Training log - Week ending 9/14/2025

This week was 51 miles of running and 15 "miles" of pool-running.

Just two workouts this week, since I'm trying to stick with at least two moderate to easy days after each hard day.  Wednesday was an ad hoc 8K tempo.  I had planned to do 2x3200 and then some 400s since I was debating racing a 5K on Sunday. But I had a very sluggish start and then hit a groove about 2000m in, and I decided to go with the flow and do a longer tempo, with the understanding that it would probably compromise my 5K. 

I was pretty happy with the tempo - I ran the last 16 laps (6400m) in 30:26 - about 30 seconds faster than I had tempoed 6400m three weeks earlier.  Some of this is that I just get better as I run longer, but I think it also shows improved fitness.

I eventually decided to skip the 5K for a number of reasons:

- I wasn't really feeling the need to race since I had raced a 10.000m two weeks ago;
- cutting back mileage for a 5K race ran counter to my current goal of increasing my weekly mileage;
- I wanted to attend a memorial service for a friend's father on Saturday afternoon/evening; and
- I wanted to get my Covid shot out of the way before I got into serious marathon training.

Instead, I did a decently high mileage easy run on Friday and then headed out for a marathon paced workout on Saturday. 

My intended workout was 16 miles with 3x3 miles at marathon effort.  I usually do either 4, 3, 2, 1 miles at marathon effort or 2x5 miles for this workout, but since I haven't done many long runs or marathon pace workouts recently, I swapped to this version just to ease into things.

Unfortunately, I started Saturday's run at 8:30 am.  Had I started earlier, or had there been clouds in the sky, I think I would have been fine. But the late start combined with the bright sunshine and lack of shade meant that the heat really started to get to me after the second three mile set. Which was about the same time that my water bottle was drained and I discovered that the water fountain wasn't working.  

I decided that forcing a third set was just going to dig a hole, so I jogged back to my car and headed home to rehydrate.  Once I felt a bit cooler, I headed back out to get some more miles in on a mostly shaded route, with a few 200s at marathon-ish effort just to get the feel of that pace on tired legs (I honestly would have done long at marathon effort but the track was packed). 

Even though Saturday was technically a failed workout, I was happy with it. Marathon effort yielded me 8:11-8:12 pace, which tells me that going sub 3:30 this December (~8:00 pace) is a reasonable target. And I managed a total of 17 miles for the day with 6 of them at marathon effort - this was a useful building block for 14 weeks out from my marathon.

Dailies:

Monday: 8 "miles" pool-running in the morning; streaming yoga in the afternoon. Foam rolling in evening.

Tuesday: 8 miles very easy (10:07) with 8x100m in 28 down to 25. Upperbody weights/core and foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 10.5 miles on the track, including a 8K tempo in 38:40 (8:14/7:47/7:37/7:33/7:29), followed by 2x200 in 57 each and 2x100 in 26 each.  Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 4.5 miles very easy (11:16) on trails in morning followed by PT exercises. Pilates and foam rolling in evening.

Friday:11 miles very easy (9:50) with 4x100m in 26 down to 25. Upperbody weights and foam rolling in the evening.

Saturday: 12 miles with 2x3 miles at marathon effort in 24:32 (8:11 pace) and 24:35 (8:12 pace).  Later in the morning did 5 miles very easy (9:46) with 2x200 at marathon effort (8:04) and one 200 a bit faster (7:47 pace).  Followed with leg strengthwork. Covid shot in evening.

Sunday: Spent 2 hours cheering at half-marathon, then 7 "miles" of pool-running and PT exercises. Yoga and foam rolling at night.