Bret

AM - 2 miles around the city of Tokyo near the hotel after a long flight.   The post viral recalibration of my heart rate is depressing - so my effort on Sunday will be just to make it through to the finish regardless of how slow.   

AM - chilly 2 miles looping around the area where the start of the race will be tomorrow.  Lots of people in town from the states for the race.  Coincental meeting with a couple of runners, one of whom has a son who lives right near my neighborhood in Milton.  Small world.   

Found this article in Runner's World regarding running post-Covid - which although I tested negative 4 times and not just home tests...Here's what I am experiencing:

For many, a slightly elevated resting heart rate might not even be noticeable. But runners who use their heart rate for training may start to recognise what has become an extremely common pattern: while they may feel well enough to run, their heart rate is higher than they would expect when doing so. Everything is suddenly recalibrated: running at a pace that previously might have peaked at 80% of your max, now starts at that level. Easy efforts suddenly become steady, steady efforts become hard and hard becomes impossible. It can feel – depressingly – like you’re considerably less fit and have less stamina than before. 

Why does this happen? ‘It seems likely that this goes back to some sort of inflammation, and also to the impact of the autonomic nervous system that has been found in many Covid study participants and patients, where they have trouble regulating their heart rate,’ says Dr Radin.

Tokyo Marathon 2024.   This was on my calendar for at least 7 months as the 6th and final of the marathon majors to obtain for the special Abbot World Marathon Major's Six Star Medal.  As with a lot of things in life, the best laid plans sometimes do not come together as hoped.   An injury to my left hip in late January and a severe (non-covid) virus flummoxed my cardiac/heart rate as it has with a number of people post-virus to where and easy effort run, is now a steady state effort, and a steady state effort is hard, and hard is not possible.  The average recovery from this malaise is 79 days...and I am only about 30 days post virus.   Anyway, with as difficult and expensive it is to get into the Tokyo race, I decided to do this race only to complete the task, being fully aware that it would be a physcially challenging and miserable experience.  I knew my time would be considerably slower than my average efforts, but that was ok as long as I finished.

Well, the race went about as I had expected, unfortunately.   Richie made the trip with his family and with his friend Johnny who works with him.  Richie had not been focused on training in the last few weeks and so was onboard with running with me however slowly that would be.  We ran together for the first half of the race.  Each time my HR would exceed 150 my Garmin alarm would sound and I would slow my pace to get it back down.   The challenge was real from the first 100 meters, where it was already at 144.   We were able to run mid 9 min to 10 min pace for the first 8 miles or so, but as the temps got warmer, and the bright sunshine started to dehydrate me, my HR began to get out of my control.  160 is my aerobic threshold, and I had no interest in allow myself to go down that path for a sure bonk.  

At around the 8 mile mark Richie noted that my gait was looking off.   He was not wrong.  As the miles went on, my left hip strength seemed to fatigue to the point in which I as literally leaning sideways antalgically causing a severally wonky running form.  I saw myself in my shadow with the sun at my back - and it was alarming.   At around mile 12 Richie needed to use the restroom - but did not want to use the portajohns which were generally down alleyways away from the course by a few hundred yards- and instead he went into a restuarant.  This is where we got split up.  So from mile 12 to 22 with my heartrate not allowing me to run for more than about 300 meters without spiking to the mid 150s and my antaligic gait - I ticked through the miles solo just trying to get to the finish line.  

Around mile 22 a guy named Rob came up to me and said hey, your going for the 6 star too? (we had special bib's on the backs of our shirts to identify us) - do you mind if I walk with you a bit?  And so Rob from Chicago became my new friend as we walked in the last 4 miles of the event.   He had a calf injury about 5 weeks ago that derailed his training and when he saw me walking with the strange lean he figured we could make the best of things by keeping each other company to the finish.   By resorting to just walking - my lean straightend up - and my HR of course was at least not problematic and perhaps even helped clear out some lactate.   We finished together, got our Six Star Medals did a photo together and bid each other farewell. 

Richie finished ahead of me, and Johnny going for his first sub 4 marathon succeeded with a 3:53 in his 4th try.  

