July 24 - July 30: 13 Weeks until Marine Corps Marathon
Total running time: 7h 5min
Total running mileage: 43.0mi
Monday: Rest - As mentioned previously, took an extra rest day. My pain level is a bit better. Not perfect, but it feels more like tightness to monitor rather than an injury? Keeping my fingers cross for this one.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 6.5 Miles Easy; T+D 74+69=143
- Splits: 10:51, 9:57, 9:58, 9:47, 9:43, 9:33, 9:34
Thursday: Speed Workout: 2 Mi WU + 3x [400m R (7:03) w/ 400m jog + 3x (200m R w/ 200m jog)] + 1 Mi CD
This is a replica of a workout I've done I think twice before, so I at least knew what to expect. And it did in fact go a bit better this time around. It was supposed to be a 2-mile CD but lol at the idea of
anything being a "cool down" in this heat.
- T+D: 80+74=154
- WU: 10:25, 10:20; CD: 10:06
- 3x [400m R (7:03, or 1:45/rep) w/ 400m jog + 3x (200m R, or 0:53/rep w/ 200m jog)]
- 400m Rep 1: 7:06 (1:46)
- 200m Rep 1: 7:15 (0:54)
- 200m Rep 2: 7:15 (0:54)
- 200m Rep 3: 6:58 (0:52)
- 400m Rep 2: 7:15 (1:48)
- 200m Rep 4: 6:50 (0:51)
- 200m Rep 5: 6:50 (0:51)
- 200m Rep 6: 6:50 (0:51)
- 400m Rep 3: 7:06 (1:46)
- 200m Rep 7: 7:06 (0:53)
- 200m Rep 8: 6:50 (0:51)
- 200m Rep 9: 6:58 (0:52)
All in all, I'm very happy with where this ended up especially considering the heat. It was not easy, but also it never felt too big.
Friday: 8 Miles Easy; T+D 82+76=158
- Splits: 10:12, 9:50, 9:45, 9:53, 9:57, 9:32, 9:23, 9:26
As I wrote in my Strava, I was singing and dancing down the Metropolitan Branch Trail to distract myself from how
miserably hot this run was. A T+D of almost 160 before 8 AM is not normal for DC even in July. Just completely miserable weather.
Saturday: 7 Miles Easy; T+D 78+70=148
- Splits: 10:01, 9:34, 10:27, 10:18, 11:05, 11:05, 11:11
Normally Saturdays are run club days, but a friend texted and asked if I wanted to get out early early to beat the heat. Yes I do. It was a little cooler than Friday. You know it's been a hot, humid summer when a dew point of 70 seems reasonable.
Sunday: 15 Miles Easy
- Starting T+D: 70+63=133
- Ending T+D: 76+62=138
- Pre-run: Maurten 320 drink mix
- In-run: Water (~1.8 liters), and nutrition at each 3-mile increment:
- SiS Beta Gel (orange)
- 2 scoops concentrated Tailwind (berry)
- SiS gel (pineapple)
- Egel (watermelon)
- 15 Miles Easy (9:42-10:40)
- Mile 1: 9:53
- Mile 2: 10:02
- Mile 3: 10:16
- Mile 4: 10:09
- Mile 5: 9:57
- Mile 6: 9:46
- Mile 7: 9:59
- Mile 8: 10:11
- Mile 9: 10:05
- Mile 10: 9:46
- Mile 11: 10:07
- Mile 12: 10:02
- Mile 13: 10:13
- Mile 14: 9:48
- Mile 15: 9:45
Trying out lots of gels here. The SiS gels are both isotonic like Maurten gels, so any nutrition I can take without water is worth a look. SiS Beta has 40g carbs, which is quite helpful. And they taste good! The regular SiS gels, not so much. They have a weird, watery texture.
No real problems here - total time elapsed was 2h 30min 8sec, and with dew points in the low 60s (what is this, spring?) this was not a bad run at all. I brought my hydration vest with two 500ml flasks and refilled both at a fountain.
And yes, another day of singing and dancing while running. Whatever it takes to get through the heat!