Training log - Week ending 9/7/2025

This week was 54 miles of running and 9 "miles" of pool-running.

Since I raced both Saturday and Sunday, I kept Monday-Wednesday low key. My running team usually does workouts on Tuesday and Friday and a Sunday long run. I planned to do the Sunday long run with the team (or...trailing them, at least) and I need at least two easy days between hard efforts, so I did a workout on Thursday so I could run easy on Friday and Saturday.

Thursday's interval workout was on the treadmill once again. I wasn't straining, but I was on the edge of straining. The workout was hard enough that I only did six 3:00 intervals (I plan for six to eight intervals and play the exact number by ear). Of course, I looked at my log after and realized that holding 8.4 mph for all six intervals was aggressive in comparison to recent workouts, so it was no surprise that I felt the effort and had to adjust the # of intervals accordingly.

The Sunday long run was at Carderock this week, which means running on the stone dust/pebbles/rocks of the C&O towpath. When I go to the team long runs, I usually end up running by myself after the first few miles, but it's nice to see people before and after. However, I woke to light rain with more on the way, and I couldn't find any enthusiasm for 14-16 solo miles in mud.

Instead, I headed over to Georgetown and the paved (if covered by leaves and littered with twigs) Capital Crescent trail.  This gave me a chance to try out a new shoe - the 361 Flame 4 - on a long run with some uphill and downhill running.

I've been using the Flame 4 on the track, and after an initial adjustment period of about 4 miles, I really like the shoe there.  But I've never taken the shoe off the track, so I thought today was a good day to test things out. 

It was a dreary morning, with misting rain and puddles and wet leaves.  The Flame had notably good traction, but I felt awkward on uphills and downhills. Some of this may have also been that I felt like I didn't get a good dose of my PD meds this morning.  And some lingering blahsfrom Thursday's flu shot. So I'm going to try to run in it a bit more on hilly asphalt routes to see if I can get more comfortable with it.

Dailies:

Monday: Upperbody weights/core. followed by 9 "miles" pool-running. Foam rolling in evening.

Tuesday: 6 miles very easy (10:07) to gym; leg strengthwork, 3 miles very easy home (9:57).  Sports massage in evening.

Wednesday: 5 miles very easy (10:45) on trails in morning followed by PT exercises.  Streaming yoga during lunch; foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 9 miles on the treadmill, including a workout of 6x3:00 on/2:00 jog plus 6x30 seconds on/90 seconds jog. The "On" parts were at 8.4 mph (3 minute intervals) and 8.8 mph (30 second intervals) with the jogs at 6 mph.  Followed with leg strengthwork. Foam rolling + flu shot in evening.  

Friday: 6 miles very easy (11:15) on trails in morning followed by PT exercises. Streaming yoga and foam rolling in the evening.

Saturday: 10 miles, mostly easy (9:57) but including 4x100m strides in 28 down to 25 seconds.  Upperbody weights/core in afternoon; foam rolling in evening.

Sunday: 14.5 miles progressive, split as the first 5.5 miles averaging 10:05 pace, the next 4 miles averaging 9:07 pace, and the last 5 miles averaging 8:29 pace, plus a 1/2 mile cooldown. Followed with leg strengthwork.  Foam rolling at night.