LV runs NYC

Eugene Marathon Training: Week Fourteen

Posted on April 21, 2013     7 Comments

Unity Run for Boston
Photo license: © All rights reserved

Week fourteen was a full week of taper, although there wasn’t much time to focus on the typical feeling of “taper madness.”  Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings and following events put the week on a surreal timeline. Thankful all friends who were in Boston running and spectating were safe. Thoughts are with those who were not as fortunate. With one week until Eugene, it’s been a time of deep reflection on events and upcoming goals.

Monday: Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes. (Boston Marathon)

Tuesday: Run. Tempo run. Settled into faster pace and went with it. After yesterday’s Boston bombings, needed an outlet to unleash anger, sadness, disgust, hope.

Ran bridle path until last half mile. Body felt great.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 3 mi @ 8:10
• Actual = 3.1 mi – 23:21 – 7:31 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 7:39; (2) 7:31; (3) 7:22

Wednesday: Rest Day.

Thursday: Run. Expected this 6AM run to be quiet and relaxing. But park was quite crowded with cyclists and runners.

Ran on the drive until the last 2 miles or so. Moved to bridle path, which was empty and lovely.

Got a little ahead of myself around miles 5 and 6. Felt comfortable, but dialed it back a bit in  last two miles.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 8 mi easy
• Actual = 8.08 mi – 1:05:47 – 8:08 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 8:12; (2) 8:14; (3) 8:09; (4) 8:07; (5) 8:01; (6) 7:59; (7) 8:16; (8) 8:09

Friday: Rest Day. 

Saturday: Run. Last long run before Eugene Marathon!

First 4.5 miles were part of NY Flyers’ Unity Run for Boston. Met at Columbus Circle and loved how many people showed up to run.

Ran a comfortable pace with group on the bridle path, then broke off for rest of my run. Felt great!

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 10 mi easy
• Actual = 10.01 mi – 1:26:11 – 8:36 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 9:52; (2) 9:17; (3) 8:40; (4) 8:27; (5) 8:24; (6) 8:24; (7) 8:27; (8) 8:20; (9) 8:08; (10) 8:13; (11) 8:03 (for .44 mi)

* accidentally hit lap button mid-run so laps were thrown off.

Sunday: Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes.

Weekly Totals:

•    3 hrs 55 mins
•    21.19 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

LV Runs NYC

Eugene Marathon Training: Week Twelve

Posted on April 7, 2013     1 Comment

With Steve
Photo by Erica Sara

Week twelve was a lower-mileage week. Swapped the nine- and six-milers in order to make the NYRR Scotland Run 10K fit my schedule. First week back to strength training also meant I was sore for a few days after. Good lesson not to let cross-training slack. This upcoming week has my last high-mileage long run (22 miles), and then taper begins. Three weeks to go!

Monday: Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes.

Tuesday: Run. Easy run around lower loop and bridle path. Temperature dropped, but legs felt good. Headwind in last part of run.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 5 mi easy
• Actual = 5.05 mi – 42:27 – 8:24 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 8:23; (2) 8:25; (3) 8:32; (4) 8:26; (5) 8:12

Wednesday: Strength Training for 60 minutes. Had fallen off cross-training wagon for a bit. Great to be back! First thing trainer said after a big hug: “You’re gonna die today.” That’s how you know it’s going to be a kick-ass session.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

Dynamic warmup: (x3 across studio)

• Walking lunges across studio
• Side shuffle in low squat across studio
• Skipping across studio
• Skipping for height
• Skipping for distance
• Plyometric long jumps
• Crab walk
• Bear crawl

Circuit 1: (x3)

• Bench step ups w/ 10 lb weight, (x15 each leg)
• Bosu side jumps, (x15)

Circuit 2: (x3)

• Bridge raises w/ 8lb medicine ball between knees, (x10)
• Bridge w/ 8lb medicine ball between knees, (30 sec)
• Bent-knee leg lifts w/ 8lb medicine ball between knees, (x10)

Circuit 3: (x3)

• Wide-leg dumbbell squats w/ 10 lbs, (x15)
• Lunges w/ 10 lbs, (x15, each leg)
• Burpees, (x10)

Circuit 4: (x3)

• 8lb medicine ball woodchoppers, (x15, each side)
• 8lb medicine ball squat-swings, (x15)
• Medicine ball plank, (30 sec)

Circuit 5: (x3)

• Pike crunches w/ 8lb medicine ball in hands, (x10)
• Straight-arm crunches w/ 8lb medicine ball in hands, w/ legs raised, (x10)
• Straight-arm crunches w/ 8lb medicine ball in hands, feet planted, knees bent, (x10)

Circuit 6: (x3)

• Plank with side crunches (knee out to side & to elbow), (x10 each side)
• Straight arm plank, (x30 sec)

Stretch

Thursday: Run. Beautiful evening run along Hudson. Ran this easy, and decided to use Saturday’s Scotland Run 10K as my tempo workout.

Entire back of body was sore from strength training. Felt it on tonight’s run. Run was okay, but stopped to stretch lower back and hamstrings.

