Training log - Week ending 2/28/2021

This week was 45 miles of running, 1500 yards of swimming and 12 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

Pulled back this week to race a 5K on Sunday.  I was a bit surprised at the time, as I had estimated I was in 19:30 shape.  But....it's still a starting point and something to build on.  And...when I think about it, I have always raced very poorly coming immediately off of the hill workouts.  So why would I expect any different here?

The good news is that I feel fresh and healthy and ready for a new training cycle, which is a really good place to be, I think.  And the good news about a slower than expected race is that it adds some fire for training.

This week my team is starting track workouts again, which I'm looking forward to.  My plan is to jump back into mileage.  However, I am getting my first dose of the vaccine on Wednesday, so I'll have to see how that affects training for the rest of the week.

Monday: 5 "miles" of pool-running and upper body weights/core. Foam rolling at night. 

Tuesday: 12 miles on the treadmill, including 6x0.5 miles with 2:30 jog in 3:09, 3:08, 3:07, 3:09, 3:07, 3:06. Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming. Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 10 miles very easy outside (9:09), followed by drills and 6 flat strides; foam rolling at night.

Thursday: 5 "miles" of pool-running and streaming yoga. Foam rolling at night. 

Friday: 7 miles, including an uptempo 1600 on the track in 6:30. Followed with 500 yards recovery swimming. Foam rolling at night. 

Saturday: 4 miles very easy (9:04). Foam rolling in the afternoon. 

Sunday: 4 mile warm-up, 5K in 20:06, and then 5 miles after (8:50). Later did 500 yards recovery swimming and 2 "miles" pool-running. Foam rolling in afternoon.

Race Report: Dash Around the Point 5K, February 28, 2021

I ran the "Dash Around the Point 5K" this morning finishing in a time of 20:06 by my watch, which was good enough for the female win.

I signed up for this race as a rust-buster of sorts - my first race back after taking a (not a) season break and then doing some hills/tempo work.  It was on Hains Point, which is a nice flat route with a well marked, certified out and back course for the 5K distance.  Interestingly, the course posted on the website was NOT the certified course.  But it was pretty similar, and I'm not currently fit enough to care whether a course is certified.

I got to the parking lot around 6:50 for the 8 am race, which was the perfect amount of time to grab my bib and warm-up.  I noted them laying a mat in the parking lot very close to my car as I grabbed my bib - I couldn't figure out why they needed a mat there since it wasn't anywhere near the start/finish.  

But after I finished, as I saw the racers lining up for the 10K (which preceded the 5K), I realized that they were not going with the course on the website.  Rather, we'd start right next to my car (which fortunately was not in the way) run about 10m one direction, then around a median and double back on ourselves.  From there, we'd exit the parking lot, make a right turn to go through a gap about 10 feet wide between a police car and a curb, and then we'd be on Hains Point.  From there, we'd do an out and back before doing the reverse curly-Q to get back to the finish.

The pre-race email had included the statement: 

"Masks are also required on NPS-managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including narrow or busy trails, overlooks and historic homes."  There are a few sections of the trail in the race that could be fairly busy and very difficult to stay 6+ feet away from others. We understand no one wants to wear a mask when running, but please abide by this new ruling when you near other runners, bicyclists, and other members of the public.

which had made no sense to me at the time - Hains Point has plenty of room for spacing/social distancing.  I assumed the statement was boilerplate for all their races.  But....in light of the new course, this made much more sense. 

Per their Covid protocols, we were sent off in waves of about 15 each.  We did not start at the start line, but rather some distance back, so we could be spaced out, with masks on.  Then, when the race was started, everyone ran to the start line and we were off.

As is normal for me, I got dropped by everyone at the start.  Which meant that I was at the back of the group for the tight turns and the police car gap.  (I guess this is where the fact that I never raced cross country shows - I'm one of those people that would totally get trapped behind a pack the whole race).  After we made it past the police car, space opened up and I was able to start working my way past others.  I was fifth woman when I passed the police car and turned onto Hains Point, but was able to pass women 4, 3, and 2 fairly easily as soon as I had room to do so.

There was a woman from Georgetown Running Club (one of my running team's friendly rivals) ahead of me, so I kept my eye on her, gently working my way towards her and a man  Once I bridged up to them, I sat there for a bit.  But the pace didn't feel right for a 5K, so I picked it up.  

There wasn't much except open road ahead of me at that point.  I could see a figure in the far distance, so I focused on him, trying to reel him in (surprisingly, I almost did catch him by the end).   

That was pretty much the rest of the race - the most exciting thing was the turnaround cone, which I executed poorly.  (note to self - remember that you run turnarounds much faster when you swing wide so you don't slow down too much).

The return to the start/finish area was much easier than the departure since I didn't have anyone blocking me.  I kicked as best I could though the turns and then I was done.  With my car nicely right there to grab my rain coat (it was gently raining during the race).

Splits by Garmin autolap (no mile markers) were:

Mile 1: 6:42

Mile 2: 6:30

Mile 3: 6:17

last bit: 37 seconds.

