Today’s prescribed speed workout: 4 x 1 mile at marathon goal pace w/ 1 mile cool down. Can you really call that a Speed workout? And how slow does one really need to go to “recover” from 1 mile at marathon goal pace?? Well I guess all workouts have a purpose. . .
Since this week’s “speed” workout was long intervals, and with the harrier sponsored 5k on Thursday (which I am using for my tempo run), and because I am trying to learn from my mistakes of last week prior and time my runs better, I decided to do this workout on my own in Central Park’s lower loop (equalling 1.75 miles ea) on Tuesday.
Knowing that I unusually run a little faster in the park, I started the first mike thinking “pace yourself, pace yourself.” When I crossed the mile marker, I hit the lap button on my watch and looked down only to see that I had finished in 7:02. Crap . . That isn’t marathon pace at all! This continued for two more laps, each time thinking that I was slowing down only to find myself finishing in the early 7 minute range. At least I was being consistent! Finally for the fourth lap I decided that I didn’t care what pace I was running, and instead just enjoyed my run. In the end, this workout was more like half marathon pace intervals.
Oh Long run . . . how I love and yet hate you in the same breath! The anxiety and pre-anticipation of pain and suffering you always seem to cause! Yet when the time comes, and I am in the midst of your greatness I smile to myself and think “Look what I can do!”
Today I ran 17 miles. And for the record that I am not a morning person. Or for that matter, someone who can just hop out of bed in the morning and do an easy long run. There is not doubt that the long run is essential to marathon training. Besides the obvious of getting your body use to the mileage, and trying out different methods of hydration and fueling up, what I find most important is the mental training!
Seeing that this isn’t my first marathon, it goes without saying that I have done my fair share of 17 + mile runs in the past. Yet it is always the first time in training where I question whether I can really do it. Is my body ready for this? Did I run too hard this week to finish such a long run? Today’s long run was no different than many other first long runs of seasons past. About halfway though I start to think, “God I still have 8 miles to go” and ”can i really run this far?” It doesn’t help when it involves running through a downpour like today, which started only 45 minutes into what was to be almost a 2.5 hour run. But like my boyfriend Adam said before leaving for his run today, it give you character.
At about 11 miles into the run I entered Central Park, and prepared to do one full loop around to finish out my run. At the same time I am thinking, “maybe I should just do the 5 mile inner loop instead”. But what I love about Central Park is that EVERYONE runs the loop. So during those last 6 miles I saw not one, but 5 familiar faces. Just like in races, seeing someone familiar while doing a long run is always helpful and encouraging. So when the time came to turn down the path of the 5 mile inner loop, I resisted. And in the end I actually finished the full loop strong and slightly faster then the beginning of the run. And THAT is what I love most about the long run. Time and again it proves to me just how strong I really am!
Week Three and I am officially starting to feel the fatigue of marathon training . Halfway through the week I started to develop a small case of planter facsitis. Seeing that I am currently running in the same pair of shoes that I wore for the Seattle Marathon, in addition to a month of heavy training prior, and two months of running after, and I am now a little over due to get a new pair of running shoes. You would think that I would learn to switch out my shoes before such injuries occur, but yet I am the queen of procrastination!
Lets do a quick recap:
Wednesday (”Canova” speed intervals): A new spin on our typical 800m intervals, with a recovery that was a little faster then normal. It felt more like a was a cross between a speed and tempo workout in the end. I completed 8, and felt encouragingly strong afterwards.
Thursday: What was initially an easy run, looks more like a longer marathon goal pace run when looking back. When training for Seattle I did a couple of these at distances up to 12 miles. Runs like this definitely increase my confidence of running longer at this pace, but with my slight foot pain and increasing of mileage it may have affected my energy going into my tempo run.
Saturday (4 x 1 mile tempo w/1 min recovery): Tempo Friday moved to a new hour! Because of a social gathering on Friday I ended up doing my tempo on Saturday morning. As fatigue started to set in, what was suppose to be 4 x one mile tempo quickly turned into 3 x one mile. I started a little too fast, and quickly burnt myself out after the first two, and had to slow down and rest before doing a third, which was very slowed down compared the first two. To say the least I definitely over extended myself and may have to re-evaluate the speed that I am doing my tempo runs at!
