The Eugene Diaries: Chapter 9
A very good week
By the time I got halfway through last week’s Long Run, I was starting to worry about, well, a lot. Perhaps you could sense it, reading my newsletter a week ago. Perhaps you couldn’t. I was worried though. Worried I had bit off more than I could chew with this training plan1. Worried that I’d made a mistake in thinking I was ready for such a challenge. Worried I wouldn’t be able to attack whatever my goals are moving forward without having to change things, midstream, ahead of the 2024 Eugene Marathon.
My legs felt heavy. Had I ramped up too fast? As prepared as I thought I was at the end of 2023, you truly never do know how something you’ve never done before will go when you actually try to do it. It’s the same on a race day. I had never run a sub-3:00 marathon before when I went after it. I thought I was ready, but I couldn’t say with 100% confidence that it would work out ok2. The uptick in mileage had officially hit me in a way where I didn’t know what was next.
I was doubting myself.
I made an agreement with myself: With a big week on tap — 80 more miles, finishing up with a hell of a Long Run on Sunday — I’d keep at it. If my legs felt the same at the end of this week, or if I biffed my LR, I’d alter things for the latter half. I’d lower the mileage if I had to. I kept things close to the vest. I wouldn’t tell anyone.
I entered the week curious to where things would go. 80 miles on the docket, yes, but 24 would get run at recovery pace, another 30 or so at easy pace, and nine miles somewhere in the middle. Outside of the big dog on Sunday — 18 miles total with the final 12 at marathon pace — there’d be no workouts and no pushing myself. The best of both worlds. Lots of mileage finishing with one big workout.
By Wednesday afternoon, I’d already put up 34 miles on the week — not to mention the 22 on Sunday — and I felt fantastic. I had done the same amount of miles the week before — the hard week — So why did I feel so much better? I asked myself that throughout the week, as the problems of the previous seven days seemed to melt right off me.
Ultimately, the answer should have been easy to find: Rest. Finishing up week seven of training, I had one of my worst nights of sleep in years ahead. The next morning, I ran 20 miles. Later that day, I enjoyed the Super Bowl in more ways than just watching a game go to OT, leading to another so-so night of sleep. By the time I got to the end of the week, I hadn’t caught back up. Throw in the general busyness of life and it’s no wonder I got to Sunday’s 22 miles and things were a bit higher; my HR a bit higher.
A week ago, I was doubting myself more than I have in a while. Today, I’m coming off my fastest 18 miles ever, ready for a step-back week before things tick back up for a few more weeks ahead of the taper. I’m officially halfway through training for the Eugene Marathon.
I feel great.
This week in podcasting:
Ahmed Hamed joined me on this week’s edition of Chasing Three Hours and I’m so thankful he did. His love of the Chicago running scene and all it entails with inclusivity and representation was inspiring. His story about running the 2023 Boston Marathon during Ramadan was also incredible to hear about.
Ahmed is chasing after big goals and I look forward to following along!
Got anyone in your life you’d love to hear on the pod? Feel free to reach out: chasingthreehours@gmail.com.
I’m incredibly excited (and bullish) about the future of the podcast. I think I have some big things in store moving forward, and I’m not just talking about guests. Thanks so much for your support!
The log:
February 19th: 6 miles in the AM + 4 miles in the PM
February 20th: 9 miles
February 21st: 15.01 miles
February 22nd: 8 miles
February 23rd: 13.01 miles
February 24th: 7 miles with 6 x 100 meter strides
February 25th: 18 miles with the last 12 at Marathon Pace
Total: 80.02 miles
Year to date: 603.84 miles
February 19th: “This felt good!” I wrote that on Strava Monday morning after finishing six miles at a 9:09 pace. While it took until the middle of the week to completely acknowledge all was well, I think I knew on Monday that I was in a better space than just seven days earlier. This one felt easier and the metrics showed it. Heart rate averaged 125 and it was a great way to start the week.
As usual, I slowed down for the second run of the day3, averaging 9:23-per mile with my HR at 124. More importantly though, my legs felt great. I’ve taken recovery seriously this cycle, squeezing my legs with an air compressor for at least 30 minutes every single night. Most nights for an hour. I think that, plus much better sleep, played a big part in kicking off week nine so well. I could also see dusk at the three-mile mark, so things were turning up Josh!