***

I have to admit, I ran a lot slower today than I was expecting to.  So that was disappointing.  On the other hand, my splits are lopsided, indicating that I likely left time on the table.  I think some of that is getting stuck behind others at the start, and some is that I was too conservative in the first half of the race.  I didn't feel like I was working hard until the last mile - not ideal in a 5K.    

I'm not too worried about all of this.  Since my break I haven't been doing the types of workouts that would lead to a good 5K, save the one set of half-mile repeats I did this past Tuesday.  I'm just not calloused to that type of effort.  My team is restarting track workouts this week, and I think I'm in a good place right now to respond quickly to those.  In the meantime, I got a race in, and all races are good practice.

Other notes:

• Weather was 46 degrees and light rain, with not much wind.  Which is some of my favorite weather to run in.  My breathing was great.
• When chatting with one of the race managers, I asked afterwards why they hadn't gone with the posted course.  He didn't offer an answer, just chatted about something else . I honestly can't figure out why - Hains Point was completely closed to traffic anyways, so it would have just been a matter of putting the timing mat and the turnaround cone in a different place.  Huh.
• In retrospect, I wonder how the race would have gone if I had deliberately sat at the back of my group of 15, let them go for 5-10 seconds at the start to give some space and then crossed the starting line.  Maybe something to try if I do this course in this set of circumstances again.
• Any time you get to race in the time of Covid is a good race.

Training log - Week ending 2/21/2021

This week was 64 miles of running, 1500 yards of swimming and 6 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.  

We got hit by more winter weather the second half of this week. Not a lot of snow, just a "wintry mix" that iced everything up and then kept melting, seeping, and refreezing. If I hadn't had a treadmill, I would have searched for a cleared low traffic road and done loops there. But since I had a treadmill, I used it and conserved winter laundry. 

Before the weather hit, I fit in another set of Iwo Jima hill repeats. These felt really solid, so I think I'm done with them. 

The Iwo Jima hills are fantastic for improving one's running gait and developing some muscle, but they come at a cost - since the recovery duration matches or slightly exceeds the fast running duration, they're not an aerobic workout and you sacrifice a bit of fitness there. 

(of course, one could counter that by running the recoveries faster, but then you miss the entire point of the workout, and might as well just do a tempo on rolling terrain somewhere). 

As I've mentioned before, the incline motor on my treadmill has failed, and it's going to be another week at least before I can get it repaired due to various delays (some but not all Covid-related). Since I prefer to run at a slight angle, I inserted a piece of plywood under the front of my treadmill to elevate it slightly. 

Doing some very basic math (the width of the plywood was the rise and the length of the treadmill was the run) I guesstimated a 1% incline. However, as I thought about it more, I realized that the proper "run" to be measured was not the overall length of the treadmill, but rather the distance between the front feet (where the plywood was) and the back feet. That distance is shorter than the overall length of the treadmill, with the result that my calculated "plywood incline" is just under 2%. 

Of course, all of this is assuming that the treadmill is perfectly level without the plywood, which may or may not be true. So who knows. But in any event, the incline is a little steeper than I thought it was.

Monday: 5 "miles" of pool-running and upper body weights/core. Foam rolling at night. 

Tuesday: 12 miles, including 8 Iwo Jima hill repeats (~2:00 uphill, 90 second jog, ~25-30 second downhill stride, 70 seconds jog to bottom). Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming. Foam rolling in evening. 

Wednesday: 10.5 miles very easy outside (9:11), followed by drills, 2 flat strides and streaming yoga in the morning; foam rolling at night.
 
Thursday: Upper body weights/core and 5 miles very easy on treadmill (9:15) (subbing for a 50 minute pool-run, since pool was closed due to snow/ice). Foam rolling at night. 

Friday: 12 miles on the treadmill, including a workout of 6x1K in 4 minutes each with 75 seconds jogging recovery, full recovery, and then 6x45 seconds at 6:00 pace with 75 seconds jog. Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming. Foam rolling at night. 

Saturday: 10 miles very easy on the treadmill (9:10), followed by streaming yoga. Foam rolling in the afternoon. 

Sunday: 14 miles progressive on treadmill, split as first 4 miles averaging 9:12 pace, next 5 averaging 7:48, next 5 averaging 7:08, and then a half-mile cooldown. Followed with streaming yoga, some injury prevention work, and 500 yards recovery swimming. Foam rolling in afternoon.

Training log - Week ending 2/14/2021

This week was 59 miles of running, 1500 yards of swimming and 12 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here. 

I modified the alternation tempo this week, to 1 minute of faster tempo blended with 4 of slower tempo (so it was 4/1/4/1/4/1/4/1/4/1/4).  That seemed like the right structure - the workout was challenging but not a race effort.  Interestingly, I found myself looking forward to the faster segments and dreading the slower ones, which supports my impression that I'm weak aerobically (so I am more comfortable running slightly faster, which is more anaerobic).

