The Eugene Diaries: Chapter 11
Ramping back up
It was Friday night, into the wee hours of Saturday morning, and I couldn’t fall asleep. My mind was racing. Literally1. I was thinking about the Eugene Marathon. About goals. About hopes. I was day(?)dreaming about what I’d do, but I wanted to fall asleep and dream about anything else.
For whatever reason, I couldn’t.
24 miles were on tap Saturday morning; A new record for me for a single training run. I wasn’t concerned about it going poorly, but come on, it’s 24 miles! I was curious about how my body would handle the time on feet — 3+ hours — how it would handle the pace, and how it would handle having to run more miles on Sunday, Monday, and beyond.
I imagine that played a part in my inability to fall asleep, but I’ll be honest, I think it was just me looking forward that kept my mind going and going. I’m 11 weeks in. In two of those weeks, I wasn’t happy with where I was at. Two out of 11? That’s a pretty solid ratio. This was another week of laying bricks. 80+ miles once again, my best Lactate Threshold workout ever. My longest Long run ever. By the time I got to Friday, it was hard not to think about Eugene, a short seven weeks away.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I’d love to say I’ve kept my goal for this marathon close to the vest, but that wouldn’t be entirely true. When I ran my first LR with Marathon Pace miles built in at the end of January, I wrote, “Given we’re aiming for 2:49:59 right now, I hoped to average 6:29,” but even that doesn’t totally explain what I’m aiming for right now. Which, again, helps explain Friday night.
I don’t really know what I’m aiming for!
Two weeks ago, I went out for an 18-mile run with 12 at MP; I averaged 6:19s! I wrote:
This is my fourth time using a Pfitz plan, and the 13th time I’ve done a Long Run like this. I’ve never, ever, felt better. Easy is certainly not the word to describe those first six or seven miles at pace. Maybe comfortable? Smooth? I was working hard, but I was nowhere near a point where I felt labored or working too hard.
Do I think I’m in 6:19-per mile pace? Do I think I can run 2:45:37 in Eugene? No and no. Should I think I can’t run that type of pace for 26.2 miles? As I laid down on Friday night, trying to fall asleep, that question, among others, kept me awake far past my bedtime.
And I still had 24 miles to run the next morning.
This week in podcasting:
I don’t know if I’ve gotten so much good feedback so quickly about one of my podcasts. It helps that the audience continues to grow — share with a friend! And if you have time, mind leaving a five-star rating + review? — so I’m hearing from more people, but wow! The messages I received about this one really made me happy.
“The pod with Tim might be one of the very best you've done. He was awesome.”
“He was great!”
“Another great one.”
I couldn’t agree more! Tim once wrote, “Running has transformed from a simple hobby into an art that has changed everything about who I am.” That was a jumping off point for the early part of the conversation. Why did that happen? How did it happen? And what has it meant for him on a daily basis? We also discussed embracing sobriety, chasing after big goals, and a whole lot more!
Shoutout to Fleet Feet Omaha for being the title sponsor of Chasing Three Hours! Marathon season is quickly approaching. Do you have your race shoes yet? Looking for new daily trainers? Or are you entirely new to the sport and have a lot of questions? With two locations in Omaha and one in Lincoln, Lori Borer and her team have answers. Head in and mention the podcast for $15 off your first pair of shoes at regular price!
The log:
March 4th: 6 miles in the AM + 4 miles in the PM
March 5th: 15 miles
March 6th: 6 miles in the AM + 4 miles in the PM
March 7th: 12 miles with 7 at LT pace
March 8th: 8.01 miles
March 9th: 24 miles
March 10th: 8 miles
Total: 87.01 miles
Year to date: 764.86 miles
March 4th: After a step back week, the legs felt great as week 11 began. I started things off with a great recovery run of six miles, averaging 9:12-per mile with the heart rate at 121 throughout. I’ve really come to enjoy the first run of the week lately, as I stretch out the legs following my weekend LR. This one was no different.
