I felt better this week than I have the previous couple weeks. Happy with both my quality workouts, and I'm feeling strong and healthy. Based off the feedback my body's giving me from the progression of workouts over the past four months, I'm as confident in my strength and speed as I've ever been. All the hills and trail runs have done wonders for my running specific strength and toughness. Not to mention, the variation has likely helped prevent the inevitable repetitive running motion niggles and injuries that manage to pop up during most standard marathon training blocks. In the past I've had calf and Achilles issues that have forced me to miss time, and this block I've had none of that. I haven't really done any track specific workouts this time around, but I've worked in speed workouts via the Fartlek approach, which at the very least is more race specific. Ripping along at 5k pace seems easier to me than it did six months ago. I've also done a better job of working in longer lactate threshold sessions this time around, with multiple tempo runs of thirty minutes or longer. Threshold runs have not necessarily been my favorite in the past and as a result I didn't do enough of them in my opinion leading into a marathon. However, I've done a better job of sucking it up and embracing them this training block. So, in the past both hard Farltek and longer threshold sessions have plagued me and this block I've done pretty well with them. I feel fast and strong and healthy. My only concern in terms of fitness is my race specific endurance. I haven't done as many long long runs as I have in the past, and I've done even fewer long Marathon Pace runs, which could also explain why I'm feeling stronger. Dunno...it's fine balance of accumulated fatigue and adaptation. Ideally, I would have done a couple more 20+ mile runs with a little more MP mixed in, but with the added strength and health benefits I'm experiencing as a result of lots of hills and trails, I'm not sweating it. I had to change something up, and I'd rather feel better than run down. I'm two weeks out from the marathon and my goal over this time span is to rest, recover, and replenish my body while maintaining the fitness I've accumulated over the last sixteen weeks of training. Have I done enough to go sub-3:00?
Monday, Sept 14:
Easy run (55min, 6.8mi) - Can't remember the run now, but I do know it was at lunch.
Tuesday, Sept 15:
Trail run (~60min, ~6mi) - Colin and I hit the Marquam circuit. Felt really good today. I'm sure some of it has yoga this morning. I think we're going to permanently switch to Tuesday trail runs to take advantage of our yoga strength. (Soloman XT)
Yoga (60min)
Wednesday, Sept 15:
Fartlek run (63min, 8.8mi) 5 x 5min hard (~6:00-6:10) w/3min easy - I crushed this workout. I can't believe how much I like these types workouts now versus this time roughly a year ago. It was definitely a mental boost to be able to hit this workout after the way I've been feeling the past couple weeks. Maybe it was the new Zantes, but for the most part I felt strong right through each repeat. I know my speed is where I need it to be. (new Zante)
Thursday, Sept 16:
Easy run (46min, 5.4mi) - Plain and simple down around Steel Bridge and back across Portland's new bridge, The Tilikum Bridge pedestrian/Tri-Met only bridge just down from our office. It's supposed to be a very special and cool bridge. Changes colors allegedly based on the depth of the Willamette River or something like that.
Friday, Sept 17:
Easy run (48min, 5.8mi) - Same as yesterday but I added an extra cross over the river via Hawthorne Bridge. (old Zante)
Saturday, Sept 18:
Hard long run (99min, 13.5mi) 7 miles tempo @ ~MP + 1 mile @ 6:32 - I didn't feel great during this run, but I didn't feel awful either. My legs were a little off and I had to stop real quick to stretch a couple times, but I'm hoping that's mostly fatigue and if I taper, recover, and yoga right I should be good to go come race day. My slowest split over the last four miles was 6:44, so I guess that's pretty good. Overall, I'm happy with how this effort turned out as my last longer hard effort heading into the marathon two weeks from now. (Zante)
Weekly Totals:
- 431 total minutes
- 371 minutes run (6), 47 miles
- 60 minutes yoga
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