MCM Training Week 4

Week 4 of Marine Corps Marathon training is in the books. This week was a "recovery" week so my mileage for the week and long run distance were cut back to allow my body to recover from the load of the last few weeks and prepare for the upcoming weeks. I was traveling for work this week so the timing of the recovery week was perfect for me.

Training Blocks

This week completes my first "base" training block. This block didn't feel different from half marathon training in terms of volume and distance. The next five weeks will be my second base training block, and it will start to feel different. I'll run distances that are farther than a half marathon (new "longest run" records on my Garmin!) and increase the duration of one of my mid-week runs.

Heart Rate Monitor

My heart rate information continues to be strange and there is no pattern to when it works or how it malfunctions. I've been doing some diagnostics to figure out where the problem is and I can't isolate it. There are basically three things that could be problematic:

1. the transmitter 
2. the electrode strap 
3. the Garmin

I thought it was the electrode strap but for today's long run I had a newish strap and the old transmitter and my data was still off. Not as bad as it was from last week's long run with the old strap and the old transmitter, but still not right. And to further complicate things my HR data from my track workout earlier in the week looks fine; the short runs have weird data but different weird than the long runs. So the diagnostics continue...

Fallen Comrades

Three of my MCM training buddies are no longer planning to run MCM for various medical reasons. I'm disappointed for each of them, sad I won't be training with them, bummed we won't share the MCM marathon experience with each other as fellow runners. I am also that much more grateful that I am able to run and to take on this challenge at this time.

Week 4 Statistics

I ran 4 times for a total of 16.2 miles.

• Track: 2400 at T pace, 4 min rest, 6x200 at Econ effort w/ 200 jog recovery (3.7 miles)
• Econ effort is running hard while maintaining good form
• I did well at hitting my T pace target
• Easy runs: 3.4 and 3.1 miles
• Long run: 6 miles 
• Relatively short because it is a recovery week
• I ran a little faster (13:20) than I should be (13:50), but improved over last week's way-too-fast 12:50
• I remember when it was a big deal that I ran 7 miles, and now 6 miles seems so short!
• Strength training: 3 times (my routine)
• Yoga: 2 times

Onward to Week 5 and the start of Base Block #2!

Read about previous training weeks: 

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3