Countdown to Ogden: Week 6 & Yet Another Race Recap

Before I bore you all with my week of training, allow me to point out that Monday, April 9th is the LAST DAY you can submit your application for Nuun's Hood to Coast relay team. They are sponsoring three female blogger teams this year instead of two, so get on it!

Behold! The beauties of 2011.

With a few lingering flu-like symptoms from last week, I mostly felt recovered this week. I got back into my more serious training for Ogden, and for not feeling *completely* back on my game the entire time, I'd say it went well.

Ogden Marathon training, week 6

Monday:
Goal: 10 mi. with 5 x 1000m sprints @ super scary 6:55-7:10 (!!) pace
Actual: 10.1 mi @ 8:27

I don't really know how to write these interval paces out, but they were right on and much less scary as they were happening. Granted I picked a route that was conducive to letting me run flat & fast without a lot of breaks for traffic and maybe even a bit of downhill incline, but who's even reading this silly blog and my run-on sentences anyway? Yeah, that's right.

• 2-mile warm up (16:53, 8:27 pace)
• First set: 1000m @ 7:02 pace/600m rec (9:40 pace)
• Second set: 1000m @ 7:04 pace/600m rec (9:49 pace)
• Third set: 1000m @ 6:54 pace/600m rec (10:18 pace)
• Fourth set: 1000m @ 6:48 pace/600m rec (10:18 pace)
• Fifth set: 1000m @ 7:00 pace/600m rec (10:21 pace)
• 3-mile cool down (27:46, 8:58 pace)

Tuesday:
Goal: 5 mi. recovery
Actual: 5 mi. @ 8:32

Nothing to this -- just went out for a little cruise to shake out the legs.

Wednesday:
Goal: Rest
Actual: Rest

Thursday:
Goal: 12 mi. @ 8:30-9:00 pace
Actual: Double day: 5.2 mi. @ 9:03 & 7 mi. @ 9:21

I met up for a casual lunchtime run along the Embarcadero with PavementRunner and Renee. We chatted about crunchy salads and other miscellaneous & very important items, and I have to say that -- despite not eating -- this was a very enjoyable lunch.

Photo courtesy of Pavey

After work, Jana, Sesa, Jojo & I met up with the fine folks at Strava to accompany them on some hilly trails in the Presidio. This double day was a nice way to break up an otherwise intimidating weekday run and seriously work my tush off on some hills. And in some major wind.

Photo courtesy of Jana

Friday:
Goal: 6 mi. @ 9:00+ pace w/ 6 x 100m sprints
Actual: 6 mi. @ 7:53 pace

Perhaps a bit fast, but I was feeling good and went with it.

Saturday:
Goal: Rest

Actual: Rest

Sunday:
Goal: 17 mi. @ 8:30-9:00
Actual: 17.24 mi. @ 8:30, including the U.S. "Other" Half Marathon, my 13th half marathon?!

Back in 2010, I ran the U.S. Half Marathon as my first half as an official San Franciscan. To say it downpoured would be an understatement -- I am pretty sure I saw Noah leaving as I was crossing the finish line. The race was less than well-organized, the bag check was a total cluster, and I vowed that I wouldn't run it again.

And so far I haven't. But I ran the identical U.S. "Other" Half Marathon Sunday morning as part of my long run. While I learned my lesson and didn't check a bag or leave anything behind, I forgot how miserable the race was. The course really couldn't be hillier, the pedestrian sidewalk on the bridge gets overcrowded, and while there was no rain this time, the parts of the race that were muddy back in 2010 were loosely packed dirt, which I suck at running.

I tried to keep my pace steady and controlled on the uphills, did my best to cruise the downhills, and mostly just tried not to hate the way I chose to spend my Sunday morning.

2.5-mile warm-up (8:38 pace)

Race (8:19 pace): 8:49, 8:20, 8:20, 8:40, 8:58, 8:39, 8:27, 8:35, 8:02, 8:01, 8:08, 8:23, 8:02

1.64-mile cool down (9:11 pace)

I had some Garmin error in the tunnel under the bridge, but I've been assured the race was indeed 13.1 miles.

Official time: 13.1 miles, 1:49:08 (8:19 pace)

Overall place: 522 out of 2,866 (Heyyyy, I was the 522nd finisher back in 2010, too! Creepy.)

Gender place: 120 out of 1,512

A/G place: 69 out of 744

Overall, I finished week 6 with 50.54 miles of running. I feel like it was a good week & this coming week will be the "peakest" of my peak weeks -- I'm excited to trash my legs!

Just 6 more short weeks until race day!