Boston Training 2019: Week 7 of 18, Jan 21 - 27, 2019

OK, we're into the middle "trimester" of Boston Training and the heavy lifting is getting started.   Similar pattern to last week in week 7.   Here's the plan, from the Hansons.

We started the week cold...so I moved Monday's 4 easy miles indoors on a treadmill at work.   7 below zero didn't seem like a fun idea.

Tuesday was the first really big mess up of the training cycle.   Due to weather, I put off the scheduled intervals to the evening.   And then I ate dinner.   Then I went out and man, what a joke.   The weather was still cold.   The legs were dead after a long day at work.   The stomach was too loaded.   I did a half mile or so and packed it in.   Bad idea.

So, instead of the off day on Wednesday, I got back on the treadmill for 5 miles.   Not great but I ran.

Thursday's tempo run happened after an overnight snow.   I was out early but managed to find a loop in a nearby neighborhood.   5 solid miles at an 8:56/mile pace, better than the 9:08 target.   Hansons say you are not supposed to beat the pace, rather learn the pace.  So, I'm still learning.

Friday's easy run was back on the treadmill for four.   I got outside on Saturday for 6.3 easy miles in very cold temps of about 12F.

My long run on Sunday was complicated by some family commitments but I got it in around sunset in 8F temps.   Layer up.  And it went well, ten solid miles at 9:33/mile, ahead of the 9:53 target pace. 

But, man, it was cold.   And from the looks of next week, it won't get any warmer. 

Persevere.


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Boston Training 2019: Week 6 of 18, Jan 14 - 20, 2019

Now, training really starts.

I've known all along Week 6 was the big step up in the Hanson's program.  This is when the specific structure of their program (three hard days, three easy days, each with specifics) kicks in.   The plan looked like this.

I've been wondering since I decided on this in November what intervals, temp work and the paced long run would feel like...not to mention running six days in a row.

And I found out.

Here's how the week went:

Monday's 4 mile easy was OK, even at 8F.   The streets were remarkably clear after the weekend's snow.  10:54/mile pace

How to do Tuesday's intervals on slushy streets?   On my drive home from work on Monday, I scouted a nearby neighborhood and found a loop I could use for the 400m repeats.   On Tuesday, I ran there with a one mile-ish warm up, then used my Garmin to measure the intervals.   And 12 I did.   They were supposed to be at 2:03. 

Specifics:
2:02
2:05
1:58
1:57
2:00
1:58
2:05
2:01
2:01
2:02
2:19
2:20
The last two on very icy streets.   I was pleased, even though it was a tough workout.  I sense I'm going to learn a lot with the progression of Tuesday intervals. 

Thursday's tempo run is a continuous run at my target marathon pace (9:08/mile).   After, again, a one-ish mile warm up, off I went.   This one was tough.   It just took some grit to keep going at a 9:08 pace.   I eventually got it done, with an aggregate average of 9:07/mile.   Again, this sequence of Tuesday/Thursday will prove challenging I'm guessing. 

Friday--- Nice to go to an easy 4 mile run at 10:37.  And it felt easy.

Saturday-- Another monster snow storm hit early Saturday morning with heavy snow and 30mph winds.   I chose to run the required 8 miles on a treadmill at work.   Wasn't easy...I don't like the treadmill at all.   But I got 8 miles in.   Ugh. 

Sunday held the first Hanson's approach to a long run.   In all my previous running schedules, the "long run" is simply that...go run long with little concern about pace.   Not in this program.   It's a focus on a harder pace but not marathon pace.   This is odd for me.   Temps were right around 10F and the streets were icy but I decided to go outside, rather than mess with the treadmill.   The run went OK but I could not keep the specified 9:53 pace.   The aggregate ended up being 10:24/mile.   I did run continuously, not using my usual 7/1 run/walk as I do on the "easy" runs.   So, I'll take it. 


So, off we go...this will be the pattern now until the second week of April.   What a way to spend an Indiana winter, eh??

Persevere.

Boston Training 2019: Week 5 of 18, Jan 7 - 13, 2019

Week 5's reality illustrated two key potential disruptions of any training plan-- illness and weather.  

Week 5 is the final week in the program of "just running" was laid out like this.

Looked straightforward.   Ha.

On Monday evening, I noticed some drainage in my throat.   I ran early Tuesday but felt worse through the day.   Wednesday and Thursday, I hardly got out of bed, the cold and flu bug was so severe.   Friday, I went back to work and managed an afternoon run.    By the weekend I was close to normal again.

And, then a big snowstorm blew in overnight Friday!   23 consecutive hours of snow, dumping about 8" of heavy, wet snow on us, our first significant snow of the season.   I knew Boston Training would include some snow/cold running but have been lucky so far.   That's done.

So, the actual runs for the week looked like this:

Monday:  Off
Tuesday:  5.3 miles @ 10:47...the head cold was coming on
Wednesday:  scheduled rest day but I was sick anyway
Thursday:  curled up in bed...no training run
Friday:  Rare weekday afternoon run, 5.3 miles @ 10:37
Saturday:  Run on 3" of snow covered paths, 8.1 miles @ 11:19
Sunday:   Run on slick roads, 6.1 miles @ 11:11


I chose to add Thursday's scheduled 4 mile run to Saturday's scheduled 4 mile run and do a single 8 mile run, to get the miles for the week done.   Not sure what the Hansons would say about this but I did it. 

The slower-than-specified paces on Saturday and Sunday ( targeted at 11:00/mile) were due to the sloppy, snowy footing.   I'm not too concerned about this in the days after a snow storm but non-dry pavement will make intervals and tempo runs a lot more difficult next week.   We'll learn as we go here.

Did I mention it was snowing on Saturday??   Here's what the ice looked like on my face after the 8 miles.  

This was a typical view of Saturday's run...every bit as grey and snowy as this looked.


Next week, the serious training starts.   Intervals, tempo runs, long runs, six days of running.   Hang on.

Persevere.

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Boston Training 2019: Week 4 of 18, Dec 31 to Jan 6

Moving through the holidays, Week 4 of Hansons Training just dials up the training a little more with one more running day and a tad more distance.   Here's the actual program for distance and pace:

Week 4 Plan

Of course, the Hansons didn't now I violated their protocol already by running The HUFF 50K ( race report ) on December 29, which meant I was ostensibly on "recovery" all this week.   In fact, after a marathon, I normally don't run until Thursday of the following week.    But, hey, it was New Year's week.

So, here's what I actually did this week, with distance and pace:

Monday:  Off
Tuesday:  9:00am, New Year's Day run with our local running club...5.2 at 10:22
                 4:00pm, another NY Day run with local running store...4.2 at 9:52
Wednesday:   Off
Thursday:   Off
Friday:  3.1 early miles at 10:29
Saturday:  5.1 hilly miles  at Happy Hollow Park, at 11:19, then
                 2.7 miles at 11:23 with grandson in training
Sunday:   4.1 miles at 10:31, late in the afternoon

I should add...I'm trying to figure out how to fit in hill work for the prep for Boston.   Absolutely everything I read and every Boston runner I've ever talked to said the hills there will chew you up...the early downhills and the more famous late hills.   I live in the flatlands...how to do hills?   We have a local park with hills and I did 5 miles on Saturday morning there...it really chewed me up and spit me out.   I need to do further serious work there.

Week Five awaits, the final "easy" week in the program.   And no more major interruptions...it'll be straight up training through the end of March. 

Persevere. 

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