I am one with the levee and the levee with me

Starting off the New Year right with a track workout. 3 x 1600m (200m jog) + 3 x 3000m (400m jog) + 4 x 200m (200m jog).

5:19, 5:18, 5:18 (T)

3:03, 3:03, 3:04 (I)

34.4, 33.7, 33.1, 32.9 (R)

It poured during the 1600s. 1/4-1 inch of water in lane 1 all the way around. It stopped and the track mostly drained before the 1000s, though I was totally soaked. Relatively warm at 65°F. Everything felt pretty good. I kept starting the 1000s a little quick (72s 1st quarter).

This is the last speed work I do before Houston. There's a 4 x 2 mile scheduled for Saturday, and after that it's all taper and smaller maintenance work.

12 easy

AM - 12 very easy w/ 4 x 200m hill sprints. Also got a speed rep in during the first mile trying to get away from crazy doggo. I don't like when crazy doggo is loose, but man I can find a high gear when it happens.

7:57 avg pace. Hardly moving.

PM - 6 easy, 7:29 pace.

12 easy

Failed workout. I had 4 x 3200m on the schedule, but I wasn't feeling great on the warmup. Shortened it to 3 x 3200m. On the first 1600 I only managed 5:36. I stopped, jogged a lap to try to reset and started again. 5:23. Not so bad. Let's try another. 5:26 fading badly over the final lap. I pulled the plug at that point. There is a time and place for pushing through tired legs, but I don't feel that 2 weeks before the goal race is that time. 

Failed workouts never feel great, but I know myself well enough by now that I can shake this off and rest up.

PM -- Skipped the afternoon run in favor of a nap. 

6 x mile on the levee. 1:00 rests. Perfect weather in the low-50s and no wind.

5:20, 5:19, 5:19, 5:14, 5:17, 5:14

Felt great. Could have ran many more reps in the same range. I feel a cold coming on, so this will likely be the last significant work before Houston.

AM - 6 easy

PM - 6 easy

8 easy

AM - 4 w/ 8x200m levee sprints

PM - 6 easy

12 easy

Levee workout. 2 miles @ T, 4 miles @ MP, 2 miles @ T (all 2:00 rests).

Windy morning that intensified throughout the workout.

10:38 (5:18, 5:20 down)

22:27 (5:41 & 5:37 up, 5:39 & 5:30 down)

11:02 (5:26, 5:36 up)

I was hoping to get a gauge on MP, but the wind made things difficult. 

12 easy

8 easy. I started a round of antibiotics ahead of Houston. Have had this lingering cold/sore throat and want to get it taken care of.

4 x 1k @ T on the levee. 3:23, 3:26, 3:17, 3:19. Took a little bit to get going as usual. Otherwise things are feeling good to go.

5 easy. Wanted to get a couple more but work was a little crazy today. 6am-noon & 7pm-7am Fri morning. Not ideal for a race week, but I had Friday off to catch up on sleep.

6 easy + 6 x 40s pickups @ MPish

4 easy + 90s pickup @ MP

2nd marathon in the bag. I'm happy to improve on my 2:29:15 from Kentucky Derby, and I feel happier about this PR than the 30ish second improvement might indicate. I wanted to be more aggressive over the last few miles. I wanted to push my limits over the final stretch, to see if I could sustain a long drive to the finish, or see if I could hold it together if it went south. Obviously I didn't get my stated goal of sub-2:27, but this is progress all the same.

Weather was cold (33°F at the start) and a little breezy, but much better than the 15-20 mph winds the forecast showed early in the week. Miles 11-18 were breezy. That stretch wasn't much fun.

The splits tell the story pretty well (watch recorded 26.44, but I was only about 0.1 off the mile markers until the last few miles):

5:40, 5:38, 5:30, 5:33, 5:40, 5:28, 5:35, 5:38, 5:35, 5:39, 5:37, 5:45, 5:31, 5:41, 5:46, 5:37, 5:36, 5:38, 5:31, 5:28, 5:30, 5:40, 5:38, 5:49, 5:56, 6:06, 4:19 to the finish

My early pace yo-yo'd a bit and I struggled to find a group. I started conservatively like I wanted and dropped down a lot when the elite women went by. Decided that wasn't a good idea and slowed back to 5:40. Then dipped again catching a pair of women HM'ers who held 5:35s to the split at mile 7.5. 5:30 felt fine, but those miles may not have been the best thing early on.

