our choices show what we truly are

I had to stay at home this morning, so I went running enjoying this morning spring weather. Same theme of the last few days a little bit longer a little bit faster, 10 miles in 1:22:12. This morning at end I was tired, definitively things are not completely back to normal yet.

The sky this morning was black, heavy rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast, I went to the lake for an easy run, but I doubted I could finish without getting really wet. I decided to go back and forth for 2 miles from my car, in this way I felt "safer" in case of a major event. I finished 13.1 miles in 1:53 but the great news was how the wind kept the black clouds rolling the whole time and only when I was driving home the heavy rain and flooding started. Today I felt officially recovered from the race.

Rest day, I spent the whole morning swimming and pool running and relaxing in a hot spring, after 3 hours of that my blood pressure and my blood sugar were so low that I felt really confused, I ate something, got home and slept for a couple of hours.

2.2 km WU, 5km at HMP 3:57, 3:56, 3:58, 4:00, 4:02, 1k recovery jog, another 5km 3:53, 4:00, 4:00, but I had to stop after 200m to leave my lunch on the side of the road, after that I kept jogging and puking my eyeballs (my stomack was empty) for another 5.5km. I really felt horrible. I have read many times about people puking and feeling great again, it wasn't my case. I went home feeling a knot in my stomach while my legs were just fine.

Lesson learned I will never do a fast workout 1 hour right after lunch. Now I am watching the Super Bowl even though I know that the Ravens won.

Easy recovery run, I felt much better than expected after yesterday run. It was hard just because the fog and the constant light rain, but it wasn't cold (around 5°C).

Easy run in 42:13, nothing special.

Speed workout night, but the conditions were not great. Strong wind from the north, -2°C and I felt just tired from the day at work. I changed my original and boring plan from 8X800 with 2:00m recovery jog to 5X800m with 3:00 recovery. During the first one I was excited to do a short workout with long recoveries and the first interval was 2:52, then things started being more realistic, 2:58, 3:00, 3:03, 3:01. At the end as anticipated I felt totally trashed and tired, after all it was a good idea to remodulate my plan and doing something more sustainable and realistic for the day. Next week I will reintroduce back in my training the 400m to push a little bit my top end speed. 

Last night at the end of my workout I was totally wasted, tonight I was much fresher than expected, my legs were fine and in spite of the strong wind and the cold weather I went through 7 miles fast and easy. After all yesterday the big killer was the wind, I have done harder and faster workouts, and tonight I was not tired at all.

Third day in a row of cold weather and strong wind from the north, at least I went running in the morning with a beautiful sun and clear skies. I did some sort of progressive run to 5:40/k to 4:45/k finishing 13.1 miles in 1:48 something and then doing 10X100m strides with 100m recovery jogging. Overall 5:05/k for 14.5 miles.

One hour swimming, I lack a decent swimming form, for this reason at the end I felt totally trashed.

Heavy rain and cold temps, perfect excuses for not going out to run.

Speed work out night, I wanted to test if I could do some "pure" speed doing the 400s.

The plan was 12X400 w/ 1 min recovery jog at 1:20-1:25. To do this workout I decided to use an "exact" 400m stretch close to the industrial area where I run every evening, the only problem this road is completely in the dark and it is very narrow and there is a house at the end of this road. I did a 5k warm up and then I started. These were my splits: 1:23, 1:19, 1:24, 1:21, 1:25, 1:23, 1:26, 2:11, 1:27, 1:23, 1:28, 1:23 AP 1:24. Split #8 was bad because I had to stop and move out of the road because a car was coming. This road was slight uphill going out and slightly downhill coming back that's why the yo-yo in my times.

I was happy with the outcome of this run, I am really looking forward to more of this in the next few weeks.

Easy recovery run with a cold wind. Nothing fun just miles.

Fast workout night with a mini tempo run on the fast side. The plan was to attemp a 6k at 3:55-4:00/k with 3:55 much closer to my current 10k pace than 4:00/k.

In the last month I did a 10k as a tempo run at 4:01/k so 3:55/k would be a good stimulus. During the 4k warm up I didn't feel that great and I had doubts about my full recover after the 400m session on tuesday but I decided to finish my plan, accepting slowing down, rather than not starting it at all.

These were my splits each k: 3:55, 3:51, 3:58, 3:49, 4:02, 3:51 AP 3:54 +2".

I was very pleased about the outcome, I definitively worked hard during the last 2k but I wasn't racing all out.
I finished with 4.5k "cooldown", but because it was already cold and windy I finished the last 3k at 5:00/k. Overall final pace was 4:56/k.

Easy recovery run, 10k in 58 minutes. Cold and humid.

Easy medium run to enjoy the sun and the warmer temperatures. I finished 26k in 2:13:19. Nothing really fast, but it was a good aerobic marathon pace.

Easy run around the lake.

Speed workout. 12X400 with 200m recovery jog. I started with 4.1k warm up and given the conditions, windy and cold, I really needed it. These were my splits 86, 84, 86, 82, 86, 80, 85, 83, 85, 82, 85, 80  AP 83.66. This week I felt more comfortable throughout the whole workout, I was more prepared for the pain at the end and when it was coming I was ready to embrace it. Good feelings.

Easy run,  my legs were not sore but overall I was very tired tonight, no energy available. I had some sugar before going out but didn't help.

Feeling sick just some miles.

Still feeling sick, 7 miles at slow pace, I cancelled my planned tempo run. I am hoping to feel better tomorrow.

Still sick plus it was raining outside, 1 hour biking inside.

I felt a little bit better I went out for a couple of kms shakeout run, then the heavy rain started and went inside for another hour of biking inside.

Easy run outside, I was feeling much better, I did about 15 strides of about 100m with 100m recovery just to have my legs moving again.

Tonight I was feeling weird I was cold, it was cold outside and I didn't feel that great going out for a run. I went out anyway and finished a 10 k in 57 minutes.

I did a short speed work out 6X400m with 200m recovery, to have some speed back in my body, without taxing it too much. These were my splits: 85, 78, 84, 78, 86, 80. They were significantly faster than last week because I did half of them and I was much more rested. Last significant work out before next sunday race.

Five easy miles, I am feeling completely recovered from last night speed workout and I am ready for next sunday HM.

Last run, friday and saturday will be rest days. If it wasn't for the unplanned rest days at the end of last week I would be very satisfied of the consistency and intensity of my training during the last month. I am really looking forward to sunday race and then start training hard again.