Training log - Week ending 6/5/2022

This week was 27 miles of running, 500 meters of swimming and 39 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

I attempted a workout on Tuesday morning, but didn't even complete the first 1200.  I made it about 600 meters into the rep and felt like I was in the last lap of a 5K on the track, so I shut it down.  On the off chance that I just wasn't handling the hot and humid weather well, I tried the workout on the treadmill.  But that didn't work either - I got one 3 minute rep out of the way and was done.  So I called it a day.

It's pretty clear to me that my body's just struggling right now with all the hormonal changes, so I decided to pull back and spend a few low key days in the water before returning to land-running.

When I started running again on Saturday, my gait felt really awful.  But on Sunday it was a bit better, and I felt slightly better than I had before (I did intentionally keep the run to 12 miles and then add on some pool-running miles).  Of course this could also just be the fact that we had better weather this weekend than we did earlier in the week.

***

When I saw the OB-Gyn last week, she took some bloodwork to get a baseline before I started the estrogen.  I haven't discussed the results with her yet, but to my non-professional understanding, it looks like the values support menopause - my estrogen was unmeasurable, and my FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) was 71 - that value is consistent with menopause.

I was a little wistful to see this.  I've never wanted children, and always understood that it was going to be challenging for me to conceive (my cycle was awful and very erratic until I went on continuous birth control to stabilize it).  And yet the realization that the door was now shut on that stage of my life was sad.  It's a similar feeling to selling a home and walking out the door for the last time - you're relieved to be done with the transaction.  But at the same time, you can't go back now, only forward.  And there's a tiny voice that wonders if you took the right path.

***

On another note, I did some googling and redditing (I won't call it "research") and from what I can see, many of the things I've been dealing with over the past 18 months or so could be explained by the transition to menopause - even things as odd as quick electrical shocks down the legs (I've been dealing with those for a few years now).  And yes, a loss of coordination and struggles with balance and dizziness have been reported by other women.  Some women have a very easy ride; some do not.

So this makes me hopeful that perhaps now I am a bit closer to finally addressing my frustrations of the past 18 months.  It's just going to take more time.  And more patience.

Dailies:

Monday:  9 "miles" of pool-running and upper body weights/core.   Foam rolling at night.  

Tuesday: 8 miles - attempted a track workout, but bailed before I completed the first rep.  Moved inside to try it there, but still struggled, so called it a day.   Foam rolling in evening.
 

Wednesday: 9 "miles" of pool-running.   Massage in evening.

Thursday: 9 "miles" pool-running and leg strengthwork.  Foam rolling in evening

Friday: 9 "miles" pool-running, including a set of 20x1 minute hard/1 minute easy and 4x30 seconds very hard/1 minute easy.  Followed with upper body weights/core. Foam rolling at night

Saturday: 8 miles easy (10:08), drills and hill strides, and streaming yoga.  Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 12 miles progressive, split as the first 4 averaging 9:30, the next 4 averaging 8:37, and the next 4 averaging 7:42, plus 3 "miles" pool-running.  Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 meters recovery swimming.  Foam rolling at night.