At the time of my last blog post, I had just finished up a 112 mile week- the longest I have ever done. I followed that up with another week over 100 (103) and then my taper began. From 3 to 2 weeks out I ran 90 miles and then from 2 to 1 week out I hit 74. The anticipation is definitely building now. Here's a small sample of what I've been up to the last few weeks:
10/10 4 miles 23:11 (4:00 jog), 2 miles 11:23 (2:10 jog), 2 x 1 mile 5:35 (2:15), 5:28
10/14 Lents Park 5k XC 17:22, post race 2 x mile 5:45, 5:48
10/15 23.25 miles @ 6:32 pace w./ some hills, 10 @ 6:17, 13 @ 6:20, last mile = 6:06
10/18 2 x 5 miles w./ 1 mile jog 30:47 & 30:01
10/21 Gabriel Park 4 miles XC (hilly AF) 24:25
10/22 30km @ 6:38 pace w./ some hills- last 10 @ 6:20, last mile 6:00
10/24 9 x 3:00 w./ 1:00 float, hit 10km in 35:18…
10/27 4 x 200m hills, 2 miles 11:50, 4 x 200m hills, 2 miles 11:39
10/31 2 miles 11:58- 6:05, 5:53 (.25 jog), 4 x 1km w./ 200 jog (<60s) 3:27 avg.
At 3 weeks out I did a 23 mile run @ 6:30 pace the day after a 5k + post race workout. I was definitely happy closing it out with a 6:06 mile. My last marathon specific workout came 2.5 weeks out. I copied from the Hansons 2 x 6 mile workout but made it 2 x 5 because I thought the volume was a bit much. It was a windy day and the first 5 were a little slow (headwind) but the second 5 were right on 6:00 pace. After that bulky workout I ran a 4 mile cross country race three days later. Gabriel Park is the hilliest cross country course on the planet. You basically go there and run half marathon/marathon pace for 4 miles. I've done this race 3 times now and I've run 24:12, 24:05, and 24:25 this year. This years weather was truly awful- rain & wind. I kept things pretty relaxed and just ran steady the whole way, knowing I put in a good workout a few days before and that I had a long run the next day. The first year I ran 24:12 (6:03 pace), I ran a half marathon a couple weeks later at 5:56 pace on the roads. I've now run 5:50 pace for half marathon and this course still isn't easy. I ran a solid long run the day after, going 30km with some hills and a 6:00 last mile. From there, it has been all about the taper.
In the last 1.5 weeks of the buildup, I cut the doubles and have brought the mileage down. I did a 9 x 3:00 workout on the roads as my first taper workout. When the workouts have been things like 2 x 5 miles, running for 3:00 and then jogging easy for 1:00 felt like a breeze. I kept the 3:00 portion pretty honest and, even with the recoveries, rolled through 10k in 35:18. I've only ever run 10k in 35:31. I should probably be a 34-mid 10k runner right now but I don't really get a lot of good opportunities to run them because I'm either in a marathon buildup or it's summer and it's hot. I'm excited to tackle a 10k after NYC. After that 9 x 3:00, I did a light mix of hills and tempo the Friday after. 1 week out I ran 14 miles all at an easy pace. This past Tuesday I did two miles at goal marathon pace and then 4 x 1km somewhere in between 10k and half marathon pace- nothing too draining. My flight east was on Wednesday. I did a super easy 6 miles Wednesday morning in Eugene before my flight and got in 6 miles on Thursday in Rhode Island. I did 3 x 2:00 @ half marathon/marathon pace w./ 2:00 easy in the middle of the 6 just to get my legs going a bit. Each of the next two days will be just an easy 30:00 or so. I never feel great about tapering but I know that I'm ready for this race. I've done the most mileage I've ever done (370 in September, 420 in October). It will be nice to go out and run this marathon in a light week versus the 100 mile weeks I've been logging. My long runs have all come after days where I've doubled or raced. A couple of days of running 30:00 should have me restless for Sunday.
My goals for Sunday:
A- 2:38-2:39:59 & top-100
B- 2:40-2:43
C- PR- 2:44-2:46:42
My big goal is to crack 2:40 and be in the top-100. I can't control for place but a sub-2:40 time should put me very close based on past results. My race plan is to start easy on the bridge, not overdoing things on the uphill or downhill. From there I want to settle into miles in the 6:05-6:15 range in Brooklyn (miles 3-15). This should hopefully feel relaxed because it is a little slower than I want to run. My goal at halfway is to be 1:19:00-1:20:30. I think faster than 1:19 on this course would be a mistake. If I were running Chicago or CIM, I might be a little more aggressive in the 1:17-18 range but this course is challenging and I'll need to conserve in the front half. I know I'll lose some time on the Queensboro Bridge. My goal is to still be feeling in control at 16 and to be able to run close to 6:00 pace from 16-22. That is the stretch where I see myself making up time. 22 to the finish roll and feature some unwanted uphills. This is where I'll be repeating my mantra and doing everything I can to reach the finish line. I say all of this knowing that a lot can happen over 26.2 miles. I've trained to run 6:00 pace so I know that my body can handle that. I'm ready to roll on Sunday.
Exactly a year ago from yesterday I went to the hospital with chest pain to then find out that I had a blood clot in my lung. I've written about this enough on here but while that moment has been on my mind a lot lately, I'll say it again that the last year has certainly had its ups and downs. I always used to be the calm one in my friend group, always described as easy going. For the last year it has been the opposite of that. Anxiety hit me hard. I find myself constantly trying to read my body and assess danger. I think every heartbeat that doesn't sound right must mean that the blood clots are back and that I might have a heart attack or stroke. The blood thinners that I take daily keep me healthy but they can also cause internal bleeding. How does one know if this is happening? The last year has been filled with the unknowns. Running has been a constant and has helped me to refocus my anxiety. I did not know if I would be able to run and run at the same level. I took some time off in December and January. By March, April, May, and June, I had set PRs in the 3k, 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon. Each run is validation that I am healthy and am moving away further and further away from a year ago. On the surface, things are going much better but I know on days where I've run a PR, I've spent the second half of the day listening to my heart to make sure nothing was wrong with me.
I'm excited to toe the line at NYC, 1 year after having a blood clot. I'll be donning a Team Stop the Clot singlet and did some fundraising for the race to try to give back a little bit to the National Blood Clot Alliance who provided me with awesome resources over the last year. Like the marathon, blood clots have a lot of unknowns. Research isn't always clear on how to prevent them and how to treat them. I'm happy to do my small part to try and help on this front. NYC is the biggest marathon in the world. I want to go there and prove that I can still do what I love. Prove that I can still run at a high level. Prove that I can improve. It's hard to put everything into one race like this. I can't control the weather, if I cramp up, or whatever. Yes, there will be other races and New York isn't everything but that's not how I'm treating Sunday. I don't just want to run well, I need to run well. I think there is a difference between those words. All I know is I'm going to give it my all on Sunday and whatever happens happens. I'm going to get everything out of me that I can.
#StopTheClot #NYCMarathon
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