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Richmond Marathon Training: Week 2 – Learning Experience + SocialPace

I’m loving training, but I realize that is largely because my mileage is still low and my runs are still easy. My interval sessions — by far the toughest part — are never very long, though I expect that to change very soon. I have a video chat scheduled for tonight with my coach Steph Rothstein Bruce, and since I’ve been adapting to my plan well I expect that things will start to become a lot more challenging.

Here’s what I did during Week 2 of training:

  • Tuesday –  44 minutes (4.3 mi) including a Party With a Purpose 5k race with Ashley Runningbun and Laura WerkIt
  • Wednesday – 50 minutes (4.99 mi)
  • Thursday – Refine Method
  • Friday – 33 min with 4 x 100 meter strides (3.4 mi)
  • Saturday – 8.03 mi with Ashley Runningbun
  • Sunday – REST
  • Monday – 5 x 3 min at half marathon effort, 2 min off (4.7 mi)

Total miles: 25:42

Party with a Purpose 5K - hoboken waterfront

Ashley, Laura and I on the Hoboken waterfront for the Party With a Purpose 5K

It was another vey humid week, but I’m adapting to it much better. I’ve also never run so many days in a week before this training season, and I am really enjoying it. It does mean less Refine Method (my favorite workout of all time, and the most effective). I don’t want to ever get burnt out on my favorite thing ever, so it’s good to mix things up so I can go back to Refine after a (hopefully) strong marathon, and spend the winter doing indoor activities only.

Anyway, I have two runs to discuss today.

(1) Wednesday’s run - 50-60 min with last 10 min a little faster. 
My plan called for 50-60 min with last 10 min a little faster. When I run for minutes and not for miles, I don’t display my pace on my watch. I don’t want to get discouraged or concern myself with my pace when I am running solely for time on my feet. That being said, I probably should have toggled my view from elapsed time to pace because, well, this happened:

1 – 11’12″/mi
2 – 11’26″/mi
3 – 11’05″/mi
4 – 8’52″/mi
5 – 7’33″/mi

A 10-minute mile would have surely sufficed for those last 10 minutes. Clearly I struggle with any sort of intuitive running. That last mile was so painful, as I am sure you can imagine. I stared at my watch and counted down the seconds in each minute until I could reach 50 and be done.

All part of the training process, right? I’m learning.

Another thing I really need to learn is running on perceived effort rather than my watch. This brings me to the second run I want to discuss.

(2) Monday’s run - 5-6 x 3 min on with 2 min rest @ half marathon effort
My plan called for  15 min warm up, then 5-6 x 3 min on with 2 min rest @ half marathon effort, then a 10 min cool down.

Half marathon EFFORT. Effort. Not pace. Not exact pace to the exact second. Not stare at my watch for the entire 3 minutes trying to hit my half marathon pace. No. Effort.

This is especially important to remember when your watch goes crazy and tells you that you’re running much slower than you’d like. Case in point: During that first interval I saw 9:40 (I was aiming for 8:55) and even though I felt like I was in a 3-minute long sprint (as painful as it sounds, yes) I pushed this way for all five intervals.

Then I get home, upload my data, and find out that no, in fact, THESE were my interval splits:

1 – 8’03″/mi
2 – 8’32″/mi
3 – 8’22″/mi
4 – 8’24″/mi
5 – 8’56″/mi

9:40 is just a little different than 8:03, no?

So, while I certainly had a successful interval session, it was also a wake-up call that I need to pay attention to perceived effort and stop relying so heavily on my watch.

Training with a coach and a real plan that varies from week to week is exciting so far. I’m constantly learning and I’m never bored. I’m falling in love with running all over again.

One last thing I wanted to mention today is SocialPace. I plan to spend more time playing around in it, but I love the concept – building a community surrounded by fitness. My runs with friends — Ashley & Laura on Tuesday, Ashley again on Saturday, a new friend Miranda this morning and Ashley again tomorrow — make the runs go by so much faster. I love having plans with friends where I’m doing what I would do anyway, just better and with more fun.

With SocialPace, you can discover fitness-related events in your area (races, fitness classes, outdoor activities) and connect with other people interested in the same events. It can be really hard to make friends with similar interests or find running buddies (I finally found Miranda after searching for over a year, and actually, SHE found ME). Definitely check SocialPace out!

