Zero

I woke up around 4 this morning feeling generally awful. Couldn't fall back asleep, and after tossing and turning for an hour I became vaguely aware of a scratchiness in my throat. Yes, it's finally here. The inevitable winter sickness. I'm actually surprised I made it this long.

Alas, I suppose I bring this upon myself. Too much play, not enough sleep. Disappointing, but hopefully this clears up after a few days of rest. CR looms, but at this point I'm fairly confident, even if I were to rest until day of. What's already in the bank is what matters most.

Short

Tough to get out the door this morning, despite getting a pretty decent amount of sleep last night. Apparently still feeling the effects of Saturday and Sunday. Vowed to keep it easy at the gym. 20 min indoor cycle, no surges, just steady spinning, and this felt really right today. Average HR around 155 or so (145 start, 165 finish), less than previous gym days. Tried to keep cadence around 110 rpm, less resistance. Steady burn.

3 miles on the treadmill in 25:45. HR in 150s. Legs feel OK, but calves are sore. No knee pain. Left ankle OK, becomes tender during strength exercises. I haven’t written much about this core thing I’ve been doing but the single leg squats seem to be really telling. Force me to stay balanced on one leg, engaging more of the stabilizing muscles than traditional squats on both legs. Definitely notice a strength differential between right and left legs (left leg weaker). Glad I’m cutting back the mileage this week.

[3 x 20 pushups, 6-5-4 chinups, 3 x 20 situps, 2 x 10 single leg squats, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, various stretches]

Recharging

I sighed in relief as my waking thoughts coalesced into a coherent recollection: “It’s Monday, no running today.” Today marks the second predawn yoga session of late and I think it’s something I can grow accustomed to. Makes for a very gentle transition into the day.

I spotted Veena, whom I met briefly on Saturday, out for an early morning run as I sped by on my single speed on my way to 30th St. Still haven’t replaced the seat that was swiped last week, thus I’m bound to a single gear on my “work bike.” As a bicycle messenger I used to ride this bike with a fixed gear setup, and I’ve been tempted lately to flip the rear wheel around and "fix it" once again. Anyway, I often find that I compartmentalize elements of my life – run, commute, work, school, music, etc. – lately I’ve felt the borders of these compartments melding together (i.e. seeing someone I ran with while commuting via bicycle), a subtle but interesting feeling.

Monday Recap

2/18 – 0 mi, PM yoga
2/19 – 4 mi/29:45 treadmill, stretch/core, PM yoga
2/20 – 10 mi/1:25:45, stretch/core
2/21 – 10 mi +track/1:14:48, stretch/core, PM yoga
2/22 – 4 mi/33:49 treadmill, stretch/core
2/23 – 10 mi/1:14:34
2/24 – 16.5 mi/2:06:01

For the week, it’s 54.5 miles in 7:04:42. Average pace 7:48. I missed my envisioned 50 mile cap, but I won’t attempt to rationalize this. Just happened. My legs are feeling like I imagined they would after two 50+ weeks in a row. Left knee is feeling much better to my surprise since last week was slightly more intense than preceding weeks. Left ankle has begun to act up again (lost my footing yesterday on an uphill – not serious but enough to aggravate it), but as long as I take it easy around sharp right turns I should be fine. It should be easy going from here into Caesar Rodney, as I’m planning to cut down the mileage leading up to the race. I’m inching closer to a decision about Grandma’s Marathon in June. I’d really like to do it though my schedule (classes and whatnot) doesn’t seem to be able to accommodate it. Let’s see if I can make it work.

O'er Hills We Did Ramble

Lovely exploratory romp through the hills of East Falls and Mt. Airy. Had all the symptoms of some adventure/reality TV show: challenging terrain, black ice, cul de sacs, close encounters with high speed Chryslers, and treacherous snow-packed trails. 5 of us, including Dierdre, Steve, Seebo, and Mike set out from the PMA around 8 AM on what started out as a familiar route. Then came Henry Ave, at which point we lost our navigator (Mike opted for less miles) and found ourselves running in circles and up and down hills. After three separate incidents with trap doors and Viking warships on the Wissahickon Creek (these didn’t actually happen but I’ve included them for dramatic effect) we decided that we must have found our way onto the set of the next Indiana Jones movie. We finally found Ridge Ave, where we engaged in celebratory song and dance.