Self-check at the course split said the pace didn't feel great. Aerobically fine, but legs were uncomfortable. I took that as a bad sign but opted to take hope in the aerobic feedback. I tempered my time expectation a little and worried I might blow up early. I briefly considered scaling back the pace, but that was only for a moment. I wanted an aggressive pace, and I was okay with going through a blow up if it happened.

After the split I had a hard time finding people to run with. I caught a guy in mile 9 who went 1.5 miles with me but then started to drop back. We reached the 10-mile marker in 56:02, and I felt good about that. Sub-2:27 pace. The next miles were got harder, as expected. I glanced behind but didn't see anyone nearby. One guy in the distance ahead but otherwise alone. 11-13 were a little windier than I'd hoped, and 13-18 were about as windy as I expected. Less than 10mph, but it adds up over those miles. I had a 5:41 and 5:46 back-to-back and just kept telling myself it would get better when the course turned at 18.

Every self-check through here gave me the same info as at mile 7. Aerobically fine. Legs uncomfortable. Not sure how long I can hold a good pace. The turn finally came just before mile 18 and brought relief from the breeze as we turned towards downtown. There was a pack of 3 women not too far ahead, and I put them in my sights. It was time to go. It only took a small increase in effort and 19-21 went 5:31, 5:28, 5:30. 

By mile 22 the pain in my legs was real. However, I had 2 decent miles (5:40 & 5:38) and thought I might hold it together. But the small rolling hills over the final miles were enough to break whatever I had left. 24-26 was 5:49, 5:56, and 6:06. My right hip flared, which I'm sure was due to my deadened legs compensating with whatever muscles could fire. 

Afterwards I hobbled into the convention center and lay on the ground shivering and waiting for my body to return to some semblance of normalcy. One of the med volunteers pressured me into going into the medical tent, and I reluctantly went. I just wanted a blanket. Took awhile to get out, but the fluids and blankets helped a bunch.

This race was tough. Tougher than Kentucky from start to finish. My one regret is not finding a group, but I feel like I didn't have much control over that. The elite women were too fast, although they did have a van blocking the wind for them. I thought that wasn't allowed, but it was hard watching that wind block pull away. And behind them there was a big void. 

Goals for the next training cycle: Improve 5k/10k fitness and get in more quality long runs. I optimistically believe 5:30 can be marathon pace for the next one.

AM - 2 very, very slow. My left hammy appears to be strained, so I cut things short.

PM - 30 min elliptical

3 slow

AM - 4 slow

PM - 45 min elliptical

6 in 7:57 avg.

6 easy, no watch. Hammy is feeling stronger but still tight. Right hip is still hurting from the race. I think it will calm down, but I'm keeping a close eye on it.

AM - 8 at a normal pace (finally). Hammy felt 100% for the first time, but I'll give it a few more days before trying some strides. Hip is improving.

PM - 30 min elliptical. I wasn't planning to go hard but it turned into a 5:00 WU, 20:00 hard, 5:00 CD session. Added some small sets of weights (deadlift & bench).

8 easy. Hammy good, hip worrying me a little.

10 easy

New shoes. 10 easy with some short pickups to test the hammy. Everything felt good.

Tested out the hammy, hip, and new Vaporflys with a 5 mile uptempo portion on my run this morning. 6:05, 6:10, 6:05, 5:58, 5:45. Hammy felt great. Right hip hasn't progressed and is starting to worry me. Undecided on the Vaporflys.

12 in 6:55 avg.

6 easy. Slept in this morning due to cold and snuck in a shorter run this evening.

12 with 8 @ 6:08 avg. 

12 easy. A little sore from yesterday.

Lifted in the PM. Only 2 sets each with 95-115lbs on squat, deadlift, bench, with 2 sets of pullups.

12 easy.

6 easy

I ran the local RnR marathon with the goal of using it as a supported quality long run and hitting roughly 6:00. Secondary goal to win a little cash. I was not trying to race, but wanted to leave myself in good enough condition to start some quality sessions by the end of this week. I averaged ~5:55 for most of the first half, dropping down to 5:50 with a small group I latched onto.

