Training log - Week ending 6/28/2020

This week was 63 miles of running -- training log is here. 

I introduced more intensity this week, with a mile pace workout on Tuesday and a longer tempo workout on Friday.  It's been a very long time since I did a workout that was entirely mile pace (I usually just add some reps at mile pace or a bit faster to the end of an interval pace workout).

But...I have at least one road mile coming up.  Plus, my asthma's been flaring a bit at the same time that our heat/humidity have ramped up.  Mile pace workouts involve shorter durations and longer recoveries and so are much less stress on the lungs.

My asthma was iffy enough on Friday that I modified my planned 2x2 miles at tempo.  I suspect the underlying cause of the asthma flare is that I strained a muscle in my back (rhomboid) which makes it painful to take a very deep breath.  My asthma meds are inhaled, meaning I need to take a deep breath in order to get a full dose of the meds.  Unfortunate coincidence.

The result is that I'm puffing 450 on my peak flow meter (when I'm breathing well, I hit between 500 and 525).  So it's not a surprise that tempo work is a bit hard right now.  Hopefully the strained muscle will resolve in a few days.  If not, I have an appointment with the asthma doctor to see what other options there are for my breathing.

My plan over the next few weeks is to cut my mileage back down to 60-ish, while also shortening my progressive long run to 12 miles (plus a cooldown).  I can't do 3 hard workouts a week and recover adequately, but I can do 2.5 hard workouts if my mileage isn't terribly high.  Thus the slight reduction in my mileage and the conversion of the Sunday long run to a "half workout" as I increase the intensity of the weekdays workouts.

I'm also holding out hope that I will be able to train for and race a fall marathon.  Thus, I want to cut back on my long run so that I can get a stimulus when I start extending it again for a fall marathon training cycle.  If you do the same thing year round, in my experience, you eventually stop responding to it and no longer gain fitness from it.  So, now is the time to pull back so that I can reap a gain when it's time to build again.

Dailies 

Monday: Live streaming yoga, upperbody weights/core, and back unloading work plus foam rolling.

Tuesday: 12.5 miles outside, including a mile pace workout of 4x(2x200, 400) with equal distance recoveries.  Splits were 41, 42, 84/ 42, 42, 85/ 42, 42, 84/ and 41, 41, 84.   Followed with leg strengthwork and live streaming yoga. Foam rolling at night.

Wednesday: 7 miles easy outside (9:04), live streaming yoga, 7 miles easy on the treadmill (9:03), and drills and 4 strides. Foam rolling at night. 

Thursday: Upper body weights/core and back unloading work/foam rolling in the morning; live streaming yoga in the afternoon. 

Friday: 12.5 miles outside, including a workout of 2 miles, 1 mile at tempo, and then 4x0.25 miles a bit faster.  Splits were 12:55 (6:24/6:31) 6:27; and then 86, 94, 93, and 93 (stopped the first one too early).  Recoveries of 4:4x after the tempo segments, and 60 seconds between the quarter miles.

Followed with leg strengthwork and recovery yoga. Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 10 miles very easy (9:21), followed by drills and two hill strides.  Live streaming yoga,  back unloading work, and foam rolling in the afternoon.

Sunday: 14 miles, split as the first 12 progressive (first four miles averaged 9:21 pace, the next four averaged 7:53, and the last four averaged 7:07) and then 2 miles cooldown.

Followed with leg strengthwork and streaming yoga. Foam rolling in afternoon.