was humid and about 65-70 early morning started in the dark, and some wind. First M miles felt great, then had to grind some, but wanted it all to be easy, and caught myself thinking about how mot people fret near the actual race about the effort needed to hit M pace (and the attendant how in the hell could I possibly run this for 26 miles?!). Chalked it up, and carried forth. Ran T mile hard, but in control. Splits- 6:37, 6:52, 6:44, 6:10. Run time- 1:30 (7:26 pace)

Friday, April 6, 2018

Boston Marathon Training Week # 16

I'm getting behind and lazy with my blog posts. Troubling reminder of how in my past I had a penchant for not finishing thing that I started, and/or shying away from work. But been trying to stick to a brief passage I read a bit ago from Saint John of the Cross, about suffering, working, and silence being important, to drive out all the "nonsense" in our hearts and minds. I'm badly paraphrasing or attempting to articulate, so I'll stop.

Into taper mode, bringing miles down, though trying not to use that as an excuse to shy away from work. Feel like I've done what I've set out and wanted to do; now it's more a matter of trusting in all that, and erring on the side of rest, and reductions in volume. But of course we all second guess.

And getting more hills in. Something I probably should have been more diligent with earlier in the training. Good WO w. Colin, Rob, and Beth Ann on Saturday. Good talks too about pacing, and the hill etc. Even Colin and Rob somewhat disagreed on their impact on pace and performance.

Of course by now I've read about as much as I can possibly read about pacing, strategy etc. Like I've said to a few people, I'm going to hit go on my watch at the Start line and just run. A bit of an over simplification, but you get the drift.

Perhaps I'm fatigued some overall physically, mentally, spiritually. Which is to be expected. But the butterflies are slowly starting to build in anticipation. We are counting the days... I've got my passport for the expo, app loaded on the phone ....


Week # 16 (3/26/18- 4/1/18)

Total Miles:  52.6


Monday:  Rest/ recovery

Tuesday:  12 miles. WO2. 2 + (4 x 2T, 2 min jog recovery) + 2. Roads of Carolina Beach. Was a bitch of a workout that I had to really grind through; but in the end was exactly what I needed. Running when thing weren't 100% and clicking, having to gut it out under less than ideal conditions. Held up, barely. But I did, almost racing the last 2 miles in about 12:26. Pretending again that Thomas, Paul, Ryan, Amie and Porter were running with me. Thanks guys!  Avg @ 6:15- 6:25 per mile.  Run time- 1:24:26  (7:01 pace)

Wednesday:  7.87 miles. CB + Carolina Beach State Park. 3 miles easier pace of hills in Yellow Blaze and Sugar Loaf trails. Legs beat up from Tuesday. Run time- 1:08:47 (8:44 pace)

Thursday:  9 miles. 6 x snows cut bridge and fairly moderate pace + 6 x 150 I/O striders. Ran in the early morning in the dark. Decent running felt ok, took bridges at a fairly hard effort. More hills ma. Run time - 1:07:48 (7:32 pace)

Friday:  Rest/ recovery

Saturday:  16.06 miles. About 10 trails CBSP, then 3 x 10 minutes in 6:00s on bridge loop w/ Colin, Rob, Beth Ann. Wound down the paces on all 3 clocked a 6:17 mile during last one chasing Rob and Colin back across the bridge. Good overall run and companionship. Took trail easy. Bit colder out too, temps 40s w/ some wind.  Run time- 2:20:44 (8:46 pace)

Sunday:  7.73 miles. CBSP. 2 miles of hills at easy pace. Legs ok, but noticed more discomfort again in left foot. Run time- 1:10:09 (9:04 pace).

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Boston Marathon Training Week # 15

And the magic starts to seep in at times... quietly, unsuspecting, in the middle of a run. Perhaps I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The dark night of the soul is close to reaching its end. Who knows?  

The mileage is dropping, the word taper is beginning to be whispered on the lips of those involved in the pursuit.

Felt like my legs had enough in them to do 2 workouts this week after all; as originally I had planned not to coming off the WB marathon. But it was also my birthday, and I have gotten into the habit the last few years of performing a solid run in the dark, wee hours of such a festive day. Which fell midweek, on a Wednesday this week. Good timing...?

Capped it off Saturday feeling real good, itchy good, scary good, doing M pace miles down in Shallotte. Maybe there's something in the water there?

Ah it's healthy to be full of such heady questions. Makes life a little more worth living, don't you think?


Week # 15 (3/19/18- 3/25/18)

Total Miles:  67.2


Monday: Rest/ recovery

Tuesday:  9 miles. Recovery run from the marathon, legs felt half decent. Trails in Carolina Beach State park and finished on the roads. Easy pace. Run time- 1:22:34 (9:10 pace)

Wednesday: 12 miles. WO2. 3 + (3 x 1T w/ 1 min jog recovery) + (3 x 1k w/2 min jog recovery) + (3 x 400m, w/ 400m jog recovery).  Legs a big sluggish, but able to hit close to top speeds in all phases though definitely worked for it. Early morning in dark in CB, birthday morning. T miles @ 6:20. I low 6s pace. 400s in 1:20s.  Run time- 1:28:22 (7:21 pace)

Thursday:  9.15 miles. Felt ok, another early morning run but was much colder out. Wore long pants. Roads + got some off road in on state park roads and by marina. Getting miles in. Run time- 1:20:11 (8:46 pace)

Friday:  9.06 miles. Another early morning run getting miles in. Felt ok. Added 8 x 150 I/O striders. Colder out again. Long pants.  Run time- 1:12:56 (8:03 pace)

Saturday:  18 miles. WO1. 3 + 6M + 1T + 6M + 3. Shallotte roads. Good solid WO. Legs had some nice flow and pop in them. Was even slowing myself a little at times. Perfect weather too. Cloudy 40s and little wind. Splits: 7:50, 7:12, 7:15, 6:52, 6:43, 6:45, 6:46, 6:47, 6:30, 6:33, 6:38, 6:28, 6:43, 6:42, 6:36, 7:40, 7:39.  Run time- 2:04:37 (6:55 pace)

Sunday:  10 miles. Mostly off sides of roads in Shallotte on Copas Rd loop. Legs not too beat up from yesterday. Some left foot pain again (started this week).