Further on down Kelly Dr, I stayed straight while the rest of the group headed over Falls Bridge to put in a few more miles in West Fairmount Park. The sun over the Drive felt so nice that I opened up a bit, for 3 miles at 6:45 pace. This felt surprisingly easy, especially after all the hills earlier in the run, but when I slowed for a ½-mile cooldown I definitely noticed the fatigue. Legs feel relatively good after a 12-minute ice bath, and I’m very much looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Today’s run in general was a bit higher intensity than average for me, but this is what I had anticipated for today. 16.5 miles in 2:06. Average HR 159, max 180.

(Southbound) Passenger Train

I was ready to put in up to 16 today, but the general consensus among the few of us who've been meeting for weekend long runs was to wait until tomorrow to go longer. This was fine by me, as tomorrow it should be a bit warmer and sunnier than today, and I'll have had an additional 24 hours before a longer effort. Judging by how my legs feel now I know I'll be okay tomorrow, though I haven't completely let go of my fear of longer runs. This reflects on my greenness as a runner; part of what's motivated me in the past 8 months is facing fears like this. Isn't there some T.S. Eliot quote referring to fears and risk?

Anyway, my title refers to a song I was humming before the run and began humming again afterwards. Today's passenger train wasn't southbound however, although I wish it had been. Dierdre and I chugged our way over slush covered sidewalks on the West River Dr bridge, and Seebo soon hopped onboard after missing our PMA departure by a minute or two. Onto Montgomery Ave, through West Fairmount Park on roads that are becoming more and more familiar. We picked up another passenger on the Concourse, Veena, and the pace picked up slightly. It felt nice to loosen up a bit.

Seebo and Veena debarked at Market St, where Dierdre and I headed east to City Hall and back up the Parkway to the PMA. My easy ride home felt great, although I was a bit chilly. Note to self: purchase new gloves. Overall, 10 miles in 1:14:34. Average HR 165, max 176.

Blasé, but Okay

I love what happens to the city when it snows. The empty streets recall memories from a few years ago of riding around the city in the back of a pickup truck during a snowstorm, throwing snowballs at some other friends who happened to be the only other souls out among the drifts. While it would have been nice to get out and frolic about in the snow for an hour this morning, I settled for the gym as I’ve done for the last few Fridays.

I’d second-guessed this decision by the time I got there. Because I didn’t feel like riding in the snow, I had to rely on SEPTA to shuttle me across town. This of course means I arrived 25 min late to the gym (at 1234 Market St, “25 min late” loosely translates to “with remarkable haste”). By this time I’d decided to cut out any cross-training I had planned for today (i.e. cycling, rowing). So effectively I’d come to the gym to do something I could’ve done in my own backyard, or lack thereof. Should’ve followed my instinct and gone snow-running.

So I ran 4 miles without having gotten anywhere. This may have indeed been the best thing for me though as my legs are feeling pretty heavy. I was sluggish and uninspired in general this morning, which tells me I’ll need to take it easy after this weekend. No left knee pain, but my lower legs (calves and shins, esp. the right) are achy. Monday starts a decrease in volume and slight increase in speed work. I may run long on Sunday as opposed to tomorrow, depending on how I feel. Weather should supposedly be nicer on Sunday as well.

[3 x 20 pushups, 6-5-4 chinups, 3 x 20 situps, 3 x 10 lateral leg lifts, various stretches]

Trotting Along

I came strolling out of 30th St. Station yesterday all peachy with my boxes of thin mints and caramel delights to find that my Brooks B17 Champion Special saddle had been ripped off. Vanished. Gone. Never coming back. I had to ride home after class standing up. That's harder than one would imagine. So it goes, on to the next thing.

