Training log - Week ending 10/23/11

This week was 63 miles of “real running” and 18 “miles” pool running, plus 2000m of swimming breathing drills -- training log is here.

This week, as was the last, was all about practicing mental skills, and letting everything else be whatever it’ll be. I have no pace or time goals during my workouts any more. I simply try to perform the workouts as relaxed and fluidly as I can, and to stay as focused in the moment as possible, while smiling and laughing a lot. I disregard laps, split times, or # of reps during my workouts (I do log for later). Instead, I keep going until either I feel like stopping or the coach tells me to, at whatever pace feels fun but not really working. I don’t dig deep or push any more. If that means I run my tempo at slower than marathon pace, then so be it (though that hasn’t happened yet).

It’s a really weird thing, and extremely challenging. Essentially, I’m going into each workout with the intention of blowing it off, and I feel horrible and guilty about it. I despise slackers, and I feel like I should be working harder, giving my all, being tough, etc. But at the same time, this “slacker mentality” seems to be working. The more I try to blow off my workouts, the better they are. The more I try to ease off on the effort level, the faster I run.

Twice I’ve started a long winded explanation of why I think this is, and twice I’ve deleted it. Practicing not overthinking and overtrying doesn’t work if you then over-analyze why you get into trouble from overthinking and overtrying, and digress into a long discussion of how you’re overcoming that.

We’ll just leave it at: my goal for the rest of this year is to develop the skill of blowing off all of my workouts, and slacking off even more during my races.   It’ll be interesting to see where that gets me, and if nothing else, it’s a change of pace.

(bad pun, sorry).

Dailies

Monday: In the morning, 50 minutes of easy pool-running for “5 miles”, plus 1000m of swimming breathing drills and upper body/core strength training. Foam-rolling and stretching at night.

Tuesday: In the morning, 10.5 miles, including a track workout of 1600m, 1200m, 800m, and 3x400m with half-distance recoveries. Splits were 6:08, 4:27, 2:46, 80, 81, 80. (800m PR). Concluded that track had been shortened. Followed by a shakeout 15 minutes of pool-running (“1.5 miles”). Injury prevention work, floor barre class, and foam rolling at night.

Wednesday: In the morning, 10 easy miles (8:26 pace) followed by yoga and then 3.5 more easy miles (8:16 pace). Foam rolling, stretching, and injury prevention exercises at night.

Thursday: In the morning, upper body strengthwork, 45 minutes of easy pool-running for “4.5 miles,” and 1000m of swimming breathing drills. Foam rolling, stretching, and injury prevention exercises at night.

Friday: In the morning, 10 miles on the track, plus drills and strides, including a 5.5 mile tempo in 36:42 for 6:43 pace. (I was feeling good, so decided to tack on an additional 800m for the heck of it.) Splits were 6:56, 6:45, 6:41, 6:37, 6:33, and then the bonus 800m at 6:20 pace. Yup, track has definitely been shortened. Followed up with 45 minutes of easy pool-running for “4.5 miles”. Pilates and foam-rolling at night.

Saturday: 10.5 miles easy outside (8:21 pace) plus drills and strides. Upper body strength training, injury prevention exercises, and foam-rolling at night.

Sunday: Long run of 18.5 miles averaging 7:28 pace, split as averaging 7:47 pace for first 11 miles, then averaging 7:05 for next 6, followed by a final mile at 6:43 pace, and a quarter-mile kick at 6:00 pace. Followed with 25 minutes of easy pool-running for “2.5 miles”. Yoga and foam rolling tonight.