After the courses split at 12.5, I saw that 1st was only about a minute up. I was dumb and got competitive and went after him. 13-19 were around 5:45 avg and I narrowed the gap to 10-15s before he caught sight of me. He put on a surge and by mile 20 had widened the gap to 22s. My legs were telling me I was at race effort, and I finally realized it would destroy me for a couple weeks to try to beat him. His surge said he was feeling good enough to do battle, and honestly I'm not sure I was in good enough shape to beat him if I'd tried. I'm not in the same shape I was 3 weeks ago. I let go at 20. I held 6:00 for a couple miles until I got a glimpse of 3rd place. He was well over a mile back, giving me a big cushion to just jog it in. I haven't looked at splits yet, but I think I averaged around 6:30 from there to the finish. I finished in 2:37:23. 1st place finished strong to nearly break 2:33. 3rd was 2:47. $250 prize for 2nd will help with travel costs later this year.

The race allowed the "elite" runners (deserving of quotes as I was the only one of the elite entries to show) to bring 2 water bottles for the course. Had to try it out and enjoyed having my own fluids for at least part of the race. Though 12 oz was a bit much for the mile 17 bottle.... a little heavy for tired arms.

Vaporflys felt nice. The legs are beat but not nearly as bad as they could have been. I'll take the rest of this week as recovery and see if I can get in a quality session on Saturday or Sunday.

The hip has improved all week with proper stretching and it wasn't bothered by the race at all. Hamstring has continued to be 100%.

Ritz won the HM in 61:2x, edging out Emmanuel Bett. Looks to be rounding into pretty good shape. I lined up near him at the start and enjoyed seeing one of my running idols in the flesh. The course doubled back early, and I saw Ritz and Bett go by when they were near 10k. Bett had about 10m on him, and I thought that was too big a gap for a fast HM. But the old man knows what he's doing.

2 mile shuffle. Quads are beat, but I think they'll come back to me fairly quickly. Everything else (hip/hamstring) feels just fine. I'll probably lose a toenail, though. Had the VFs laced a little too loose.

3 mile shuffle, just under 9:00 average.

AM - 10 easy, normal easy pace. Quads are still quite sore but otherwise the legs are feeling pretty good. Think I'm on track for resuming workouts this weekend.

PM - 4 easy

12 easy. Better every day. Felt beat by mile 9 but my legs are holding up pretty well.

12 easy in 7:27 avg.

AM - Track workout. 3 x (800, 400, 200), 2min/1min/30s rests, 6 x 200, 1:00 rests

2:29.0, 74.8, 36.5

2:27.9, 73.9, 36.7

2:27.6, 73.1, 38.1

34.2, 33.8, 33.8, 33.8, 34.0, 33.7

Designed to be low-stress prep for more intense work to come. Mission accomplished.

PM - 4 easy

City Loop with some of the city boys from Audobon. Honest pace after a few slower miles. 7:03 average.

AM - 4 easy

PM - My parents are visiting and I had the day off, so I was able to get out during the kids' naps. 8 x 200m sprints on the levee. Really pushed them, but kept it under control. Focus on form.

12 easy. Windy morning, but I felt really good. Calves are sore from Saturday's track work, but my legs had more pop than I've felt in awhile.

Attempted a 4-mile tempo on the levee. The wind was up from the south (~15 mph), so I'd get a favorable cross wind the first 2 miles and then direct headwind the second 2 miles.

5:29, 5:35, 6:11 (17:15)

I didn't feel great to start, but turning into the wind totally zapped me so I stopped at 3. Jogged a mile recovery and then did 6 x 35s fast.

12 easy

12 easy. My left calf tweaked about 10 miles in.... I stopped briefly to stretch and massage it, and I finished no problem. It feels a little sore now. My calves have been sore and tight recently, but I've taken care to massage and stretch them before every run.

Maybe I'm getting to the age where I pull muscles easily. That's a really sad thought. If this is a pull, it would be the 4th in the last 9 months. 

AM - Track workout. 5 x 1000m @ 5k pace + 4 x 400m @ mile pace. 400m jog, 2:15-2:30 rests between 1ks & 400s, 600m jog after ks (~3:30).