Thursdays have seen weekly visits to the Temple track for 3 weeks now. I’d anticipated something challenging today, and a few days ago I settled on a 5000 m time trial. Maybe it underscores my inexperience, but I figured it would act as some sort of benchmark. The plan was simply to put in my best effort for 12 ½ laps. I ran a 5k in Denver on New Year's Eve. 20:58 at 5280', so I figured I'd be happy if I ran under 20 today.

Warmed up for 2.5 miles, threw in some strides to get the blood flowing. Last night I set my watch NOT to display time, only which lap I was on. No pace, no HR. Nothing too informative, only the bare minimum to keep me from losing count.

I cleared the first 400 m in 79 seconds. OK, I’m a little overzealous. It only goes downhill from here. Next three laps are around 88 seconds. My tummy hurts. 91, 95, uh oh. 6 laps in and I have to stop. I’ll let you fill in the details, let’s just say I was glad that it was 5:30 AM and no one was around. Brought back Webelo memories.

The break lasted about 3 minutes. I happened to stop my watch. I really didn’t know what to do at this point, and I felt like I’d blown my entire workout. I did the first thing I could think of and started running again. Might as well. Next 6 ½ laps are tamer than the first 6: 86, 92, 92, 93, 92, and 135 for the final 600 m.

Well. There is a whole lot I can read from this. Obviously, my perception of effort needs a little fine tuning. Actually, not fine tuning. Coarse tuning. I learned this last week as well. Secondly, today’s results reinforce the rule of specificity. In the past 4 months I’ve run mostly longer, slower runs, with maybe 10% of my miles at a faster “tempo” pace, and barely any speedwork. I’ve only run two 5ks ever, only one of them an actual race (New Year’s Eve race, above), so why would I expect anything different from today?

That’s good though. I didn’t know what to expect. Now I know better for next time. But that likely won’t happen until after CR. Until then I’ll stick to shorter repeats, 400s, 800s. And today wasn’t a complete failure. That first effort saw my fastest recorded mile split (5:46). Surprisingly no pain during or afterwards, but my legs are tired. 10 miles in 1:14:48. Average HR 159, 185 max. Another bike sprint to the train station, can’t seem to escape them this week.

[2 x 30 pushups, 2 x 30 situps, 3 x 10 single leg squats, 3 x 10 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 10 standing piriformis lifts, various stretches]

Yawn Johns

Out the door by 4:50 AM for an easy 10 miles. I can’t seem to escape uncomfortable weather on Wednesdays. Guess we’re making up for that 60 degree teaser 3 weeks ago. Needless to say, today was the wrong day to wear a different shirt than I’m used to. Typically I wear the same magical upper all week just because it keeps me warm if it’s cold, and vice versa. I’m not sure what my logic was, or maybe it’s because it was so damn early, but I chose lighter layers this morning. Thus I never hit that sweet spot after 15 minutes of running with goosebumps where my increased body temp balances with the colder air around me.

Running down South St. always seems weird to me, and today was no exception. I think it has something to do with the severely rutted asphalt and the sensation of tip-toeing down the city’s dark hallway of indulgence while all the bar-goers are sleeping. Don’t get me wrong, I advocate bar-going, but that street in particular has a certain spirit, drawing large crowds who cause asphalt ruts, littering the sidewalks with the bubble-gum detritus of life at night. The wind increased the further west I got.

I don’t know why I expected (perhaps it was more of a hope) the wind to have died down by the time I got to the Schuylkill, but the wind nearly stopped me in my tracks approaching the river trail. Strangely, the mysterious “Hidden River” tour vessel appeared to be about 6 feet below its normal level – the river was running pretty thin. I needed the boost up Spring Garden St from the tailwind, as the first hour or so had been against the wind. Left knee tender but manageable, iced it upon returning home. I hadn’t intended to cycle to 30th St, but I ended up spinning through the center city wind tunnels so as not to miss my train. That, combined with my way early morning, left me yawning, but not out of boredom. 10 miles in 1:25:45. Average HR 146, max 162.