I went out after work and decided to hit up the trail off Memorial Park in midtown Omaha, trying to enjoy as much sunlight (and sunset) as possible. The run was really good — 9:09-per with the HR at 123 on average — but this one, as well as Wednesday’s, had me more excited for the next time I run doubles. I am over the moon excited to have sunlight for every single second of an after-work run for the rest of this cycle and the Chicago Marathon cycle later this year.
March 5th: The higher the mileage has climbed on a single run this cycle, the more I’ve found myself opting for shorts or half tights over the full tights. When I set out for 15 miles on Tuesday, it was barely 30 degrees, but I’d be out there for close to two hours, so I made that decision once again.
I’m happy I did.
I felt very comfortable throughout every single second of a run than lasted 1:56:55. Outside of the first mile, when I finished in 8:05, I never finished a mile slower than 7:51 or faster than 7:40. A super consistent run front to back and certainly a run that kept me up late a few nights later. Averaged 7:47-per mile with my HR at 142 throughout. Yeah, that was a good one.
March 6th: I had the wind at my back on the turnaround Wednesday morning, finishing up another six mile run to kickoff the day, with four more to come at night. Went a little faster than either run Monday — 9:03-per mile — with my HR looking good — 123 on average.
Didn’t feel as comfortable at night, averaging 9:18-per with the HR at 124, but it was a solid enough way to end the last of my standard time doubles. Putting together the schedule in the dead of winter is always a bit daunting. The sheer mileage itself didn’t get to me this go round, but seeing doubles throughout January and February did. I don’t think I’ve ever handled them better. That said, I’m happy with the time change.
Goodbye night runs that actually feel like they’re at night. I won’t miss you when you return this November.
March 7th: Now that they’re all in the rearview mirror, the Lactate Threshold2 workouts of this cycle tell quite the story of where I was in January (weather and otherwise), improvement (and a good weather day) in February, and a true breakthrough as I put all the pieces together in March3.
January 23rd: Ten miles with four at LT. I ran this one outside as the snow and ice continued to melt. Needed spikes to feel comfortable, but given how little I had been outside the previous few weeks, not to mention the footing in general, I bricked this one hard. 6:27-per LT mile, with a 6:52 mixed in. I was genuinely pissed when this one finished.
February 6th: 11 miles with five at LT. An important week for me mentally, I ripped off a 5:56 average for the LT miles with the last finishing in 6:04. My goal for the next time? Sub-6:00 for all of them.
February 16th: 12 miles with six at LT. The weather kept me inside, so I decided to really up the pace throughout, averaging 5:52 on all six. I reached my goal of going sub-6:00, but I still wanted more. I wanted to do it outside.
Thursday’s would be the biggest workout yet. 12 miles once again with seven of them coming at LT-pace. Again, I’d be aiming for sub-6:00 for all of them. This was my last chance to do it this cycle. I wanted it.
I needed it.
Rather than hitting up West Papio with the traditional turnaround, I’d make my way to Lake Cunningham and knock it out over the course of two loops. I’d start with three miles easy, go hard for the next seven, and finish with a two-mile cool down. I put a bottle of water on my car for the halfway point, stretched, and set off.
I’d have the wind with me going south, which meant the first few miles to start would be right into the wind. No problem, that meant I’d get the first three hard miles with it helping me along. Of course, this meant three of the final four miles, when I was certainly going to be tired, would have wind going right at me. I was excited for the challenge.
The first three miles went by in a flash and it was time to go. I felt good throughout the first LT mile. Not laboring too hard. Not pushing too fast.
5:58.
The second LT mile (fifth overall) had a nice, long downhill. I used it well, coasting my way down and using it to slingshot myself to a really great pace the rest of the way.
5:51.
The third LT mile (sixth overall) would finish with a solid uphill where I’d run by my car pretty much right as the mile finished. Then it was time to go back into the wind again. I don’t know if I was purposefully saving just enough energy, but with the wind at my back, I figured this one would be a bit faster again. It wasn’t, but I still hit my goal.
5:58.