AM - I did a mile just to see how bad my body was after yesterday's race, and to my surprise it was not as bad as I thought it was.  Not sure if I will continue with the running streak though. 

AM - about 1.5 miles very slowly, but perhaps a glimmer of some improvement with the HR issues.  Avg. pace was 11:30 but my avg HR was "only" 118 for the effort - which would have been at least 10-12 bpm higher for the same effort last week.  Also, overnight my HR was 60 which is probably the best it has been in about 5 weeks.  

AM - 1 mile on the hotel treadmill.   Heading to Kyoto today.  

AM - 1.25 miles on the treadmill at the hotel in Kyoto Japan.   Feels like the HR issue has had a change for the good today.  Resting HR the last 2 days is closer to normal overnight.  

AM - just under 2 miles (3K) from the hotel in Kyoto.  Last here before heading home.  Run was markedly better in the HR department.   Avg HR for 10:25 pace was 119.   Compared to 137 or higher the last several weeks at that pace and distance - I think I have turned a corner with the resolution of the post-virus thing.   Left hip is not normal unfortunately.   Ongoing debate with myself to either continue easy 1-2 mile runs for a while until the hip issue resolves or take a few weeks of no running recovery.  I may decide tomorrow after I get home.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn in the neighborhood. I had not planned to run today but having been away for over a week, my doggie really wanted to exercise.  I started off thinking we'd just go for a walk, but decided "maybe a mile jog" but as I got going, things felt a little better and more normal and so, I ended up running my full loop and at reasonably conservative pace with my HR not too far above normal.  

AM - getting inspiration from yesterday's positive running experience, Finn and I did another 3 mile run this morning about 30 seconds per mile faster than yesterday, with a lower average HR.   All things are moving it seems in the right direction day by day.

AM - 3 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Temps were back down to the low 30's - so winter is not quite over with yet.   Body continues to gradually improve day by day.  This morning's pace was slightly faster than yesterday, and the avg HR was 5 points lower - down to 129 for the run.  May just limit myself to no more than 3 miles per day for a week or two as the recovery continues.

AM - 3 miles with Finn on the Milton Trail.   Ran a good bit faster today finally averaging under 9 min per mile.  HR was higher, but this is a hilly route and that was to be expected particularly at a faster pace.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn at Milton HS.  Pace was in the mid 8:40's but I worked with too much effort, it seems, today.  Perhaps wanting to be back to running this route in the low 8's I pushed a bit and I am probably not quite ready for that effort.  Will scale back a bit keeping the experience easy the next couple of days knowing that my progress has been significant day by day, but I do not want to end up with a set back. 

AM - 3.25 intentionally much slower miles today to ease back into things - I think I got a little exhuberant the last two days of being able to run at a relatively decent training pace without my HR being at the aerobic limit - but I am only 10 days out from a rough marathon and post-viral HR issues along with a strain in the left hip...so I ran at 10:30 pace keeping my HR under 125 bpm - (by comparison on Feb 28th I did about a 2 mile run at 10:48 pace an my HR was 142) -  and will do that for a couple more days or so.   Starting of possible plantar fascitis in the left foot too that I noticed after yesterday's run.   

AM - 3 miles very easy again today with Finn.   Got some new Saucony Rides and Kinvaras in the the mail yesterday.  Did not run with the Garmin with the HR alert, but instead with the Apple Watch and only checked it at the end - so ran to feel.  127 avg HR and about 20 seconds faster ppm today over yesterday.  PF was not noticeable on the run.  Was very groggy this morning having taken some cold medicine last night to help me sleep.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Good bit faster and around the same avg HR as yesterday.   

AM - 3 miles on the trail with Finn before church.   Just ran to feel - decent progress. 

AM - met Dan at Milton HS for a run this morning.  He has not run in a couple of months due to a hamstring issue.  He's scheduled to have PRP in a couple of weeks, but he wanted to get out an do a short easy run - and I was happy to have some company and to keep me from running too quickly.  

AM - 3.75 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Temps dropped into the upper 20's - so hoping this may be winter's last gasp.  Run was decent; HR is nearly back to normal.   Resumed taking the statin two days ago and there was some achiness in the hips this morning.  