[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 30 situps, 3 x 10 calf lifts, various stretches]

Riding Places to Ride in Place

Very satisfying workout at the gym this morning. I’ve been driving there, but today was the first day I decided to bike instead. Going from parting the cold westerly wind uphill with my 30 pound bag over my shoulder straight to the indoor cycle, spinning in place, just didn’t seem right but that’s what I did. While I certainly exert myself during most bicycle commutes (riding slow is hard, unless I’m with great company, who is less fidgety, or I’m not on a schedule, or have lost interest in one, and then of course there is the imperative joyride) I don’t like to consider it part of any training regimen. I try to enjoy a ride for its beauty. Yeah it’s exercise, but so is walking. It’s just something I do.

Anyway, for clues as to what I did at the gym, see last Friday’s post. Only 18 minutes on the spinner today, and negative splits on the treadmill, pushed the pace during last ½-mile. No rowing either. HR stuff largely inconsequential, similar to Friday. Legs felt wonderful. Where did all those weekend miles go?

4 miles in 29:45. Oh, and I checked out the chinup bar. Tiny blisters on my palms, kind of funny.

[2 x 20 pushups, 2 x 7 chinups, 2 x 10 single leg squats, 2 x 30 situps, 2 x 15 standing piriformis lifts, 2 x 15 lateral leg lifts, various stretches]

Epic Spending, Epic Consumption

This isn’t a political treatise on strip malls. What my title refers to is my increasing depletion of energy and my subsequent voracious appetite. There could well be a connection to strip malls, but I won’t get into that here. No other time was I aware of my growing hunger more than this weekend, when I pushed into long uncharted territory in terms of distance. An amazing weekend in general, but the runs were particularly delicious.

Started out with a (very) long run on Saturday. 6 from the PhillyRunners group including John, Steve (different from last weekend), Dierdre, Megan, and Rebecca set out in the opposite direction of the rest of the group. Special thanks to Dierdre for preaching the evils of MLK Jr. (the Drive, not the person), resulting in a much more scenic randonneé than expected. I couldn’t retrace our steps for the life of me, as most of the time I was engaged in conversation or watching out for tree roots on the fire trails in Fairmount Park. I’d planned to do 16, with some tempo intervals (half marathon pace?) thrown in. This is an object of concern for me, as I’m not sure how to gauge my current fitness level. Alas, there are still three remaining weeks before CR to figure this out. I know one thing for certain, and that’s that I’ve made leaps and bounds since the Philly Half, which I ran in 1:34:23 (7:13 pace), with considerable effort. Now I feel like I could do that run casually twice a week. I’ll quantify just how many leaps and bounds that progress entails on coming runs. Apologies to Rebecca, whom we seemed to have lost during the final miles. My conscience remains untainted however as I knew she had a cell phone with her.

Highlights of the run included a high dirt to pavement ratio, the Manayunk Tow Path, a steady push up the Belmont hills with John and Steve leading, and a dip through the fire trails (?) of West Fairmount Park. Not to mention some great conversation. In general, this was faster paced, hillier, and included more varied terrain than LSD in past weeks, a qualified substitute for my original plan of tempo intervals. I felt so good during the run that I stretched out the final miles. John, Dierdre, and Megan ended at the PMA; Steve and I trod onwards to Locust St and back to the PMA, wrapping up 19 miles in 2:29:08. 19.5 including a ½-mile warmup. Average HR 160, max 187 (probably Belmont).

I knew I’d be on the road to NYC early yesterday AM, so I’d planned to get out early for some recovery miles. Since I extended Saturday’s run I expected to put in anywhere between 3 and 6 miles, bringing me to my weekly goal of 50 miles. Tired and with a slight hangover, I set out for a Penn’s Landing out-and-back. I again ran further than expected – maybe it’s because I’ve been smashing goals left and right, or maybe it’s because I recently started music again on my runs (thanks to a bite-sized mp3 player from MM on V-day), but it’s likely a combination of all this and the fact that I found myself on the run less than 24 hours after a near-20 miler, still feeling strong (in a relative sense of course). This leads to smiles and super-boosts in confidence. But I didn’t get too confident, curbing yesterday’s run at 8 miles in 1:06:29. Average HR 148, max 160. In terms of pain, I’ll admit my left knee was tender but manageable, but I’m surprised at the overall lack of muscle soreness. Mostly stiffness in the joints.

