Sep 12-18
Mon: 6 miles easy
Tue: Off
Wed: Off
Thu: 7 miles
Fri: 5 miles
Sat: 15 miles, including Mikro Marathon
Sun: 5 miles
Total: 38 miles
As the warden said in Cool Hand Luke, “some men you just can’t reach.” That pretty much fits my running perfectly because I never seem to learn my lesson when it comes to crossing the line. To borrow Charlie Murphy’s description of Rick James, I’m a “habitual line stepper.”
After running 71 miles last week and feeling pretty good while doing so, it all came crashing down this week, just like it has every other time I've run that sort of volume here lately. I struggled mightily on my run on Mon, and by Tue, I could tell that I’d dug myself into another hole. The only good thing is, I did recognize it quickly this time and immediately took a day off. I planned on running easy on Wed, but I could tell I was still run down and beat up, so I took that one off too.
Two days off seemed to do the trick for the most part, as I felt pretty good while running 7 on Thu. However, the next day I felt pretty rough again, which basically left me feeling very nervous about using the Mikro Marathon (which was actually a half marathon) as my long run the next morning. Thankfully, I didn’t feel too bad Sat and got in a very solid effort (recap to come in the next day or so). I finished the week off with a 5 mile shakeout on Sun, which felt surprisingly good.
Going forward, don’t look for any more 70+ mile weeks out of me for a while. I had actually hoped to build my way back to 80, and maybe at some point I will, but it’s gonna be a while. For the foreseeable future, I’m going to be in the 60 miles per week range and see how well I can progress at that level. Once I hit a plateau, maybe I’ll try an uptick in volume, at which point hopefully I’ll have enough 60 mile weeks in me that 70 won’t wreck me like it has here lately. I do think the heat/humidity this summer has had something to do with it, but I’m not willing to risk it and continue to try to run 70+ this fall. I need to train to race not train to fill up my log, so I’d rather err on the side of caution for the time being.
Until next time, Happy Fall, and Happy Running!
Salem 8k
Showing posts with label Training Summaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training Summaries. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2016
Monday, September 12, 2016
Training Summary: Sep 5-11
Sep 5-11
Mon: 6 miles easy
Tue: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 7.5 miles, including turnover workout
Wed: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 10 miles
Thu: 6 miles easy
Fri: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 7.5 mile light progression run
Sat: 6 miles easy
Sun: 14 miles
Total: 71 miles
It’s been a few weeks since I posted a training update and running during that time has been a bit of a roller coaster just as it has for most of this year. I had a 10 day or so stretch where I really struggled before rallying and having a really good 10 day stretch the past week and a half. Hopefully I’m on the right track now and ready for a good fall of training and racing. This has been a really tough summer for me that’s left me drained on multiple occasions, so I’m definitely ready for some cooler weather.
I’m not gonna bother going into any great detail about this past week because there was nothing spectacular, which is probably a good thing. Consistency is king, and I’m better off hitting moderate workouts week after week than nailing a killer workout here and there then having to back off for several days to recover. Right now I’m trying to get in as many comfortably hard miles as I can plus adding a few strides here and there to work on the neuromuscular component. As those things start to come together, I’ll incorporate more formalized workouts to address VO2 max, aerobic threshold, etc.
I’ve put together a loose long-term plan for myself as well as some goals, and I’m excited to go to work and see what I can do. As crazy as it might sound, I’m actually training for next fall, as in fall of 2017. Based on just how out-of-shape I got over the past two years and all I’ve been through injury wise, I think that’s how long it will take for me to get to a point where I can run what I would call fast by my own standards. Phase I will be to get back into competition this fall and winter, really not worrying about time or place but instead using the events as hard workouts and focusing on building a rhythm. Then, next spring and summer, Phase II is where I hope to be a little more competitive with more structured workouts in my training and some solid efforts in races. Phase III then comes next fall, when if the first two phases have gone well, I’ll be able to take advantage of one of the best times of year weather wise for racing to see if I can hit some of the goal times I’ve set for myself, which I won’t disclose just yet.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I actually plan on “racing” for the first time in 28 months this coming weekend, although it will be a half marathon that I’m simply using as a hard long run rather than a true race effort. Aside from not overdoing it, my goal is to run sub-1:30, which is a little faster than my long runs have been over the past couple weekends when I’ve gone through 13.1 in the 1:34 range. It should be doable and be another step towards getting stronger and building the aerobic endurance I need to get fit. Have a good week, everyone!
Mon: 6 miles easy
Tue: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 7.5 miles, including turnover workout
Wed: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 10 miles
Thu: 6 miles easy
Fri: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 7.5 mile light progression run
Sat: 6 miles easy
Sun: 14 miles
Total: 71 miles
It’s been a few weeks since I posted a training update and running during that time has been a bit of a roller coaster just as it has for most of this year. I had a 10 day or so stretch where I really struggled before rallying and having a really good 10 day stretch the past week and a half. Hopefully I’m on the right track now and ready for a good fall of training and racing. This has been a really tough summer for me that’s left me drained on multiple occasions, so I’m definitely ready for some cooler weather.
I’m not gonna bother going into any great detail about this past week because there was nothing spectacular, which is probably a good thing. Consistency is king, and I’m better off hitting moderate workouts week after week than nailing a killer workout here and there then having to back off for several days to recover. Right now I’m trying to get in as many comfortably hard miles as I can plus adding a few strides here and there to work on the neuromuscular component. As those things start to come together, I’ll incorporate more formalized workouts to address VO2 max, aerobic threshold, etc.
I’ve put together a loose long-term plan for myself as well as some goals, and I’m excited to go to work and see what I can do. As crazy as it might sound, I’m actually training for next fall, as in fall of 2017. Based on just how out-of-shape I got over the past two years and all I’ve been through injury wise, I think that’s how long it will take for me to get to a point where I can run what I would call fast by my own standards. Phase I will be to get back into competition this fall and winter, really not worrying about time or place but instead using the events as hard workouts and focusing on building a rhythm. Then, next spring and summer, Phase II is where I hope to be a little more competitive with more structured workouts in my training and some solid efforts in races. Phase III then comes next fall, when if the first two phases have gone well, I’ll be able to take advantage of one of the best times of year weather wise for racing to see if I can hit some of the goal times I’ve set for myself, which I won’t disclose just yet.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I actually plan on “racing” for the first time in 28 months this coming weekend, although it will be a half marathon that I’m simply using as a hard long run rather than a true race effort. Aside from not overdoing it, my goal is to run sub-1:30, which is a little faster than my long runs have been over the past couple weekends when I’ve gone through 13.1 in the 1:34 range. It should be doable and be another step towards getting stronger and building the aerobic endurance I need to get fit. Have a good week, everyone!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Training Summary: Aug 15-21
Aug 15-21
Mon: 5.5 miles easy
Tue: AM - 3.5 miles; PM – 6.5 miles, including turnover workout
Wed: 9.5 miles
Thu: 6 miles easy
Fri: AM – 4 miles; PM – 9 miles, incl 5/4/3/2/1 min fartlek
Sat: 5.5 miles easy
Sun: 5.5 miles easy
Total: 55 miles
In spite of a number of challenges, from more hot/humid weather to a busy week at work, this week went pretty much according to plan right up to the very last day. The problem is, things came crashing down that day, meaning I still haven’t been able to put together a complete week, and somehow or another I need to get that figured out.
Monday was an easy day coming of Sunday’s workout, and I followed that up with some turnover work on Tuesday that consisted of an up and back down ladder of short intervals (30/60/60/90/90/60/60/30 sec with 60 sec rec). I actually felt pretty good the next day and got in a nice medium long run of 9.5+ miles in 70 min (7:18 avg). I felt good again on Thursday, only to have dead legs on Friday for my next workout, which was a fartlek of 5/4/3/2/1 min on with 2 min rec. I battled through that one though, averaging 5:42 for the intervals and closing the last one at 4:49 pace, which I was pretty happy with. My legs were tired and heavy on Saturday, but I fully expected them to be and I took it nice and easy accordingly. Sunday I had hoped to get in 10-11 miles total with pushes of 15 and 10 min in the middle, nothing fast, just leaning on the pace. I woke up feeling bad, however, and when I started the run I knew it just wasn’t happening. It was bad enough that I felt run down and my stomach was bothering me, but that wasn’t the worst of it. My legs just felt completely dead, especially my quads. I struggled through 5.5 miles at an average of 8:04 and called it a day.
Overall this week was a step in the right direction and a model of what I would like my training to look like going forward. As I wrote earlier, I just needed to be able to finish the week strong and couldn’t. I’m not sure if I overdid it in the Friday workout or what, but Sunday was definitely a struggle and more evidence that I have a LONG way to go, a fact I’m slowly coming to grips with. Essentially I’m going to have to spend the rest of this year just getting basic fitness back. If I can do that, then hopefully I can have a solid spring, which will, in turn, set me up for an even better fall. In other words, at this point the real goal is fall of 2017. That’s the point at which I feel like I can be ready to achieve some of the goals I’ve set for myself. It’s a long way away and will require lots of focus and likely enduring some pretty disappointing and frustrating performances along the way, but it is what it is.
