Look at the Medal!

Penultimate Pace Run

I love that word, penultimate.

Today was the next-to-last pace run before the marathon. The rest will either be at weekly run pace (9:30/M) or long run pace (10:30/M+). Today Owen rode his bike with me for the 5 miles and tried to lock it in on a 8:59/M pace just like the Crim. I came pretty close.

Overall: 43:57 (8:47/M)
First 3: 26:50 (8:56/M)
Last 2: 17:07 (8:33/M)

So one lesson from today is that it's easy to go faster; don't. Of course, I knew I would be stopping in 18 minutes when I sped up, so...

DIY 5K Benchmark

Okay, so I mapped out a fairly accurate 5K. I can use this as a consistent measure for the VDOT calculations I've just started using. Last night I did my very best on this course and timed it. First, the excuses:

• I ran this at the end of the work day; I was pretty tired
• I had run 4 miles that morning (they were crappy, slow miles, too)
• I've got a bit of a cold
• This route is about .1 km too long.
  
• Anything else?

Still, the excuses aside, the best I could manage last night was 24:48, which is actually better than I have done in a 5K race. Plug that into the VDOT formula, and you get the following:

5K: 24:48
PACE: 7:58/M

VDOT: 38

Marathon Goal: 3:59:35

E (easy) / 10:35
M (marathon) / 9:08
T (threshold) / 8:33

Run Description

The good thing about this route is that I know it really well. Don't have to think about it. It's my regular 3-mile loop with the ending of my 2-mile loop. Ends with a bit of a hill. There are very specific places to check pace at 1km and 3km. Basically, Chausser is the 1km split and coming out of the Moceri loop is the 3km split. This helps me gauge pace because I usually figure that out based on miles and longer distances.

I was tired when I started, and I was sucking wind after only a couple of minutes. I found the pace I needed early, and I could tell it would be a struggle to keep it. I ran until I got to the 1km split, which I needed to reach by 4:40. Got there ahead of time, so I walked for 30 seconds. Then I kept it up. I gave myself a few of those 30 second walk breaks during the time; one was after I exceeded my goal pace for the 3km split. I was pretty tired during the last kilometer, but I was pretty sure I'd at least get close to the 24:30 time I was aiming for. I got very close, actually: within 18 seconds.

My right ankle hurt a bit as I was going to sleep, but it's fine now. My leg muscles are a little more sore than usual after a run, but it's fine. I think doing this 5K benchmark from time to time won't hurt me. In many ways, I think it's better than doing all-out efforts for the mile. Man did I get hurt trying to get my mile under 7 minutes last year.

Based on the VDOT calculations, I would need to be able to do a 5K in 21:50 to attempt a 3:30 marathon. 3:30:59 is the BQ time for the 45-49 age group. If I persist in this silly idea of running the 120th Boston Marathon on my 48th birthday, that's the time I need to shoot for. My first 5K race time was 28-something back in 2009. Now it's 3 minutes shorter; can I really shave off another 3 minutes?

One last thing: I noticed a few interesting "feelings" about running faster. One was how much harder it was; my lungs and muscles felt like they were working so much harder. My percieved effort was so much higher--an 8 or so on a 10-point scale. But I noticed that I could "lean" much more. I could feel the speed that came from standing up straighter and leaning into my stride. I came away thinking that the ChiRunning thing might help even more at faster paces. That is, if I can get strong enough to keep paces like that. The 7:59/M is the perfect pace for a 3:30 marathon finish. I could barely do it for 3 miles; could I really do it for 26.2?

Marathon Shoe Found!

Ran a speedy (8:13/M) five miles in these last night and decided: this is the marathon shoe. I ran in a pair up in Canada, and I've been through 2 pair of the regular Ghost. My new Launch are too minimal for 26.2, so I tried these. Bang! They're perfect.

My plan is to put about 30 more miles on these. Maybe wear them for half of my next 20 miler. I'll probably do this weekend's 12 miler in them.

