Week of April 6-12
Sun: 16 miles easy on trails at the April Fool's FA. (results)
Mon: 5 easy (7:54) Cooled down with 4x strides.
Tue: 11 miles, with 3mi @ I-pace. (4x 1200m intervals (5:45); with 400m recovery jog.)
Wed: 3 easy
Thur: 7.5 miles easy (8:09)
Fri: rest
Sat: 9.5 total, with 5k race (18:30, 17 second PR)
1200m splits: 4:20/4:21/4:19/4:16
52 miles on 6 runs.
One week to go to Boston. Mileage might seem high for a taper week, but I'm not fretting. The trail miles at the FA run were all easy, enjoying the trail and taking a few photos along the way.
The highlights of the week were the two sharpening workouts at interval pace. I've had success with racing a 5k on the weekend prior to a marathon. To prepare, Tuesday's workout was a planned 6x 800m that turned out better than I could have expected. A local speedster who was doing 1600s, so I joined in and turned my session to 4x 1200m. Running the first 3 laps with Tara, I surprised myself when I turned in average 5:45 pace for the workout.
Since my best 5k to date is 6:06/mile pace, my confidence was high heading into today's Run for your life 5k in Berea at the fairgrounds. Sub-6:00 was the first goal, but I thought 5:55 pace was possible. The other fast woman in our track group, Dee, was in the race. I arrived later than I wanted, but I got an adequate warm-up and a few strides in before the gun.
A short 5k race report:
38F, overcast and breezy at 9am start. Actually rained and hailed a bit in the minute before gun, but overall not entirely bad race conditions. Wore shorts and singlet.
I went out too fast!
I had confidence coming into this race, but bit off a lot more than I can chew. Mile 1 (5:36), which was 20 seconds faster than my goal pace for the day.
I was within the top 15 and tucked in a pack. Dee was nearby through miles 1 and 2. Though I never looked back, I knew she was there. Only 4 minutes into the second mile I was already in oxygen debt and feeling the hurt. Now in the top 10, I snuck briefly into 6th place for a bit. Dee finally passes me at the mile 2 marker (5:58/11:33). We both figured the first mile was short, but the second mile evened it out.
By now I was begging for the end and did the quick math that I could still break sub-6:00 pace with a 6:25 mile. I pushed on. I was nearly cooked, but did all I could to relax and still push. This course was nice because it was a loop with no out-and-back or 180 degree turns. I survived Mile 3 (6:16), turned the final corner and on to the last straight. The clock ahead turned 18:00 and I watched Dee finish, winning her race in 18:12 and a slight PR for her. She separated from me by 18 seconds in the final 1.1 miles.
I cross the line barely breaking the sub 6:00/pace. I imagine if I were 10 seconds slower in mile one that I could possibly been faster, but I'll take it.
Splits: 5:36 (short), 5:58 (long), 6:16, 0:40
Final time: 18:30 (PR, previously 18:47)
Place: 9/230
This marathon season was weird in that my only two tune-up races were 5k road races. The VDOT improved, as expected, as I ran 19:19 on February 16th. Last October, I ran 18:50-something one week before a good Grand Rapids marathon. This year, I'm 20 seconds faster in the 5k. Who knows what could happen in Boston.
Mon: 5 easy (7:54) Cooled down with 4x strides.
Tue: 11 miles, with 3mi @ I-pace. (4x 1200m intervals (5:45); with 400m recovery jog.)
Wed: 3 easy
Thur: 7.5 miles easy (8:09)
Fri: rest
Sat: 9.5 total, with 5k race (18:30, 17 second PR)
1200m splits: 4:20/4:21/4:19/4:16
52 miles on 6 runs.
One week to go to Boston. Mileage might seem high for a taper week, but I'm not fretting. The trail miles at the FA run were all easy, enjoying the trail and taking a few photos along the way.
The highlights of the week were the two sharpening workouts at interval pace. I've had success with racing a 5k on the weekend prior to a marathon. To prepare, Tuesday's workout was a planned 6x 800m that turned out better than I could have expected. A local speedster who was doing 1600s, so I joined in and turned my session to 4x 1200m. Running the first 3 laps with Tara, I surprised myself when I turned in average 5:45 pace for the workout.
Since my best 5k to date is 6:06/mile pace, my confidence was high heading into today's Run for your life 5k in Berea at the fairgrounds. Sub-6:00 was the first goal, but I thought 5:55 pace was possible. The other fast woman in our track group, Dee, was in the race. I arrived later than I wanted, but I got an adequate warm-up and a few strides in before the gun.
A short 5k race report:
38F, overcast and breezy at 9am start. Actually rained and hailed a bit in the minute before gun, but overall not entirely bad race conditions. Wore shorts and singlet.
I went out too fast!
I had confidence coming into this race, but bit off a lot more than I can chew. Mile 1 (5:36), which was 20 seconds faster than my goal pace for the day.
I was within the top 15 and tucked in a pack. Dee was nearby through miles 1 and 2. Though I never looked back, I knew she was there. Only 4 minutes into the second mile I was already in oxygen debt and feeling the hurt. Now in the top 10, I snuck briefly into 6th place for a bit. Dee finally passes me at the mile 2 marker (5:58/11:33). We both figured the first mile was short, but the second mile evened it out.
By now I was begging for the end and did the quick math that I could still break sub-6:00 pace with a 6:25 mile. I pushed on. I was nearly cooked, but did all I could to relax and still push. This course was nice because it was a loop with no out-and-back or 180 degree turns. I survived Mile 3 (6:16), turned the final corner and on to the last straight. The clock ahead turned 18:00 and I watched Dee finish, winning her race in 18:12 and a slight PR for her. She separated from me by 18 seconds in the final 1.1 miles.
I cross the line barely breaking the sub 6:00/pace. I imagine if I were 10 seconds slower in mile one that I could possibly been faster, but I'll take it.
Splits: 5:36 (short), 5:58 (long), 6:16, 0:40
Final time: 18:30 (PR, previously 18:47)
Place: 9/230
This marathon season was weird in that my only two tune-up races were 5k road races. The VDOT improved, as expected, as I ran 19:19 on February 16th. Last October, I ran 18:50-something one week before a good Grand Rapids marathon. This year, I'm 20 seconds faster in the 5k. Who knows what could happen in Boston.
4 Comments:
Nice race!
Good luck in Boston! Hopefully there will be perfect weather!
Nice work on the PR. I got rained and hailed on during my run as well, but I was out for an easy 16.
Boston should be good. I'll keep an eye out for you.
Good run man. If you want to break 18 you'll probably have to do more quarters. You are a slow twitch guy right now! Good to run with you Thursday. Take care, Andrew
So impressive. I have to learn how to let myself feel discomfort in those shorter races. Very nice showing...Speedy Gonzalez...
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