Chicago Marathon Training: Week Six

Week six was supposed to be a 5K race week. The Thursday race was canceled due to hot weather and humidity. Coach quickly rescheduled my workouts, and we were off. Favorite run of the week: Thursday’s mile repeats!

Monday

Run: Easy.

Evening run on bridle path/reservoir. Weather didn’t feel nearly as awful as anticipated. Humid, but going at dusk helped. Overall, felt good.

Conditions: Sun – 91F – felt like 94F –  44% humidity – 3mph wind

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Nike LunaRacers

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 45 min easy
• Actual = 5.36 mi – 45:24 – 8:28 min/mi pace
• Splits =
  • (1) 8:09
  • (2) 8:33
  • (3) 8:28
  • (4) 8:23
  • (5) 8:42
  • (6) 8:40 for .36 mi

Tuesday

Run: Tempo.

Hot, humid tempo. Somehow, in the heat of the moment (ha!), it didn’t feel that bad. Not until I stopped running that the air felt like a furnace. Felt fine on this run. Tempo miles were good, smooth, relaxed and controlled.

Conditions: Sun – 91F –  felt like 91F – 41% humidity – 6 mph wind

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Saucony Kinvara 3

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 20 min wu; 3 mi @ 7:50-8:00; 15 min cd
• Actual = 7.1 mi – 57:06 – 8:02 min/mi
• Splits =
  • (wu) – 2.43 mi – 20:04 – 8:16 min/mi
  • (1) – 7:35
  • (2) – 7:43
  • (3) – 7:38
  • (cd) – 1.67 – 14:03 – 8:24 min/mi

Wednesday

Run: Easy.

Taking Coach’s advice to slow down the long/easy/recovery runs. Wasn’t too hard to do today. Heat was awful. Also, was incredibly tired from the start of the day. Only had enough time to get in about 47 mins out of 60. Stuck to bridle path for softer surface, more shade.

Conditions: Sun – 97F – felt like 97F – 37% humidity – 4 mph wind

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Saucony Ride 5

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 60 min easy (8:50-9:05 pace)
• Actual = 5.31 mi – 47:03 – 8:51 min/mi avg pace
• Splits =
  • (1) 8:47
  • (2) 8:51
  • (3) 8:46
  • (4) 8:46
  • (5) 8:56
  • (6) 9:35 (street lights)

Thursday

Run: 2 x Mile Repeats.

Braced for craptastic run due to heat, but it wound up being a really great go. Definitely humid, but by the time I hit first interval, felt relaxed. Repeat miles were fun! (Seriously…one of my favorites.) Of course, running into Jess made the run even better.

Conditions: Sun – 93F – felt like 96F – 41% humidity – 5 mph wind

Fuel: Cran-raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Saucony Type A5

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 20 min wu; 2 x 1 mi @ 7:30 (2:30 walking RI); 15 min cd
• Actual = 6.40 mi – 54:52 – 8:34 min/mi avg pace
• Splits =
  • (wu) – 2.33 mi – 20:01 – 8:36 min/mi
  • (1) – 7:25
  • (2) – 7:23
  • (cd) – 1.76 mi – 15:04 – 8:35 min/mi

Friday

Cross-Train: Strength Training.

Short strength training session (30 mins):

Circuit 1: (x3) (across studio & back)

• Forward walking lunges
• Backward walking lunges
• High knees, forward
• High knees, backward
• Butt kicks, forward
• Butt kick, backward
• Frankenstein walk
• Walking Romanian Deadlift
• Lateral squat shuffles

Circuit 2: (x3)

• Burpees, (x5/x10/x10)
• Lateral moving plank (across studio)
• Pushups, (x5/x10/x10)
• Lateral moving plank (across studio)

Circuit 3: (x3)

• Plank, (x1 min)
• One-legged plank, leg extended (x10 sec) (each leg)
• One-legged plank with abduction, (x10) (each leg)
• One-legged plank with static abduction, (x10 sec) (each leg)

Circuit 4: (x3)

• Bridge raises w/ feet on exercise ball, (x20)
• Static bridge w/ feet on exercise ball, (x30 sec)
• Hamstring curls w/ feet on exercise ball, (x15)
• Static bridge w/ feet on exercise ball, (x30 sec)
• Static leg lift w/ exercise ball squeezed between ankles, w/ added resistance from trainer pushing down, (x30 sec)
• Crunches w/ feet on exercise ball, (x15)

Circuit 5: (x3)

• Crunches w/ back on exercise ball, (x20)
• Static crunch w/ back on exercise ball, (x30 sec)

Saturday

Run: Long.

All signs should’ve pointed to a junky long run: day after strength training, lack of sleep (don’t even want to admit how few hours I got).

Was still up at 5:15 AM and out the door before 6. Run wound up being great. A bit cooler today (less humidity, at least). Was entertained by cycling race in the park. Saw the lovely Abby on my run, which made me happy. Then enjoyed some miles along the Hudson. Saw a beautiful sunrise, and ended my run just as it started to get really warm.

Besides feeling a little tired, my body felt good. And, I tried to get control over slowing down my long run pace. Progress.

Conditions: Sun – 81F – felt like 83F – 66% humidity – 7 mph wind

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

Shoe: Nike LunaRacers

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 1hr 45 min @ 8:50-9:05 min/mi
• Actual = 12.06 mi – 1:44:42 – 8:40 min/mi avg pace
• Splits =
  • (1) 8:43
  • (2) 8:39
  • (3) 8:33
  • (4) 8:46
  • (5) 8:43
  • (6) 8:41
  • (7) 8:41
  • (8) 8:45
  • (9) 8:43
  • (10) 8:43
  • (11) 8:43
  • (12) 8:32

Sunday

Rest Day.

Weekly Totals

•     5 hrs 39 mins
•     36.23 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

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