5K Benchmark Test

If I can run the 5K in under 24 minutes, I will proceed with my goal time of under 4 hours for the marathon. This is actually a high hurdle to clear: that means a 7:43/M pace for 3 miles. Recently I ran a 7:40 mile, and I have done it as quickly as 7:10, but finishing in under 24 will mean that I have shaved quite a bit off my 5K time. Perhaps I should revise to say:

If I can comfortably run the 5K in under 24 minutes, I will proceed with my marathon goal time of under 4 hours.

If not, I will move to a sub 4:10 marathon plan. This would mean doing mile splits of 9:30/M, which is quite doable for me. I think I would end the race fairly comfortable if I did it that way. After all this training, however, it would be cool to put up a nice time. I like the idea of having to earn it by getting the sub-24 5K.

Craig's formula for 23:59 in the 5K predicts a marathon time of 3:54. I would be delighted with that time.

Sub-4 Plan

• Splits as close to 9:00 as possible
• Any splits below 9:00 = immediate 1 min walk break
• No more than 3 miles without a walk break

First 10 miles

• Keep splits at 9:00 like the Crim; NO FASTER!
• At least 3 walk breaks
• At least 3 water bottles
• 4 GuChomps
• Stretch at the end
• Goal time = 1:30 (no faster!)

Second 10 miles

• Keep splits at 9:00 like the Crim; NO FASTER!
• Bathroom break when you can
• At least 3 walk breaks
• At least 3 water bottles
• 4 GuChomps
• Stretch at the end
• Goal time = 3:00 (no faster!)

Final 10K

• Try for 9:00/M pace
• At least 2 walk breaks
• At least 2 water bottles
• 2 GuChomps
• Goal time = 59 minutes or less (pace can increase to 9:30)

20 MILES!

UPDATE: I did it! I ran 20 miles!!!! Ran with Townes from work, and it was great to have company for such a long run. I feel so much better than normal because we did a slower pace than I usually use for long runs--which is GREAT! Quite a feeling of accomplishment.

Well, things are mostly back on track, and tomorrow I will run 20 miles. I was back on the regular schedule for the entire Week 13 program. And I even had a cold! But I did bag it a couple of times: I shaved 2 miles off an 8 miler (only did 6) and 1 mile off a 5 miler (only did 4). That's compensation for being sick, I suppose. I also was really dogging it until this morning.

My 5 mile pace run this morning felt great. I did it with 8:40/M pace, and I took 3 walk breaks. While doing the pace run, I came up with a walk break strategy for the marathon. I think this one just might work.

• Take a 1-minute walk break at least every 3 miles.
• Take a 1-minute walk break after every mile that is faster than 9:00/M.

Practically, I can see this working. First, it means I won't go any farther than 3 miles without a walk break. Second, it means that I will compensate for overdoing it if that ever happens. I don't think it's very likely in the first part of the race.

NOTE: I like the way the default setting on my Chrono shows the splits. The total elapsed time is the big one, current splits are counting below in small. Going to be perfect for the race; I am just going to leave it.

20-Miler

Tomorrow, Townes is coming over to do that 20 mile run. She runs at 11:20/M, which is going to be a real adjustment for me. I have never run this slowly. But it will be good for two reasons. First, I lost a lot of training time in August, so I really need to be conservative. Second, it will lengthen the workout significantly, and I think total time is a huge thing for me: after tomorrow, I will know that I can run for 4 hours. In addition to those reasons, it will be less boring.

ChiRunning w/ Danny

There's a ChiRunning all-day workshop with Danny two weeks from today. Cost = $250. I think it could be very worth it, especially with 2 weeks to go before the marathon. Hard to be away from the family for an entire day, but I have been wanting to do one of these with Danny. The following day would be my long rune (20 miles again). I might want to start that super early so I don't miss Sunday with the family. Or, I could take Monday off and do it then. That's a great idea, actually!!!!