What’s more is between these efforts I found myself in the presence of amazing food. I’m not one to gorge myself (most of the time) - lately it’s more of a single, day-long meal. This was the case Saturday as well as Sunday. Sunday was a trip to NYC, and time on my feet traipsing around museums was excellent for dispelling post-run stiffness.

No running today, save the short sprint to the train station. I’m likely one of very few who run for the train even when I'm on time.

Monday Recap

2/11 – 0 mi, AM yoga
2/12 – 4 mi treadmill / 30 min, 32 min indoor cycle, stretch/core
2/13 – 11.25 mi / 1:16:18
2/14 – 9 mi track / 1:05:38, stretch/core, PM yoga
2/15 – 4 mi treadmill / 33:40, 10 min row, 23 min indoor cycle, stretch/core
2/16 – 19.5 mi / 2:33
2/17 – 8 mi / 1:06:29

Weekly total was 55 ¾ mi in 7:05:05, average pace of 7:37/mile. Significant jump from last week, but I feel good, so I’ll go with it. I’m looking forward to additional speed work this week with perhaps a 50 mile cap.

Steady As I Go

Gym day. Opened up with 10 min on the rowing machine. This was the first time I’ve used one of these, and I have mixed feelings about it. Maybe I’ll incorporate it into future workouts. Gets the whole body working – this is important for me since I tend to neglect areas other than my legs.

Then 23 min on the stationary cycle. Repeated the 60 second surge workout I did on Tuesday, with no warmup or down, increasing resistance for each consecutive surge. Went something like 10 min steady – surge – 5 min steady – surge – 5 min steady – surge. Steady HR a bit higher, around 170, reaching 187 by the third surge. I felt great on the bike today, I suppose I’m getting more used to it.

Immediately to the TM, where I held true to my plan to keep it easy today. Consistently easy pace, between 8:30 and 8:20/mile. Legs felt tired, but not overtired. Barely noticeable left knee tenderness by mile 4. HR checks:

Mile 0 – 126 bpm
Mile 1 – 172 bpm
Mile 2 – 170 bpm
Mile 3 – 168 bpm
Mile 4 – 168 bpm

Again, focusing on the benefits of recovering on the run. I’m convinced TM physics is much different than the physics of true running, even though they are mostly identical motions. The effect of this difference combined with higher ambient temperatures (indoor), and the fact that I’m coming off of a high-intensity cycling session, could explain the higher-than-average HR for that pace.

MM made me an epic mix to put on the new microscopic mp3 player she got me for V-day. Decemberists, Clor, Manu Chau, among many others. Very exciting. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s runs – hopefully I can find company.

[2 x 25 pushups, 2 x 25 situps, 2 x 10 single leg squats, 2 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 2 x 15 standing piriformis lifts, various stretches]

Get Rhythm

In contrast to last Thursday I snapped out of bed quite easily this morning, checked the weather, and was battling the cold wind by 5:15. I had mentally planned today’s run to include a mix of tempo and track efforts. So far I’ve been to Temple twice in the past two weeks, feeling out their track, waiting until my legs felt supple enough for a test drive. Today they did. Here’s how it panned out:

• 1.5 mile warmup @ 8:00/mile
• 1 mile surge, 6:18 – This put me on the track, took a 400 m rest.
• 4 x 800 with 400 m active rests
• 2:58 – surprisingly strong
• 2:58 – nice consistency, but this is too hard for me today. Left knee tender.
• 3:14 – after contemplating calling it quits due to fear of irritating left knee and upset stomach (2^nd time this week!) I decide to continue at a lighter effort
• 3:02 – bringing it back closer to 1 and 2, feeling better after an easier third repeat. I’ll admit I opened up in the last 50 yards. Felt nice, likely sub-5 pace.
• .5 mile rest, brings me back to the street
• 1.25 mile surge, 8:10. This is easy since I’m going mostly downhill.
• 1.75 mile warmdown @ 8:20/mile. Legs tired. Knee pain fading.

