Something September

September 2023 in review!

Total mileage for the month: 400.1

• Aug. 28-Sep. 3: 92.5
• Sep. 4-10: 101.4
• Sep. 11-17: 96.3
• Sep. 18-24: 92.8
• Sep. 25-Oct. 1: 74.2

Races:

• None this month. I had a few races on my radar but logistics didn't pan out easily, and I didn't feel super excited to race so didn't try too hard to make it happen.

In case you need this interpreted, it's
24, 24, 20, and 17 #superlongrunseptember

Workouts:

• Sep. 2: Long run workout of 2 warm up + 10 x (1 MP, 1 easy). When the first marathon pace mile was coming easily, I just figured we were starting slow, but when I saw it was a 6:46 I knew I was going to have a much better long run than any I did in August! I ended up averaging 6:39 for the MP miles via 6:46, 6:36, 6:48, 6:39, 6:47, 6:35, 6:36, 6:36, 6:50, 6:25. The best part was that they felt smooth and not forced. It was a huge contrast to the previous week where I was killing myself to hit 7:10ish for what was supposed to be a MP effort. We ran a rolling route, which accounts for the variability in paces (for example, the 9th push had a lot of incline then the 10th we got corresponding decline). I ran with Casey the whole 22 and Paul did the first 16 with us.
• Sep. 6: 4 x 3 miles at MP with 0.25 jogs (15.2 miles total). This was a lot of work for a Wednesday morning, and despite it being warm and humid it went well. My splits were: 6:49, 6:54, 6:46 | 6:42, 6:41, 6:46 | 7:03*, 6:38, 6:46 | 6:38, 6:37, 6:30^ (average 6:44). *during this mile I picked up my handheld off the ground, ran with it while drinking for a few minutes, then put it down in another hidden spot without pausing my watch. ^during the very beginning of this mile I paused my watch to wait to cross a busy road, which probably helped me finish strong. I was hoping to average about 6:50 and to negative split, so I was happy. 
• Sep. 9: 24 mile long run with 4 miles progressive fast finish in 6:55, 6:49, 6:44, 6:34. I was happy with how well I executed this with 20 miles on my legs and long hill in mile 24!
• Sep. 13: 4 x (1 at threshold, 0.5 at 5k, 0.5 jog) in 6:26, 2:58 | 6:25, 2:57 | 6:25, 2:59 | 6:17, 2:58, in 15.5 miles total. I have very much grown to love workouts that shift gears like this, and I think I do better building into fast than going straight into it (e.g., a sub-3:00 half mile is easier coming off of some threshold running than it is coming off jogging). I think these workouts also help me not push too hard on threshold because I am aiming to make there be a discernable difference between threshold and faster.
• Sep. 16: Long run workout with 10.6 miles at MP + 1:00 + 10 miles at MP. I averaged 7:42 for the first 10.6 and 6:49 for the second 10. It was supposed to be 10 and 10 but I ended up a little long for the first 10 because people I was with stopped to use the bathroom and I kept running around a parking lot while they were doing so. I almost didn't attempt this workout because I wasn't feeling well the night before it, but ended up giving myself all kind of options (e.g., just do 5 at MP then do an easy final 5, run the MP at 7:00-7:15, etc.) then did the original workout anyway. It actually felt less hard than when I ran it in 2022, and my final mile was my fastest at 6:36, so yay. I was with a group for the first 10, then Sally did 5 miles of my pace work with me, then I was solo for the final 5.
• Sep. 20: Power Hour: 15:00 at MP, 30:00 at threshold, 15:00 at MP (14.4 miles total). I covered 2.24 miles during the first MP segment in 6:42, 6:48, (6:27 pace for 0.24 which was on decline), 4.61 miles during the threshold segment in 6:32, 6:29, 6:31, 6:29, (6:30 pace for 0.61), and 2.25 miles during the final MP segment in 6:44, 6:38 (6:46 pace for 0.25 which was on incline). My goal pace ranges were 6:45-6:50 for MP and 6:30-6:35 for threshold, so I averaged on the fast end of both of them, which I was proud of since I was completely solo on this one. This was a great workout for where I am at right now, but I also thought back on when I used to run threshold at 5:55-6:00 and MP at 6:15 and it made me sad...if only I'd appreciated how fast I was back then!
• Sep. 23: 18 mile workout of 3 warm up, 5 at threshold, 1 easy, 10 x 1:00 on/1:00 off, 1 easy, 5 at "hold on". I averaged 6:48 for the threshold and about 6:25 for the fartlek pushes, which was about what I was aiming for adjusted for the warm humid weather. This workout was set up to produce a little bonk, but ended up producing a big one for me. The 5 at threshold felt great, the fartlek felt flat, then my legs were done. I thought I could hold on at 7:15ish (originally 7:00 but adjusted that for the weather), but I could not. It felt like the end of a bad marathon and I almost stopped when we went by the car at 15 miles. I instead got a drink and pressed on, albeit slowly, which was not a confidence boost but was probably good for mental toughness. It was a good reminder how much difference 70* makes for me, because a few days before I ran really well in cool weather but this workout was far from what I dreamed it would be.
• Sep. 27: 3, 2, 1 miles progressive with 0.5 jogs (12.8 miles total). I averaged 6:34, 6:31, 6:25 for the three segments. I'd wanted to do more like 6:35, 6:25, 6:15, but I think I underestimated the toll that wearing long sleeves in a humid 68* would take on me and based on how overheated I felt I was happy enough with this. I also ran solo which is always harder for me, but I just don't quite match paces with anyone else in our group right now.
• Sep. 30: 2 miles fast finish on the tail end of 12 miles in 6:39, 6:33. The 10 miles easy felt rough and the 2 miles pick up felt easy...must be tapering!
• Doubles: Sep. 5, 13, 18, 20, 27
• Favorite workout: I loved all of these except Sep. 23!

