« Cedar Perk Five Miler 2007 | Main | Oh sorry. I've been a little busy. »

October 14, 2007

My big fat marathon training week

This morning’s MGP run wasn’t as awful as I’d imagined. It was actually … good. I had company to actually run my pace, which is even better than when everybody runs their own MGP and you end up running by yourself in a group. I have SUCH nice friends to do this with me.

Five weeks ago I ran 12 miles out of 15 total at 7:47 pace and I felt like death at the end. (Could have been all the margaritas I’d had earlier in the week in Cancun, however.) The course we did for that run was hillier than this morning's, and the weather was warmer, but this morning I managed 14 out of 17 at 7:15 pace. At the end of a 66-mile week. And I did not feel like death at any point during the run. 7:15 is my marathon p.r. pace. I had intended to run between 7:30 and 7:40, but from the begining 7:20 felt baby-bear "just right" and as we went along "just right" got progressively faster. That's usually the way I roll when I do things right and don't start too fast.

And the 66 miles this week were no cakewalk: after racing last Sunday, we had 6x1000 on Tuesday, 15 on Wednesday, and 12 on Friday. Those 1000s cracked me up, too. I’d never realized how Pfitzinger lulls you into speedwork with 6x 600 at 5K pace with 90s rest one week, then a few weeks later he drops it down to 5x 600 at 5K pace with 90s rest, and then later, a few days after a race no less, he hits you with 6x 1000 at 5K pace with 90s rest! That’s double the previous workout at the same pace with the same rest! And it didn’t even occur to me until we were running over to the track that morning that we were going to be running 5K pace for longer than 5K. That workout wore me out. And I had extrapolated a 5K pace from my 5-miler last week, so my 5K pace was actually faster than it had been for the 600s. I was about to head into #4 when I mentioned to some friends who had already finished their workout that I might have bitten off more than I could chew with that 5K pace, and my Estonian friend with her perfect-for-coaching Eastern European accent says “Well, maybe it’s time to step it up!” It was just what I needed to hear!

So … we get a teeny tiny cutback next week, then head into the last week before the taper. Cue the Rocky theme, please. Philly here we come.

Posted by jenandmats at October 14, 2007 3:06 PM

Comments

Awesome long run with the 7:15 pace for 14 miles!!! You are going to rock Philly. I can hear the Rocky theme song already... :)

Posted by: Beth at October 14, 2007 5:37 PM

When's cake week?

Posted by: hokgardner at October 15, 2007 6:15 PM

You ARE going to rock with the pace you're describing. Good luck!!

Posted by: TJ HalfMarathons.Net at October 18, 2007 8:54 AM

This is all I have to say, and I think you know what I mean when I say it:

Dude.

Posted by: Meghan at October 22, 2007 7:47 PM