In retrospect, if I’d eased up a bit during the first few track repeats, I might have maintained a steadier pace. I’m not discouraged in the least however as this was the first track workout since…October? Really? Wow. This was a successful return. I’ll be back next Thursday with my new ipod shuffle. Valentine’s Day rules. All together, 9 miles in 1:05:38. Average HR 163. Max 186. Looking forward to an easy day tomorrow.

[2 x 30 pushups, 2 x 30 situps, 2 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 2 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 2 x 15 standing piriformis lifts, various stretches]

Because Nice Weather Seems Nicer

I’ve been thinking about overcoming my fears of the swim and trying some laps, especially while I have access to a fairly nice pool. This growing thirst was definitely thwarted today as I slogged through messy, messy conditions on my way round a southern tour of center city.

Something about running in terrible weather strikes my fancy, at least while I’m not doing it. Then I cross a certain threshold and find myself miserable. Today that threshold was when my garments had soaked the entire way through after landing in the 70^th unexpected 5” deep puddle, while trying to avoid ice and oncoming vehicles who were themselves avoiding ice by cruising down the bicycle lane. I laughed as I skated across 34^th St. Bridge into West Philly, wondering if I’d be any less comfortable if I slipped into the river below. I came to the conclusion that I’d be more comfortable.

I was psyched prior to the run because as far as I could tell by judging the weather forecasts there would be a 2-3 hour break in the “heavy rain” during which there would be only “light showers.” This lull came later than anticipated, after I’d already been out for an hour.

Regardless, I had Bob Dylan and Charles Mingus to keep me company, and the majority of the run was fairly decent considering the extremely ridiculous conditions. And only once, after the rain had stopped, did I lose my balance while spritzing along the sidewalk and hit the ice (it was graceful at least). Thanks for the support Bob. Ironically, during the desperate ½-mile stretch between Spring Garden St. and my front door, Mingus cued Rachmaninoff and I had a lovely segue into reality. I was ready for the credits to start rolling on this tragic yet bizarrely amazing run. 11.25 miles in 1:36:18. Average HR 149.

Bubble Pop Electric

The gym is a boring place. Many tens of people expending energy and moving nowhere (at least not in the literal physical sense). Not to sound negative, I’d just rather be outside. Alas, there are advantages as well, and I tend to gain from the “compartmentalization” of spaces, as it seems to induce efficient workouts. There is also the psychological effect of traveling to the gym, a specific location with a specific purpose for me.

In response to (or perhaps in fear of) extreme gym boredom I tend to keep things interesting by doing technical workouts. Today I spent 32 minutes on the stationary spinner. It took 5 minutes to warmup to a LT effort, which for me on an indoor bike means between 170 and 175 bpm. Over the next 27 minutes I challenged myself with 3 60 second surges at higher resistance, simulating hills, resting at the original effort level for roughly 5 min between each surge. By the last surge my HR hit a max of 183. This was tough.

In lieu of a cooldown on the bike before running, which I’ve done in the past, I hopped right on the treadmill. Maybe I’m subconsciously thinking I’ll get into triathlon someday, but mostly I decided that I don’t need a mid-workout cooldown. Either way, I found myself trotting along in place at an 8 min/mile pace. HR check at mile 0 was 165. After 1 mile I picked it up to 7:30 – at this point I was up to 174 bpm. At mile two I continued at 7:30, 174 bpm. At 2.5 I picked it up to 7:00/mile. Mile 3, 176 bpm. Mile 3.5, back down to 8:00/mile. I slowed to a walk at mile 4, 175 bpm. After a minute or two of walking I began a stretch/core routine, listed in brackets below.