Tomorrow is the Long run, and given that i am a little sore and tired going into it I am a little worried. The good new is that it is an EASY long run.
The major lesson that I always ended up being reminded of: planning of my runs and pacing myself is essential!
Bronx Half Marathon
My alarm goes off at 4:30 am this morning, and I can’t help but think “what have I gotten myself into?” Two days earlier fellow harrier, Heather, had asked if I would join her in using the Bronx Half Marathon as a long training run. Glad to have the company for what was planned to be a hard long run, I accepted. But when the time came to wake up this morning, I was definitely resistant. By 5am I was out the door for an hour and a half train ride to the bronx. Using races for training runs has always proven to be a little odd for me. As much as I tell myself that it is will purely be a fun run, I still have all of my normal pre-race jitters and nervousness.
This weeks long run is mapped out as being 16-18 miles (I am doing 15 because of my late start in training) with the middle 8 to 10 miles done at marathon goal pace. Although I finished only seconds behind Heather in the 5 mile race last Saturday, she has had much better luck with the marathon, finishing Boston in 3:18 last spring. We discussed running at an 8min/ mile pace in the beginning of the race, then 8 miles at 7:25 min pace, and then slowing it down again for the last 2 miles, adding 2 additional miles after the race to round out the total miles needed for the day. In an effort to up my game a little, I agreed with the time (although my marathon pace is more in the 7:35 to 7:40 pace). As I sit on the train I worry. Even though I have ran all of my half marathons faster then the pace planned, I am still worried about keeping up steam.
I arrive in the bronx and meet with Heather at the registration tent. I pick up my hand-me-down number “Diana Ho please” and since Heather is planning on running a couple extra miles before the beginning then I, we plan to meet back at the corals before the race. I check my bags, pin on my number, and do a short jog before heading over to the corals. I realize right away that with the crazy and unorganized state of the corals, I had little to no chance of finding my running mate. I wait outside the corals, and only when the race offiicially begins do I hop in and cross the start line.
I run the first mile a little slower then planned, so I speed it up for the second. Although I am no longer running with Heather, I decide to still stick with the pre-decided pace for the run. As I am finishing the 2nd mile, the course is taking us on an out and back where I spot Heather, wave, and notice she actually isn’t that far ahead of me. I speed it up for the next mile, faster then the original 7:25/mile pace, in an effort to hopefully catch up with Heather. Quickly I pass Charlie from the Harriers. I had no idea she was running today, but it is always fun to spot a familiar face. ”Heather is right up ahead” she encourages me. I run faster, and finished the 3rd & 4th mile in 7:15 minutes each, before realizing that I am running a little faster then I had hoped, and instead of exhausting myself in search of Heather, I slow down to the originally planned pace. I finish the next 6 miles right on track. The race isn’t especially thrilling, no real spectators, and not a lot of scenery to appreciate. It is definitely a race that many people are using for a long training run, which is what makes the race enjoyable. The pace is much more relaxed, and there are quite a few people from various running teams out. When I pass the 10 mile marker I am ready to slow it down a little more, but after a mile of running at a slower pace I get board. What was I thinking, who really wants to slow down at the end of the race? I finish the last two miles at about 7:45 min pace. I pass the 13 mile mark, and can see the finish line ahead. Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” is coming through the loud speakers, and I speed it up slightly in the last 400m before crossing the finish. Final time: 1:39. I grab some water, and realize I still have 2 additional miles to put in for the day. I turn around to do an out and back of the last mile in the race, but my legs are now stiff, and I am much more exhausted then I had hoped for. Although I had slowed my pace down from a normal half marathon, I hadn’t paced myself enough. Maybe this is all a part of upping my game, or maybe it is just the fact that I am adding mileage and I just finished a full marathon less then two months prior. At any rate, I pick up my bags, grab one of the remaining large race day tanks (one more for dad), and head back into the subway. I arrive back at home around 11am. I hit my bed, it has already been a long day, time for a nap!
I am just getting back from my tempo run for the week. Tonight is a perfect example of why I love running. It isn’t always the first thing I always want to do when I get home from a long day at work, but by then end of the run, im glad that I did.
