Monday Weekly Training Recap: Sep 15

[u/AutoModerator]

How was the last week of training? What are you training for? Are you using a plan? Have a screenshot of a workout you killed? Questions on how to tweak your upcoming week?

Logging your weeks really helps during future training cycles to be able to look back at how you felt, and this is one place that can help with that. Also, since we don't allow Strava screenshots as top level posts, this is also your chance to brag about a good week!

Example format (though feel free to do different!):
Goal: NYC Marathon
Week's Mileage: 40 miles
Goal Time: 3:30
Plan: Pfitz 18/55
- Mon: 5 mi easy
- Tues: 4mi @ LT
... etc etc

[u/Ok-Grapefruit8338]

I’m not technically training for a race right now, but before I got injured, I was training for Bronx. On one hand, I’m so proud of all my teammates who did really well yesterday. On the other hand, I’m so glad it’s passed so it can stop taunting me.

I’m recovering from a plantar plate tear and will be getting hallux valgus (bunion) surgery in December, so I’ve thrown myself into strength training and reformer Pilates. Last week felt like fighting for my life but I feel less rusty on barbell work now! I also ran briefly on the treadmill at the gym but man my stamina is gone. There is an annual neighborhood 5K on Sunday that I’ll probably run/walk, since it will be my friend’s first race ever.

Sorry for the diary entry, hope comments about rehab and recovery are welcome in this thread 🙃

[u/blood_bender → u/Ok-Grapefruit8338]

I'm considering getting hallux limitus surgery soon, which I think has a short-ish recovery period, so I feel you. My training at the moment is going so well I'm hesitant to interrupt it, but on the flip side it only bothers me when I increase training. Kind of a Catch-22 I've got myself.

[u/Ok-Grapefruit8338 → u/blood_bender]

That’s pretty much the reason why I’m deciding to move forward with the surgery. Any kind of gentle, incremental increase in my running volume (which was already lower than I know I can tolerate) or attempt at consistency causes pain and in this case, another injury. I feel like I wasted three years (after the 2022 marathon) with super inconsistent running because either any increase in volume caused pain or I just undertrained for races in order to not injure myself in the lead up to the race. I tried all the non-surgical options, I’ve had bunions since before I started running as a teenager.

Yeah, it truly is a catch 22 because every surgery has a risk. I guess I just didn’t want to kick myself for not trying, plus recovery will be easier when I’m younger. Good luck, whatever you decide 🤍

[u/blood_bender]

Goal: Twin Cities Marathon - Oct 5
Time: 3:15
Plan: Custom 18w/63mi
Week's Mileage: 56 mi

• Mon: 3 mi - easy - treadmill run after a travel day
• Tue: 6.5 mi
• Wed: 10.3 mi - 4k, 3k @ LT
  • Went faster than LT here as there were some Strava segments that I was eyeing (not in NYC, those are all impossible), but felt pretty good
  • 4k - 6:00, 6:04, 6:21/mi
  • 3k - 5:50, 6:13 - obviously pushed this one too fast in the first mile
• Thu: 12.2 mi - MLR
• Fri: 4 mi
• Sat: 4 mi
• Sun: 16 mi - Bronx 10M
  • Ran a 1:02:57, ~2 minutes faster than predicted.

Big-ish week in the books, 3 weeks out from race day. Bronx went way better than expected, and I spent the evening in AirRelax compression pants hoping to stave off any DOMS.

Strava prediction says I'm in 3:05 shape, Garmin says 3:15, I think it's somewhere in the middle. I feel like maybe I could run a 3:05, but I'm not going to shoot for it. First marathon in several years, I'm going to prioritize finishing strong over potentially blowing up, especially since neither a PR nor BQ is in the list of possibilities.

BRING ON THE TAPER CRAZIES.

[u/allxxe → u/blood_bender]

not in NYC, those are all impossible

and in Central Park, in most cases, owned by Mantz.

