This week was pretty heavy on the intensity, and right around 80 miles (as usual for now, I guess). I had the following week:
Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: 6x1k at 3:30-3:35 (getting to be a staple!)
Wednesday: Am 6/ PM 8
Thursday: 9 mile progression run. 3 at 7-7:30 pace, 3 at 6:30-6:50, 3 at 6:10-6:30, 1 mile CD
Friday: 4 early AM/ 8.5 mid-late AM
Saturday: 5 AM/ 3 PM
Sunday: 20 miles. 6 warmup, 1mi @ 6:30, 1 @7:30, 2 @ 6:30, 1 @7:30, 2 @6:30, 1 @7:30, 1 @6:30, 2 easy, 3 progression to max for finish
I was, as is usual these days, beat all to hell on Monday; I ran those 5 miles about 2 minutes/mile slower than marathon goal-pace, to give you some idea how slow my easy days have become.
Tuesday went pretty well, despite the most horrific weather. K and I decided to do the 1ks outside (she was volleying for the indoor track, but I wanted to run outside. I hate track-hack and also run better on the unbanked track). It was 35 and the sky was unleashing freezing pellets of rain that stung every time they hit uncovered skin. So, of course, I was wearing Spandex shorts and a couple of long-sleeve shirts with cotton $1 throw-away gloves (the obvious attire for such weather). After each rep, I promised myself I only had to do 1 more. My legs felt fine, but the wind on the back stretch of the track was enough to discourage Rocky in any of his roided-out montages: clearly, my mere mortal self hadn't much chance in keeping my commitment. After 3 of them, I threw away my gloves, thinking the soaked cotton was only making my hands colder. I also contemplated taking my shirts off; they were soaking wet and cold, so they must only be making me colder, my pre-hypothermic brain reasoned.
I did make it through 6, all on pace, before my hands felt like they were going to fall off if I didn't warm them up.
Thursday's progression run was also really tough, but for different reasons. My legs were pretty heavy, and my stomach had been pretty unhappy throughout the day. S was kind enough to help me through it: we ran the first 3 out on the roads, then headed to the track for the harder stuff. In the last 3 miles (the ones at sub-6:30 pace), I kept telling myself that I just had to finish another lap. I honestly didn't know if I was going to finish until I had about 150 meters left. At that point, I realized I was going to successfully run the whole distance at the appropriate pace, and picked it up a bit.
On Friday, I managed to eat 6 separate normal-person meals. After my first run, I ate oatmeal. I ran to a meeting at work on run #2, at which there was pizza (I ate the pizza). When I got home from the second run, I ate rice and beans that L had made the night before. I ate a burrito at the airport en route to Seattle, and a quesadilla and a salad and frozen yogurt in Houston. This day was awesome.
Sunday's run had beautiful weather in Seattle. It was about 50 and sunny. My legs felt pretty heavy, partially due to sleep deprivation and partially due to dehydration and partially due to this being my 3rd hard workout this week. I ran from Green Lake (where I unsuccessfully tried to meet up with a local running group) to the Burke Gilman Trail, where I did the aforementioned workout. For those of you who don't know this about me, my stomach is definitely my weakest link as a runner, and this run is a prime example of just that. After the second hard 2 mile piece, I had to stop to use a restroom. While I was stopped, I figured I should take a Gu, since it'd been an hour since I'd fueled. I took it, and about 10 meters into the "easy" mile, I puked the gu right back up. I don't like Gu, and I've had any number of other negative reactions to Gu when taking it during hard running, but I've never had that one before. I guess that means (as I told Coach before this week) that 6:30 is a little too hard for marathon pace this cycle. And also that Gu is disgusting and I'll be having trouble forcing myself to take it very often in this training cycle. But, since Eugene only has 2 elite fluid tables, I'll need to take Gu at least twice. And I clearly need to practice. I managed to finish off the rest of the run as planned (including the progression at the end), but it was pretty tough.
I'm looking forward to a somewhat easier week ahead... this one beat me up!
Thank you for being honest about hating GU. I also hate GU, and for that I have always felt a little judged by "serious" marathoners (such as yourself). They say things like, "It's really an acquired taste--you'll get used to it." But what they are thinking is, "Clearly you are an amateur. Maybe you should just go run a 5K or something."
ReplyDeleteUgh! No. "Serious marathoners", and I have a bunch of friends who definitely count as such, train so much they get sick of anything sweet while running, let alone the disgustingness that is GU. For example, on an average week of training "in-season", I probably have 2-3 days where I use some Gu-like substance, on long-run days and on either a hard workout or medium-long run some other day. In total, if I don't supplement with straight maltodextrin in water, I can use 5 or 6 gels in a week. Straight maltodextrin is definitely the way to go, by the way... it's basically flavorless.
ReplyDeleteI use Honey Stingers sometimes, and Hammer Gel sometimes (Hammer is definitely better, but the packaging is annoying for racing in tiny spandex shorts, and Honey doesn't work quite as well for replenishing my fuel supplies). My stomach is my weakest link, so taste aside, I am constantly trying to find something that works well and doesn't make my stomach freak out.