My tempo run for the week was 4 x 8 minutes, with a one minute recovery. I did a harder easy run then normal yesterday, so i was again worried that I wouldn’t really do well. I went out with the thought of just doing a true easy run, and then if I felt up for it trying the tempo. As always after about 10 minutes out there I am ready to go!
I dont even work for nike, but I totally drink the juice. My sis gets me a fabulous discount, and as a result I am always wearing nike from head to toe. But really when all is said and done, they do amazing things for the running community, and the quote to the side is oh so true!
Week 2: 
Yoga on Monday, Spin on Tuesday; the beginning of this week was all about recovery. Even the Wednesday speed workout was easy. Ran into Sabrina on the way over to the track from the gym, and since Lauren is out recovering, I mostly ran with the two Sabrinas this week. 8 x 400s at marathon pace. Since our recovery wasn’t that much slower it was almost as if we were just running at one speed 16 times around the track. Thank god the Harrier ladys are good entertainment.
This was a perfect workout to remind me how important it is to take it easy after a hard couple of days. The end of the week we are picking it back up again. So I am excited to kick it back into gear in a couple of days, and know that after this workout Im not going to be burning the stick on both ends.
Yesterday was the NYC team Championships, consisting of two 5 mile races (one for the males & one for the females) reserved exclusively for Running teams in the NYC area. Although I was a little worried about my time (as always) I decided that i wasn’t going to worry about how I did, but instead to just push myself as hard as I was able, and reminded myself the purpose was to get myself out there. I had a goal of 34 minutes for the race. This race is known for being no frills, very small (517 runners total for the females), and VERY fast. I was super excited to be able to start strong and hold my position through out most of the race. With so many fast women on the team, I am normally the head of the second group, and can only aspire to at some point meet their times. All of our top competitors for the team were running I was stoked that about halfway through the race I could see them in the horizon, and actually was able to maintain a small distance between them and I. It was also great to run along side experienced runners and ran neck to neck with the same 2 central park track club members for a majority of the race. Overall I think I got 8th place on the team, finishing at 33:30, just 15 seconds behind on of our top runners heather. My next goal is to be finishing side by side with some of the faster girls for the next race, which means that i am going to have to start stepping up my game. After the race, as is customary for most the teams who participate, we had a large picnic with tons of food and drinks. What a great time!
I am a big believer in joining a running group. I started out running with the Nike running group on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Central Park. Its free, and since they have a lot of pacers, it is a great resource for new runners to learn what their own pace is, and how to run more consistently. Afterwards I joined a friends small running group ran out of the YMCA. The intimacy of a small group was a great way of meeting and socializing with other runners in my area, but in the end, didn’t find they pushed me hard enough and ended up joining the Harriers. The group is about twice the size of the YMCA group, but have a lot more structure to their weekly runs, have much harder workouts, and have coaches that are an excellent resource with any running problems, questions, or injuries. Oh and did I mention the social aspect! The Harriers have what they called “First Thursdays” each month hosted at a different bar though out the city each week, as well as brunches after every race, and normally get togethers after most workouts during the week. More then anything, I find it super helpful to have strong runners, who know how to enjoy themselves, but are also SUPER fast, and know how to push themselves and everyone around them when the time comes!
After racing on saturday, I ended up doing a very low key long run of a little over 11 miles. although I knew I needed to get the mileage in, I also didn’t want to make the mistake of hurting myself too early in the game.
All in all this was a great first week of training. I know that the hard part is coming, and this will become super challenging as always, but for right now I am just enjoying the moment!
It has been 6 weeks since the Seattle Marathon, and although I did run a 4 mile race about 3 weeks afterwards, for the last 2 of those 6 weeks I have really made an effort to focus more on cross training and incorporating more spin, yoga, and weight lifting, and ran as little as possible into my routine. I was left with an itching for some good solid running once the training began.