February 20th: Not to quote my Strava again, but I’m going to with Tuesday’s nine-miler — One of those “if you felt how I did on this run, you’d like running” runs — Yeah, pretty much sums it up. A little faster than recovery pace but a little slower than easy pace, I averaged 8:06-per mile with my HR at 139 throughout. I was trending in the exact direction I hoped to be.
February 21st: It kept going on Wednesday. I just felt so smooth out there. And while I was a little faster towards the end, I decided to just keep things as even as possible, running 15 miles at a 7:47-per mile pace. Eleven of the 15 miles were between 7:41 and 7:49. Just some real good consistency that was rewarded with an average HR of 145.
February 22nd: Thursday’s run was a unique one for me. I’d never run eight miles at recovery pace before. My plan going in was to keep my HR as low as possible — ideally below 125 — for the duration of the run. There’d be a challenge surrounding miles 3-5, given I’d go up and down the hill at Pacific Street and then do it once more on the return home. I’d take it easy as possible going up and then coast back down.
By the time I finished, I finally let myself breathe easy again. Figuratively and literally, to be honest. I averaged 9:03-per mile with my HR hanging out at 124 over the course of the eight miles. I even had a couple sub-9:00 miles towards the start. Hard to imagine executing a run like this any better.
Fun! I was having fun again!
February 23rd: Not even the wind could take me from a great week! I went out a little bit faster on Friday’s 13 miles. Legs? Great. HR? Spectacular. 7:39-per with the HR averaging 143 for all 13. And that was with the wind in my face for a good half hour on the return. I tried to get more annoyed at it, but I was having too good of a run to let it bother me more. I had 25 miles awaiting me over the weekend, but I don’t think I’ve ever had as an enjoyable Monday-Friday as I did with this one.
February 24th: Saturday’s run was probably the lone dud of the week, for no reason other than a morning crunch. I had play-by-play duties that required me leaving my place a little after 9:00, which meant I needed to be done with my run sometime before 8:30 or so. Could I have woken up earlier, thus given myself the usual ramp up to a run? Yes. Did I want a little extra sleep? Also yes.
No harm, no foul. While I won’t celebrate this one like I did the previous six runs this week, it was solid enough. 8:37-per mile with my HR averaging 132. Added in six strides towards the end of the run as well and, even on a cold morning, I thought my leg turnover was solid.
February 25th: When I got out four weeks ago for a similar workout — 18 miles with the last ten at Marathon Pace — I was more worried than anything if I’d have what it took to run that many fast miles in a row, given how often I was cooped inside throughout the early portion of this training cycle.
If there was one concern that remained after last week, it certainly wasn’t that, but I did wonder how the legs would feel by Sunday morning. 62 miles total the previous six days, I woke up feeling excellent. I did some extra stretching and rolling at home before I left for Lake Cunningham. By the time I started running, at the very least, I knew my legs had the goods.
What a run.
Two miles easy, before going a little faster for four more, then setting off for the final 12 at Marathon Pace. I’m hoping to go sub-2:50 in Eugene, which means running 26.2 miles at a 6:29-pace. I ran those 12 at 6:19-per.
Oops.
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. You’d never know it looking at the splits, but the toughest mile of them all was the 14th total, my eighth at pace. But I got through that one and ran another four, feeling better the closer I got to finishing.
As I closed in on finishing, I wanted to (a) finish the entire run in under two hours and (b) finish the 18th mile faster than any of the 17 before it.
I did.
6:38-per mile, 6:19-per MP mile, with the HR averaging 161. 1:59:27 was my overall time with the final mile coming in 6:09.
If I’ve had a better LR than this one, I can’t remember it.
If I’ve had a better week of running than this one, I can’t remember it.
It was a special one.
Pete Pfitzinger’s 18/85 marathon plan, peaking around 85 miles in a single week, more than once no less.
My HR is always a tick higher at night. I can’t always put my finger on it, but I’m guessing (at least for now) part of it is running in the dark, as well as just coming after a day of work.
Way to go, Josh. Love seeing the progress you are making. Adding a little more running to my training plan for the spring and borrowing a few things you shared via your blog. Thanks for always putting it all out there. Good luck with the training!