What lessons have you learned from training? 

Do you find it hard finding friends with similar fitness interests or running buddies in your area?

2013 Richmond Marathon Training: The Real Week 1 + Hiring a Coach

I wasn’t accurate when I called last week’s post Week 1 of Richmond Marathon training. I wasn’t following a plan, I was just testing the waters and seeing if I could run. And I can!

This past week was my official first week of training according to the training plan my coach gave me. Oh — did I mention I hired a running coach? I hired elite runner Stephanie Rothstein Bruce after seeing how much my friend Ashley Runningbun improved with her coaching. I also wanted a coach because I want to train properly and want the personal attention that comes with someone familiar with my history, injuries and abilities.

Also, Steph is one of the founders of Picky Bars and anyone who invented those HAS to be great. Seriously – try them.

So remember how I was so disheartened last week after a tough interval run at marathon goal pace? Turns out I wasn’t even supposed to do that run. I did the wrong run! I was looking at my old week of July 8 on the training calendar, the one based on me starting my training on June 17. I should have looked at my new week of July 8, the one based on me starting on July 8.

However it would have still been a really tough interval run in the heat and humidity, so it is what it is.

Stephanie Rothstein Bruce

Stephanie Rothstein Bruce is awesome

This week, even though it was still humid, my runs really picked up — especially towards the end of the week. Here’s how it went:

  • Tuesday -  3 miles at MGP = marathon goal pace (4.25 mi)
  • Wednesday – REST
  • Thursday – 42 min easy run (3.75 mi)
  • Friday – 37 minutes with 4×100 meter strides (3.46 mi)
  • Saturday – 73 minutes (7.02 mi)
  • Sunday – REST
  • Monday – 12 x 1 min on, 2 minutes off (5.9 mi)

Total miles: 24.38
*Technically my weeks go from Monday to Sunday, but for blog purposes let’s do it this way

 Some thoughts on the week:

  • I really enjoy running for time rather than distance. I have my watch show me time elapsed instead of pace. It’s nice to not obsess.
  • I used to always have to end my runs on an exact mile. It is freeing being able to stop at 5.9 and 3.46 and not care.
  • I LOVE strides. On Friday, I looked forward to the end of my run when I knew I could do my strides. It definitely let me finish on a high note. More strides please!
  • While intervals are always tough, I really, really loved Monday’s format. The one minute on, two minutes off is perfect for me. I can really push for that minute since it’s only a minute, and the two minutes recovery jog give me time to catch my breath and get myself together. That would be a really great treadmill workout too if any of us are ever stuck on that disgusting machine. It made the run fly by! My quickest minute was 6:50 and I know I can do better if I ever have this format again since I ran a mile in a 5k race at 6:53 once.
  • Saturday’s and Monday’s runs really boosted my confidence. On Saturday I ran in Central Park with my friend Z and I forgot how much better it is running with a friend. Even though it was incredibly humid and poured on us a little, I was able to keep a faster pace for the seven miles than I seem to on my own for three. It helps to get out of my own head and I hope to do every weekend long run with friends whenever possible.
  • I’m so happy with my decision to hire a coach. I love opening my Google spreadsheet multiple times a day to review my upcoming runs — I’ve been getting excited for every run, especially the new ones like Monday’s interval run. I love learning about things like strides. I feel like a real runner with all my new knowledge. Andy even noted how happy my training plan makes me.
  • The last time I trained for a marathon, my plan was simple and based solely on mileage. I’m really enjoying attempting the different types of runs that will hopefully make me a stronger runner.
  • Warming up and cooling down is new to me. It’s strange to have a run that isn’t part of the run, but is.
  • Even when I am alone and it is humid, I’m so happy to be out there running. I’m excited for my upcoming races, especially the Falmouth Road Race in Cape Cod next month.
  • I wish I had access to a track. How could there be no tracks in downtown Jersey City?
  • While I’m still not as fast as I used to be, I feel slightly better about my ability to improve. I think.

Also, I have a weekday run next week over “hilly terrain.” There are no hills in Jersey City, so it looks like I will be embarking on my first weekday Central Park run.

I’m strangely excited for this inconvenience.

How is your training going? Have you ever worked with a coach and do you feel like it’s helped you? Do you want to run with me?

 

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