After surviving the capstone 22-miler (last 10 @ MP) last Sunday, last night represented another milestone workout on the road to the NYC marathon. It’s a workout that I have yet to successfully execute with my teammates. 2 x 4mi (no recovery) with the first 4mi loop at MP and the second 4mi loop at HMP. Big time progression. Back when the CPTC road crew was prepping for the Boston Marathon, I completed a single loop and called it a night. My second attempt was a solo effort when on vacation this past summer. Last night, would be my shot at “glory”. I had no excuses as it might have been the very best night to run I’d ever experienced … low 50’s and slight wind. Anticipation among the team was at a high … big turnout, lots of focus. NYCM is on the horizon! A major litmus test for all of us.
I viewed the workout as an opportunity to execute a mini portion of my marathon plan. Start conservatively (at or slightly slower than MP), get into a rhythm and then drop it to a comfortable level. In short, stay control. Results only told part of the story: 1st loop = 7:44, 2nd loop = 7:23. I jogged the first loop and maintained reasonably consistent splits thru the up and downhills (7:46. 7:41, 7:47, 7:39). The point was to keep a sizable reserve and turn the screws on the second loop. After easing into the 5th mile, I got into the HMP range without expending much energy (7:39, 7:22, 7:25). I was pleased with this level of execution … keeping it very comfortable and in the flow. The final mile came and the urge to turn it up was hard to resist, as it’s largely downhill (Cat Hill) heading back to the start. I fell into the downhill naturally and maintained a decent cadence to finish off (7:08). Overall for the 8 miles = 7:33. This is right in line with where I want to be. I felt strong throughout and kept the energy distribution at an acceptable level. I left a lot in the tank and felt like I could have run comfortably at that pace for awhile. Unlike the actual marathon, last night there were no fluid stations. Also, I will have the benefit of the full 3 weeks of taper. Right now, I am 5 days into taper. All signs are pointing in the right direction. It’s almost time and I’m nearly ready.