Hey all! Happy Friday! I decided to go back to work part time, with Fridays off. So happy with that decision.

I have run 3 miles for the last 3 days. Today's run was on the bike path in the next town over. My favorite place to run. It's shaded, flat and wonderful. I had a fantastic run because the nasty hot and humid weather we've been having for weeks finally went away and it was mid 70s and only 50% humidity. Ahhh. Plus I ran in new shoes. 3 miles @ 8:50, splits were 8:58, 8:55, 8:36. Also walked a mile before and after. All pushing the stroller. My baby slept the entire time so it was perfect.

Docket - So you don't have DDs on every corner? I counted on my way to the bike path this morning and there were 4 in the maybe 8 miles, 2 of them were gas station combos. I usually don't get tempted just by driving by but all the donut talk had me craving them so I stopped after my run.

Running in the dark - I typically am an afternoon runner, but obviously in the summer that's not always the best time to run. So I will definitely wait until it's dark and head out with my headlamp. I always stay on the sidewalks when I do.

Josh / Paula - Wow those are crazy pics! I'm glad you are ok.

Mdawg - I'm excited to see how your training works for you. You are putting in impressive runs.

Ack! Screaming baby.. gotta go!

Paula / Josh - wow ! those pictures are amazing. I remember hearing that in the news but didn't know what extent it went past downtown - yikes !

Cbus - lol at the zombies - I forgot about those at night - I think we had that conversation before lol - i'm also scared of the geese - they hiss even 30 ft away sometimes

Ami - knuckle lights? never heard of those - will have google them. I do have a headlamp but only use that when there are no lights at all. I'm lucky today I wore my bright orange reflective stuff while running - otherwise who knows what the police cars driving around would have thought ! lol

Nick - what do you use for hydration when you run your 15+ mile runs around or in Kensington ?

I guess I didn't read the entire book.  

 

I really have no desire to run doubles.  But I guess I would be willing to do it for awhile if that's what I needed to do to run the mileage I wanted to run.  I tend to like longer runs best anyway. I would much rather run a 10 miler than 5 am / 5pm.    But I've heard that doubles is easier on you once you are averaging over 10 miles per day (so 70mpw? or is that 60mpw for someone who runs 6 days a week? I'm not sure).

Their bit on doubles wasn't much longer than my post, so there is no shame in having missed it; it is a paragraph in the "modifying the plans" section.

I run doubles frequently.  In my case, the primary reason simply is that I like them.  And importantly, I have both the opportunity and the time to do so.

From what I've read, the "why" behind "doubles are easier at more than 70mpw" is that running single runs of 10+ miles per day every day will wear you down too much and the runs will take too long to recover from, especially if you have two or three quality days in the week. Thus it is better to start breaking the runs up to allow your body to begin recovering from the run before the second run.  The more practical concern is also that most of us who are not professional runners have to fit in runs around our real lives, and that unless if you are indy-like an able to run in the middle of the night, finding the 2-3 hour block of time every day to do a single, longer run is often not possible (where finding two 1.5 hour blocks might be readily do-able).  I also think that doubles are easier at high mileage because if you are capable of running that mileage without getting hurt, you have built up a certain amount of fatigue resistance simply from the training you have put in to reach that level.  At that point, the second run "feels" easier simply because you are used to running when your legs aren't feeling 100%.

The other guideline/suggestion on doubles (I think this is also Pfitz) is to do the longer run first.  e.g. 8 am / 4 pm.  I don't do this all of the time, and if you run the longer run as the second run, you really have to take it easy and run it closer to recovery pace (at least that has been my experience).

Yeah the not having a 2 hr block of time makes sense. I have to be to work pretty early and have plenty of time in the evening to run so that works best for me. I'd have to get up at Indi-O'clock to run before work and I'm not really interested in that.

Yeah the not having a 2 hr block of time makes sense. I have to be to work pretty early and have plenty of time in the evening to run so that works best for me. I'd have to get up at Indi-O'clock to run before work and I'm not really interested in that.

+1!