Mon: 5.5 miles easy
Tue: AM - 3.5 miles; PM – 6.5 miles, including turnover workout
Wed: 9.5 miles
Thu: 6 miles easy
Fri: AM – 4 miles; PM – 9 miles, incl 5/4/3/2/1 min fartlek
Sat: 5.5 miles easy
Sun: 5.5 miles easy
Total: 55 miles
In spite of a number of challenges, from more hot/humid weather to a busy week at work, this week went pretty much according to plan right up to the very last day. The problem is, things came crashing down that day, meaning I still haven’t been able to put together a complete week, and somehow or another I need to get that figured out.
Monday was an easy day coming of Sunday’s workout, and I followed that up with some turnover work on Tuesday that consisted of an up and back down ladder of short intervals (30/60/60/90/90/60/60/30 sec with 60 sec rec). I actually felt pretty good the next day and got in a nice medium long run of 9.5+ miles in 70 min (7:18 avg). I felt good again on Thursday, only to have dead legs on Friday for my next workout, which was a fartlek of 5/4/3/2/1 min on with 2 min rec. I battled through that one though, averaging 5:42 for the intervals and closing the last one at 4:49 pace, which I was pretty happy with. My legs were tired and heavy on Saturday, but I fully expected them to be and I took it nice and easy accordingly. Sunday I had hoped to get in 10-11 miles total with pushes of 15 and 10 min in the middle, nothing fast, just leaning on the pace. I woke up feeling bad, however, and when I started the run I knew it just wasn’t happening. It was bad enough that I felt run down and my stomach was bothering me, but that wasn’t the worst of it. My legs just felt completely dead, especially my quads. I struggled through 5.5 miles at an average of 8:04 and called it a day.
Overall this week was a step in the right direction and a model of what I would like my training to look like going forward. As I wrote earlier, I just needed to be able to finish the week strong and couldn’t. I’m not sure if I overdid it in the Friday workout or what, but Sunday was definitely a struggle and more evidence that I have a LONG way to go, a fact I’m slowly coming to grips with. Essentially I’m going to have to spend the rest of this year just getting basic fitness back. If I can do that, then hopefully I can have a solid spring, which will, in turn, set me up for an even better fall. In other words, at this point the real goal is fall of 2017. That’s the point at which I feel like I can be ready to achieve some of the goals I’ve set for myself. It’s a long way away and will require lots of focus and likely enduring some pretty disappointing and frustrating performances along the way, but it is what it is.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Training Summary: Aug 8-14
Aug 8-14
Mon: 7 miles, incl turnover workout (7X60 sec, 1X90 sec)
Tue: 5.5 miles easy
Wed: 8.5 miles, incl fartlek workout (:30/1/2/3/3/2/1/:30)
Thu: 5 miles easy
Fri: 5 miles easy
Sat: 3 miles easy
Sun: AM – 9 miles, incl aerobic interval workout (2 X 1.5 miles); PM – 3.5 miles easy
Total: 46.5 miles
This week had some positives, but it also had one major negative, the heat/humidity. I implemented my plan to start running more workouts, and the first one on Monday went well. Aside from feeling like I hadn’t done hardly any workouts in the last 8 months (hmmmm, wonder why that was?), I ran at the expected paces or faster and then felt pretty good the next day as well. From there, however, things went south quickly.
Wednesday saw the return of high temps and high humidity, and it was 91 degrees with a heat index even higher than that when we did the scheduled fartlek workout on the Salem Distance Run 5k course. Now, the SDR course is tough in the best of circumstances, but when the heat index is approaching triple digits, it’s just plain brutal. I felt bad from the start, including during the w-up, but since I was determined to run workouts this week, I went through with everything as planned, although I was smart enough to temper my expectations and not try to pursue a very fast pace. Unfortunately, that didn’t matter. By the second half of the workout, I was just cooked. That night I got multiple calf cramps and couldn’t even sleep well. A couple days later I jokingly said I thought I had a heat stroke, which I know wasn’t the case, but I did put myself in a major hole that took 3 days to dig out of. So much for a really solid week of training! I did recover well enough to do a workout on Sunday. I can’t say I felt good during that one, but I got some work done and wasn’t totally trashed after like I was on Wednesday.
Honestly I’m frustrated and unsure of what to do at the moment. I want to make a return to racing, but I don’t feel my fitness level is quite good enough yet to do so, and thanks to one of the worst summers for running I can remember, I don’t know how I can change that. It’s so hot I can’t run enough volume and/or enough quality to improve my fitness. Very many miles, and I’m feeling burned out; reduced miles with workouts, and I get something like this past week. There just doesn’t seem to be a good answer. I guess all I can do is try to strike the best balance of training I can and wait for it to get cooler. Morning workouts might be an option, but with my work schedule they’re pretty hard to pull off, especially on a consistent basis.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. Try to stay cool, everyone, and remember, fall is on its way!
Mon: 7 miles, incl turnover workout (7X60 sec, 1X90 sec)
Tue: 5.5 miles easy
Wed: 8.5 miles, incl fartlek workout (:30/1/2/3/3/2/1/:30)
Thu: 5 miles easy
Fri: 5 miles easy
Sat: 3 miles easy
Sun: AM – 9 miles, incl aerobic interval workout (2 X 1.5 miles); PM – 3.5 miles easy
Total: 46.5 miles
This week had some positives, but it also had one major negative, the heat/humidity. I implemented my plan to start running more workouts, and the first one on Monday went well. Aside from feeling like I hadn’t done hardly any workouts in the last 8 months (hmmmm, wonder why that was?), I ran at the expected paces or faster and then felt pretty good the next day as well. From there, however, things went south quickly.
Wednesday saw the return of high temps and high humidity, and it was 91 degrees with a heat index even higher than that when we did the scheduled fartlek workout on the Salem Distance Run 5k course. Now, the SDR course is tough in the best of circumstances, but when the heat index is approaching triple digits, it’s just plain brutal. I felt bad from the start, including during the w-up, but since I was determined to run workouts this week, I went through with everything as planned, although I was smart enough to temper my expectations and not try to pursue a very fast pace. Unfortunately, that didn’t matter. By the second half of the workout, I was just cooked. That night I got multiple calf cramps and couldn’t even sleep well. A couple days later I jokingly said I thought I had a heat stroke, which I know wasn’t the case, but I did put myself in a major hole that took 3 days to dig out of. So much for a really solid week of training! I did recover well enough to do a workout on Sunday. I can’t say I felt good during that one, but I got some work done and wasn’t totally trashed after like I was on Wednesday.
Honestly I’m frustrated and unsure of what to do at the moment. I want to make a return to racing, but I don’t feel my fitness level is quite good enough yet to do so, and thanks to one of the worst summers for running I can remember, I don’t know how I can change that. It’s so hot I can’t run enough volume and/or enough quality to improve my fitness. Very many miles, and I’m feeling burned out; reduced miles with workouts, and I get something like this past week. There just doesn’t seem to be a good answer. I guess all I can do is try to strike the best balance of training I can and wait for it to get cooler. Morning workouts might be an option, but with my work schedule they’re pretty hard to pull off, especially on a consistent basis.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. Try to stay cool, everyone, and remember, fall is on its way!
Monday, August 8, 2016
Training Summary: Aug 1-7
Aug 1-7
Mon: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 5 miles easy
Tue: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 6.5 miles, including 6 X 20/40 strides
Wed: AM - 4 miles; PM - 5 miles easy
Thu: 4.5 miles
Fri: Off
Sat: 5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: Off
Total: 38 miles
Whereas last week was a lackluster week of training, this was one just a flat out bust. Monday and Tuesday went as planned, but they were forced and then some. In other words, I went through the motions and logged runs exactly as scheduled, but I felt more like sleeping than running. I took Wednesday morning off, with the hope I could salvage a workout that evening, but when time to run came around I didn’t really feel like doing the easy 5 miles I did much less running farther and/or faster. At that point, I realized I’d dug myself into a hole yet again, and the rest of the week became about making sure this coming week went better. Accordingly I took a couple days off and just ran easy the other two days.
So now what? Well, you’d think I would have learned my lesson by now, but old habits die hard. I know what worked for me 10-15 years ago, so I want to repeat it. The problem is: 1) I was in my 20’s and early-30’s then and now I’m…..not, and 2) I’ve missed a LOT of time for various reasons, making it exceptionally difficult to advance back to higher mileage, and the recent heat/humidity hasn’t helped. While I’m not saying I’ll never be able to run 70-80 miles (or more) a week again, I just can’t do it right now. It wears me out and doesn’t accomplish much either.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve accomplished some things over the past several weeks. I’m not struggling as bad as I was back in April and May, and my average paces are a little faster while my average HR is a little lower, all good things. However, in the end, my goal is to get faster so I can race and I feel like I’m more filling up my log book with pretty numbers than making progress towards that end. In fact, I feel like I’m no faster now than I was a month ago. My guess is if I’d done a time trial then and another now, there would be little to no difference, and that’s just not acceptable.
That said, I’m changing up my training to focus less on quantity and a lot more on quality. Going forward you’ll see fewer doubles, shorter long runs, and a lot more in the way of intervals and workouts. I don’t know if it will work or not, but I feel like I have to shake things up and try something. If it works really well, I’ll stick with it for as long as I’m improving, then if I level off, I’ll start tweaking. Time to see if this old dog can learn some new tricks!