3:05, 3:08, 3:03, 3:04, 3:06

68.2, 67.9, 67.6, 67.0

It was 76F + 71F dew point, which is just stupid in February. Windy as well. I'd be happy with these times in good conditions, so I'm pretty pleased with my fitness at this point. I need to work on pacing these 5k reps, though. I have a tendency to come through the first 400m in 71-72, which I'm not quite in shape for yet. The bouncy rep times were due to trying to get the starting effort more even.... which had mixed results.

PM - Added 6 easy on the levee.

10 in the easy to recovery range. Very windy this morning.

AM - 10 easy. Took my dad fishing for a few hours off a bridge in the gulf. He hooked a monster that broke his 40 lb line after a 10 min fight. Current estimate is a 30-40 lb fish. I'm sure that will grow over time.

PM - 6 easy

4 mile tempo + 6 x 35s sprints. I got a break from the wind this morning and had to take advantage. I ran it as an out-and-back to get equal doses of the light breeze.

21:23 - 5:23, 5:26, 5:20 (including 180), 5:14

Felt GREAT. I really got rolling in the last 2 miles and just let it go. Think I could have held 5:15 for a couple more.

12 easy

12 with a simple 5 x 1:00 on/off fartlek at roughly 10k effort. Just keeping the pump primed to race on Saturday. 

6 easy... then off to Birmingham

I made the 5 hr drive to Birmingham last night. Got in later than was ideal, but the family wasn't coming and I wanted to be around to hang out with the kids before bed. Worth it.

The weather was nice until it started raining. 48F at the start with practically no wind. The first 5k is a net uphill with rolling hills, and the second half drops about 60 ft before rolling along to the finish. No huge hills. A gentle 50 ft climb in mile 3 with the gentle drop behind it in mile 4. Rolling hills are perfect for me. Net drop of about 20 ft between start and finish.

Splits off my watch were 5:11, 5:16, 5:12, 5:04, 5:08, 5:11. ~5:00 to the finish. I followed a nice pack through 5k, taking over the lead in the 3rd mile and pulling away in the final 2. The clouds opened up at 2.5 miles and poured the rest of the way. Floated the downhill. Last 2 miles were mostly flat and I pushed hard from there to the finish. The 6th mile was better than it looked as there was a sharp 270 degree turn followed immediately by a 90 degree turn that zapped all momentum.

This is my fastest 10k since 2012. I'll take that. I felt very, very strong all the way to the finish, and I feel like my base fitness is in a good spot. I had the sensation of feeling like there was more aerobic ability to tap but no speed in the legs to grab it. I think there are good things to come this spring.

12 recovery

AM - 12 easy progressing to steady.

PM - 6 steady.

AM - 10 with 8 x 200m levee sprints. Still feeling Saturday's race and it took me a few reps to get up to speed.

40, 36, 36, 35, 34, 34, 34, 35

PM - 8 easy, 7:17 avg.

12 fairly easy.

AM- Big workout. 8 mile tempo + 5 x 35s fast. Hit 44:01 or a 5:30 average.

Splits: 5:29, 5:37, 5:31, 5:29, 5:36, 5:26, 5:27, 5:26

Weather was 45F with 0 wind. It might be the last non-windy day for a couple weeks, so I'm happy I coud take advantage. I felt a little rough to start, but after mile 3 I started to click. 180 degree turn after 4 and took a minute to get back into the groove. Finished feeling tired but still strong.

PM - 4 recovery

12 pretty slow. No watch, but probably just a hair under 8:00 pace. One of those days where getting out the door was tough and it just didn't get better.

21 mile long run, 6:34 avg. Started with the usual old man mile (~7:40) and then averaged right around 6:30 from there. I don't think it will matter how fit I ever get, 20 miles will always be 20 miles. Very tiring run.

This is a weekly mileage PR for me. Turned the knob down on intensity and up on volume this week. The next 2 weeks are planned to be at or just under 100 miles with a little more intensity.

6 easy

12 easy with 8 x 200m levee sprints. My legs are feeling pretty good considering all the miles from last week, and I got after these.

35, 35, 34, 34, 33, 33, 33, 33

Times are just meant to be relative week to week. I haven't measured this aside from pacing and the GPS watch. I figure it's within a few meters of 200, and that's good enough.

AM - 6 x mile (1:00 rests) + 6 x 35s sprints. I moved up the workout by a day due to wind forecast, and because I'm feeling well recovered. I had 60F temps and 5 mph wind. Did 2 reps into the wind and 4 with.