Tendons in right foot felt tight at end of run (last mile). Rolled out arch on baseball after, which helped.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 9 mi easy
• Actual = 9.45 mi – 1:19:16 – 8:23 min/mi avg pace
• Actual = (1) 8:12; (2) 8:26; (3) 8:20; (4) 8:20; (5) 8:28; (6) 8:16; (7) 8:22; (8) 8:26; (9) 8:38; (10) 8:34 for .45 mi

Friday: Rest Day.

Saturday: Run. NYRR Scotland Run 10K. Used this as goal marathon pace tempo run.

Crowded course meant Steve and I eased into the run, chatted the whole time, and ran a nice negative split.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 6 mi at GMP (8:10 min/mi)
• Actual = 6.36 – 51:23 – 8:04 min/mi avg pace
• Actual = (1) 8:46; (2) 8:25; (3) 8:05; (4) 7:55; (5) 7:51; (6) 7:46; (7) 7:08 (for .36 mi)

Sunday: Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes.

Weekly Totals:

•    4 hrs 53 mins
•    20.86 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

LV Runs NYC

Eugene Marathon Training: Week Eleven

Posted on March 31, 2013     2 Comments

Photo license: © All rights reserved

Week eleven ended with the second to longest run of training before taper. It went very well – a bit over 20 miles – over two bridges and into two boroughs. However, I slacked on cross-training this week. Time to get back on track with the personal trainer. But, the running went well and my legs felt fantastic all week.

This week also caps off March with 152.26 miles logged.

Monday: Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes.

Tuesday: Run. First run after Allstate 13.1 New York half marathon. Complete running redemption! Legs felt fantastic, pushed the hills and pace fell into place.

Simply a run that felt amazing. 49F and sunny. Nice to shed layers and not freeze. About time!

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 6 mi clock-wise loop (pushing up hills w/ high knees & swinging elbows back); 1 mi cool down.
• Actual = 7.14 – 54:49 – 7:40 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 7:45; (2) 7:34; (3) 7:37; (4) 7:35; (5) 7:38; (6) 7:32; (7) 7:57

Wednesday: Rest Day. 

Thursday: Run. Lovely evening run. Earlier rain cleared by the time I went out. Mild 46F and sunny.

Alternated between pushing pace a bit and going easy. Overall, a comfortable effort.

Fueled with one packet of protein-enhanced UCAN.

• Plan = 6mi easy
• Actual = 6.6 mi – 54:31 – 8:15 min/mi avg pace
• Actual splits = (1) 8:05; (2) 8:11; (3) 8:17; (4) 8:15; (5) 8:24; (6) 8:13; (7) 8:22 (for .6 mi)

Friday: Rest Day.

Saturday: Run. Gorgeous day for a long run! Was excited to tackle a 20-miler with Jess. She had 18 miles scheduled, so ran first two miles to her neighborhood.

No satellite connection for first half mile. (Not included in splits below.)

Ran south on east side, weaving between river path and First Ave, to Canal Street. Crossed to Brooklyn via Manhattan Bridge, then over Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan.

Brooklyn Bridge was beyond crowded. Every tourist was there this morning. Sprinted across to get out of congestion.

Ran back to east river, around southern tip of Manhattan and north on west side bike path.

Felt fantastic to run in shorts, tank, and gloves! Perfect running weather. Legs felt tired but manageable in last three miles. Was able to keep pace.

Looking at splits – miles 8 and 9 were near the bridges. Those splits aren’t accurate. Remember Jess saying her Garmin read 8:30s, which is what the pace felt like.

Ended run at Starbucks, then got stretched out by personal trainer immediately after. So needed.

Felt run more in my glutes and obliques, which I’ll take as a good sign. Switching more to those muscles than quads, on which I’d heavily relied in the past.

Fueled w/ 2 packets of UCAN pre-run and only water during. Energy levels felt fine!

• Plan = 20 mi easy
• Actual total distance = 20.65mi
• Actual on Garmin = 20.15mi – 2:52:35 – 8:33 min/mi avg pace
• Splits = (1) 8:15; (2) 8:52; (3) 8:33; (4) 8:51; (5) 8:49; (6) 8:25; (7) 8:35; (8) 9:10; (9) 9:30; (10) 8:37; (11) 8:31; (12) 8:13; (13) 8:27; (14) 8:14; (15) 7:48; (16) 8:29; (17) 8:38; (18) 8:35; (19) 8:35; (20) 8:15; (21) 7:08 (for .15 mi)

Sunday: Run. Quick, easy recovery run. Never really do these, but felt like I wanted to today.

Kept pace relaxed and stuck to bridle path. Legs felt good.

• Actual = 3.13 mi – 27:50 – 8:53 min/mi avg pace
• Splits = (1) 8:50; (2) 9:01; (3) 8:50

Foam Roll and Stretch for 30 minutes.

Weekly Totals:

•    6 hrs 09 mins
•    37.52 miles running

See all weekly workout recaps here.

LV Runs NYC