I did Friday's workout on the treadmill because the treadmill works best for that workout - it won't allow me to cheat on the recoveries by easing up for a moment.  Sunday's long run was also on the treadmill but that was due to icy conditions outside.  In retrospect I could have waited a few hours and then run outside when it melted, but it was nice to get the run done.

Doing a long run on the treadmill is definitely more physically challenging than one outside.  I think it's because there is no variation in terrain (especially since my treadmill is stuck at a 1% incline right now) so you're just using the same muscles over and over again.   Which will make the treadmill a good resource for training the next time I target a very flat marathon.

Dailies 

Monday: 5 "miles" of pool-running and upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling at night.

Tuesday: 12 miles, including 7 Iwo Jima hill repeats (~2:00 uphill, 90 second jog, ~25 second downhill stride, 75 seconds jog to bottom).  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday:  10 miles very easy outside (9:28), followed by drills, 2 hill strides, 2 flat strides and streaming yoga in the morning; foam rolling at night.

Thursday: 5 "miles of pool-running and upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 12 miles including an alternation tempo workout on the treadmill - I alternated six sets of 4 minutes at 6:55 pace with five sets of 1 minute at 6:36 pace, for 29 minutes of work.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 10.5 miles very easy outside (9:22), followed by drills, 2 hill strides and streaming yoga.  Foam rolling in the afternoon.

Sunday:  14 miles progressive on treadmill, split as first 5 averaging 9:10, next 5 averaging 7:52, next 4 averaging 7:10, and then a half-mile cooldown.  Followed with streaming yoga, some injury prevention work, and 500 yards recovery swimming/2 "miles" pool-running.  Foam rolling in afternoon.

Training log - Week ending 2/7/2021

 This week was 68 miles of running, 1500 yards of swimming and 5 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here. 

Due to multiple snowfalls, many of my runs were on the treadmill this week.  Wow, is it nice to have that option.  Unfortunately the incline motor on my treadmill is not working, and the repair parts are back ordered.  In the meantime, since I like to run on the treadmill at a 1% incline as a default anyway, I've propped up the front of the treadmill with a piece of plywood.  It makes my runs slightly slower for the same effort, but also encourages me to push off with my glutes rather than run in a quad-dominant fashion.  I will totally take the trade-off, especially since the body responds to effort, not pace.

After taking my down week, I've shifted to focusing on basic strength - both leg strength and aerobic strength.  I listened recently to a great podcast with Nate Jenkins where he described the importance of building one's aerobic house.  So that's what I'm doing the next few weeks, relying on a shorter relaxed progression long run, Iwo Jima hills, and an alternation tempo.

This week's alternation tempo highlighted just how weak I am aerobically right now.  The point of the workout is to push a little over your lactate threshold and then duck back under and recover while still holding a fairly strong pace.  Right now, I can't do that at all (as highlighted by Tuesday's workout).  I was expecting that workout to be easy, since I'd be averaging around 6:45 pace.  I was shocked when I struggled and could not recover at all.  A straight 6:45 tempo would have been much easier.

When I think about it this is not all that surprising.  I had noted during my recent track workouts that I needed to run my recoveries much slower, even though I was running my intervals at the correct effort.  I'm not aerobically fit, and thus relying too much on my anaerobic system to support.  Which is no good for a marathoner.

So I need to rebuild that.  A controlled progression run that does not get too fast will help me.  Alternation workouts at the right effort (i.e. easier than this week's failed attempt) will do a lot.  As will discipline in keeping my easy runs truly easy (Jenkins makes a great point in his podcast about how it's always the people who run their easy runs too fast who can't seem to run to their potential in the marathon.  By running their easy runs too fast, they use their anaerobic system to supplement their aerobic system during those runs.  Their aerobic system never gets fully developed as a result, and fails them when they need it in the marathon)

And I'll also do Iwo Jima hills this week, just to balance all the aerobic work with some power and turnover.  

Dailies 

Monday: 9 miles very easy on the treadmill (9:22), followed by upper body weights/core, and an extra treadmill mile (8:57) after lubricating the belt.   Foam rolling at night.

Tuesday: 12 miles including a treadmill workout - I attempted an alternation workout of 4 sets of 4 minutes at 6:55 pace/4 minutes at 6:36 pace, for 32 minutes of work. Bailed at 26 minutes, which included inserting a 2 minute jog during one of the 6:55 paced segments.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling at night.

Wednesday:  10 miles very easy on treadmill (9:04) and streaming yoga in the morning; foam rolling at night.

Thursday: 5 "miles of pool-running and upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 12 miles, including 6 Iwo Jima hill repeats (~2:00 uphill, 90 second jog, ~25 second downhill stride, 75 seconds jog to bottom).  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Saturday: 10.5 miles very easy outside (9:05), followed by drills, 2 hill strides, 2 flat strides, and streaming yoga.  Foam rolling in the afternoon.

Sunday:  14 miles progressive on treadmill, split as first 5 averaging 9:14, next 5 averaging 7:49, next 4 averaging 7:14, and then a half-mile cooldown.  Followed with streaming yoga, some injury prevention work, and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in afternoon.