I was at the halfway point for the whole run, but four of the last six miles were going to be at my fast pace. I made my way across the dam before another downhill allowed me to coast just enough. At 6.5 miles overall, I was halfway done with the LT miles. Going into the wind, I was gaining confidence. Four down, three to go.
5:54.
There wasn’t a ton of elevation gain (or loss) throughout the fifth LT mile (eighth mile overall), but it was the toughest one so far. I knew that if I could get through this one, I’d have enough juice to do it. I’d have enough fire to do it. My watch showed 6:0x a couple times, so I picked up the pace. I couldn’t let myself down now.
5:57.
By this point, my confidence was through the roof and I could see the end. I was counting down to a mile and a half left, knowing by that point I’d have fewer than ten minutes of LT miles to go. On top of that, I’d have more than half a mile of LT pace with the wind at my back as I finished up. I just had to get there.
5:54.
As the seventh and final LT mile began (tenth overall), I was no longer thinking sub-6:00; I was thinking fastest mile yet. I was running hard but I felt great. I was pushing the pace but I didn’t think I was doing something I couldn’t do again in a week or two. As I got within a tenth of a mile left, I knew I was going to run my fastest mile of the day. I just didn’t know how fast.
5:47.
I let out a scream.
I finished up with a couple more easy miles and called it a day. 12 miles overall. 6:41-per mile. 5:54-per LT mile. My HR averaged 158 across the 12 miles.
Hoo baby!
March 8th: I woke up Friday morning and dropped an f bomb within two or three minutes. No, it wasn’t how my body felt — I felt great! — it was seeing snow on the ground. I took Banks out to start the day and within moments knew I’d need my spikes for my eight-mile run later that morning4.
This was a comfortable one, as I put together eight miles with one as fast as 7:58 and one as slow as 8:24. I’ve had more consistent runs, but I’ve also had more consistent footing. All told, 8:08-per with my HR averaging 137. Solid!
March 9th: 24 big ones! My poor night of sleep ended up keeping me away from a big Aksarben Athletic Club run at Lake Cunningham, but thankfully that’s all it affected Saturday morning. As I wrote near the top, I’d never run this distance before in a training run. I got going and felt pretty good and that feeling never went away. Around six mile in, I turned west and made my way to Lake Zorinsky. I don’t know exactly when I decided I wouldn’t turn back around to retrace the miles, but I decided to go all the way around the lake and whatever mileage I needed, I’d get by hopping back on the trail and going southeast like I would for a 15-miler.
With around ten miles left as I hopped back on the West Papio Trail, it made the math of the turnaround incredibly easy on my end. Hard to have a better run than this one: 24 miles, 7:43-per mile, with the HR averaging 143. A great one!
March 10th: I’ll be honest; Hopes weren’t high for Sunday’s eight-mile run. Riss and I started dating six years ago on March 10th (and got engaged on the same date last year!), but the spot of our first date isn’t open on Sundays. So, we made a trip there Saturday night for dinner and drinks, as well as a pit stop at a couple other spots. As I woke up Sunday morning, I was more excited to get the run done and get on with the day than anything else. I made my way over to the trail after 9:30 and ran south.
My legs were heavy and it wasn’t the easiest run ever, but I genuinely surprised myself with how this one went. I settled in to a fairly consistent pace as I ran the first half into the wind, running 8:15, 8:18, and 8:14 for the second, third, and fourth miles. I expected my HR to climb but it never really did. With the wind at my back on the way home, I went a bit faster, ultimately finishing the eight miles averaging 8:15-per. And, as I said, my HR never climbed. I averaged 133 for the run. Sheesh.
87 more miles in the book. The 11th week down with just seven left. After this one, it’s hard not to think about what could be possible on Sunday, April 28th.
Well, not literally.
I’ve been aiming for sub-6:00 on these miles throughout the block. We’ll be… adjusting those goals the next time around.
With an incredibly annoying treadmill workout thrown in.
Friday was originally going to be my LT workout day. With Riss and I celebrating our dating anniversary on Sunday, it was best to move things up a day so my LR would take place Saturday. Happy I did!