Less than a day until the TCS New York City Marathon: Last week's training

There is no more training left to be done! The last 14 weeks have been long and difficult, but I am fit and ready for my 5th attempt in NYC. This will be my first year with what appears to be excellent weather. I don't want to get my hopes up for a fast race, as anything can happen without pacemakers. It could go out slow, turn into a Fartlek, or go out very quickly. I can only adjust while also staying within myself. I need to run my own race and do my best to run people down the second half, especially as the course gets progressively more difficult. The men's elite field is very deep, and there will be a very high percentage of US athletes who I will be facing again in the 2020 Olympic Trials. This will also be a special year for me as my wife is competing in the women's elite field for the first time. We'll see who will be taking care of who after the race.

I'll be getting up very early tomorrow AM for the NYC Marathon, but fortunately we getting a little help from the calendar with day light savings time coming to end. The extra hour will be very much appreciated. Watch the race on ESPN2. The women start at 9:20 while the men go off at 9:50. The last couple week's of training are below. Thanks for following!

100	Monday	10/22/2018
	Tuesday	10/23/2018	4 miles easy, 4 x 2 miles @ threshold + 4 x 200m @ 30-32, 2 miles easy
	Wednesday	10/24/2018
	Thursday	10/25/2018
	Friday	10/26/2018	tempo 3 mile, 2 mile 1 mile, 2 min/1 min rest @4:45-4:50 + 4 x 200m @ 30-32
	Saturday	10/27/2018	90-100 min
	Sunday	10/28/2018	80-90 min + strides
40-50ish+race	Monday	10/29/2018	70-80 min
	Tuesday	10/30/2018	60-70 min
	Wednesday	10/31/2018	4 miles easy, 5 x 1000m @ threshold pace + 4 x 200m 2 miles easy
	Thursday	11/1/2018	60 min
	Friday	11/2/2018	50 min + easy strides
	Saturday	11/3/2018	35 min
	Sunday	11/4/2018	New York

Less than 2 weeks to the TCS New York City Marathon: Last week's training

With less than two weeks to the NYC marathon, the big workouts are in the bank. This last week was one that I was slightly dreading as we had scheduled two threshold type workouts following the hard 22 miles from the previous Sunday. I was quite surprised with how I felt in the Wednesday workout, but it did help being in Seattle and having some support from the Beasts. I didn't have to go into the well on the Sunday workout (15 x 1km), but it was definitely dragging. That's the big difference between training for the marathon and training for something like the 10km. Before a hard 10k workout, I have to get myself pumped up and be mentally ready for the intensity, but before a marathon workout like this, I have to prepare my brain to be bored, patient, and ready to focus on the latter reps when fatigue starts kicking in. I would say they are both equally challenging, but in very different ways. With that said, I am looking forward to some shorter workouts this winter!

With the race rapidly approaching, now is the time to put my extra energy into dialing in all the little things. That's not to say I'm not trying to do that all build-up, but I am naturally hyper-focused at this point. I'm doing my best to distract myself rather than toil in thoughts of whether or not I hit all the training I needed to to have my best race. I have to believe that I put in as much work as I was capable of while staying healthy and be confident in my consistency. This is the best round of training I have had in a long time, and I am looking forward to putting it to the test when it matters on November 4th!

Thanks again for reading and feel free to check out last week's training below.

130	Monday	10/15/2018	AM: 14 + strength PM: 6
	Tuesday	10/16/2018	AM: 12.5 + drills and strides PM: 6
	Wednesday	10/17/2018	AM:  4 mile-1-1-1 @ @ 4:44, 4:40, 4:37: 4:26, rest = 4 min, 1 min PM: 6
	Thursday	10/18/2018	AM: 11 + strength PM: 5
	Friday	10/19/2018	AM: 12.5 + drills and strides PM: 5
	Saturday	10/20/2018	AM15 x1000m @ 2:55 (slowest 2:57, fastest 2:52, 1 min rest PM: 5
	Sunday	10/21/2018	20 miles, finish at marathon pace

Less than 3 weeks to the TCS New York City Marathon: Last week's training

I'm getting this out a bit late this week, but here it is. Coming off the tough 16 mile tempo the previous week, we stuck with a long Fartlek mid-week. Still high volume, but only effort based on the soft and hilly Leif Erikson trail in Forest Park. This had me feeling decent heading into the 22 mile long run where I was looking to run press most of the way. The goal was something slower than marathon pace, but faster than normal easy run pace. After two fairly slow warmup miles, the next 20 averaged 5:20 with a 5:27 overall average. The effort was right, and had this been a little farther out from race day, I think I could have managed a bit faster or longer. It was a good confidence boost at the end of another big week. I'm now slowly tapering, and it will get a bit sharper the last 1-2 weeks. Time to start feeling fresh again! Hard to remember what that feels like.

Thanks again for reading and feel free to check out last week's training below:

135	Monday	10/8/2018	AM: 12.5 + strength PM: 6
	Tuesday	10/9/2018	AM: 14 PM: 6 + drills and strides
	Wednesday	10/10/2018	AM: Fartlek, 3 x 1-2-3-4 PM: 5
	Thursday	10/11/2018	AM: 14 + strength PM: 6
	Friday	10/12/2018	AM: 1 hour run + 12 x 200 meter hills
	Saturday	10/13/2018	AM: 13 PM: off
	Sunday	10/14/2018	Long run: 22 miles moderate with last 4 miles at sub-5:00, 5:27 overall avg.

Less than 4 weeks to the TCS New York City Marathon: Last week's training

We're down to less than a month before the big day, and I survived what I consider one the toughest workouts of the marathon training block. I did 16 miles, slightly slower than what I think is my current marathon pace, but the course was very difficult. For those who have trained in Portland, the loop is Fairmount Blvd, just below council crest. It is runable, but there is no flat section. My wife and I both decided to give it a shot for a long tempo to mimic the NYC course and beat the legs up in a different way than our usual flat Sauvie Island loop. This tempo is also challenging because I went into it with another 140 mile week and a fairly high volume Wednesday workout. The pace wasn't blazing, but the effort was right, and I'm glad I went with the more difficult terrain.

There is really only time for one more big long run effort before starting to bring the intensity and volume gradually down on the way to November, 4th. I'm looking forward to utilizing what should be a perfect fall Portland day to get aggressive in a 22 mile run this coming weekend.

Thanks again for reading, and feel free to check out last week's training below.

140	Monday	10/1/2018	AM: 13 + strength PM: 6
	Tuesday	10/2/2018	AM: 14 + drills and strides PM: 6
	Wednesday	10/3/2018	AM:15 x 1000m @ 70, 1 min rest PM: 6
	Thursday	10/4/2018	AM: 14 + strength PM: 6
	Friday	10/5/2018	AM: 1 hour run + 15 x 200 meter hills PM: 6
	Saturday	10/6/2018	AM: 12 + strength PM: 6
	Sunday	10/7/2018	3 mile warmup, 16 mile tempo @ 5:05 on hilly Fairmount loop, 3 mile cooldown