Training log - Week ending 11/12/2017

This week was 41 miles of running, 13 "miles" of pool-running, and 1000 yards of swimming -- training log is here.

First full week of training, punctuated by fast intervals on Tuesday and a race on Saturday.  I'm definitely in good shape for where I am.  Which doesn't mean I'm in great shape right now.   I raced a 5 mile race at what was my 10 mile race pace this weekend.  Which looks awful until one considers that I usually come back from a break by racing 5K to 4 miles at what was previously my half-marathon race pace (and it hurts like heck).  From that perspective, this was a pretty good start.

Tuesday's interval workout looks impressive. Primarily because I ran it way too hard and dug a hole.  Mea culpa - I run my workouts and races off of feel, but when coming off of a break, my feel needs to be recalibrated.  And restraint re-instilled.

I'll back off on the effort some next week, though doing so will mean dropping behind the pack I normally run with.  I've learned over the years that I accomplish nothing when I chase the fitness level I wish I had or used to have, rather than training where I am currently.  Put another way - just because I can run that fast during a workout doesn't mean I should.  And on Tuesday, I shouldn't have run that fast.

(I've also gotten a bit lazy about my easy runs, and let them start rolling a bit.  I need to be riding the brakes more on those as well, now that I'm back in the grind)

I toasted my legs nicely on Tuesday morning, and then compounded the damage Tuesday night by first bouncing around at an industrial show way too much, and then getting too little sleep of poor quality.  Sadly, I don't bounce back from nights like that the way I used to (possibly because I'm 10-20 years older; possibly because I didn't do hard track workouts in the mornings before concerts in the old days), and I felt it for several days after. 

Not that I regret it - I loved catching up with my DC Industrial Scene family (aka "the scene"), and that's what the off season is for.  But now it's time to buckle down and start prioritizing training (and recovery) again.

I entered the Alexandria Turkey Trot (a five miler) on Thanksgiving Day.  It's a fast course, albeit slower than the Richmond 8K (and obviously also 45 meters longer than Richmond).  But I'm still thinking that I may be able to take some more time off of my 5 miler/8K PR.  I'll have a few more workouts under my belt by then, will have better feel for race effort and fast running in general, and also hopefully will be a bit fresher, since I don't plan on frying myself with workout+industrial show+sleep deprivation before that race.

Dailies

Monday: Foam rolling, yoga, and 7.5 "miles" of pool-running.

Tuesday: 10 miles, including a track workout of 1600, 1200, 2x800, 400 in 5:59, 4:25, 2:53, 2:53, 83.  Also injury prevention work and 1000 yards recovery swimming.  Front Line Assembly/Cubanate/Vampyre Anvil show at night.  (really, a second workout, so deserves note)

Wednesday: 9 miles very easy (8:50) plus drills and strides.  Upper body weights, core, and foam rolling in afternoon.

Thursday:  DIY yoga and 5.5 "miles" of pool-running; foam rolling at night. 

Friday: 3 mile shakeout (8:45).  Foam rolling in the evening.

Saturday: 3 mile warm-up, and then 8K race in 31:48.  1 mile jog back to hotel. Foam rolling in evening.

Sunday:  10 miles easy (8:58).  Foam rolling in the evening.