Training log - Week ending 12/26/2021

This week was 61 miles of running, 1500 yards of swimming and 18 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

Really just more of the same - trying to train consistently without overdoing stuff.  It feels like I might be making some slow progress - I no longer feel wobbly at the beginning of runs, just weak and slow.

I do still note that I am considerably worse running downhill than on the flat - on Sunday's progressive long run, I dropped nearly 15 seconds per mile once I was running on the flat rather than downhill.  I have a hunch that figuring out the reason behind that will also fix my issues.

Dailies:

Monday: 3 miles on treadmill (10:03) and 1 hour pool-running.   Foam rolling at night. 

Tuesday: 12 miles, including a track workout of 2000, 800, 1600, 800, 400 in 8:49, 3:17, 6:42, 3:12, 1:33.  6 minute recoveries after the 2000 and 1600; 3 minutes recovery after the first 800 (longer between second 800 and 400 due to shoe tying).  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday:  Upper body weights/core and 10 miles very easy (9:37), plus drills and four hill strides.  Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 2 hours pool-running and streaming yoga.  Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 11 miles, including a tempo workout of 4800m in 28:03 (7:15/7:03/6:57/6:48).  Then leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Saturday: 10 miles (9:36) plus drills and strides.  Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 14 miles progressive, split as first 5 averaging 10:00 pace, next 4 miles averaging 8:27 pace, next 5 miles averaging 7:27 pace.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yardsrecovery swimming.

Training log - Week ending 12/19/2021

This week was 34 miles of running and 30 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

Not a great week - felt way stiff on Tuesday, so I shut the workout down early.  Then a stressful week resulted in a lack of sleep, so I cut stuff back.  Saturday was a bit better, but then on Sunday I woke up and the world was spinning.  I'm pretty sure this was "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" - a fancy term for a mild issue - crystals get loose in your inner ear and throw off your balance.  I did the Epley Maneuver and that seemed to improve things, but I decided to swap my long run to the pool anyway.

Next week is another week.

Dailies:

Monday: 8 "miles" of pool-running and streaming yoga.   Foam rolling at night. 

Tuesday: 10 miles, including a track workout of 2000, 2x1200 in 9:01, 5:11, 5:13.  Followed with leg strengthwork.  Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday:  4 miles (10:13).   Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 10 "miles" of pool-running and upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling at night. 

Friday: 9 miles, including a tempo workout of 2 miles, 1 mile in 13:57 (7:01/6:56) and 6:51, with 5 minutes job plus a comfort break in between.   Foam rolling at night. 

Saturday: 7 miles (9:36), streaming yoga, and 4 miles (9:29) plus drills and strides.  Foam rolling in afternoon.

Sunday:  12 "miles" pool-running and upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling in afternoon.

Training log - Week ending 12/12/2021

This week was 55 miles of running, ~1000 yards of swimming, and 18 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

The week started out decently, and then I picked up some sort of head cold/sinus thing.  Nothing too bad and it wasn't Covid (I took two tests), but enough to alter my training plans.  Friday's planned tempo was first pushed back to Saturday and then skipped altogether in favor of some 200s that were extended strides, and instead of working my way down to marathon effort on Sunday I kept things a bit easier.

I've been feeling steadily better - by Sunday my symptoms were gone (so I felt comfortable returning to the gym/pool) though I still have a bit of residual fatigue that I hope clears soon.

Dailies:

Monday: 9 "miles" of pool-running and streaming yoga.   Foam rolling at night. 

Tuesday: 11 miles, including a track workout of 2000, 4x800, 2x200 in 8:51, 3:20, 3:17, 3:16, 3:12, 46 and 46.  5:30 recovery after the 2000, mostly 3 minute recovery after the 800s (more before the last), full recovery for the 200s.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday:  7 miles (9:58) on treadmill, then upper body weights/core, and then another 4 miles on treadmill (9:43).   Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 9 "miles" of pool-running and streaming yoga.  Foam rolling at night. 

Friday: 8 miles very easy (9:42), drills, two strides.  Foam rolling at night. 

Saturday: 11 miles, including 12x200 with full recovery - most in 47 seconds.  Followed with upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling in afternoon.

Sunday:  14 miles progressive, split as first 5 miles averaging 10:10 pace, next 4 miles averaging 8:48 pace, next 5 miles averaging 7:44 pace.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 meters recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in afternoon.

Training log - Week ending 12/5/2021

This week was 67 miles of running, ~1500 yards of swimming (some was in meters) and 9 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

Yes - this week's mileage looks inflated, but that's because I ran on Monday instead of pool-running.  On a normal week this would have been 59 miles plus a bit more pool-running.

Things are continuing to trend upwards, so that's good.  Focusing on keeping my quads relaxed and pulling my heels to my butt really seems to be the trick here.    I tried my first tempo workout in quite a few weeks on Friday, and it wasn't bad.  I note that my first mile of the tempo workout was faster than my first 800 of the interval workout - that's just standard for this weird thing that I'm dealing with.

For the last few weeks, I've been doing my long run on a route that is uphill going out, and downhill coming back.  Part of my reason for choosing this route was that it was always easiest for me to start running uphill, and save the downhill running for when I was more limber.  The slight assist from the downhill on the way back was also helpful.

Since I'm now doing a bit better, I swapped to a pancake flat location for today's run - loops of Hains Point.  I felt a bit unsteady on the first mile, but then fine, and I was really happy with how the run progressed.  Fitness wise, I've got a long way to go, but at least the coordination issues are improving substantially.

On Saturday I also got my long awaited brain and spine MRI.  It took 2 hours, but wasn't as bad as it sounds, since they did it in four parts.  Part 1 was the brain, and then they pulled me out and rearranged me for the spine and sent me back in.  After 40 minutes of that, I rolled back out to get some contrast injected, and then back in for a second round of spine.  Then out one more time to rearrange back to the brain position for another 15 minutes to finish that up.

Plus - I like the MRI sounds, so I find the whole thing entertaining.  I did find the brain MRI a bit claustro at first - the MRI tunnel itself doesn't bug me too much, but for brain MRIs they encase your head in a cage with padding to immobilize your head.  The head cage PLUS the mask PLUS the whole tube thing was a bit much at first, but I just did some yoga breathing and then settled down to enjoy the ride.

And no, I haven't looked at the CD yet - that requires a CD reader, which we've been unable to dig up so far.

Dailies:

Monday: 8 miles very easy (9:32) with drills and four strides, followed with upper body weights/core.   Foam rolling at night. 

Tuesday: 12 miles, including a track workout of 2x800, 1600, 2x800, 2x200 in 3:33, 3:27, 6:44, 3:17, 3:13, 45, and 46.  Recoveries of 2:35 to 3:10 after the 800s; 5:30 recovery after the 1600, full recovery for the 200s.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday:  Streaming yoga and 10 miles very easy (9:31), plus drills and four hill strides.   Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 90 minutes pool-running and upper body weights/core.  Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 11 miles, including a tempo workout of 3200, 1600 in 13:58 (7:02/6:56) and 6:41 with 5 minutes jog in between.  Followed with 4x200 in 45, 44, 44, 45.  Then leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Saturday: 10 miles (9:37) plus drills and then streaming yoga.  Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 15 miles progressive, split as first 5 averaging 9:36 pace, next 5 miles averaging 8:23 pace, next 5 miles averaging 7:23 pace.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 meters recovery swimming.