Post-22 #superlongrunseptember

Sierra moved to Minneapolis, & this was her
farewell group run #sayonarasierra

Long Runs:

• Sep. 2: 22.1 miles (7:26) with a workout described above!
• Sep. 9: 24 miles (7:29) with a workout, described above.
• Sep. 16: 20.6 miles (7:17) with a workout, described above.
• Sep. 23: 18 miles (7:36) with a workout, again described above.
• Sep. 30: 12.3 miles (7:46), which isn't actually long.
• Favorite long run: I really liked Sep. 2, 9, and 16, so it's much easier to pick a least favorite with Sep. 23 being the clear winner there - even though it also won worst workout, hah!

Post-20 #superseptember

Mid-20 #strideseptember

Running Highlights:

• I've run 100+ mile weeks multiple times, so it's not a milestone, though I still feel accomplished when I finish one. The week of Sep. 4-10 I ran 101 miles, and I did it with only 1 double, which was a milestone! Usually I have run 3-4 doubles when I've run 100+, and I'm not even sure I've ever done it with 2 doubles before (perhaps on the rolling 7 this season though?) -- but definitely never with 1. Have to take these accomplishments where I can find them! Next time I have a 24+ mile long run on tap I'll see if I can do 100 with no doubles.
• Related: I haven't been doubling as much this cycle.
• After realizing I had mostly weeks of 90-100 miles this month, I did the math on where my total mileage was going to land with 6 days left in September. It was going to be 397 so I added a mile to 3 runs so I'd hit 400! I let it go in August and landed on 396, but I wanted one 400 mile month this year. There's something about those round numbers!

#somethingseptember

Life Highlights:

• Albani turned 16!

SDC birthday celebration

Cat Cafe birthday celebration

Books:

• Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
• Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris
• The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni
• The Newcomer: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews
• Three Sisters (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #3) by Heather Morris
• Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult
• None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
• Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Theme for the month:

• Uncertainty. I'm not sure how to approach the Chicago Marathon and I don't think I will decide until I'm running the race. I have certainly realized that I love marathon training but am unsure about actually racing marathons anymore. I also realize that I don't have to - I can run them easy or moderate or however I want!