Training log - Week ending 3/22/2026

This week was 56 miles of running, 15 "miles" of pool-running and ~1000 yards of swimming.

Since the low point of last weekend was me bailing on a Saturday marathon effort workout after my right hamstring cramped, this was a cautious week.  I pulled back on mileage and pace for the first half, while also getting the knots worked out of the hammy and doing some strengthening work on my hip rotators. (This was because I suspect that irritated and tense hip rotators pressing on the sciatic nerve were a significant factor in the hammy cramping.) I also emphasized mobilization work on my ankles, since they seemed to play a role as well.

I was supposed to race Shamrock Half-Marathon this weekend but decided early in the week to skip it due to my hamstring/hip blip. By the second half of the week, things were better, but I stayed home anyway. Being healthy at Boston is my top priority, and I didn't need to do a half-marathon as a tune-up, given that I did one three weeks ago.

I tested the hamstring with a very cautious track workout - about 2 miles of work - most at tempo pace but with some strides at the end.  My objective was simply to check how things felt without ever working too hard, since I hoped to get some sort of long run in on Sunday.

As for how I felt on Friday?  The hamstring was fine, but my gait was definitely off - when I don't do fast strides regularly, I lose the muscle memory for fast running.  Fortunately, by the time I got to the strides, I had "remembered."

My plan for Sunday was 12-14 miles with 2x4 miles at marathon effort. The first mile at marathon effort was influenced by my paranoia - sometimes a tweak or injury can be gone, but one is so hyperfocused and worried about it that the muscle in question tightens up in response.  After that mile, I got my groove back, and felt better with every mile.  About a mile into the second rep, I decided to swap from 2x4 to 4, 3, 2, 1 at marathon effort. That went well (admittedly a bit too fast at the end), and no pain, tightness, or cramping during or after, so yay.  

Perhaps I could have done Shamrock after all, and I'm sad to have missed it.  OTOH, if I had reaggravated the hamstring/hip racing Shamrock, I'd be very upset right now. And doing a marathon effort workout is nowhere near the physical stress of a half-marathon raced all out.

Related - in case anyone else ever has the issue of weak hip rotators triggering sciatic pain and cramping, here is how I strengthen those muscles (keep in mind that I have no medical training or expertise, and what works for me may very well not work for you.  Caveat lectoris.):

• Program your Garmin to time intervals of 10-15 seconds, with recovery until you lap the watch.
• Lie on your stomach.  Your legs should be straight behind you; your hands can be under your forehead or wherever.
• Bend one knee and bring it out to the side, with the inside of the knee touching the floor.  Your ankle should be lying on the back of your other knee (that leg stays straight).  Basically, your two legs should make a triangle, with the three points being your hip, your knee, and your ankle on top of the back of the other knee.
• The exercise:
• 1) Isometrically press the front of your hip into the floor, as hard as you can tolerate (if your hip rotators are weak, you may have some cramping), for 10-15 seconds.  This works some hip rotators.
• 2) Isometrically press the inside of your knee into the floor, as hard as you can tolerate, for 10-15 seconds. This works other hip rotators.
• 3) Isometrically press the inside of your ankle into the back of your other knee, as hard as you can tolerate, for 10-15 seconds.  This works yet other hip rotators.
• Now, slide your ankle down your leg, to the bottom of your gastroc (the thick muscle at the top of your calf).  Repeat the three steps above (for the third isometric, press the inside of your ankle into your calf.
• Now, slide your ankle down more, so it's on top of your other ankle.  Your legs are still making a triangle - it's just a longer, flatter triangle. Repeat the three steps above again (for the third isometric, press the side of your top ankle into the back of your other ankle).
• Now, switch legs, and repeat the whole thing again on the other side.  This will be 18 isometric holds in total (9 each side), each lasting about 10-15 seconds.

This exercise takes about 6 minutes to do and can be done anywhere there is floor space.  I'm not making any promises or representations about whether this can help others, and I expressly disclaim responsibility if someone gets hurt doing this.  Again, I'm not a PT, and PTs are the experts on this sort of thing. However, this is the exercise that has cleared up things for me any time I've had hip rotator pain, or sciatic pain and cramping down my leg that I suspect is caused by tight hip rotators.

Dailies:

Monday: 6.5 miles very easy (10:08) with 2 untimed strides in the morning; foam rolling in the evening.

Tuesday: 8 miles on the treadmill, including 6x3:00/2:00 - intervals at 7.6 mph with 6 mph jogs.  Followed with leg strengthwork.  Sports massage in evening.

Wednesday: 12 "miles" pool-running in the morning; upper body weights/core in afternoon.  Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday:  7 miles very easy on a muddy towpath (10:23).  500 yards swimming at lunch. Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 9 miles, including testing the hamstring/hip with 2000m at tempo effort (7:53), 3x400m at tempo effort (1:54, 1:55, 1:54) with full recovery, and 4x100m strides (25, 25, 24, 24) with full recovery . Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 8.5 miles easy on a muddy towpath (9:50), including a Park Run in 29:56. Followed with PT exercises and 500m of swimming.   Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 17 miles, including a workout of 4, 3, 2, 1 miles at marathon effort with 1 mile float in between.  Splits were: 36:08 (8:02 pace), 23:27 (7:49 pace), 15:23 (7:41 pace), and 7:37.  Floats were 8:51-8:53.  Followed with 3 "miles" pool-running and leg strengthwork.  Foam rolling at night.