My HR during the run was exceptionally high for a medium effort. Running outside at that pace I’d have averaged 160-165. This doesn’t worry me. I prefaced the run with a hard cycling effort, so I was forced to recover while running. This is my main goal for these workouts. I imagine there’s some benefit in learning how to cope with fatigue on the run. I’ll continue workouts like these until I’m confident I can replace them with hard running efforts. Today my legs felt good. Barely noticeable pain in the left knee, and my left ankle doesn’t hurt while running anymore. Only when I twist it a certain way while stationary. I hardly ever (maybe once in three years) experience exercise induced indigestion, so either I ate some bad spinach or I had a strong workout.

My roommate lent me his ipod nano, but I didn't put any of my music on it. I played his collection on shuffle, but don't remember much of what I heard. Particularly noteworthy were Belle and Sebastian and Gwen Stefani. For the record, 4 miles in 30 min flat.

[2 x 30 pushups, 2 x 30 situps, 2 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 2 x 15 standing piriformis lifts, various stretches]

Efflorescence

I tend to enjoy this word – the way it sounds, how it can look washed along red brick façades – what brought it to mind is the white streaks on the temples of my eyeglasses. Kind of a subtle reminder of the science behind exercise, and the delicate intricacy of the human body. I laugh to myself since I’m sure everyone wonders how I seemingly got toothpaste all they way back there. I guess I should scrub it off, but then again if I did I wouldn’t have little moments like this.

No running today, only a light yoga routine before heading off to work. Felt nice to sleep a little later, I certainly needed it. I could’ve actually used maybe an hour more, but being awake is just so darn fun, you know?

Monday Recap:

2/4 – 0 mi, 60 min stretch/core
2/5 – 4 mi treadmill/ 31.5 min, 40 min tempo on indoor cycle, light stretch/core
2/6 – 10 mi / 85 min, light stretch/core
2/7 – 6.5 mi / 53.5 min, light stretch/core
2/8 – 0 mi, unplanned rest
2/9 – 16 mi / 125 min, minimal stretch
2/10 – 9.5 mi / 78 min, minimal stretch

That’s 46 miles for the week in 6:13:00, for an average pace of 8:07 per mile. I’m feeling strong, although my calves are a bit sore this morning, and my knee is still slightly tender. I’m beginning to think the knee may be something I’ll have to cope with until after Caesar Rodney, after which I can take a more substantial rest. Not to say I won’t continue to be cautious, but merely that I’m OK with a dull pain as long as it does not progress. And the cold? What cold?

I'll take it...

...as it comes. Runs like yesterday's fascinate me. I had planned to do 8.5 miles on the MLK Jr. - East River loop with the PhillyRunners folks. Found myself trotting along with John and Steve, two others from the group. They mentioned their plan to extend the group's route up through the hills of West Fairmount Park, and I was soon contemplating a 16 miler. I had tentatively planned 16 miles for today, but I decided to listen to my gut and get the miles in while I had the company. Crazy right? After whining all week about my left knee and ankle and coming down with a cold. Yet somehow I found it in me to get in an excellent long run. No ankle or knee pain at all. No sniffles. I guess the rest on Friday paid its dues. The miles ticked by fairly quickly as there never seemed to be too much of a lull in our conversation. My legs felt stiff after the run. You know, like I'd just run 16 miles. But I was amazed, and still am, at how easily I recovered post-run. Left me smiling for the rest of the day. 15.5 miles in 2:02, 16 including 1/2-mile warmup. Average HR a bit high, 169.


Today, on the other hand, was a different story. I'll preface with the fact that I feel good now. Good and tired, the satisfied kind of tired. But I'm not sure a 9.5-mile "easy" run in today's blustery conditions qualifies as "recovery" time. I waited until after 3 PM to hit the road to maximize the down time between yesterday's run and today's. My legs were snappy for the first mile or two, but I soon faded, and I knew what kind of run it'd be.

I typically run a medium effort (in terms of pace and distance) on Saturdays and reserve Sundays for LSD. Since I'd gotten my long and slow yesterday I figured I'd just flip my usual routine around. Apparently it's not as simple as that. Yesterday's 16 left me depleted, and shortly into today's run I was out of gas.

