50 Days to the Boston Marathon
Things are getting harder now. Today (Sunday) topped off 2 hardish weeks of running. This week a clean set of 10 Yasso’s on Tuesday and a 1:20 step up on Friday. Today 18 Miles in 2:31 with the middle 14 at target marathon pace -7. I’m tired. I’m thinking I need a nap.
Today was a comedy. I REALLY wanted to do this workout outside. I woke up to freezing rain and temps just above freezing. I suited up anyhow and went out. Made it about 100 feet and went back for my rain coat. Ran another 100 feet and got stood up by a nice breeze. I turned around and drove to work and did it on the treadmill. ☹
Maybe I’m getting soft. I was trying to be logical. The point of the workout was to hold that marathon pace (minus 7) for those middle 14 miles. I didn’t think I could accomplish the spirit of the workout while dodging puddles and ice on the roads.
I did the first mile at a nice slow pace, MP + 2 minutes. I did the second at MP + 1 minute. No issues. I eased into the middle bit and it was work but not awful. I focused on relaxing into that pace and trying to burn it in.
I was all alone in the gym at work, it being Sunday. I figured why not get comfortable and took my shirt off. Worked up a nice pool of sweat.
Like most gym treadmills, this one only gives you an hour before it goes into enforced cool down. That meant I had to reboot the thing every seven miles. Which was ok. It gave me an opportunity to dismount, take a couple beats and eat an Endurolyte.
I had two bottle of F2C Endurance with me and I drank them both over the course of the 2:30. I had my iPhone and listened to 4 episodes of the History of English Podcast, which was entertaining.
My Heart Rate showed Zone 6 the whole time. There’s obviously something wrong with the Heart Rate tracking when I’m on this treadmill. Maybe it’s some sort of interference. Perceived effort, once I warmed up was around mid-to-high zone 3.
I had some sections, most notably around 9 miles in, where I had some tiredness, but I never thought about giving up. When it got hard, I focused on form and listening to my body and pushing through. I think I could have held at least a couple more miles at that pace.
Need to get some outside running done. Need to get some road-feel.
Might take a nap now.
Quite hungry too.