AM - a little over 4 miles today.  Drove to Dan's house and ran up to the horsefarm roads for a change of scenery - and I thought perhaps a flatter route, but my memory failed me as it turns out there are some slow steady but not steep hills out to the roads.  Ended up running with a bit more intensity than I think I should have - I find it hard to mentally govern my effort when I usually like to just let my mind drift and fall into my normal training pace at times.   Will try to run a bit easier tomorrow and the next day to allow more time for my body's fitness to get back to normal.

AM - a little less than 3.25 miles on the trail with Finn.  Intentionally easier effort today over yesterday - and although the first mile felt good and relaxed, I did not feel that way on the second mile at all - last mile was better.  Some achiness in the left hip was noticeable both pre and post run, but not during.  

AM - 4.75 miles with Finn this morning through the neighborhood and partly on the golf course - as that is where Finn really wanted to go.   Statin is likely causing some achiness in both hips as the medication gets back into my system.  Usually have this unconfortable period around the end of week one and it normalizes around the end of week two.

AM - did a mile on the trail running with Dan and the dogs, and then he needed to walk due to his bad hamstring, so we walked another 2 miles.   After breakfast I hopped on the treadmill and did 5 miles at a controlled effort which felt good not having the ups and downs of the streets and trails - and getting a decent amount of volume for the day. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Finn on the Nix Rd route - decent pace getting closer to my normal training pace - and decent HR.   

AM - 5 miles in DC along the Mt. Vernon trail from Crystal City next to the airport and along the Potomac and back.   Chilly out but once I got warmed up, the pace was decent.

AM - 5.5 miles from the hotel in Crystal City to the Tidal Basin in DC to see the Cherry Blossoms - which were in full bloom and were quite pretty as the sun was rising behind the Jefferson Memorial.   Ran with too much effort today - or heart rate was off - even though the pace was not particularly fast, my HR was like a tempo effort.  Not sure what happened today with that - could be that I ran too hard yesterday or did not have the right nutrition or the HR thing is not quite right yet.   Will scale back for the next couple of days with some easier aerobic efforts. 

AM - just and easy 3 miles this morning at home in the neighborhood with Finn.   Intentionally slower paced - hoping I just needed a few easy days to allow my body's fitness to catch up to where my brain thinks it is.  

AM - 4 miles on a hilly route - not particularly happy with this one today.   pace was slower than normal and my HR was too high for the pace.  I suppose I should have given myself another day of easier effort before just starting to run my normal training pace.  Not sure if I am having a recurrance of HR issues or a milder version of that.   A bit frustrating not to feel normal. 

PM - 2 miles on the treadmill - more experimental...HR was ok at around 9 min pace - which would suggest it is still a little bit off - but not markedly - and could be attributed to just not being in good fitness.   I may consider secondary runs on the treadmill at a controlled HR after running a couple of miles with Finn outside as a warm up for a bit. 

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn - in which we started on the trail and then got out on Dinsmore and did a loop back through the north woods neighborhood.  Oddly much faster pace today - nearly a minute faster pace per mile at the same HR as yesterday.   Pleased with the 8:30 pace but not sure what to make of the variations on pace and effort day to day.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Finn on the Nix Road route.  Another day at 8:30 pace - which was good and though the HR avg was more in the upper 130's to low 140's - it felt more solid today - not an over-reaching type effort.   Did a 2 mile walk with Dan and the dogs afterward.  

AM - 3.25 miles up and down Freemanville - as it was a Sunday morning the traffic situation permitted it.  Another decent pace effort - the third in a row. I am enjoying the trend.  Also, I read a book called the Plant Paradox - which advocates for a mostly plant based diet and even more restrictive - the types of plant based foods are even further restricted.  Anyway, one of the more interesting things in the book is crazy as it sounds, whole grains are generally NOT good for your gut inhibiting absorption of key nutrients.  Having consumed a mostly whole grain diet at least for breakfast for the last decade and correspondingly losing ferritin more rapidly each year - I did an experiment this week of eliminating whole grains from my breakfast...by the end of this week my morning blood pressure was down and my pace on daily runs improved considerably.   Could be a coincidence.