Training log - Week ending 1/21/18

This week was 39 miles of running, 12 "miles" of pool-running, and 1000 yards of swimming -- training log is here.  

This was an off week, as I blended race recovery and a business trip.  I was a mess for the first few days.  I attribute this at least partially to poor recovery choices in the 24 hours after the race: margaritas in lieu of water; french fries instead of foam rolling; and aquarium tours rather than pool-running.  But, the mind needs recovery too, and slacking off on the little things for a few days was the right choice for me in the brief intermission before Boston training kicked in at the end of this week.

My trip was to Tampa - the second leg of what I dubbed "fall 2017 hurricane tour."  Similar to my experience in Houston, I didn't notice any hurricane damage.  Of course, it's been several months since the storms hit, and it's impossible to distinguish buildings boarded up from hurricane damage versus those boarded up for other reasons.

Tampa experienced a cold snap during my stay there - on Thursday morning, temperatures were in the high 20s.. Fortunately I had packed some winter running gear - I never bring running tights when I go to Tampa, but this time I had planned ahead.  The local population was in shock at the temperatures, and I don't blame them - they just weren't prepared for sub-freezing temperatures, in terms of building structures or clothing choices.

A friend of mine coined the term "cold-shaming" and I think it applies here.  Throughout this winter, everyone on the east coast or mid-west has been dealing with temperatures 20 degrees or more colder than their norm, and it's tough regardless of where you live.  

The fact that those who live in Tampa (are they properly referred to as Tampans?  Tampanians?  Tampons?) are struggling with temperatures that are normal in DC does not reflect negatively on them, any more than the DC area's shock at conditions that are normal in Minnesota reflects poorly on us.  It is truly relative - we're all handling weather that is far from our norms.

***

As I've discussed previously, I raced the Houston Half in the Vaporfly 4%s - it was a slight  risk, as I usually don't like to wear a shoe model for a half or full until I've done several long runs in it.  However, I had done a workout and a 5K race in the Vaporflys, and based on that experience, I decided to take the (small) chance.  Some final (for now) thoughts based on my experience with the shoe this past weekend.

• I've now worn the Vaporfly for two races: a 5K and a half-marathon.  I liked the shoe much more in the half.  The shoe has a rocker-type action, where your foot rolls forward (I understand Hokas are like this also).  This action is more effective when your footstrike is further back, more towards the heel.  The shorter and faster the race, the more forward my footstrike, and the less I like the shoe.  In longer races, I strike further back on my foot, and the shoe feels much more natural.
  
  To this point, I read somewhere that Bernard Lagat was the only pacer in the Nike sub-two project who did not wear the Vaporfly - he tried it, and said that it didn't work for his stride, since he almost always lands on his forefoot.  Given my experience with the shoe, this makes a lot of sense to me.
• As for how much the Vaporflys took off of my time in the half?  Of course there's no way to know for sure.  I don't think it was 4% - it may not have been anything.  (to be fair, the representation is not that they make you 4% faster, but 4% more efficient)
  
  I have a teammate who is very very similar in ability to me when we're both in shape.  I wore the Vaporflys, while she did not, and we finished the Houston Half in nearly identical times.  Had I finished significantly ahead of her, I would have suspected some assistance from the shoe.  But that wasn't the case.
• My sense is that the Vaporfly's bounce and "energy return" properties work better the more force you apply through the shoe.  I'm not a ground pounder, but more of a skimmer - my speed comes from efficiency, not power.  My hunch is that those who run with a power stride or weigh more than I do may benefit more from this shoe than I do.
• I tried to kick at the end of Houston, and couldn't - that matches my experience in my 5K with this shoe.  You can't change gears suddenly, you can't speed up your cadence, and you can't get up on your toes.  At the same time, the rocker action of the shoe really helped me when I was just barely hanging on in the later miles at Houston - if I could just keep my form together, the shoes kept me rolling forward.
  
  Conclusion: if I've made some pacing errors and am struggling late in a race, I want the Vaporfly on my feet.  If I've executed a perfect race and want to outkick someone else at the end, I'd rather be wearing the Adios or the Takumi Sen.
• One of the big selling points of the Vaporfly is that they supposedly speed your recovery - you bounce back better from the race if you've worn these, due to all the cushioning.  That was not my experience at all - I was trashed after Houston, and my legs felt awful.  Of course, this may also be specific to me.  I do not handle cushioned shoes or soft surfaces well - 10 miles on our local towpath beats me up much more than 10 miles on asphalt.  This relates to my flimsy ankles and related stability issues.  Others, especially those who run in cushioned shoes regularly, may have the opposite experience.
  
  I was concerned that I would have ankle pain during or after the race because of the softness of the shoe, but it turned out to be minimal - most likely because I taped my ankles heavily pre-race.  I did have some arch/foot pain post-race, which is normal for me with cushioned shoes or soft surfaces.  Luckily that seems to have faded away this week.  But that arch/foot pain is another reason not to train in these shoes, but to save them for goal races where I can take time off afterwards.

Dailies

Monday: Nothing except travel from Houston to Tampa.

Tuesday: Yoga in the morning, plus some self-massage with tennis ball.

Wednesday: Upper body weights/core and then 6 miles moderate (9:27) (the pace was "easy" but the effort was not).  Followed with self-massage with tennis ball.  (I really wish I had shipped myself a foam roller).

Thursday:  3 miles very easy to yoga (10:04), yoga, and then 6 miles very easy (8:47).  Travel from Tampa to DC.

Friday: 12 "miles" of pool-running and some blissful foam rolling.

Saturday: 10 miles very easy (8:33), followed by drills, strides, upper body weights and core.  Foam rolling at night.

Sunday:  14 progressive (plus an additional half-mile diversion to a working bathroom) split as first 5 miles averaging 8:56 pace, next 5 miles averaging 7:55 pace, and last 4 miles averaging 6:51 pace.  Followed with light injury prevention work at the gym and 1000 yards of recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in the afternoon.