Chicago Marathon Training: Week Eight

Week eight was a weekly mileage record for me! In the past, I’ve trained using Run Less Run Faster. That plan promotes three running workouts/week. My mileage used to cap out around 38 miles/week at peak. Working with Coach Kevin, I’m now running five days/week. I ran nearly 44 miles during week eight. Love the challenge, and am quite pleased with how my body’s responding to the higher mileage.

Monday

Run: Easy.

Beautiful morning run with some cooler temps. Easy recovery after Saturday’s 5K race. Legs felt good.

PS – I don’t believe split #1. Garmin snapped from 13 min/mi to 7:50 min/mi so something was up.

Conditions: Sun – 70F – felt like 70F – 94% humidity – 0 mph wind

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Nike LunaRacer 3

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 1 hr easy
• Actual = 7.11 mi – 1:00:38 – 8:31 min/mi
• Splits = (1) 8:01; (2) 8:32; (3) 8:40; (4) 8:31; (5) 8:36; (6) 8:40; (7) 8:38; (8) 8:48 (for .11 mi)

Tuesday

Run: Easy.

Like birthday presents x 100: Coach confirmed new easy pace based on outcome of Founder’s 5K! Pace feels much more comfortable. Huzzah!

Gorgeous weather, park was crowded. Like how evenly paced this run was, minus split #7 when I left the park and ran on the street (darn traffic). What happened with split #8? Oh, that was me sprinting toward the chips, guac, and margarita finish line.

Conditions: Sun – 79F – felt like 79F – 42% humidity – 5 mph wind

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Saucony Kinvara 3

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 1 hour @ 8:20-8:35 min/mi
• Actual = 7.2 mi – 1:00:02 – 8:20 min/mi avg pace
• Splits = (1) 8:20; (2) 8:18; (3) 8:20; (4) 8:21; (5) 8:18; (6) 8:19; (7) 8:31; (8) 7:40 for (.2 mi)

Wednesday

Double workout day: Strength Training + Tempo.

Cross-training: Strength Training

Took a week off of strength training before the 5k. Back at it this week: 1 hour.

Circuit 1 (Dynamic Warmup): (x3)

• Jump rope, (x1 min)
• Reverse lunge with overhead arm stretch, (x10 each leg)
• Ice skater toe touches, (x1 min)
• One leg Romanian deadlift toe touches w/ knee crunch, (x10 each leg)

Circuit 2: (x3)

• Squats with 30 lbs, (x15, x20, x24)
• Squat jumps, (x20)

Circuit 3: (x3)

• Reverse lunges w/ 30 lbs, (x15, x20, x24)
• Standing side leg lifts, (x15, x20, x24)

Circuit 4: (x3)

• Alternating arm dumbbell push with hip rotation, (x10, each side)
• Squatting dumbbell row w/ 16lbs, (x20)
• Straight arm dumbbell jumping jacks, (x20)

Circuit 5: (x3)

• V-sit with 8lb medicine ball rotation, (x20)
• Dead bug core, (x1 min)
• Flutter kicks, (x1 min)
• Crunches, (x1 min)

Stretch

Run: Tempo.

Good run. Ran tempo a bit faster than prescribed. Got the OK from Coach, who said I was between my 10K and half marathon pace. This run was a few hours after strength training, but that’s what I could work out schedule-wise.

Felt tired, but remember my brain cheering me on part way through the tempo: “I know you’re tired, Lora. But push through. That’s what champions do.” Not kidding. I’ll take that pep talk in the head over negative thoughts any day. Overall, felt fine and am pleased with that negative split.

Conditions: Cloudy – 81F – felt like 81F – 42% humidity – 0 mph wind

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Saucony Kinvara 4

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 20 min wu; 3 mi @ 7:30; 20 min cd
• Actual = 7.82 mi – 1:02:02 – 7:55 min/mi avg pace
• Splits =
  • (wu) – 2.43 mi – 20:00 – 8:14 min/mi
  • (1) – 7:24
  • (2) – 7:20
  • (3) – 7:17
  • (cd) – 2.40 mi – 20:00 – 8:20 min/mi

Thursday

Run: Such cool temps for August, and rainiest run in a long time. Massive deluge, which I actually loved. Rain was so heavy at points that it was hard to see runners just a few meters ahead. Shoes were completely waterlogged. That’s one way to keep the pace easy.

Glutes still sore from strength training. Took about two miles to loosen up and feel comfortable.

Conditions: Rain – 70F – felt like 70F

Fuel: Cran-Raspberry UCAN (1 packet)

Shoe: Saucony Ride 5

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 60 min @ 8:20-8:35
• Actual = 7.1 mi – 1:00:07 – 8:28 min/mi avg pace
• Splits = (1) 8:33; (2) 8:26; (3) 8:21; (4) 8:14; (5) 8:24; (6) 8:35; (7) 8:45; (8) 8:35 (for .10mi)

Friday

Rest Day.

Saturday

Race: Long.

Ran first 7 miles in Central Park, and remainder on Summer Streets. GPS acted weird (taking 10 mins to connect, then snapping pace from fast to slow during last 7 miles). Perhaps Summer Streets aren’t GPS watch-friendly. In any case, it was a fun and fantastic run.

Conditions: Rain/Cloudy – 72F – felt like 72F – 61% humidity – 0 mph wind

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

Shoe: Saucony Kinvara 3

Plan v Actual:

• Plan = 2 hours @ 8:35
• Actual = 14.25 mi – 1:59:04 – 8:22 min/mi avg pace
• Splits = (1) 8:36; (2) 8:19; (3) 8:27; (4) 8:10; (5) 8:19; (6) 8:21; (7) 8:08; (8) 8:28; (9) 8:02; (10) 8:39; (11) 7:56; (12) 8:41; (13) 8:34; (14) 8:18; (15) 8:27 for .25 mi

Sunday

Rest Day.

Weekly Totals

•     7 hrs 01 mins
•     43.48 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

LV Runs NYC