Mon: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 5 miles easy
Tue: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 6.5 miles, including 6 X 20/40 strides
Wed: AM - 4 miles; PM - 5 miles easy
Thu: 4.5 miles
Fri: Off
Sat: 5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: Off
Total: 38 miles
Whereas last week was a lackluster week of training, this was one just a flat out bust. Monday and Tuesday went as planned, but they were forced and then some. In other words, I went through the motions and logged runs exactly as scheduled, but I felt more like sleeping than running. I took Wednesday morning off, with the hope I could salvage a workout that evening, but when time to run came around I didn’t really feel like doing the easy 5 miles I did much less running farther and/or faster. At that point, I realized I’d dug myself into a hole yet again, and the rest of the week became about making sure this coming week went better. Accordingly I took a couple days off and just ran easy the other two days.
So now what? Well, you’d think I would have learned my lesson by now, but old habits die hard. I know what worked for me 10-15 years ago, so I want to repeat it. The problem is: 1) I was in my 20’s and early-30’s then and now I’m…..not, and 2) I’ve missed a LOT of time for various reasons, making it exceptionally difficult to advance back to higher mileage, and the recent heat/humidity hasn’t helped. While I’m not saying I’ll never be able to run 70-80 miles (or more) a week again, I just can’t do it right now. It wears me out and doesn’t accomplish much either.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve accomplished some things over the past several weeks. I’m not struggling as bad as I was back in April and May, and my average paces are a little faster while my average HR is a little lower, all good things. However, in the end, my goal is to get faster so I can race and I feel like I’m more filling up my log book with pretty numbers than making progress towards that end. In fact, I feel like I’m no faster now than I was a month ago. My guess is if I’d done a time trial then and another now, there would be little to no difference, and that’s just not acceptable.
That said, I’m changing up my training to focus less on quantity and a lot more on quality. Going forward you’ll see fewer doubles, shorter long runs, and a lot more in the way of intervals and workouts. I don’t know if it will work or not, but I feel like I have to shake things up and try something. If it works really well, I’ll stick with it for as long as I’m improving, then if I level off, I’ll start tweaking. Time to see if this old dog can learn some new tricks!
Monday, August 1, 2016
Training Summary: 7/25 - 7/31
July 25-31
Mon: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6 miles easy
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 7 miles easy
Thu: 6 miles
Fri: 6.5 miles w/ drills after
Sat: 6 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 14.5 miles
Total: 55 miles
Well, thanks to one of the nastiest weeks of heat and humidity I can recall, this week was basically a bust. In the grand scheme of things, after building up pretty steadily and running some of the most consistent mileage I have in a long time over the past three weeks, it was probably a good time for a cutback week anyway, but I would have rather had that on my own terms than as a result of the weather. However, in the end, I did what I needed to do and that was the right move, as forcing things likely would have led to big problems.
I probably made my first mistake of the week on Monday when I tried to double the day after a long run where I’d really wilted the last 5k. I was likely in somewhat of a hole from that and dug myself in a little deeper with two hot, humid runs. Furthermore, I rode my motorcycle to work that day and got caught in a storm heading home that forced me to seek shelter and delayed me by almost an hour. Not good when you’ve had nothing to eat and a limited amount to drink, and once again a compromise to recovery, especially since it also cut into my nightly stretching/massage routine. It might sound silly, but the little things are extremely important, especially as you get older, and if you fail to do them you notice it.
I had intended to double again on Tuesday, but I was at least smart enough to sleep in that morning in the hopes I’d feel better that afternoon. Wrong! Tuesday afternoon saw the heat index hit triple digits and I struggled from the get-go, calling it a day after just 5 miles. From that point forward, I spent the rest of the week playing catch-up. Friday was the first day after 12 straight that the temp didn’t hit at least 90, and in spite of the fact it was still 89’ when we ran, the humidity was down a little as well and I actually felt good. That told me the weather was a big factor, although certainly not the only one, in how poor I’d felt all week.
I closed the week out with a normal weekend. I did an easy run with some strides on Saturday then the longest run I’ve done in quite a while on Sunday. While the last few miles of that run weren’t what I would call easy, I felt the most solid I have in quite a while for a long run, and it showed with the last 3 miles of the run being the fastest, including a final mile of 6:43.
This week I hope to get back on track and log around 70 miles along with a couple workouts. The workouts will likely be pretty light and on the slow side thanks to lack of fitness as well as the heat/humidity, but I need to start incorporating some faster efforts if I’m going to race anytime soon, which I actually hope to do as early as the latter part of this month. Anyway, July is in the books and it’s on to bigger, better, and as hard as it is to imagine, possibly hotter, things in August.
Mon: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6 miles easy
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 7 miles easy
Thu: 6 miles
Fri: 6.5 miles w/ drills after
Sat: 6 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 14.5 miles
Total: 55 miles
Well, thanks to one of the nastiest weeks of heat and humidity I can recall, this week was basically a bust. In the grand scheme of things, after building up pretty steadily and running some of the most consistent mileage I have in a long time over the past three weeks, it was probably a good time for a cutback week anyway, but I would have rather had that on my own terms than as a result of the weather. However, in the end, I did what I needed to do and that was the right move, as forcing things likely would have led to big problems.
I probably made my first mistake of the week on Monday when I tried to double the day after a long run where I’d really wilted the last 5k. I was likely in somewhat of a hole from that and dug myself in a little deeper with two hot, humid runs. Furthermore, I rode my motorcycle to work that day and got caught in a storm heading home that forced me to seek shelter and delayed me by almost an hour. Not good when you’ve had nothing to eat and a limited amount to drink, and once again a compromise to recovery, especially since it also cut into my nightly stretching/massage routine. It might sound silly, but the little things are extremely important, especially as you get older, and if you fail to do them you notice it.
I had intended to double again on Tuesday, but I was at least smart enough to sleep in that morning in the hopes I’d feel better that afternoon. Wrong! Tuesday afternoon saw the heat index hit triple digits and I struggled from the get-go, calling it a day after just 5 miles. From that point forward, I spent the rest of the week playing catch-up. Friday was the first day after 12 straight that the temp didn’t hit at least 90, and in spite of the fact it was still 89’ when we ran, the humidity was down a little as well and I actually felt good. That told me the weather was a big factor, although certainly not the only one, in how poor I’d felt all week.
I closed the week out with a normal weekend. I did an easy run with some strides on Saturday then the longest run I’ve done in quite a while on Sunday. While the last few miles of that run weren’t what I would call easy, I felt the most solid I have in quite a while for a long run, and it showed with the last 3 miles of the run being the fastest, including a final mile of 6:43.
This week I hope to get back on track and log around 70 miles along with a couple workouts. The workouts will likely be pretty light and on the slow side thanks to lack of fitness as well as the heat/humidity, but I need to start incorporating some faster efforts if I’m going to race anytime soon, which I actually hope to do as early as the latter part of this month. Anyway, July is in the books and it’s on to bigger, better, and as hard as it is to imagine, possibly hotter, things in August.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Training Summary: 7/18 - 7/24
July 18-24
Mon: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 6 miles easy
Tue: AM - 4 miles; PM - 7 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Wed: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6 miles easy
Thu: 8 miles
Fri: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 9.5 miles
Sat: 6 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 13.5 miles
Total: 72 miles
This post is going to be one of those “the good, the bad, and the ugly” deals. I’ll start with the good. This was actually the most miles I’ve run in a week since Aug 2014. Furthermore, at the end of the week, I was well in excess of 200 miles for the month of July, and I haven’t cracked 200 miles in a month since Sep of last year. I’m finally starting to build a little consistency and I’m actually starting to see some results accordingly. My average pace is coming down; I’m not struggling to finish runs; and I’m feeling better in general on a day-to-day basis.
Now for the bad. When looking through my log and realizing everything I just mentioned, it’s pretty easy to see why I’m so out of shape. I simply haven’t put in the work. As a result, it’s going to take a quite a while to get fit again. Basically I haven’t trained consistently since Aug 2014 when I hurt my hamstring. When you spend two years losing fitness, you don’t build it back overnight, especially when you’re in your 40’s. I’ve always been someone who thrives on higher mileage, and while I know I’ll never run 90-100 mile weeks again, I’ve certainly got to have more weeks in the 70 range than in the 30 range, and unfortunately the latter is more where I’ve been for far too long.
Ok, time for the ugly, which is plain and simple the weather. It appears we may wind up with 11 or 12 straight days with highs in the 90’s before we get a break, and even then the break simply means upper 80’s. It’s one thing to maintain fitness in weather like that but totally another to be trying to make gains. When the heat index is in the triple digits, it doesn’t much matter if you’re focusing on quality or quantity. Either one is going to be very difficult to achieve. I really need to be adding in some faster work right now, but I’m struggling just to run the miles. There were several days last week where I was really starting to overheat towards the end of runs and doing my longer run for the day in the morning isn’t really an option for me. As a result, I feel like about all I can do right now is put myself in a base phase and wait until the weather is more conducive to ramp up the quality. While this certainly isn’t going to help when it comes to my desire to start racing again in the very near future, it’s actually probably exactly what I need, so maybe in that respect it’s not such a bad thing.
I’ll conclude with some encouragement for all us Masters runners out there. If you haven’t already seen it, check out this story on Australian Olympic Marathoner, Scott Westcott. After narrowly qualifying for the Australian team several times since 2000, he finally made the team this year and will race in Rio just a little shy of his 41st birthday. With Bernard Lagat, who ran 13:14 this past weekend for 3rd place in the London Games, on the US 5k team, and Meb on the US Marathon Team, there will be quite a few of us “old” guys running in Rio, and I’m sure there are several more I don’t know about on both the men’s and women’s side. Age is just a number!
Mon: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 6 miles easy
Tue: AM - 4 miles; PM - 7 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Wed: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6 miles easy
Thu: 8 miles
Fri: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 9.5 miles
Sat: 6 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 13.5 miles
Total: 72 miles
This post is going to be one of those “the good, the bad, and the ugly” deals. I’ll start with the good. This was actually the most miles I’ve run in a week since Aug 2014. Furthermore, at the end of the week, I was well in excess of 200 miles for the month of July, and I haven’t cracked 200 miles in a month since Sep of last year. I’m finally starting to build a little consistency and I’m actually starting to see some results accordingly. My average pace is coming down; I’m not struggling to finish runs; and I’m feeling better in general on a day-to-day basis.
Now for the bad. When looking through my log and realizing everything I just mentioned, it’s pretty easy to see why I’m so out of shape. I simply haven’t put in the work. As a result, it’s going to take a quite a while to get fit again. Basically I haven’t trained consistently since Aug 2014 when I hurt my hamstring. When you spend two years losing fitness, you don’t build it back overnight, especially when you’re in your 40’s. I’ve always been someone who thrives on higher mileage, and while I know I’ll never run 90-100 mile weeks again, I’ve certainly got to have more weeks in the 70 range than in the 30 range, and unfortunately the latter is more where I’ve been for far too long.
Ok, time for the ugly, which is plain and simple the weather. It appears we may wind up with 11 or 12 straight days with highs in the 90’s before we get a break, and even then the break simply means upper 80’s. It’s one thing to maintain fitness in weather like that but totally another to be trying to make gains. When the heat index is in the triple digits, it doesn’t much matter if you’re focusing on quality or quantity. Either one is going to be very difficult to achieve. I really need to be adding in some faster work right now, but I’m struggling just to run the miles. There were several days last week where I was really starting to overheat towards the end of runs and doing my longer run for the day in the morning isn’t really an option for me. As a result, I feel like about all I can do right now is put myself in a base phase and wait until the weather is more conducive to ramp up the quality. While this certainly isn’t going to help when it comes to my desire to start racing again in the very near future, it’s actually probably exactly what I need, so maybe in that respect it’s not such a bad thing.
I’ll conclude with some encouragement for all us Masters runners out there. If you haven’t already seen it, check out this story on Australian Olympic Marathoner, Scott Westcott. After narrowly qualifying for the Australian team several times since 2000, he finally made the team this year and will race in Rio just a little shy of his 41st birthday. With Bernard Lagat, who ran 13:14 this past weekend for 3rd place in the London Games, on the US 5k team, and Meb on the US Marathon Team, there will be quite a few of us “old” guys running in Rio, and I’m sure there are several more I don’t know about on both the men’s and women’s side. Age is just a number!
Monday, July 18, 2016
Catching Up the Past Couple Weeks
July 4-10
Mon: AM - 7 miles; PM - 3.5 miles
Tue: 7.5 mile progression run
Wed: 6.5 miles
Thu: 6.5 miles
Fri: AM - 4 miles; PM - 8.5 miles
Sat: AM - 6.5 miles; PM - 3.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 5 miles easy
Total: 58.5 miles
July 11-17
Mon: 6 miles easy
Tue: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Wed: AM - 4 miles; PM - 8.5 miles, incl 6 X 2 min on/off fartlek
Thu: 5.5 miles easy
Fri: AM - 4 miles; PM - 9 miles with a little faster finish
Sat: 5.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 13 miles
Total: 66 miles
The past couple weeks haven’t been perfect, but they have been productive. I’ve had a bad trend for quite a while now of hitting anywhere from 60-70 miles one week then bombing out the very next week with no more than 30-40 miles and sometimes even less than that. So, to hit right at 60 one week then mid-60’s the next week is a step in the right direction, especially since I need consistency right now more than anything else.
The week of July 4th involved a mid-week trip to Fayetteville, WV, for Leslie’s grandfather’s funeral, so that threw things off a bit. He was a great man, who at almost 91 years of age lived a very full life. He served his country in WWII, earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, and he had a sharp mind and was able to live on his own and care for himself right up until the end. Pretty amazing! Things like this are always sad, of course, but if ever there was a man whose life could be celebrated, this was it.
That event aside, I still crashed towards the end of the week and had to bail on the long run I had planned for Sunday. That led to some serious evaluation of my training and a change I hope will prevent future roller coaster rides and crashes. Essentially I realized that I was never taking any truly easy days. Too many of my “recovery” days consisted of doubles and/or runs of 50 min or more, oftentimes at average heart rates that were more in the moderate range rather than easy range. So, going forward, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are going to be VERY easy. Most of the time they’ll consist of just one run of no more than 40-45 min and I’ll be focusing on keeping my heart rate well below what it is for most other runs. Hopefully that will allow me to better process the work I’m doing on the harder days and prevent me from having to alter my plans due to fatigue. It’s one thing to embrace the grind, but another to let that grind turn you into dust!
This past week was my first week employing my new strategy, and it seemed to work pretty well. I was able to hit everything just the way it was planned out, and I actually got in a fartlek workout, a medium long run of sorts with a little faster finish, and the longest single run I’ve done since getting plantar fasciitis back in December, 13 miles on Sunday. Considering my general lack of fitness and how hot/humid the week was, I’ll call that a success.
This coming week will likely look pretty similar to the most recent one. As I mentioned earlier, I think the most important thing for me right now is consistency, so I’m focusing on that above all else. I want to incorporate faster workouts as often as I can because I need those in order to get race fit, but if I can get at least one workout, a couple days with strides, and a long run each week, that should set me up well by the time fall gets here and it gets easier to run hard. Right now it seems like surviving the heat/humidity is about enough of a challenge in and of itself. Until next time, run happy…or run angry…whatever…just run!
Mon: AM - 7 miles; PM - 3.5 miles
Tue: 7.5 mile progression run
Wed: 6.5 miles
Thu: 6.5 miles
Fri: AM - 4 miles; PM - 8.5 miles
Sat: AM - 6.5 miles; PM - 3.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 5 miles easy
Total: 58.5 miles
July 11-17
Mon: 6 miles easy
Tue: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Wed: AM - 4 miles; PM - 8.5 miles, incl 6 X 2 min on/off fartlek
Thu: 5.5 miles easy
Fri: AM - 4 miles; PM - 9 miles with a little faster finish
Sat: 5.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 sec strides
Sun: 13 miles
Total: 66 miles
The past couple weeks haven’t been perfect, but they have been productive. I’ve had a bad trend for quite a while now of hitting anywhere from 60-70 miles one week then bombing out the very next week with no more than 30-40 miles and sometimes even less than that. So, to hit right at 60 one week then mid-60’s the next week is a step in the right direction, especially since I need consistency right now more than anything else.
The week of July 4th involved a mid-week trip to Fayetteville, WV, for Leslie’s grandfather’s funeral, so that threw things off a bit. He was a great man, who at almost 91 years of age lived a very full life. He served his country in WWII, earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, and he had a sharp mind and was able to live on his own and care for himself right up until the end. Pretty amazing! Things like this are always sad, of course, but if ever there was a man whose life could be celebrated, this was it.
That event aside, I still crashed towards the end of the week and had to bail on the long run I had planned for Sunday. That led to some serious evaluation of my training and a change I hope will prevent future roller coaster rides and crashes. Essentially I realized that I was never taking any truly easy days. Too many of my “recovery” days consisted of doubles and/or runs of 50 min or more, oftentimes at average heart rates that were more in the moderate range rather than easy range. So, going forward, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are going to be VERY easy. Most of the time they’ll consist of just one run of no more than 40-45 min and I’ll be focusing on keeping my heart rate well below what it is for most other runs. Hopefully that will allow me to better process the work I’m doing on the harder days and prevent me from having to alter my plans due to fatigue. It’s one thing to embrace the grind, but another to let that grind turn you into dust!
This past week was my first week employing my new strategy, and it seemed to work pretty well. I was able to hit everything just the way it was planned out, and I actually got in a fartlek workout, a medium long run of sorts with a little faster finish, and the longest single run I’ve done since getting plantar fasciitis back in December, 13 miles on Sunday. Considering my general lack of fitness and how hot/humid the week was, I’ll call that a success.
This coming week will likely look pretty similar to the most recent one. As I mentioned earlier, I think the most important thing for me right now is consistency, so I’m focusing on that above all else. I want to incorporate faster workouts as often as I can because I need those in order to get race fit, but if I can get at least one workout, a couple days with strides, and a long run each week, that should set me up well by the time fall gets here and it gets easier to run hard. Right now it seems like surviving the heat/humidity is about enough of a challenge in and of itself. Until next time, run happy…or run angry…whatever…just run!
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Training Summary: 6/20 - 6/26
Mon: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 5.5 miles
Tue: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 strides
Wed: 8.5 miles incl 5 X 3 min on/2 min off fartlek
Thu: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 5.5 miles
Fri: AM - 4 miles; PM - 8.5 miles
Sat: 6+ miles
Sun: 4 miles
Total: 60 miles
This was a decent week with a couple exceptions. First, I was supposed to do a workout on Fri, but instead wound up with a steady distance run, partially thanks to not really feeling up to running hard and partially thanks to a storm that rolled in, complete with torrential downpours and hail. Second, I was supposed to run 11 miles on Sun with the middle 5 up-tempo, and instead all I could muster up the motivation to do was a short, easy recovery run. Based on that, I came up short of my goals, but in comparison to the past couple weeks it was definitely a success.
I still haven’t been able to overcome whatever this sickness is I’ve had for 2+ weeks. Every time I feel like I’ve got it beaten, it comes back. Between that and the heat/humidity this past week, I think it just wore me down and that’s why I faltered towards the end of the week. That said, I think I probably bit off a bit more than I could chew even under a best case scenario. Accordingly, I’m going to back off this coming week, running fewer miles and focusing on keeping my HR in the right range on recovery days. I’ve always been impatient and generally try to rush getting back in shape, and I just can’t do that this time. I’ve lost too much fitness and had too many issues, plus, like it or not, my age has definitely become a factor as well. My goal is to eventually race well again, so better to take my time and do things the right way than rush into a few mediocre at best performances then wind up injured or burned out.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Happy running!
Tue: AM - 4 miles; PM - 6.5 miles, incl 6 X 20/40 strides
Wed: 8.5 miles incl 5 X 3 min on/2 min off fartlek
Thu: AM - 3.5 miles; PM - 5.5 miles
Fri: AM - 4 miles; PM - 8.5 miles
Sat: 6+ miles
Sun: 4 miles
Total: 60 miles
This was a decent week with a couple exceptions. First, I was supposed to do a workout on Fri, but instead wound up with a steady distance run, partially thanks to not really feeling up to running hard and partially thanks to a storm that rolled in, complete with torrential downpours and hail. Second, I was supposed to run 11 miles on Sun with the middle 5 up-tempo, and instead all I could muster up the motivation to do was a short, easy recovery run. Based on that, I came up short of my goals, but in comparison to the past couple weeks it was definitely a success.
I still haven’t been able to overcome whatever this sickness is I’ve had for 2+ weeks. Every time I feel like I’ve got it beaten, it comes back. Between that and the heat/humidity this past week, I think it just wore me down and that’s why I faltered towards the end of the week. That said, I think I probably bit off a bit more than I could chew even under a best case scenario. Accordingly, I’m going to back off this coming week, running fewer miles and focusing on keeping my HR in the right range on recovery days. I’ve always been impatient and generally try to rush getting back in shape, and I just can’t do that this time. I’ve lost too much fitness and had too many issues, plus, like it or not, my age has definitely become a factor as well. My goal is to eventually race well again, so better to take my time and do things the right way than rush into a few mediocre at best performances then wind up injured or burned out.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Happy running!
Monday, April 11, 2016
Training Recap: 4/4 - 4/10
I was reminded of an important lesson this past week, which was this. Everything is relative. When I’m fit, I can cruise around at 7 min per mile, give or take 10 sec, with a heart rate somewhere in the low-150’s, which is pretty much where it should be for me for most of my daily runs. If I increase the pace to say 6:30 per mile, I’ll generally jump to around 160, and if I get down to the low-6:00 range (marathon pace or thereabouts), I’ll be a little over 160, eventually creeping up to the mid-to-upper 160’s. The problem is, I’m not fit right now. In fact, I’m not even close. As a result, runs in the 7:30 per mile range are generating average heart rates closer to where I would normally be for paces a minute or more faster. Now, if I was in shape, there’s no way I would do a bunch of training at 6:20-6:30 per mile. It would be too slow to really work on race pace yet fast enough not to be easy. Log too many miles in that “no man’s land” zone, and you’ll eventually get fatigued and burn yourself out while not really accomplishing much. I know this, yet it’s exactly what I’ve been doing lately. While my mind tells me that 7:30 pace should be an easy day, my body is saying that it really isn’t at the moment, and as a result, I’ve been doing a lot of “moderate” running which has left me fatigued without a whole lot to show for it.
That said, this past week was a disappointment. The first couple days went well, but after that it was all downhill because I was just plain tired. By the end of the week I had to back way off and went from being on track, or even slightly ahead, of my mileage goal to falling short of what I wanted to run. Furthermore, I don’t feel like I got much out of the training I did earlier in the week. It’s frustrating, but at least I feel like I spotted the problem quickly and can now do something about it.
Going forward I’ll be slowing down the majority of my running. This should allow me to 1) run the total mileage I need and want to run and 2) throw in a few harder days that will boost my fitness faster than if I was to do all my running at the same pace. It’s a pretty basic concept, obviously, but one that’s all too easily ignored. Just because I’m in a base phase after coming back from a long layoff doesn’t mean I get to ignore the principles of intelligent training. So, lesson learned (or maybe remembered would be a better way to put it) and now it’s time to get back to work. Hopefully this time next week I’ll be able to report much better results and will be a step closer to where I want to be, even if it is just a baby step.
That said, this past week was a disappointment. The first couple days went well, but after that it was all downhill because I was just plain tired. By the end of the week I had to back way off and went from being on track, or even slightly ahead, of my mileage goal to falling short of what I wanted to run. Furthermore, I don’t feel like I got much out of the training I did earlier in the week. It’s frustrating, but at least I feel like I spotted the problem quickly and can now do something about it.
Going forward I’ll be slowing down the majority of my running. This should allow me to 1) run the total mileage I need and want to run and 2) throw in a few harder days that will boost my fitness faster than if I was to do all my running at the same pace. It’s a pretty basic concept, obviously, but one that’s all too easily ignored. Just because I’m in a base phase after coming back from a long layoff doesn’t mean I get to ignore the principles of intelligent training. So, lesson learned (or maybe remembered would be a better way to put it) and now it’s time to get back to work. Hopefully this time next week I’ll be able to report much better results and will be a step closer to where I want to be, even if it is just a baby step.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Training Recap: 3/28 - 4/3
This week was a bit of a bust, although not a horrible one by an means. I had planned on running 6 or 7 days and only wound up running 5. Additionally, I took one of those 5 as a really easy day, and as a result my mileage was a good bit lower than what I originally intended to run. I think what got me was a couple things. First, while my average HR is already starting to come down, it's still pretty high at the pace I've been running. Essentially I've been running with others most days and hate to feel like I'm slowing them down too much, so I've probably been going a little faster than I should for my current fitness level. The pace might be slow for what I'm accustomed to, but my HR tells me the effort is much harder. In the end, all my days have probably been what I would call "moderate' days, which normally means running around 6:30 per mile but currently is much slower. Too many days like that will wear you down, and I think I experienced a bit of that this week. Additionally, around mid-week I started to feel like I was getting sick. I'm not sure if it was a cold coming on or just an allergy flare-up, but I had a sore throat, a good bit of congestion, and just felt like I was dragging in general. Add all that up, and it made for a less than optimal training scenario.
On the good side, my heel is continuing to hold up, and in fact, on Saturday I did my first run in a shoe other than Hokas since December. I also ran four 30-second strides that day, which was the first time I've run anything up-tempo since early January. I definitely feel like things are starting to come together and I'm looking forward to having a good week of training this week. I want to start varying my pace up at least a little because the strides on Saturday actually felt really good. I think too much running all at the same pace can sometimes cause problems, so while base-building will continue to be my focus for the foreseeable future, I think I need to mix it up at least a little as I go along.
I'll conclude with another old man note for the week. Sean Wade, who at age 50 ran a 14:52 5k last weekend, moved up to 10k this weekend and went 30:48. He's now set five 50+ age group world records in 56 days, breaking the records for the indoor 1500, mile, and 3k, and the outdoor 5k and 10k. Awesome!
On the good side, my heel is continuing to hold up, and in fact, on Saturday I did my first run in a shoe other than Hokas since December. I also ran four 30-second strides that day, which was the first time I've run anything up-tempo since early January. I definitely feel like things are starting to come together and I'm looking forward to having a good week of training this week. I want to start varying my pace up at least a little because the strides on Saturday actually felt really good. I think too much running all at the same pace can sometimes cause problems, so while base-building will continue to be my focus for the foreseeable future, I think I need to mix it up at least a little as I go along.
I'll conclude with another old man note for the week. Sean Wade, who at age 50 ran a 14:52 5k last weekend, moved up to 10k this weekend and went 30:48. He's now set five 50+ age group world records in 56 days, breaking the records for the indoor 1500, mile, and 3k, and the outdoor 5k and 10k. Awesome!
Monday, March 28, 2016
Training Summary: 3/21 - 3/27
I took a couple steps in the right direction this past week. First, I got in 42 miles total, which is more than double what I ran each of the previous two weeks and close to as much as I ran during the months of Jan and Feb combined. Second, on Sunday I was able to run for a little over an hour, a mark that I see as somewhat of a threshold. Finally, in spite of the increasing volume, my heel actually felt better as the week went on. I still can't say I'm 100% pain free, but basically the only time I feel it is when I put all my weight on that heel and sort of roll around on it (something I should probably just avoid doing - ha). All that said, I know what some of you might be thinking, so yes, I'm being careful. I know that going from 19 miles to 42 miles was a big jump, so I'm monitoring all systems very carefully.
This coming week I hope to continue my build back to where I need and want to be. I have a plan in place, and since I know I have to be smart about it, it's going to take quite a while to get there. In talking to my coach while I was injured, he and I agreed that I probably jumped into workouts too soon this past fall, so we discussed how to proceed once I got healthy again. My mileage has been mediocre at best since my hamstring injury in early September of 2014, which is a long time to go with no real base work. Furthermore, I'm the type of runner that thrives off mileage. I've tried the low-mileage, high-quality approach, and believe it or not, it will burn me out and get me injured quicker than running 100 miles a week, while not producing as good of results in races. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is what it is, so I have to operate accordingly. We're all an experiment of one, which is part of what keeps things interesting and fun.
Currently my plan is to build for around 3 weeks then drop back for a week and continue to do so until I'm running 70-75 miles a week. Based on where I am now, that's going to take up a good portion, if not all, of the spring season. During this time, I won't do much in the way of structured workouts. As I get stronger and fitter, I'll start to do some up-tempo running and things like progression runs, but nothing any more formal than that. I'll incorporate strides as well as some drills into the mix soon and continue those throughout the process just to wake up my neuromuscular system while I'm building my aerobic system. Once I'm comfortable running 70-75 miles a week, I'll start to add in some more traditional workouts.
Anyway, I'm encouraged for the time being and hopeful that I'm on the comeback trail. I saw over the weekend that 50 year old Masters runner, Sean Wade, ran 14:52 for 5k on the track, an age group world record. After seeing Jamey Yon's 2:34 marathon at age 50 the previous weekend, I'm more convinced than ever that old guys can run fast. It just takes a lot more effort and focus than it once did, something I'm prepared to do. That's all I've got for now. Have a great week!
This coming week I hope to continue my build back to where I need and want to be. I have a plan in place, and since I know I have to be smart about it, it's going to take quite a while to get there. In talking to my coach while I was injured, he and I agreed that I probably jumped into workouts too soon this past fall, so we discussed how to proceed once I got healthy again. My mileage has been mediocre at best since my hamstring injury in early September of 2014, which is a long time to go with no real base work. Furthermore, I'm the type of runner that thrives off mileage. I've tried the low-mileage, high-quality approach, and believe it or not, it will burn me out and get me injured quicker than running 100 miles a week, while not producing as good of results in races. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is what it is, so I have to operate accordingly. We're all an experiment of one, which is part of what keeps things interesting and fun.
Currently my plan is to build for around 3 weeks then drop back for a week and continue to do so until I'm running 70-75 miles a week. Based on where I am now, that's going to take up a good portion, if not all, of the spring season. During this time, I won't do much in the way of structured workouts. As I get stronger and fitter, I'll start to do some up-tempo running and things like progression runs, but nothing any more formal than that. I'll incorporate strides as well as some drills into the mix soon and continue those throughout the process just to wake up my neuromuscular system while I'm building my aerobic system. Once I'm comfortable running 70-75 miles a week, I'll start to add in some more traditional workouts.
Anyway, I'm encouraged for the time being and hopeful that I'm on the comeback trail. I saw over the weekend that 50 year old Masters runner, Sean Wade, ran 14:52 for 5k on the track, an age group world record. After seeing Jamey Yon's 2:34 marathon at age 50 the previous weekend, I'm more convinced than ever that old guys can run fast. It just takes a lot more effort and focus than it once did, something I'm prepared to do. That's all I've got for now. Have a great week!
Monday, March 7, 2016
Back At It (I Hope)
I was finally able to resume running this past week, although jogging would probably be a more accurate term. My first venture out came on Monday when I hit the greenway for 10 min, covering a little short of a mile and a quarter. While that might seem ludicrously short to some, it was over 6 min longer than the farthest I'd made it in the previous seven weeks and was exactly how much I intended to do. Unfortunately, however, my heel seemed a little worse the next day, and while it wasn't bad, I didn't want to risk anything and accordingly took the next two days off. I decided to try again on Thursday, and this time made it just over two miles in 16 min. On Friday I made it to 20 min, then 25 on Sat, and finally 37 min on Sunday, which might have been a little more than I should have done but I seemed to get away with it. Altogether I totaled 13 miles for the week.
I'm still not pain free, but things do seem to be headed in the right direction. I'm hoping if I play it cautiously I can continue to run while getting back to 100%. Most of the research I've read seems to indicate that after a certain point rest doesn't really do much to heal plantar fasciitis (assuming that's what this has been) and that light exercise can actually increase blood flow and assist with the healing process, so light, slow and easy running is my plan.
Time will tell if this is the start of a comeback or if I'll have a setback, but obviously I'm hoping to make a go of it. If I'm able to do so, I know that ahead of me lies what will probably be the most difficult return to running I've ever had, including after I broke my foot twice in 2010. I was in poor shape to begin with, then lost almost three months of training. During that time span I had over 60 days of no running at all, including seven straight weeks. Factor in that I'm now halfway to age 43, and it's definitely not gonna be easy. I am, however, motivated to try to make it happen and I feel like there's at least a few more miles and decent races left in this old body. All I can do is give it my best shot and see what happens, so here goes.
I'm still not pain free, but things do seem to be headed in the right direction. I'm hoping if I play it cautiously I can continue to run while getting back to 100%. Most of the research I've read seems to indicate that after a certain point rest doesn't really do much to heal plantar fasciitis (assuming that's what this has been) and that light exercise can actually increase blood flow and assist with the healing process, so light, slow and easy running is my plan.
Time will tell if this is the start of a comeback or if I'll have a setback, but obviously I'm hoping to make a go of it. If I'm able to do so, I know that ahead of me lies what will probably be the most difficult return to running I've ever had, including after I broke my foot twice in 2010. I was in poor shape to begin with, then lost almost three months of training. During that time span I had over 60 days of no running at all, including seven straight weeks. Factor in that I'm now halfway to age 43, and it's definitely not gonna be easy. I am, however, motivated to try to make it happen and I feel like there's at least a few more miles and decent races left in this old body. All I can do is give it my best shot and see what happens, so here goes.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Training Summary: 9/7 - 9/13
Mon: 7.5 miles
Tue: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 7 miles
Wed: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 9 miles incl 2 sets of 3/2/1 min fartlek w/ 2 min rec
Thu: 6 miles
Fri: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 9 miles incl 3X5 min w/ 2 min rec then 2X30 sec hard
Sat: 5 miles
Sun: 13 miles
Total: 70 miles
This was one of those seemingly rare weeks where everything went according to plan. I hit each workout exactly as I’d written it up and ran exactly the number of miles I’d planned to coming into the week. Furthermore, this was pretty much a model of what I’d like my training to look like going forward. I think if I can run 2-4 doubles per week, 2 workouts with one being longer and one being shorter, a long run in the 13-15 mile range, and total up 70-75 miles, I’ll be golden. It’s enough to get fit without being so much that it will wear me down. Gone are the days of 90-100 miles and getting fit through sheer toughness and determination. Now it's more about taking what my body will give me and trying to figure out how to do more with less, so to speak.
The workouts this week were nothing to get excited about aside from the fact they were my first workouts in about 6 months and the first time in a over year that I've done multiple workouts in the same week. I tried to run them in a controlled manner, and while they were slow, I was pleased to make it through them feeling pretty solid, both during and after. Both times I wtached those I was running with pull away from me, but they didn't pull away as much as I thought they might, so I took that as a positive.
I was also very happy with my long run on Sunday. It was the farthest I’d run since the end of August of last year and also some of the fastest sustained pace I’d done in that time span, despite the fact it was done in the hills of Fincastle. We had a nice group for that run too consisting of me, Andrew, Tom, and Matthew, and we had a good time joking around and talking while covering the miles. It was a great way to wrap up the week, and when all was said and done I actually felt somewhat like a runner again.
Anyway, that's one good week in the books. Let’s hope it was the start of something!
Tue: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 7 miles
Wed: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 9 miles incl 2 sets of 3/2/1 min fartlek w/ 2 min rec
Thu: 6 miles
Fri: AM - 4.5 miles; PM - 9 miles incl 3X5 min w/ 2 min rec then 2X30 sec hard
Sat: 5 miles
Sun: 13 miles
Total: 70 miles
This was one of those seemingly rare weeks where everything went according to plan. I hit each workout exactly as I’d written it up and ran exactly the number of miles I’d planned to coming into the week. Furthermore, this was pretty much a model of what I’d like my training to look like going forward. I think if I can run 2-4 doubles per week, 2 workouts with one being longer and one being shorter, a long run in the 13-15 mile range, and total up 70-75 miles, I’ll be golden. It’s enough to get fit without being so much that it will wear me down. Gone are the days of 90-100 miles and getting fit through sheer toughness and determination. Now it's more about taking what my body will give me and trying to figure out how to do more with less, so to speak.
The workouts this week were nothing to get excited about aside from the fact they were my first workouts in about 6 months and the first time in a over year that I've done multiple workouts in the same week. I tried to run them in a controlled manner, and while they were slow, I was pleased to make it through them feeling pretty solid, both during and after. Both times I wtached those I was running with pull away from me, but they didn't pull away as much as I thought they might, so I took that as a positive.
I was also very happy with my long run on Sunday. It was the farthest I’d run since the end of August of last year and also some of the fastest sustained pace I’d done in that time span, despite the fact it was done in the hills of Fincastle. We had a nice group for that run too consisting of me, Andrew, Tom, and Matthew, and we had a good time joking around and talking while covering the miles. It was a great way to wrap up the week, and when all was said and done I actually felt somewhat like a runner again.
Anyway, that's one good week in the books. Let’s hope it was the start of something!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Training Summary: 8/31 - 9/6
Mon: 7.5 miles
Tue: 10 miles
Wed: 7.5 miles, light progression
Thu: 7 miles
Fri: 5 miles
Sat: 0 – day off
Sun: 8 miles
Total: 45 miles
Coming off weeks of 45, 50, 60, and 67 miles after averaging under 30 per week year-to-date, this was a planned down week. Furthermore, I knew I would be in San Diego for business, and those trips always take a toll on me, with training getting progressively harder as the week wears on. I set a goal of 50 miles and was actually on track to exceed that goal through Friday before falling apart over the weekend and settling for 45 miles total. I would have liked to have run a little more, but making sure I didn’t overextend myself was more important, and by the time the weekend rolled around I was worn out and in need of rest, so I took a day off then did a shorter-than-planned day on Sunday to give myself some extra recovery.
There was certainly nothing remarkable about this week, so I’m not gonna bother going into much detail. The only observation I’ll make is my pace out in San Diego was pretty solid in comparison to what I’ve done since getting hurt a year ago. My ten miler on Tue was a 7:21 average, and the light progression run the next day ended with a 6:41 mile. In the past all that would have been just easy running, but for now I’ll take it as a positive sign. Of course I’m sure the fact that it was right around 70 degrees and completely flat as I ran along the boardwalk beside the San Diego Bay didn’t hurt!
Anyway, this week I’ll be back on it and looking to add my first workouts in basically as long as I can remember. They won’t be anything too challenging and I’m sure the pace will be pathetically slow in comparison to what I’m accustomed to doing in workouts, but I have to start somewhere. I’m continuing to see signs that things are headed in the right direction, so I just have to be patient and let the process happen, something that has always proven easier said than done for me. Here’s hoping I can get it right this time!
Tue: 10 miles
Wed: 7.5 miles, light progression
Thu: 7 miles
Fri: 5 miles
Sat: 0 – day off
Sun: 8 miles
Total: 45 miles
Coming off weeks of 45, 50, 60, and 67 miles after averaging under 30 per week year-to-date, this was a planned down week. Furthermore, I knew I would be in San Diego for business, and those trips always take a toll on me, with training getting progressively harder as the week wears on. I set a goal of 50 miles and was actually on track to exceed that goal through Friday before falling apart over the weekend and settling for 45 miles total. I would have liked to have run a little more, but making sure I didn’t overextend myself was more important, and by the time the weekend rolled around I was worn out and in need of rest, so I took a day off then did a shorter-than-planned day on Sunday to give myself some extra recovery.
There was certainly nothing remarkable about this week, so I’m not gonna bother going into much detail. The only observation I’ll make is my pace out in San Diego was pretty solid in comparison to what I’ve done since getting hurt a year ago. My ten miler on Tue was a 7:21 average, and the light progression run the next day ended with a 6:41 mile. In the past all that would have been just easy running, but for now I’ll take it as a positive sign. Of course I’m sure the fact that it was right around 70 degrees and completely flat as I ran along the boardwalk beside the San Diego Bay didn’t hurt!
Anyway, this week I’ll be back on it and looking to add my first workouts in basically as long as I can remember. They won’t be anything too challenging and I’m sure the pace will be pathetically slow in comparison to what I’m accustomed to doing in workouts, but I have to start somewhere. I’m continuing to see signs that things are headed in the right direction, so I just have to be patient and let the process happen, something that has always proven easier said than done for me. Here’s hoping I can get it right this time!
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Training Summary: 8/24 - 8/30
Mon: 6.5 miles
Tue: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 8.5 miles
Wed: 6 miles
Thu: AM: 4.5 miles; PM – 7 miles
Fri: 9 miles
Sat: AM – 6 miles; PM – 3 miles
Sun: 12 miles
Total: 67 miles
The goal coming into this week was to hit 70 miles, but I realized on Thursday that goal was a little aggressive, so I decided not to push it. As a result, I came up a little short, but it was still a solid week and another step in the right direction. After floating around 30 miles a week for basically 11 months with many weeks even less than that, the last four have now gone 45, 50, 60, and 67, so I can't complain.
There's not a whole lot to go into any detail over with my training right now as it's all just running at whatever pace I can for as long as I feel appropriate, but I guess when it comes right down to it that's what base building is all about. The only comments I'll make are as follows. First, I'm still a little frustrated that my pace hasn't come down any more than it has. It's improving and I actually have a few decent miles here and there now, but overall I'm still very slow for what I'm accustomed to. That leads into my second comment which is I am seeing improvement in my average heart rate, which at least helps because it tells me that I am gaining fitness. Whereas in early-to-mid July I was averaging low-160's and feeling like I was struggling, I'm now averaging under 155 and feeling much more in control.
This coming week will be a cutback week. I figure after four weeks of steady building and getting to a point where the last two weeks I've hit almost double the mileage I was hitting prior to starting this build, that's probably a good idea. After that, I hope the following week will see the start of some real training, light workouts and all. Until next time, get after it!
Tue: AM – 4.5 miles; PM – 8.5 miles
Wed: 6 miles
Thu: AM: 4.5 miles; PM – 7 miles
Fri: 9 miles
Sat: AM – 6 miles; PM – 3 miles
Sun: 12 miles
Total: 67 miles
The goal coming into this week was to hit 70 miles, but I realized on Thursday that goal was a little aggressive, so I decided not to push it. As a result, I came up a little short, but it was still a solid week and another step in the right direction. After floating around 30 miles a week for basically 11 months with many weeks even less than that, the last four have now gone 45, 50, 60, and 67, so I can't complain.
There's not a whole lot to go into any detail over with my training right now as it's all just running at whatever pace I can for as long as I feel appropriate, but I guess when it comes right down to it that's what base building is all about. The only comments I'll make are as follows. First, I'm still a little frustrated that my pace hasn't come down any more than it has. It's improving and I actually have a few decent miles here and there now, but overall I'm still very slow for what I'm accustomed to. That leads into my second comment which is I am seeing improvement in my average heart rate, which at least helps because it tells me that I am gaining fitness. Whereas in early-to-mid July I was averaging low-160's and feeling like I was struggling, I'm now averaging under 155 and feeling much more in control.
This coming week will be a cutback week. I figure after four weeks of steady building and getting to a point where the last two weeks I've hit almost double the mileage I was hitting prior to starting this build, that's probably a good idea. After that, I hope the following week will see the start of some real training, light workouts and all. Until next time, get after it!
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Training Summary: 8/17 - 8/23
Mon: 6.5 miles
Tue: AM – 4 miles; PM – 7.5 miles
Wed: 2 miles
Thu: AM: 4.5 miles; PM – 7.5 miles
Fri: 7.5 miles
Sat: AM – 7 miles; PM – 3 miles
Sun: 10.5 miles
Total: 60 miles
So obviously it’s been a while since I’ve posted, mainly because I decided I wasn’t going to do so until I got back to a point where I was at least training consistently and at a decent volume. I’m pleased to report I finally feel like I’m there. The past three weeks have been 45, 50, and 60 miles, each of which was my highest weekly total since August of last year. I’m still slower than a slug, but at least I feel like I’m finally back at it.
All my running right now is at an easy pace as I attempt to build back a base. Several weeks ago I tried a different approach by adding in some hill sprints, short intervals, and a few runs with “fast” finishes, and it just didn’t work. I’m simply too out of shape and not only wore down quickly but also started to experience various aches and pains. That told me I’m just going to have to be patient and take a fairly traditional approach to getting fit again. The more I run, the smoother and more efficient I’ll get, and then I can consider incorporating in pace changes and the like.
Now, when I say I’m slow, I mean I’m slow, for me at least. Whereas I’m accustomed to my standard runs being anywhere from 6:50 to 7:30 pace depending on the day, I now average more like 7:45. It stinks, but it is what it is. It’s been frustrating for my pace not to improve any more than it has and that leads me to wonder sometimes if I’m making any progress at all, but I’ve been monitoring my heart rate and I’m finally starting to see some improvement there. Whereas I was averaging over 160 bpm even though I didn’t feel like I was running hard, now I’m averaging more like 155, which is more like it. I’ve always had a high max HR, so for me, somewhere around 150 bpm is generally where I should be for the majority of my running, and it looks like I should be in that range soon.
As an example of how and why I got so out of shape, this past Sunday I ran 10.5 miles. It was my first double-digit mileage run since August 31st of last year, so almost a full 365 days without a run of 10 miles or more. Furthermore, up until recently, my weekly average for 2015 had been under 30 miles per week, with lots of weeks coming in even below 20 miles. While some people might be able to train successfully that way, I’m not one of them, and the effects have been even greater at age 42 than they might have been 10 years ago.
Anyway, that’s about it for now. I’m looking for another solid week this week before taking a down week next week then hopefully putting in a solid September. At this point I have no idea when, or even IF, I’ll ever race again, so I’m just gonna play that by ear. I certainly haven’t given up on the idea, but at this point I’m not making any plans either. For now I’m just happy to be back at it and content to see where that takes me.
Tue: AM – 4 miles; PM – 7.5 miles
Wed: 2 miles
Thu: AM: 4.5 miles; PM – 7.5 miles
Fri: 7.5 miles
Sat: AM – 7 miles; PM – 3 miles
Sun: 10.5 miles
Total: 60 miles
So obviously it’s been a while since I’ve posted, mainly because I decided I wasn’t going to do so until I got back to a point where I was at least training consistently and at a decent volume. I’m pleased to report I finally feel like I’m there. The past three weeks have been 45, 50, and 60 miles, each of which was my highest weekly total since August of last year. I’m still slower than a slug, but at least I feel like I’m finally back at it.
All my running right now is at an easy pace as I attempt to build back a base. Several weeks ago I tried a different approach by adding in some hill sprints, short intervals, and a few runs with “fast” finishes, and it just didn’t work. I’m simply too out of shape and not only wore down quickly but also started to experience various aches and pains. That told me I’m just going to have to be patient and take a fairly traditional approach to getting fit again. The more I run, the smoother and more efficient I’ll get, and then I can consider incorporating in pace changes and the like.
Now, when I say I’m slow, I mean I’m slow, for me at least. Whereas I’m accustomed to my standard runs being anywhere from 6:50 to 7:30 pace depending on the day, I now average more like 7:45. It stinks, but it is what it is. It’s been frustrating for my pace not to improve any more than it has and that leads me to wonder sometimes if I’m making any progress at all, but I’ve been monitoring my heart rate and I’m finally starting to see some improvement there. Whereas I was averaging over 160 bpm even though I didn’t feel like I was running hard, now I’m averaging more like 155, which is more like it. I’ve always had a high max HR, so for me, somewhere around 150 bpm is generally where I should be for the majority of my running, and it looks like I should be in that range soon.
As an example of how and why I got so out of shape, this past Sunday I ran 10.5 miles. It was my first double-digit mileage run since August 31st of last year, so almost a full 365 days without a run of 10 miles or more. Furthermore, up until recently, my weekly average for 2015 had been under 30 miles per week, with lots of weeks coming in even below 20 miles. While some people might be able to train successfully that way, I’m not one of them, and the effects have been even greater at age 42 than they might have been 10 years ago.
Anyway, that’s about it for now. I’m looking for another solid week this week before taking a down week next week then hopefully putting in a solid September. At this point I have no idea when, or even IF, I’ll ever race again, so I’m just gonna play that by ear. I certainly haven’t given up on the idea, but at this point I’m not making any plans either. For now I’m just happy to be back at it and content to see where that takes me.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Training Summary: 6/15 - 6/21
There’s basically no use in me doing a daily summary this week. In fact, there’s probably no sense in me even writing a post, but here it is, short and simple. This past week was a complete bust. I ran on Monday and again on Friday, totaling 13 miles altogether, and every other day was off thanks to my right hip flexor. I have no idea what brought this on but it’s frustrating to say the least. I used to have this problem every now and then but hadn’t had an episode of it in years, which I find odd considering my recent lack of training. It used to crop up when I would string together too many 90-100+ mile weeks. Anyway, I think I’m just all out of whack right now and that’s causing one issue after another. All I can do is keep plugging away, try to do things right, and hope it eventually all comes together. I’m running out of patience though. If I don’t see some signs of progress soon, I may be done. Fighting myself on a daily basis has ceased to be fun.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Training Summary: 6/8 - 6/14
Mon: AM – 3.5 miles; PM – 6.5 miles
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 0 – Day Off (hip flexor)
Thu: 0 – Day Off (hip flexor)
Fri: 0 – Day Off (hip flexor)
Sat: 4 miles
Sun: 6 miles
Total: 25 miles
Another bust of a week, unfortunately. My right hip flexor started bothering me towards the end of last week, and that carried over into this week. I tried to run through it, using a combination of stretching, massage, and anti-inflammatories, but by Wed, I knew it was time to take a few days off. I was able to run on Sat and Sun, albeit not completely pain free. However, things seem to be headed in the right direction, so I’m hopeful I can put together a decent week this coming week.
To say I’m struggling right now would be a huge understatement. It’s getting to the point where I don’t even understand it. Even when I feel good, which isn’t very often, the effort it requires to run paces that should be defined as jogging for me is discouraging. I’m not throwing in the towel yet, but I don’t think I can continue along like this much longer. I’m either going to have to figure out a way to get better, or I’m going to have to give up on the idea of ever being competitive again and just run for fitness.
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 0 – Day Off (hip flexor)
Thu: 0 – Day Off (hip flexor)
Fri: 0 – Day Off (hip flexor)
Sat: 4 miles
Sun: 6 miles
Total: 25 miles
Another bust of a week, unfortunately. My right hip flexor started bothering me towards the end of last week, and that carried over into this week. I tried to run through it, using a combination of stretching, massage, and anti-inflammatories, but by Wed, I knew it was time to take a few days off. I was able to run on Sat and Sun, albeit not completely pain free. However, things seem to be headed in the right direction, so I’m hopeful I can put together a decent week this coming week.
To say I’m struggling right now would be a huge understatement. It’s getting to the point where I don’t even understand it. Even when I feel good, which isn’t very often, the effort it requires to run paces that should be defined as jogging for me is discouraging. I’m not throwing in the towel yet, but I don’t think I can continue along like this much longer. I’m either going to have to figure out a way to get better, or I’m going to have to give up on the idea of ever being competitive again and just run for fitness.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Training Summary: 6/1 - 6/7
Mon: 2 miles then stormed out
Tue: 0 – day off thanks to a deluge
Wed: 5 miles
Thu: 0 – day off thanks to work
Fri: 6 miles
Sat: AM – 6.5 miles; PM – 3 miles
Sun: 8.5 miles
Total: 31 miles
Ugh! Not the week I was looking for. The first couple days of the week were crazy thanks to storms that started right about the time I usually run. I don’t mind running in the rain, although I don’t like it, but I’m not going to run in lightning and/or a flat out deluge, so I got knocked out both days. I tried to wait the storms out, but they were just too lengthy since I only have a certain amount of time in which to do my runs. To be honest, I kind of let that discourage me, and I never really recovered until the weekend.
I managed to put in a couple solid days on Sat and Sun, which at least helped salvage the week to som extent. Sat I doubled and led off with a workout of sorts, cruising along for 5 miles then running mile 6 faster than any mile I’ve run since last Aug. Sun I equaled my longest run since last Aug by running 8.5 miles.
I hope these couple of good days set me up for a solid week this coming week, because I have a ridiculous amount of work to do. I won’t say the time for my “fast” mile on Sat, but I will say that I hit 188 for my HR, which is 10 bpm higher than my max should be using the obviously questionable 220 minus your age formula. Furthermore, when 8.5 miles is considered my “long” run, I’m in big trouble. It’s been basically four weeks since I started back running and I feel like I’ve made mediocre progress at best. I need to get my act together both physically and mentally if I’m ever going to run fast again, and my goal for this week is to start that process. Wish me luck!
Tue: 0 – day off thanks to a deluge
Wed: 5 miles
Thu: 0 – day off thanks to work
Fri: 6 miles
Sat: AM – 6.5 miles; PM – 3 miles
Sun: 8.5 miles
Total: 31 miles
Ugh! Not the week I was looking for. The first couple days of the week were crazy thanks to storms that started right about the time I usually run. I don’t mind running in the rain, although I don’t like it, but I’m not going to run in lightning and/or a flat out deluge, so I got knocked out both days. I tried to wait the storms out, but they were just too lengthy since I only have a certain amount of time in which to do my runs. To be honest, I kind of let that discourage me, and I never really recovered until the weekend.
I managed to put in a couple solid days on Sat and Sun, which at least helped salvage the week to som extent. Sat I doubled and led off with a workout of sorts, cruising along for 5 miles then running mile 6 faster than any mile I’ve run since last Aug. Sun I equaled my longest run since last Aug by running 8.5 miles.
I hope these couple of good days set me up for a solid week this coming week, because I have a ridiculous amount of work to do. I won’t say the time for my “fast” mile on Sat, but I will say that I hit 188 for my HR, which is 10 bpm higher than my max should be using the obviously questionable 220 minus your age formula. Furthermore, when 8.5 miles is considered my “long” run, I’m in big trouble. It’s been basically four weeks since I started back running and I feel like I’ve made mediocre progress at best. I need to get my act together both physically and mentally if I’m ever going to run fast again, and my goal for this week is to start that process. Wish me luck!
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