Mdawg, I don't want to be a nag, and I don't want to sound like a wet blanket, because you really are killing it. But you gotta get on pace for the MP workout. That is, unless you plan on running slightly faster on raceday. If you run the workout, let's say, 7-8 sec too fast, then that's basically a Strength workout that was slightly too slow. This workout, Humphrey emphasizes, is about developing habit, so that your body on raceday does what it has to do with little conscious effort. If you keep running these faster, you're gonna race slightly faster too. Again, maybe you've adjusted your goal. But if not, then try to get on pace.

Good morning!  Busy day at the mdawg office after being gone most of the week.  I tried to keep up on email, but the schedule was so jam packed I barely had time.  Between having meals together and meetings, we were going from 8 am to 10 pm every day.  Lots of great info and exciting news shared so it was well worth it.

 

Anyway, 10 miles w/8 at GMP.  My average pace for the entire run was 8:35 so again, the 8 GMP miles were a tad fast.  All but one were in the 8:20s.  Plus my cool down mile was 8:58 as I was hustling to get it done and get in the shower.

 

DTF:  I won't run in the total dark, but will run just before sunrise.  I need enough light to see what's in front of me without a headlamp.  I will run in the dark if DH is with me.  It's a safety/comfort thing for me.

 

Paula and Josh:  Glad you both are okay, but wow, sorry about all the damage.

 

Indy/cbus:  My DH refuses to wear shorty shorts when running.  Doesn't like them.  I don't know if it's the look or fit.  He obviously wears bike shorts without a problem.  They don't bother me at all.  Shorty shorts wouldn't bother me either, but everyone is different.

Back from vacation and really enjoyed running the mall in DC - thanks for all the tips Flinders!  I went out last Sunday afternoon for 10 miles (garmin link).  It was hot in the sun for the first half, but the second half was just the opposite with some light rain.  Enjoyed seeing all the attractions all over again making the run go by with no problem.  Lots of photo ops throughout.  BTW, I took your advice and got the family the plastic cards - metro system is pretty good in DC.  Thanks again Flinders!

 

Enjoy your visit!  I run around on the Mall most days I run, and it never gets old.

 

I put the route together to start at the Capitol South Metro stop (Blue & Orange Lines) and to finish at Smithsonian (also Blue and Orange).  If you are staying in Silver Spring and doing the run at the end of the day, you may either want to do the course "in reverse" and finish at Union Station (1st & D St. NE), which is on the Red Line (as is Silver Spring), rather than Capitol South (1st & C St. SE), or, instead of turning south back to the Mall onto 12th St from Pennsylvania Ave., turn north to finish at the Metro Center stop (12th & F St. NW) (Blue, Orange, and Red Lines).

 

(Also, a general visiting DC tip: if you are going to take more than five one-way trips on the Metro during your stay, purchase a Smartrip card from the vending machines at any of the Metro stations.  These are a plastic rechargeable card about the size of a credit card that you tap on the target on the fare gates to pay your fare.  They cost $10, of which $5 is the cost of the card plus  $5 pre-loaded fare value, and can be reloaded at any of the farecard machines.   Metro will charge you a $1 surcharge for each one-way trip if you use a paper fare card, so with more than 5 trips, you'll come out ahead.)

Sorry for the delay Cbus, just getting back to the forum.

I remember mile 18-20 as an dead zone but I don't remember any significant climbs.  The crowd lessens significantly between the campus and the neighborhoods at mile 20 and we went through the parking lot area near the rec center off Kenny Road.  I do remember a couple of short lengths where it was uphill, but the rest must have been very gradual as I didn't see or feel it as a unique strain.  Here's the link to my garmin from that day which shows the incline (link).  I don't remember that time as grueling as both the times I've run into the Pittsburgh uphill late in the half.

Strider, a question about the Columbus Marathon course. According to the elevation chart, there is a hill starting approximately at Mile 18 going through Mile 20. It's about a 100 ft. difference. Can you tell me about this hill? Did you feel it? Was it difficult? Keep in mind, you train in Pittsburgh, where hills are unavoidable, and I train in Central Ohio, where it's hard to find a hill.