Eugene Marathon Training: Week Three
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Week three was a hectic week that required some schedule manipulation. But overall, the running felt good. Love the return of tempo runs on the schedule. Threw in a 5K race for fun; wound up running it but not racing it. Trying to stay on top of stretching and foam rolling to address tightness in right leg. As of Saturday, it’s back under control and feeling fine.
Monday: Stretch and foam roll for 30 minutes.
Tuesday: Run. One of my favorite workouts: Tempo run! Ran along Hudson River path. Temperature warmed up from previous week’s freezing weather. Felt mild in comparison, with 42F. Ran in shorts, tank, arm warmers and gloves (which came off half-way through). Also, first speed session in Saucony Kinvara 3. Really loving these shoes – light, comfortable.
Felt great to run marathon pace again. Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.
- Plan = 2 mi w/u; 4 mi @ 8:10 (MP); 1 mi c/d
- Actual = 7.01 mi – 57:19 – 8:10 min/mi avg pace
- Actual splits = (1) 8:28; (2) 8:23; (3) 8:01; (4) 7:51; (5) 8:00; (6) 8:03; (7) 8:29
Wednesday: Rest day. Unscheduled due to work conflict. Moved strength training to Friday.
Thursday: Run. Easy run on a beautiful January day (45F). Extremely windy and experienced headwind on every uphill. Made for extra resistance training? Ran one full clockwise loop plus a lower loop. Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.
- Plan = 8 mi @ 9:00 min/mi range
- Actual = 8.01 mi – 1:10:31 – 8:48 min/mi avg pace
- Actual splits = (1) 9:13; (2) 8:47; (3) 8:57; (4) 8:59; (5) 8:47; (6) 8:46; (7) 8:40; (8) 8:17
Friday: Strength Training for 1 hr 15 mins. Personal trainer session heavily focused on stretching due to tightness down right side of body from glute, through hip flexor/hamstring, into foot. Incorporated mild strength training focusing on core/glute activation.
Circuit included:
- high knees
- butt kicks
- static bridges
- hip bridges (15 x 3)
- bridges with leg lifts (15)
- bridges with leg swing to side (15 x 3)
- side to side leg swings (15)
- front to back leg swings (15)
- squat into reverse lunges (15 x 3)
- squats with 4 lb medicine ball (15)
- squats with 8 lb medicine ball (15 x 2)
- bird dogs (3)
- oblique bird dogs (15 x 3)
- planks with shoulder taps (10 x 3)
- leg lifts with lower ab crunches (10 x 3)
- planks with dumbbell rows (10 x 3)
Stretching session after, which helped alleviate the achy tightness in right leg.
Saturday: Run. NYC Runs Hot Chocolate Riverside 5K. Ran it for fun, but did not race it.
- Actual = 3.1 mi – 24:57 – 8:03 min/mi avg pace
Sunday: Run. Long run with mini tempo workout. Cold (24F), solo run after a little NYC snowfall. Park was beautiful, but felt colder today than yesterday – even though it wasn’t. Longer I ran, colder I felt.
Body felt fine but mind was all over. Felt distracted, needed to concentrate more.
Tempo workout included several mile intervals that consistently dropped pace until reaching Marathon Pace. Ran mostly in the streets, but also moved to the snowy bridle path for a bit to slow down.
Fueled with small bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and almond milk; one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.
- Plan = 4mi easy; 5mi (8:30, 9:00, 8:20; 9:00; 8:10); 1mi easy
- Actual = 10.01 mi – 1:25:57 – 8:35 min/mi avg pace
- Actual splits = (1) 8:54; (2) 8:33; (3) 8:34; (4) 8:31; (5) 8:22; (6) 8:37; (7) 8:16; (8) 8:53; (9) 8:05; (10) 8:45
Weekly Totals:
- 5 hrs 43 mins
- 28.13 miles running
See all weekly workout recaps here.
LV runs NYC 
“schedule manipulation” LOVE THAT WORD! I think it’s a great sign when we are able to push our runs around and still get them in. I think it says a lot about the person and in the end makes us feel a little less crazy when we allow ourselves to be flexible with our training plans.
I think you were the first person that I ‘knew’ to mention UCAN and am now seeing a lot of people talking about it. If I remember right I think you said you used it once while running Pensacola? Do you think you will fuel more during and use it for Eugene?
Congrats on another great week of training and way to nip that right leg tightness in the butt! Keep up your great work!
I agree about flexibility in training! I usually like to stick as close to my schedule as possible, but I’m always fine with moving workouts around, etc. If it helps us get it done, then it can’t be all that bad 🙂
UCAN – yes! I started using it during my NYCM training last year after having problems with gels. I did use it then during the race in Pensacola.
The exciting thing is I’m now partnering with them during this training cycle! I’ll be writing for their company blog every other week documenting my training while using UCAN. I use it before my training runs, and also mid-way through my long runs (once they start to go over 16-17 miles). Love the product!
Thanks again for all the encouragement! Hope all is going well with you, too! Looking forward to seeing you in just about two months in Eugene! x
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