Training log - Week ending 4/8/18

This week was 48 miles of running, 15 "miles" of pool-running, and 2000 yards of swimming -- training log is here.

Second to last week of taper.  In general, I'm feeling very good about my fitness, and taper is mostly going to plan.  The one hiccup hit late in the week, when I started feeling awful - sinus ache, fatigue, minor sore throat.  

Since the pollen exploded late this week, I was 95% sure it was allergies, rather than incipient illness, so I showed up for the tempo workout.  The tempo went....OK.  It really wasn't a bad workout given how lousy I felt, but I was sludgy and my legs wouldn't turn over - not how one wants to feel 10 days out from a marathon.  I know I'm fit, but I need to be functioning at 100% to run a good marathon.

It was also depressing to have allergies raise their ugly head, given that I'm on all sorts of allergy meds (Xolair, Singulair, Clarinex, and a budesonide nasal rinse, plus regular allergy shots) to prevent exactly that from happening.

However, I'm due for my next Xolair injection on Monday, and so I'm hoping this was merely a perfect storm of heavy pollen hitting just as my Xolair was wearing off. In the meantime, I added another medication that my allergist has recommended in the past: Zantac.  

Zantac is sold as a heartburn medication, but it's actually an antihistamine (blocks the "H2" category of histamines) that works synergistically with traditional antihistamines (which block "H1").  I don't like taking it long term for multiple reasons, but if it helps me get through life for now, so be it.

(and as always, every medication I'm on for allergies is totally legal under USADA.  Want to check if a medication is legal?  Go here.)

Dailies:

Monday: 7 "miles" pool-running and DIY yoga; foam rolling at night.

Tuesday: 10 miles, including a track workout of 400, 800, 2x1200, 800, 400 in 88, 2:56, 4:28, 4:24, 2:51, 83.  Also injury prevention work and 1000 yards recovery swimming.  Foam rolling at night.

Wednesday: 8.5 miles very easy (8:59) to the gym, drills and strides, and then upper body weights/core plus some DIY yoga.  Foam rolling at night

Thursday:  DIY yoga and 8 "miles" pool-running.  Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 10.5 miles, including a 5K tempo on the track in 19:43 (6:21/6:21/6:15/0:45)   Followed with injury prevention work and 1000 yards of recovery swimming.  Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 8 miles easy (8:55), followed by drills and strides, and then upper body weights and core. Foam rolling in evening.

Sunday:  11 miles aerobic (7:42), followed by cheering and freezing at the Cherry Blossom 10 miler.  DIY yoga and foam rolling in afternoon.