Difficult as it was to finish, however, I never really experienced any serious pain. More sluggishness than anything. Surprising as well since I'd expected some irritation in the left knee. My 152 average HR was also more reasonable than yesterday's. In the past few months I've experimented with ice baths, as I've found they help to alleviate the post-run crampiness I tend to experience. Today it was 9.5 miles in 1:18 and 12 minutes in the chiller.

Preventive Maintenance

I arose this morning and stood silently in front of my gym bag. An epic internal struggle was unfolding as I attempted to assess the state of my health. Yesterday morning I sensed a lingering head cold, and by 8 PM last night this sensation had intensified.

After a ten minute tug of war between tenacity and prudence I found myself contentedly enjoying a warm shower instead of a hot indoor cycling session. On days like today, especially while teetering on the verge of illness, a rest is more productive than even an easy workout. I’ll be grateful when I’m not sniffling during this weekend’s runs.

In Circles

It was tough to get out of bed this morning. I always sleep poorly Wednesday nights, for various schedule related reasons I won’t divulge here. So I’ve come to expect challenging Thursday mornings. Not to mention I may be experiencing the preamble to a head cold.

I was mostly mucus-free however as I approached the Temple track after a 2.5 mile easy warmup. The route there up the shallow hills of Cecil B. Moore is already familiar from the days I used to ride my bike to class. Sunrise above the colorful “free walls” is one of subtle beauty, although I was a bit early for that this morning. Hopefully the route will become more familiar a piedi in the coming weeks as I begin to ease into interval workouts.

The surface of the track felt wonderful beneath my feet and I wanted badly to dig in. However, as my knee still feels slightly tender I opted out of a full throttle track session. 6 easy laps round the loop and it was back home. Coming off the track and descending the Temple “plateau” I naturally settled into a quicker pace. I’d left home at about 8:45/mile and returned at about 7:45/mile. 6.5 miles in 53:30.

[2 x 25 pushups, 2 x 30 situps, 2 x 10 single leg squats, 2 x 10 “donkey kicks,” 2 x 10 standing piriformis lifts, various stretches]

Grand Opening

This entry officially marks the opening of this chapter in my training. Here goes:

Got out for an easy 10 miles in my new shoes. Somewhat of a surreal air about the city today as the temperature at 5:15 AM was in the upper 50s, on a path into the upper 60s by midday today. I wore a short sleeve shirt and shorts.

Today was a repeat with slight modifications of the run I did on Sunday. Just as my inner voices duked it out during that run, they battled today over whether or not I would cut the run short. This began about 4.5 miles out, just like Sunday. The source of my contemplation stems from some tenderness in my left knee and ankle. The knee had been an issue since just after Brian’s Run in December. That day after the race, just before ascending the steps into my house I bent down to retrieve something I’d dropped on the ground and felt a “pop!” in my knee. It swelled up immediately (although not severely) and remained sore for a week or two. I took it easy and it gradually improved.

An unfortunate side effect of pushing my weekly mileage into the upper 50s this last month has been the return of some pain in this knee. Additionally, an abrupt change of shoes 3 weeks ago caused irritation in the outside of my left ankle. My slightly altered gait (due to the knee discomfort) and constant running on canted surfaces certainly hasn’t helped the issue.

So last week I maxed out around 30 miles of mostly easy running, and I’ll very cautiously reach 50/week again before Caesar Rodney. The stretching/strengthening routine I’ve implemented over the last week has been going well, and I’m quite surprised at how much better I feel already. I’ll continue to push myself at the gym with non-weight bearing aerobic activities until I feel confident that my legs are ready for dedicated running again.

Overall, today’s run felt much better than Sunday’s of the same distance/effort, with very minimal muscular soreness. Incidentally, after nearly doubling back at Broad St., I felt much better once I got to the PMA and witnessed 5 or 6 others out enjoying the pre-dawn serenity of the city. It helps to know I’m not alone. 10 miles in 1:25 for an even 8:30.

[2 x 25 pushups, 2 x 25 situps, 2 x 15 lateral left lifts, 2 x 10 “donkey kicks,” 2 x 10 standing piriformis lifts, various stretches]