Tyler’s Training: Week of February 24, 2014

Weekly Summary – 64 Miles in 11 Runs and 1 WORLD RECORD!! Super low mileage with travel and a mini-taper, but all worth it for Saturday’s World Record!! A great trip back to Boston and many thanks for all those involved in making the attempt a success! Check out this longer recap of the race and PLEASE remember this was a fundraising event and consider supporting STRIVE’s projects via our online donation page. PS –  7 weeks to Boston!!

Lunes, 24 Febrero, 2014 – AM: Off, travel. Up at 4am. Flew Quito to Miami super early. Arrived early afternoon and headed to hotel.

3pm: Easy run from hotel. Felt pretty awful. Really tired. Super hot (85F). No fun. Bed super early. Total run 4M+, NT.

XT: Hips

Martes, 25 Febrero, 2014 – AM: Up super early again to fly back to Boston. Delayed in DC. Finally got to freezing Boston mid-afternoon.

3pm: Ran easy from Concord. Felt a bit better, much quicker. Ran about 6’20 pace. Total run 5km (3M+) in 19’.

7pm: Ran with Mariana in Concord. Very easy pace. Felt okay but still a bit stiff. Very cold and dark. Total run 5M, NT.

XT: Off.

Miercoles, 26 Febrero, 2014 – 12pm: Slept well and got up and had a cup of black coffee before a last tuneup. Plan was to drive out to Newton and run on the treadmill that would be used for the world record attempt. The workout was to be very easy – 4x1000m at HMP to faster. Probably close the last one hard.

Warmed up easy outside with Mariana and then went inside did drills and strides and then got on this machine. Felt REALLY bad. Like crazy horribly bad. Ran the first one at WR pace (3’11) and it felt really fast. Like 5k/10k pace. I totally panicked. Second one felt just as bad. Third one, I was totally redlining trying to run under 3’10 and could barely finish. On #4, I set out at 5’00 pace and just stopped after 400m because it felt so horrible.

(This is written retrospectively – I didn’t even want to write this log entry before the WR attempt because I was so freaked out). This was a hugely upsetting workout. I basically had to ignore it and pretend it didn’t happen. I think there are a few things going on. First, I think there was a bit of a hitch in my gate still from being so stiff the last couple days. I’m guessing that takes a bit of efficiency off. I’m also hoping that the treadmill was not calibrated well yet (the “official” calibration takes place a couple days later). Whatever the reason, I just have to block this workout out of my mind. It was supposed to be an easy confidence booster and a good way to just turn my leg over a bit. Instead, it was the opposite and totally shot my confidence. It was not a good day.

Cooled down short on the machine because I was sweaty and it was freezing outside.

Total run 7M+.

6pm: Ran from Concord. Took some advil this afternoon and felt way better. Ran progressive from about 7’00 down to ~MP. Just wanted to run some quicker and reassure myself a bit. Total run 5km, 3M+, in 18’30.

XT: Core.

Jueves, 27 Febrero, 2014 – 10am: Slept really well and late. Feeling much better. Ran from Tufts solo around C-loop and Davis. Felt great. Form was fine. Running 4’00-4’10/km comfy. Finished at the indoor track and stopped and did full drills inside. After, ran 4x200m with the first few at around goal HMP ~37 and then one faster (31) and the last one back to HMP. Felt like a totally different person than yesterday. Very pleased. Nice chat with Schmidty as well who was there! Jogged back after stopping in the gym via loop around campus. Total run 7M+.

6pm: Ran with Mariana in Concord. Very cold and dark. Easy pace. Total run 3M+, NT.

XT: Upper body at the Tufts gym. Their equipment is a lot nicer… Felt fine.

Viernes, 28 Febrero, 2014 – 9am: Easy run solo from Concord. Felt good. Holding back and still quick. Did full drills after. Total run 3M in 19’.

PM: Off, relaxing around the house. Big dinner of gnocchi at around 6:30pm. Watched the LEGO Movie with Mariana and the folks and bed early around 9pm.

XT: OFF.

Sabado, 1 Marzo, 2014 – 6:30am Up early for Treadmill Half Marathon World Record Attempt (For full recap, see this blog post: Race Against Time). Had one cup of coffee and about ¾ of a plain bagel with Nutella and banana. Another cup which I sipped upon leaving and in the car on the way to Marathon Sports.

Got there with plenty of time. Helped set up a bit and then warmed up. Found Jon on the warm-up which was great and very relaxing.

Got back, had to smile for some cameras and then did some drills, strides, said a few words, and off we went.

Tougher than I expected, but felt way better than I did on Wednesday. First 3-4M felt great but was increasing pace and started to feel tougher at around 5’04-05 pace at 4-5M. Really didn’t think I was gonna make it. Under pace and consistent until after 9M at which point I slowed down took a mile easy (5’22) and then fluctuated a bit over the next 2-3M. Felt like I was going to die at 10M but saw that I had to run around 16’00 for the last 5k to break the record.

Got to 12M (1.1M to go) and was actually behind pace. Jon flashed me a sign that said I needed to run 5’01. I picked up the pace but knew that no matter how awful I felt, I’d have some left for the last 500m or so.

Kept just pushing up the pace until Jon finally came back to me with a sign that just said “KICK” and I pushed the speed up and up. I was counting down the seconds in my mind and then it was all over.

Finally, I was done. I knew I’d done it (1’07’19) and I was just so happy to be not running anymore. I laid down on the ground and thought I was going to die. But I was okay.

Hung around for a while, did a couple interviews for radio and TV and hugged a lot of people and then went for a VERY easy cooldown run with Dan Harper and Mariana. It was a good weekend.

Total run 18M.

Splits:
1M 5:08.7 5:08.7
2M 10:19.7 5:11.0
3M 15:26.9 5:07.2
4M 20:32.7 5:05.8
5M 25:37.5 5:05.8
6M 30:42.8 5:05.3 (6.55 33:30)
7M 35:47.4 5:04.6
8M 40:52.6 5:05.2
9M 46:14.8 5:22.2
10M 51:22.5 5:07.7
11M 56:37.5 5:15.0
12M 61:51.8 5:14.3
13M 66:49.7 4:57.9
HM 67:17.9 :28.2

PM: Off. Planned to shakeout but busy and very sore (calves!) so ended up just going for a walk which felt better.

XT: Core

Domingo, 2 Marzo, 2014 – 9am: Didn’t sleep much last night. Legs super achy. Calves were bricks.

Drove to Arlington to see the CSU gang. Ended up running with Jon and Mariana which was great. Legs felt much better after some movement. Very fun run. Out and back on the bike path. And not even too cold! Great to catch up with everyone and good training talk with Jon after.

Total run 8M+ in 65’.

7pm: Ran with Mariana from her house to Ana’s Taqueria to get Burritos and then back. Good shakeout. Really great day. Total run 3M, NT.

XT: Core.