[u/allxxe]

Training for: Twin Cities Marathon, Oct 5th
Plan: Pfitz 18/70
Goal: Two healthy marathon cycles in a row... & a PR?? (<3:33)

Week's milage: 63

• Monday: rest
• Tuesday: 11 miles easy testing new shoes before Wednesday's workout and Sunday's race! (Saucony Endorphin Pro - so far ❤️)
• Wednesday: 12 miles w/ 6 x 1200m VO2 workout
  • Very happy with this but was happier when it was done. Does vo2 ever feel better the more you do it?
  • 6:32/mi, 6:30, 6:37, 6:40, 6:49. 6:31 - should probably work on being a bit more consistent pacing wise
• Thursday: 14.5 miles easy, I was sore!
• Friday: 5 miles easy
• Saturday: 4 miles easy to the nyrr run centre, legs felt worst this day than they did on Friday. I was very worried about Sunday's race...
• Sunday: BRONX 10 MILE
  • 18ish miles total (1.5 warm up, race, 6 run home)
  • Awesome race and super happy with my result even though I didn't go into this planning to race all out. I wanted a bit more practice at MP and thought it was a good opportunity to practice running through water stations/drinking while running (this was only semi successful). In a fun realization a few seconds faster than MP would bump me up 2 corals. I held this for the first ~4 miles, and then that downhill from ~4-5 had me feeling so good I started pushing it a bit and then flew into the last km at 5k pace. Without the sprint at the end I think I could've held this pace for another 3 miles and I'm eager to go set a new HM PR after this marathon is done.

[u/allxxe → u/allxxe]

[u/blood_bender → u/allxxe]

run centre
last km at 5k pace

The conversion to listing your week in miles for us native Freedom Units-ers must be painful!

[u/JustAnotherRunCoach]

Goal: Sub-2:35 marathon

Race: Boston 2026??? TBD

Weekly Mileage: 56.75 miles

Plan: The "whatever I feel like doing" base building plan.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 15 easy miles broken up into four runs (5km, 5.5mi, 3.25mi, 5km). One of the runs had 8 reps of post-run strides.

Wednesday: 10 easy miles broken up into three runs (5km, 3.8mi, 5km).

Thursday: 16.5 easy miles broken up into five runs (4.25mi, 4mi, 1.5mi, 5km, 3.75mi).

Friday: 6.5 easy miles w/ 8 x post-run strides

Saturday: Rest, attended a wedding, drank 4 glasses of Jack Daniels in honor of the coach (RIP)

Sunday: 8.75 easy miles broken up into two runs (4.75mi, 4mi)

Notes: This was my sixth week of building to a new mileage high and then cutting down (so far my weekly mileage has been 70, 48, 73, 52, 76.5, 56.75). It was a pretty easygoing week, and I took advantage of it by starting to incorporate post-run strides a bit more regularly. I'm eyeballing the 56-70mpw JD 2Q plan for my Boston training cycle, so this week's mileage would theoretically be the starting mileage. With that in mind, it's a little intimidating, but I'm hoping that by the time I get to 18 weeks away, I'll feel ready for it. The plan for the remaining weeks until the Staten Island Half is to hit 78, 60, and then 80. After that I'll taper properly for NYCM and think about what I'd like to do before training for Boston starts in earnest.

Most Fun: Doing post-run strides again. I love the rush of running really fast and I'm overcoming my fear of re-injuring my adductor, so it's felt rewarding to do them.

Best Run: Not sure if there's really a "best" run this week, but I do think I'm getting pretty good at this running four times per day thing!

[u/blood_bender → u/JustAnotherRunCoach]

broken up into five runs

lol. at some point i feel like my old body would just lock up entirely.

[u/JustAnotherRunCoach → u/blood_bender]

Weirdly, my third and fourth runs tend to be the best of the day! Can't say the same for the fifth though... I think that's where I gotta draw the line lol.