Eugene Marathon Training: Week Eight

Week eight was supposed to be an easy week. Two extra workouts (for networking/business-related purposes) meant it wasn’t quite as easy as intended. Made sure to get extra sleep to compensate. Had no problem meeting the requirements of all workouts; am looking forward to taking a total rest day now! One thing I certainly won’t complain about was the milder weather by the weekend after Friday’s snowfall. Mid-40F means running shorts season is here!

Monday: Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes. 

Tuesday: Run. Early morning goal marathon pace (GMP) tempo run. East Drive, Reservoir, Bridle Path – beautiful sunrise. Legs felt great.

Right achilles got a little torn up from Kinvara hitting the back of right heel. Have done a number of tempo/hill runs in these and never had that issue before.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 2 mi easy; 6 mi @ 8:10; 1 mi easy
• Actual = 9.01 mi – 1:12:47 – 8:04 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 8:02; (2) 8:00; (3) 7:55; (4) 7:50; (5) 7:53; (6) 7:41; (7) 8:06; (8) 7:54

BariBOUNCE for 55 minutes. Double workout Tuesday? Check! Visited Bario Studio to try BOUNCE class. Total body and high cardio workout using Jumpsport fitness trampolines, dumbbells, and resistance bands. Challenging workout (especially legs/abs segment) with low impact on joints. As tough as the workout is, it’s so much fun. Absolutely loved it!

Went to class on the heels of my early morning 9-miler, but felt great throughout.

Wednesday: TRX for 50 minutes. Shorter routine since yesterday was a double workout. Incorporated 5lb dumbbells in some exercises (all I have at home).

Circuit =

• Step ups using chair, with 10 lbs on shoulder, (x20) each leg
• Single leg squats using chair, with 10 lbs on shoulder, (x20) each leg
• Single leg deadlift with arm curl and 10 lbs, (x15) each leg
• TRX squats, (x30)
• TRX single leg squats, (x15) each leg
• TRX low row, deep angle, narrow stance, (x25)
• TRX low row, single arm, deep angle, narrow stance, (x10) each arm
• TRX standing roll out, (x20)
• TRX kneeling roll out, (x20)
• TRX chest press, leg extended to side, (x10) each leg
• Step ups using chair, with 10 lbs on shoulder, (x20) each leg
• Single leg squats using chair, with 10 lbs on shoulder, (x20) each leg
• Single leg deadlift with arm curl and 10 lbs, (x15) each leg

Thursday: Run. Expected snow this morning, but was simply a few flurries. Ran bridle path for softer surface. Supposed to be easy run, and judging by pace body’s feeling ok. A bit tight at first after last night’s TRX. Kind of see now that I did the opposite of a negative split. Admittedly over-paced.

Lots on my mind, which made the run alternate between feeling great and a bit of a slog. Mind over matter, right?

Nice to see Mike on the run!

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 7 mi easy
• Actual = 7.03 – 57:25 – 8:10 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits =(1) 8:01; (2) 8:00; (3) 8:05; (4) 8:12; (5) 8:15; (6) 8:18; (7) 8:21

Friday: Strength Training for 60 minutes. Workout felt tough. Trainer stepped up intensity, and I was feeling a bit tired. Was a push for me. Made it through, but consider it a red flag to take rest days more seriously. Need to recharge as much as I work hard.

Circuit 1 – Dynamic warmup across studio & back, (x3)

• High knee walking
• Skipping
• Skipping for height
• Skipping for more height
• Butt kicks, forward
• Butt kicks, backward
• Bear crawls, forward
• Bear crawls, backward
• Plyometric long jumps

Circuit 2 – (x3)

• Walking lunges w/ 24lbs, forward across studio & back
• High knee jog with arms up & 8lb medicine ball, (30 sec)
• Reverse lunges w/ 24lbs, backward across studio & back
• Cross lunges w/ 12lbs, (x20) each leg

Circuit 3 – (x3)

• 90-degree rotation squat jumps to right, (x10)
• 90-degree rotation squat jumps to left, (x10)
• Plank, (30 sec)
• Pushups, (x5)
• Plank-to-pike pushups, (x10)
• Half burpee jumps, (x20)
• Elbow plank with hip rotations, (x10 each side)

Circuit 4 – (x3)

• Bicycle crunches, (x50)
• Straight leg raises w/ controlled 10-second descent, (x5)

Stretch

Saturday: World Race for Hope 5K benefitting the Somaly Mam Foundation. Ran this with Erica (Erica Sara Designs sponsored the race prizes!). Was supposed to be 50 degrees later in the day, but the morning was a chilly and windy 36F.

Heeded Mike’s advice to run any of these extra (non-training) races easy. Course had lots of black ice on it from Friday’s snow, which forced me to slow down.

Also jogged the two miles to race start: un-timed but very easy, comfortable pace.

Foam rolled in evening – found knots in quads.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• 3.64 mi – 33:03 – 9:04 min/mi avg pace
• 2mi warmup – un-timed.

Sunday: Run. Legs felt a little sluggish today, not quite as peppy as during last weekend’s 16-miler. That being said, gorgeous weather and Jess U’s fantastic company made it a great run. Went north on west side to George Washington Bridge and Little Red Lighthouse. First time I’ve run that far north!

Only had 10-miles on schedule, but run wound up being 12. Kept pace even and comfortable.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 10 mi easy
• Actual = 12.01 mi – 1:42:26 – 8:31 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 8:37; (2) 8:20; (3) 8:33; (4) 8:36; (5) 8:31; (6) 8:36; (7) 8:37; (8) 8:36; (9) 8:35; (10) 8:27; (11) 8:19; (12) 8:28

Weekly Totals:

•    8 hrs 00 mins
•    33.69 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

LV Runs NYC