5:11, 5:18, 5:11, 5:17, 5:10, 5:10

5:11 & 5:18 averages to 5:14.5 which is about right for the overall effort. I'm continuing to feel excellent in workouts. Felt like I could have done 4 more of these without reaching race effort.

PM - 4 easy

AM - 12 recovery

PM - 4 very slow

Unplanned day off. It's been a few weeks since I took a day and I needed it. I still feel guilty for missing 16 miles of planned running.

12 easy

AM - Track day. 6 x 1000m + 4 x 400m. 400m jog (2:15-2:30) between reps, 800m jog after 1ks.

3:06, 3:03, 3:02, 3:02, 3:01, 3:00

67.2, 66.4, 66.7, 67.2

Averaged 3:02 for the 1000s for 6 reps. A nice improvement over the 3:05 avg for 5 reps from 3 weeks ago. 400s improved from 67.7 to 66.9.

PM - 6 easy

AM - 8 easy

PM - 4 easy

AM - Threshold workout. 3 x 2 mile (2:00 rests), 1/2 mile jog, 5 x 35s sprints.

10:34 (5:18/5:16)

10:33 (5:16/5:17)

10:29 (5:15/5:14)

Again, I'm scheduling around the weather. Today was relatively calm with just a light cross wind, but the rest of the week will be windy. It would've been more ideal to do this tomorrow, but it's not a big deal to move it up a day and get a few more days of rest.

I added a 10k this weekend. Unfortunately I won't be able to run the local big race (Crescent City 10k), so I had to shuffle things around a bit. I think it's still important to hit my miles this week, so I'm front-loading 60 miles through Wednesday, and then doing a small taper into the race. Goal is to get 100 miles for the week.

PM - 6 easy

AM - 12 easy

PM - 6 easy

2 x (6 x 200m) levee sprints. One mile jog between sets.

36, 35, 35, 34, 34, 34

35, 35, 34, 34, 34, 33

10 easy. New shoes.

9 easy with 4 strides.

This race was a mess.

I drove up to Mobile this morning and got situated with the elite coordinator, who was kind enough to let me in the group. Noticed there were only 3 Kenyan men present when usually there are 5. Money is 5 deep, so the door was open for me.

I started at the lead of the chase pack with the goal of running the first 4 slightly slower than what I think I can do, and then hammering the last 2 miles. Top 3 Kenyans were long gone, and the top 2 Kenyan women were running hard about 10 seconds ahead. By 3 miles I was pulling away from my pack when a race official directed the 2 women and my pack off course. I didn't realize it until mile 4 when we turned back against the flow of 10k runners coming the other way. That was a real punch in the gut. I had 10 seconds on the chase pack at that point, I knew the runners behind me, and I knew I had 4th place locked up.

I caught up with the 2 women and found our way back to the course. 5.3 miles on the watch when we passed the 4-mile marker. I couldn't stomach dropping out, and gutted it out to the end. Ended up with 7.5 miles at the finish. Good news is I set an unofficial 12k PR (38:37). Bad news is I lost out on $500 in prize money. 4th place was worth $750 to me ($500 + $250 for top American), and the race director awarded me $250 as consolation money. Considering they really weren't obligated to do anything, I should feel totally okay with that. But it leaves a pretty raw taste in my mouth. Made worse because they duplicated 1st & 2nd place money for the 2 elite women.

Anyway. Splits were 5:08, 5:09, 5:08, 5:07, 5:11, 5:10, 5:11, 2:33.

The big takeaway is my fitness is coming around. I think I would have finished 31:45-31:50 without the deviation. 3 months to Grandmas. 5 weeks to Indy. I'm the healthiest I've been in awhile, and everything seems to be clicking.

AM - 10

PM - 4 stroller miles with Rylie

AM - 12 easy (7:29 avg). I had levee sprints on the schedule but I'm beat. Took it easy instead.

PM - 6 easy

AM - 12 easy + 6 x ~100m strides. I warmed up as if to do the levee sprints again, but my legs are still lead. Opted to run easy and just do a few strides.

PM - 6 easy

12 easy

AM - Big workout. 8 miles in 5:28 avg + 6 x 35s sprints.

