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

MCM Training Week 3

Week 3 of Marine Corps Marathon training was a solid one. Retiring my old shoes last week was definitely a good call. The other big change I made was retiring my water belt in exchange for a hydration vest, at least for my long runs.

I swapped my Nathan Trail Mix Belt for a Nathan Intensity Vest

Hydration Vest

The hydration vest was a definite upgrade! It holds 2 liters of water (~66 ounces), compared to 20 ounces in my belt. Coach Shannon suggested that I fill the bladder with ice cubes and then put in water - not only was my water icy cold for my 2-hour run, but the ice against my back helped keep me cool. There is a pocket in the front where I kept my gels, and a handy compartment for empty gel wrappers.

Sunscreen

I am still experimenting with sunscreen. I applied it carefully and thoroughly before heading out on my long run, but still ended up with a touch of sunburn on my shoulders and back. I either need to switch brands, re-apply every hour, or both! If you have a sunscreen that works well for you, please let me know in the comments. 

Heart Rate Monitor

I was eager to check out my heart rate data after my long run, and was disappointed to discover that it hadn't transmitted properly. An average heart rate of 43 beats per minute? I don't think so. My heart rate data has been solid the last few weeks, so I'm not sure what happened. Possible fixes:

• Scale back on the Body Glide. I have a spot that chafes under my monitor and I applied a LOT of glide today. I'll use less, and put a band-aid over that spot.
• Reboot my Garmin. Sometimes electronics get glitchy. Rebooting can help. 
• Check for Garmin updates. It's a good idea to stay current on firmware updates.
• Wash the HRM strap. I usually wash the strap after 7 wearings. This was my 8th wearing. 

Week 3 Statistics

I ran 4 times for a total of 19.8 miles.

• Track: 6x800 at T pace w/ 2 minutes rest (4.1 miles). 
• I had planned 2 more repeats of 800 meters, building to AC pace, but felt spent after 6. 
• I was within the 4-8 repeat range, but would have built to AC sooner if I had realized 8 was too many for me.
• Easy runs: 3.3 miles twice
• Long run: 9.1 miles
• Strength training: 3 times (I'm getting stronger!)
• Yoga: 90 minutes Yin Yoga by Kim Eng DVD

Onward to Week 4!

Read about previous training weeks: 

Week 1 Week 2

What's My Pace?

My marathon training plan includes several different paces. When I've trained for mid-distance races in the past, I've had a general idea of what these paces should feel like, but I wasn't very precise about the numbers. Now that I'm training for a marathon, it's time to be more focused and deliberate.

Most of my training runs are either "Easy/Long" or "Threshold" pace:

• Easy/Long (E/L)
• I can hold a conversation in complete sentences at this pace 
• Running this pace teaches my body to burn fat more efficiently
• Threshold (T)
• This feels "comfortably hard"
• Running this pace teaches my body to process lactate more efficiently

Some of my runs will build from E/L to "Marathon Pace":

• Marathon Pace (MP)
• This is my goal race pace!
• It isn't an efficient training pace, but incorporating it strategically into my plan teaches my body what this pace feels like & builds my confidence in being able to maintain it

Some of my track workouts also incorporate "Aerobic Capacity" pace:

• Aerobic Capacity (AC)
• This is faster than T, but not the absolute fastest that I can run

What are my numbers? I pulled together information from various sources - my VO2 Max testing, recent race results, some online calculators, and a table from my PR Training plan to come up with some ranges, and then I ran them past Coach Adam for some refinement. Here they are:

I'll be trying these out for the next few weeks and seeing how well they fit!

(To see how my pace improved, go to August and September)