This week -1 was really fine. In fact, it was pretty much in line with the potential 49-50 VDOT.

Tuesday's 1200's. I ran it at Middletown Christian Church with Craig (regrettably, all tracks are now closed to the public near me), and it went better than expected. The split were 4:37, 4:36, 4:42, 4:39 for an average of 4:38.5, or 50 VDOT.

Then I poisoned myself badly with alcohol, but I still finished my week. My medium long 12 mile run was somewhat of a struggle at 78 degrees and not much sleep, but I still manage to finish it at 8:30 pace average.

Training plan for race week:

S: Rest

M: 6 R

T: 7 w/ 2 miles @ MP

W: Rest

T: 5 R w/ 6 x 100 m

F: 4 R

S: Goal marathon

Week -1 plan:

S: Rest

M: 7 R w/ 8 x 100 m

T: 8 w/ 4 x 1200 m @ 5K pace

W: Rest

T: 5 R w/ 6 x 100 m

F: Rest

S: 12 MLR

Total: 32 miles.

I will almost certainly run the 1200's by feel. My last bout of them were terrible, so anything sub 5-minute (on all four) should be taken as success. If I'm serious about the 3:20 marathon, they should be run in 4:49 (96 s laps). It would be nice to seek out an actual track for this.

I will probably skip the strides on Thursday. I can do the 4-mile route, which is almost 5 miles, and a little extra at the end.

Week -2 was rather decent! A bit lower mileage (technically the first week of taper), but higher intensity with both a VO2 max and an lactate threshold workout, plus a long run.

The VO2 max was 5 x 600 m. The intervals were 2:23, 2:16, 2:19, 2:21, 2:19. That's an average of 2:20, which is 93s lap time. Sounds way too fast. Daniels says that's 50 VDOT. But I ran it by feel, and this came out. Maybe the fact that the university canceled classes, so I was working by myself in my office all day helped.

Friday I had a 5-mile tempo. This, after a little too fast 4-miler on Thirsty Thursday, which was also a little too thirsty... The mile splits were 6:51, 6:59, 6:53, 6:52, 6:41. I admit, I pushed the end, because the training plan said tune-up race, so I figured it was OK to go over my threshold for the last mile. In any case, even without the last mile, it averages to 6:54, which is better than 49 VDOT. Kind of scary how it's similar to the intervals, especially if I add the last mile in.

Saturday long run was 16 miles, on tired legs after the workout, but I stayed strong (and finished strong) with moving average of 8:16/mile. That would be just too fast for 47 VDOT. The fastest you may go on 48 is 8:13, so that's fine, but maybe this also points to somewhere closer to 50.

I'm not crazy, but it now it seems like 3:20 may be easy.

Week -2 plan:

S: Rest

M: 8 w/ 5 x 600 m @ VO2 max

T:  6 R

W: Rest

T: 4 R

F: 8K-10K tune-up race

S: 16 L

Total: 43-45 miles

The 600's should be around 2:28. On Friday, I'll probably do a 5-mile tempo. No races available, and the only Saturday 10K I found is not appropriate.

Though I haven't posted recently, I've done a fairly consistent job of training, though I admit I did skip some runs.

After the 10K, I did my long run, and my 5 x 1000 m workout on the street with some hills during Thirsty Thursday. But when it came to the Sunday 18-miler with 14 at marathon pace, I couldn't get myself to do it. It was cold rain outside, and getting dark. So I skipped that one.

Then I skipped the next Monday (lots of work, as always, but also scheduled rest day), and on Tuesday, which was supposed to be a workout, I decided to bring the schedule ahead by a day to get in line with the Saturday race.

I did a 5-mile tempo instead of a tune-up race that weekend. And then I did week -3 correctly exactly, except the 4 x 1200 m was done on the street again. This time, I can't even opt into the track, because Waggener is being resurfaced.

OK, so where are we? Long runs are more or less OK. I did a 20-miler yesterday in the rain, and I felt pretty strong the whole time. I'm not too worried about endurance, though clearly 54-50-mile weeks are kind of low. But my speed is much more worrisome.

Here is the the tally of the workouts since the 10K.

5 x 1000: 4:10, 3:57, 4:16,  4:07, 4:40. This was super hilly, the last interval included the infamous Library Hill, but I would put the flat equivalent to somewhere around 4:07. That is 48 VDOT.

5-mile tempo: 7:11, 7:09, 7:20, 7:13, 7:10. This was in the neighborhood with some rolling hills, so the average should be a fairly accurate assessment of my lactate threshold. That is 7:12.6, which is 47 VDOT.

4 x 1200: 4:57, 5:01, 5:02, 5:08. Again, neighborhood, rolling hills. The slowing is concerning. Average is 5:02, 46 VDOT.

Given that the 5 x 1000 is mostly speculation, I think 47 may be the correct VDOT figure. That would make me barely faster than I was in the fall, at 3:21:00 marathon.

I think I'll go for 3:20. I said this to Scott on Thirsty Thursday. Very disappointing, as that is barely any better than the 3:24 fall marathon on huge hills.

I don't take care of body. I don't eat well, and I don't sleep well, I drink too much, and I still have extra weight on me. I'll try to behave better in the last 3 weeks of taper, and we'll see if I can get faster by the fall.