5:31, 5:29, 5:29, 5:25, 5:31 (180 turn), 5:33, 5:22, 5:23

There was a beaver or a nutria rat the size of a small child running along the levee at the very beginning of the tempo that scared the living daylights out of me. If you're not familiar with nutria, we lovingly refer to them as R.O.U.S.s. Hideous creatures.

PM - 4 slow

12 easy

22 miles at 6:31 pace. This run really kicked my butt. I had to wait till afternoon naps to get it in, and it was warm and a little muggy. 80F + 61F dew point. Could be worse, but I went into the run dehydrated, and because I was feeling good and already had one pit stop, I decided to skip my 5-mile water stop. Not good. Didn't take any water until 13 miles in (why doesn't New Orleans have more water fountains?), but I was wilting by 12. The water helped big time, however by 2 hours into the run I was counting down the steps to be done. Better to make these mistakes in training than in the real thing.

115 is a mileage PR. Aside from a minor flare up of my peroneal tibial tendon from Thursday's workout, everything is holding up pretty well. This is my first cycle where I'm working in lower-intensity/higher-mileage weeks, and I like how it's working out.

8 slow

AM - 12.25 easy including 8 x 200m levee sprints. I felt pretty toast, but I felt it was important to get these in. 

38, 36, 36, 35, 34, 34, 34, 34

Couldn't quite hit my top gear. Effects of last week. Now a couple days of easy running before the next workout.

PM - 6 easy

12 easy. Legs are starting to feel good again.

Big workout. 8 x mile (1:00 rests) in 5:13 avg. 

5:14, 5:12, 5:16, 5:09, 5:15, 5:10, 5:16, 5:06

No sprints because my right peroneal tibial tendon is still a little sore, and I'm being cautious. The sprints put a lot more stress on it than LT pace. 

I felt GREAT. I was tired by the end but never felt like I got bogged down by acid accumulation. Which is the point of the 1:00 rests. Coming in I wanted to average about 5:15 for the first 4 and work down to 5:10 for the last 4. I started way too hot with a 72/73 first quarter and then settled in. I finally have to admit that one direction of the levee is faster than the other, but I have no clue why. There might be 1 foot elevation change over the mile stretch I use. Usually I have a head wind to blame it on, but there was maybe a 1-2 mph breeze on the odds. I couldn't tell the difference either direction. But the same effort produced 5:10 going one direction and 5:15 the other. 

There have been a few times in my running experience where training just feels magical. Once was after I moved from Utah and came down to sea level. Another was my first XC season with WWU. I'm in another one. Training is just clicking. 

I don't have the blood data to back it up, but the common theme in each of these periods has been iron supplements. I got a little lazy with them the last few years, but this cycle I rededicated to taking them daily. I'm speaking a little prematurely as I don't have race results to support this feeling yet, but I think those are coming. It's clear from training that I'm in much better shape than just the training can explain. 

Anyway, I'm on a bit of a post-run high and enjoying it. Looking forward to more work, and even more so to upcoming races.

AM - 12 easy

PM - Added an easy 30 min on the treadmill.

12 easy. Dodging thunderstorms this morning. Runs get exciting when flash to thunder is less than a second.

21 miles run as 3.5E + 4x1600m @ LT + 8E + 3 miles @ T + CD.

1600s: 5:14, 5:14, 5:12, 5:12

3-mile tempo: 15:47 (5:18, 5:18, 5:11)

It was 70F + 70 dew point this morning.... though it didn't seem to affect me too much. My legs are tired from the week, and none of the tempo portions felt particularly easy, but they also never got terribly hard either. If I'm being picky I'd have liked to shave the 5:18s to 5:15s. But not a big deal.

The right peroneal tibial tendon flared badly after the workout, though I never felt it during the run. I've been working hard on it all day. I probably need to see someone for it as it's trending in the wrong direction.

A very easy 12.6 in 7:47 avg with some of the folks across the river. Lower right leg was never an issue during the run, but it's been sore before and after.

6 easy. Took the morning off over tendon fears. Everything felt fine on this run.

12 very easy. No pain.

Saw the PT tonight. First time seeing a PT in NOLA. Found one a couple miles from my house who had good Google reviews, for whatever that's worth. I left feeling like I lucked out finding a good one. He thinks it's the posterior tibial tendon that's all upset, but he doesn't think it's very bad at this point. Gave me the green light to keep running but cautioned me to limit the faster stuff. At this point in the training cycle.... I may shuffle any 5k-pace stuff for later, but I'll likely risk HMP/MP work. Take it day by day and see how it goes.

