Chicago Marathon Training: Week Three

Week three featured heat and humidity (’tis summer), a full week of workouts (hooray!), a fantastic-feeling interval session (elated!), and popsicles after the NYRR Pride Run (heaven).

Monday

Run: Tempo.

Holy freaking hot. Granted, running a tempo at noon in summer isn’t ideal. But, that’s what worked with my schedule. Took advantage of water sprinklers in the park. They’re misting stations for runners, no? Warmup and cool down on bridle path for shade; tempo miles on street for better traction. Despite the heat, felt great on this run.

Conditions: Sun – 90F – felt like 95F – 52% humidity – 3 mph wind

Fuel: Vanilla protein-enhanced UCAN (1 packet).

Shoe: Saucony Ride 5

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 20 min wu; 1-2 mi @ 8:10; 15 min cd
• Actual = 5.84 mi – 50:57 – 8:43 min/mi avg pace
• Splits =
  • wu – 2.17 mi – 20:00 – 9:14 min/mi
  • tempo 1 – 1.00 mi – 8:00 min/mi
  • tempo 2 – 1.00 mi – 7:57 min/mi
  • cd – 1.68 mi – 15:00 – 8:57 min/mi

Tuesday

Run: Easy.

Evening run was still hot, still humid. Ran with Jess, and we were both sucking wind from the start. Air felt thick and run was a proper slog. Kept pace conversational and as comfortable as possible.

Conditions: 84F – felt like 87F – 58% humidity – 5 mph wind

Fuel: Vanilla protein-enhanced UCAN (1 packet).

Shoe: Saucony Type A5. (Ran easy in these to get better feel for their foot strike.)

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 50 min @ 8:50-9:00 min/mi
• Actual = 5.68 mi – 50:04 – 8:48 min/mi avg pace
• Splits = (1) 9:02; (2) 8:52; (3) 8:46; (4) 8:36; (5) 8:40; (6) 8:59 for .68 mi

Wednesday

Cross-Training: Strength Training for 1 hour.

“This is how we get stronger, Lora. This is how we get faster.” Jason upped the workout today and man, did I feel it.

Circuit 1: (x3)

• Plank, (x1 min)
• Lateral moving plank, (across studio & back)
• Mountain climbers, (x30 sec)
• Tomahawk crunches, (x30 sec)

Circuit 2: (x3)

• Burpees, (x10)
• Alternating reverse lunges, (x10, each leg)
• Jumping lunges, (x10, each leg)

Circuit 3: (x3)

• Single leg dead lift toe touches w/ glute & hamstring extension & 8lb medicine ball, (x 10, each leg) (aka: Single leg Romanian dead lift)
• Jumping jacks w/ medicine ball press, (x 1min)

Circuit 4: (x3)

• Hamstring curls on medicine ball, (x20)
• Alternating leg lifts on medicine ball, (x10 each leg)

Circuit 5: (x3)

• Bicycle crunches, (x10)
• Crunches, (x10)
• Leg lifts with hip raises, (x10)

Stretch

Fuel: Vanilla protein-enhanced UCAN (1 packet).

Thursday

Run: 7 x 400m Intervals.

Evening run meant I was sleepy minutes before I went out the door. Felt so much better on my run. Favorite workout of the week!

Starting to understand what coach said about never really getting to do speed work on fresh legs. Today’s intervals came after 3 consecutive workouts: tempo run, easy run, and strength training.

Still, felt good to get speed in the legs. Was so enthralled with my intervals that I mis-timed turnaround on out & back course. Wound up 1.5 mi from home at the end of workout, so ran that easy.

Conditions: 75F – felt like 75F – 83% humidity – 8 mph wind

Fuel: Vanilla protein-enhanced UCAN (1 packet).

Shoe: Saucony Kinvara 3

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 15 min wu; 6-7 x 400m @ 1:42 (6:48 min/mi pace) (1:15 walking RI); 15 min cd
• Actual = 6.01 mi – 51:03 – 8:29 min/mi avg pace
• Splits =
  • wu – 1.74 mi – 15:01 – 8:37 min/mi
  • (1) 400m – 1:41 – 6:45 min/mi
  • (2) 400m – 1:41 – 6:44 min/mi
  • (3) 400m – 1:38 – 6:33 min/mi
  • (4) 400m – 1:42 – 6:48 min/mi
  • (5) 400m – 1:39 – 6:37 min/mi
  • (6) 400m – 1:39 – 6:37 min/mi
  • (7) 400m – 1:38 – 6:36 min/mi
  • cd – 1.85 mi – 15:13 – 8:15 min/mi
• Additional = 1.5 mi – 12:32 – 8:21 min/mi

Friday

Rest Day.

Saturday

Run: Long.

Three part run:

• 3 mi to NYRR Pride Run start line – un-timed, no satellite signal. Sluggish because of humidity
• 5.14 mi during race – ran easy. Felt better than first three miles.
• 1 mi home from finish line – was after a post-race ice pop. No complaints.

Conditions: 73F – felt like 73F – 78% humidity – 6 mph wind

Fuel: Chocolate protein-enhanced UCAN (1 packet).

Shoe: Saucony Ride 5

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 1 hr 20 min easy
• Actual = 9.15 mi
  • 3 mi un-timed
  • 6.15 mi – 53:27 – 8:41 min/mi avg pace

Sunday

Rest Day.

Weekly Totals

•     5 hrs 04 mins (approx.)
•     28.18 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

LV Runs NYC