avondale
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2017
- Messages
- 2,290
Week of Mar. 16 - 22, 2026
This week was week 12 of 17 of my training plan for the On the Dam 30k trail race on April 25, 2026. This was a cut-back week. It was also my spring break week, so I visited my mother in northwestern PA for a few days. The day I drove up there, they started at about 60 F, then it rained an dropped to low-40sF by the time I got there, then we got a couple hours of sleet, then multiple inches of snow! It never got above freezing until right about the time I was leaving! WHHYY??
Monday before breakfast: walk on treadmill
Health
No changes/issues.
This week was week 12 of 17 of my training plan for the On the Dam 30k trail race on April 25, 2026. This was a cut-back week. It was also my spring break week, so I visited my mother in northwestern PA for a few days. The day I drove up there, they started at about 60 F, then it rained an dropped to low-40sF by the time I got there, then we got a couple hours of sleet, then multiple inches of snow! It never got above freezing until right about the time I was leaving! WHHYY??
Monday before breakfast: walk on treadmill
- time: 1:29:48
- distance: 4.82 mi
- average pace: 18:38
- incline: 1%
- comments: After breakfast, I drove to my mother's to begin the lovely weather described above.
- time: 1:22:15
- distance: 4.75 mi
- average pace: 17:19
- incline: 1%
- comments: I did this at the YMCA since we got snow!!!
- 50 min easy
- T+D 35, no effect, T 24 F, WC 12 F - windy!
- time: 50:01
- distance: 4.23 mi
- average pace: 11:49 (GAP ave pace: 11:46)
- splits: 11:51, 11:57, 11:45, 11:45, 11:39
- ave HR: 127 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 118 ft (corrected)
- route: Allegheny River Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- comments: There had been enough Sun to melt the snow on the pavement even though it still wasn't above freezing, so at least I could run. Strong headwind the whole way outbound, but at least that was a tailwind on the way back.
- Speed intervals -- 15 min easy + 10 x (1 min fast + 1 min easy) + 15 min easy
- T+D 89, no effect, T 55
- time: 50:01
- distance: 4.47 mi
- interval splits: 8:53, 8:55, 9:05, 8:50, 8:16, 8:47, 8:37, 8:16, 8:59, 8:35
- elevation gain: 128 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- comments: So nice to be home in beautiful spring weather!
- 50 min easy on trail
- T+D 109, 0.5% effect, T 70 F
- time: 50:01
- distance: 4.04 mi
- average pace: 12:23 (GAP ave pace: 12:19)
- splits: 12:25, 12:27, 12:21, 12:20
- ave HR: 133 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 285 ft (corrected)
- route: Northwest Branch Trail
- comments: This was a very nice easy pace for me on this trail - maybe my new shoes helped? LOL
- Before lunch:
- Agility HIIT workout - warm-up + 3 x 8 x (20 sec work + 20 sec rest) + 4 min rest). The exercises were:
- Fast feet forward/back in ladder
- Forward/back hop
- Fast feet in/out in ladder
- Sprint/backpedal
- Fast feet forward through ladder
- Left/right hop
- Fast feet sideways through ladder
- Side shuffle
- comments: This used my agility ladder.
- Foam rolling and stretching
- Agility HIIT workout - warm-up + 3 x 8 x (20 sec work + 20 sec rest) + 4 min rest). The exercises were:
- Before dinner:
- 120 min LR on trail
- T+D 119, 1% effect, T 69 F
- time: 2:00:00
- distance: 8.72 mi
- average pace: 13:46 (GAP ave pace: 13:22)
- splits: 12:48, 12:34, 13:44, 15:14, 15:39, 13:59, 13:33, 12:41, 13:34,
- ave HR: 136 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 614 ft (corrected)
- route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
- comments: There were two miles that were very technical surface along with rolling hills, so they really slow me down. Otherwise, the other parts were a pretty decent pace. It always amuses me that the most technical trail that I run in the area is in DC!
- comments: See photos for the technical parts - all photos show the trail going pretty much through the middle of the photo (even the selfie shows the trail behind me).
- comments: I took 1.5 L of water + Nuun and drank a lot of it. I ate one serving of dried apricots, one serving of dried pineapple, and one serving of Teddy Grahams.







- 120 min LR on trail
- 60 min downs & ups on trail -- warm-up, multiple times running down a steep hill and power-hiking up it, then cool-down
- T+D 124, 1.5% effect, T 74
- time: 1:00:00
- distance: 4.08 mi
- downhill splits: 11:51, 12:11, 11:38, 11:57, 11:39, 11:39
- uphill splits: 19:26, 19:32, 19:49, 20:06, 19:44, forgot to lap the last one
- elevation gain: 749 ft (corrected)
- route: Western Ridge Trail, Rock Creek National Park
- comments: The hill was 10 - 15% grade and 0.17 mi long. I hit the lap button at the top and bottom each time, but I think I forgot to do it on the last uphill. This was not a lot of fun.
- Walking - Rock Creek Trail
- time: 52:22
- distance: 3.01 mi
- average pace: 17:23
- comments: Just to get more steps and time on my feet, plus a Garmin badge.
Health
No changes/issues.