Anyhow, he gave me some isometric exercises to work on. Did some Astym on it, and I left feeling optimistic that I can successfully train through it.

AM - Big workout. 3 WU, 10 miles continuous (1T-2MP-1T-2MP-1T-2MP-1T), 2 CD

5:31 avg for 10

Splits: 5:18, 5:47, 5:42, 5:11, 5:40, 5:46, 5:07, 5:45, 5:40, 5:07

I was intimidated by this one and didn't run it quite right. But I think for the most part I got what I needed. I told myself I could take a break 6 miles in if I needed, but then I couldn't quite hit the right paces for the MP segments and it didn't feel as hard as I expected. So I kept it as one continuous effort. And I unintentionally compensated on the T miles. It would have been better running 5:15/5:35, but so it goes. 

No flare-ups in the posterior tib post run. I'll count that as a big success.

PM - 4 easy

AM - 12 easy

PM - 6 easy

12 easy. Tired legs.

AM - Track day. 1000m, 2 x 1600m, 2 x 1000m (2:15/4:00 rests). No sprints as I'm still being cautious with the posterior tib.

3:01, 4:54, 4:57, 3:05, 3:03

Not very sharp. Was looking to hit 72s/lap. It was windy and I got battered on the back stretch. But I got the work in for what I could do today.

The posterior tib is continuing to improve. No relapse from this session, which is a great sign. So long as it stays good I'll be able to add the sprints back in next week.

PM - 4 easy

8 easy. The winds are howling.

AM - 12 easy. About 2 miles in I heard gunshots burstout about 1 block from me. Dove off the side of the levee and took cover until it was over. That's a first. The rest of the run was a little quick thanks to the adrenaline burst. There wasn't anything in the news, and I didn't see any emergency vehicles on the return trip, so I assume no one was hurt.

PM - 4 easy

AM - Big workout. 4 x 2mile (2:00 rests) + 2 x 35s sprints

10:30 (5:18.2, 5:11.9)

10:31 (5:14.7, 5:16.5)

10:24 (5:11.6, 5:12.8)

10:25 (5:14.7, 5:09.5)

I just discovered Garmin Connect reports decimal places, and yes, I am anal enough to record them here.

I wanted to do 4 sprints, but I felt a twinge in my posterior tib on #2 and called it good there. Better to be cautious. I have a second appointment with the PT tonight, but things are progressing well enough this may be the last one.

PM - 4 very easy

12 easy. Felt unexpectedly peppy. 6 miles out were about as expected, but I felt like I was cruising sub-7:00 pace coming back, which I rarely do. No watch, just estimated efforts.

12 easy. Felt pretty good. I missed my evening run last night due to working late. Grrr

Big workout/long run. Tempo-long-tempo format. 3E + 2 x 2 mile @ T + 8E + 4T + 1CD

10:35 (5:19, 5:16)

10:25 (5:12, 5:13)

8 miles in ~1hr

20:31 (5:16, 5:07, 5:07, 5:01)

All T segments were aided by a tailwind. Work has kicked my butt this week, and I'm low on sleep. I had low expectations coming into this, but it had to be done today whether it was a train wreck or not. Even with the tailwind, I figured getting through it with a 5:15-5:20 avg would be a win.

So I'm pleased.

It was blowing about 15 mph steady on the levee. The first mile of each block (the 5:19 and 5:16) was a wash as far as aid goes, but the rest of the miles had the wind about square in my back. I'm estimating 5s per mile fast, maybe more. Anyway. Glad it's over with. These sessions give me considerable emotional stress. But I think they're great at learning to run fast when fatigued and low on fuel. That last 4-mile block covered miles 14.3-19.3. No food intake before or during.

I'm excited about my fitness. I finished feeling like I was finishing any other workout, and I've had a lot of energy this morning post-run. When a 20-mile session like this doesn't leave me wasted for half the day, I think it means the training is working.

In Highland UT this week. I plotted a route through Alpine and up to a trailhead, but got lost along the way and ended up with a lot of climbing. These flatlander legs aren't used to that. 7:27 avg and 800 ft elevation gain. That's about a month's worth at home.

12 easy. