Training log - Week ending 7/17/11

This week was 48 miles of “real running” and 19 “miles” pool running plus 3500m of swimming -- training log is here.

Lesson of the week was learned on Tuesday. Once again, heat/humidity is not my friend – it affects me more than others due to my circulatory issues – I slow more in the summer, and speed up more come winter. Tuesday’s hill workout emphasized once again that the people I train with when it’s normal are NOT the people I should try to hang with when it’s oppressive (trying to keep up with my normal group on Tuesday earned me a dizzy spell). Not a huge issue – just gives me more to look forward to come late fall and winter, as the converse is that I get more of a fitness boost than others when it does cool.

Things cooled off after Tuesday, and the rest of my runs went better. I had a decent tempo run on Friday, marred only by my inability to NOT run up on my teammates’ heels – clearly my track manners still need some work (during the tempo it occurred to me that if a horse ran up on me the way I ran up on my teammates, I’d be administering a stern lesson. I’m pretty grateful my teammates don’t have access to riding crops).

Sunday’s long run also went pretty well, making for a positive end to the week. I was particularly excited to go longer than 14 miles for the first time since late November 2010. I kept the run pretty conservative, and was excited by how much I had in the tank at the end – I could have gone another 2 miles without too much digging. Positive sign that my endurance may be stronger than I think, though I want to get another 16+ miler in, this time with a stronger pace, before my half.

Next week will be a bit of a cutback, as I travel to Tampa just in time for the heat wave to grip the east coast.  Due to the horrid weather forecast through next weekend, I'm leaning pretty hard in favor of doing another mile race next weekend -- I want to take another shot at the mile anyway, and what better time than when it's going to be too hot and humid for a decent tempo run anyway.

Dailies

Monday: 40 minutes of easy pool-running for “4 miles” followed by 1000m of swimming breathing drills. Got ART done on my hips in the afternoon, plus stretching, injury prevention work and foam rolling.

Tuesday: In the morning, 10 miles including 6 hill repeats – nonstop circuit of up a hill for about 2 minutes, a 90 second easy jog, a stride, and then some more easy jogging to the bottom (whole circuit takes ~5 minutes). Averaged 7:17 pace for the full 6 repeat circuit (just over 4 miles), but did have to take a 2 minute break after rep 4, due to a dizzy spell (heat and humidity were pretty bad – dewpoint over 70 and temp of 76). Damn Raynauds/heat tolerance.

Followed with some injury prevention exercises and then a shakeout 20 minutes easy pool-running, for “2 miles”. Strength-training plus foam-rolling at night.

Wednesday: 11 miles, most easy but with some aerobic near the end (1 mile jog, some drills, then 10 mile run) averaging 8:13 pace, plus strides and the rest of the drills after. Followed by 1000m swimming breathing drills. “Gentle Pilates” class plus foamrolling at night.

Thursday: In the morning, 60 minutes of easy pool-running for “6 miles”, followed by drills, injury prevention exercises and upper body strength training. Foam-rolling and stretching at night.

Friday: In the morning, 10.5 miles on the track including a tempo workout of 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile (quartermile jog between each). Despite feeling a bit off at the start (felt like allergies – drowsy, sinus pain, watery eyes, WTF?) the workout went decently. I ended up running 20:02 (6:44 pace - 6:54/6:41/6:27), then 13:08 (6:34 pace - 6:39/6:29), then 6:17. Also did some drills, followed with “2 miles” of easy pool-running (20 minutes). An easy pilates session (working on alignment) in the evening.

Saturday: In the morning, 1500m of swimming breathing drills (almost all with pull buoy) and then 30 minutes easy pool-running for "3 miles." In the afternoon, upper body strength training plus stretching, injury prevention exercises, and foam-rolling.

Sunday: In the morning, a long run outside. This was my first 16 mile run (well, ended up being 16.5), and so I kept it on the easy side so as to ensure I could finish the run strong. Started at about 9:00 pace for the first 3 miles, then picked up slightly to average 8:05 pace for the rest of the run. After passing the 14 mile mark (where running buddies Will and Brandon peeled off), I opened up slightly, doing 7:50 for the uphill climb, then 7:10 for the downhill, before kicking the final .2 at 6:10 pace.

I followed this up with some drills and injury prevention exercises, and then 20 minutes easy pool-running for “2 miles”. Restorative yoga class at night, plus foam-rolling.