I am following a training program set up through my running group (NY Harriers), but since I am starting a few weeks after the rest of the group my long runs will be a little off for a couple of weeks. Here is this weeks training schedule:05
If you want to see the full 18 Week General Training Program go to this link:
If you want to create a customize training Program for yourself use this link:
As I was saying, I started this week fresh and anxious to get started. There is a Team Championship Race for all NYC local running groups on Saturday, so to prepare I decided to start off with a low key tempo run at the beginning of the week. I was a little hesitant at first, and worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep a good pace because of my time spent away from running in the past couple of weeks, but was pleasantly surprised in the end. I did a 2.5 mile warm up (across the BKLYN bridge), into a 4 mile tempo along the waterfront, ending with a mile and a half cool down. One thing I have going for me this time around in training, is that I directly have seen what the consequences are of not doing my required runs. Even though I may be a little scared or worried about my performance, I almost always end up enjoying the runs in the end, and it always reflects on better performances later on in races.
Wednesday was the Harrier speed workout at the East River Track. We did 400 kicker intervals, meaning one time around the track (400m) split into the first 3/4th of the track running hard 5k pace, and the last 1/4th sprinting full out. Coach Kevin had assigned 7 to 9 intervals. My goal at first was to not kill myself, but to push myself and finish 8. I decided to stop at 7 and “leave some for Saturday” as Kevin put it, and I am glad I did.
I took Thursday off to recover and refuel. Well that was the game plan, but it was also my birthday on Friday, so I ended up going to the Harrier’s “1st Thursday” social event in brooklyn, and having one glass too many of wine.
I got right back on track Friday, and did an easy 30 minute run across the Brooklyn Bridge and back, with 6 strides along the Brooklyn Prominade. I was really happy with this run, seeing that I made sure to really take it easy on myself, and to really just focus on warming up my legs for Saturday with the strides at the end.
So far it seems like I am still in the “honeymoon” stage of training. Its the first week, there are a ton of people out running & training for this marathon, no injuries, and my mileage is still low. But i know better, and eventually I will be running longer and more often, and exhaustion will start to fall in, but until that point I am enjoying the beginning of the season!
Still smiling at mile 24!
Even though I have written on this blog in the past, I thought I would reintroduce myself and my running background. Originally from Portland, I moved to NYC about 6 years ago.
I have been running for about 3 years. In the last year I have stepped up my game and started training and running with the New York Harriers, whose woman’s team currently stands at third place amongst the local commutative running groups. I have ran a number of 5k’s and 10k’s in the past year in Central Park, as well as the Brooklyn Half (finishing on Coney Island’s Boardwalk), Manhattan Half (2x the central park loop in the bitter cold of winter), and the NYC Half Marathon (running along time square and finishing at Battery Park).
My 1st full marathon was in Philadelphia last year. I barely missed the NYC marathon qualifying time, and found Philadelphia’s fast flat course great for my first time. For this marathon I trained by the book. I had a schedule, which I always stuck to, never got injured, put in some solid long runs, and come race day I finished strong. I was unsure about my own pace, and ran with some friends from a local YMCA running group. I finished with a qualifying time for Boston, and never hit what most runners call “The Wall”, but I knew that I could do better. (Finish time - 3:37:54)
My second marathon was the Seattle Rock n’ Roll Marathon. My experience for this run and its training was the complete opposite from the above. I didn’t really decide to do the full marathon until about 2 months prior, but thought that given my ongoing running, that I would have enough time to train adaquetely. Instead, I dive full in, ran a little too hard too fast, and as a result, started having calf and shin issues 3 weeks before the race. After consulting my coach and a PT, I was barely able to recover before running the marathon at the end of June. The course was tough and full of hills from beginning to end. I started strong and ran at about a 7:35 to 7:40/mile pace up until mile 23. I think I officially HIT the wall at about 23 miles, and if it wasn’t for the support my boyfriend coming to join me, I probably wouldn’t have finished. (Finish Time: 3:34:40)
This year I qualified for the NYC Marathon, which i have heard only about 5% of those entered in the race actually do. (I am also up for a competitive start time as well!). That said, I am determined to learn from my training mistakes from the Seattle Marathon, and hope to break the 3:30 barrier. This is a marathon that most runners covet, and after jumping into the race with a friend last year, I know that it is by far one of the best marathons out there. So after resting for a month from Seattle, I am extremely excited to start my training season. I will be sharing my training ups and downs right here on Step Outdoors . . . so make sure to stay tuned!
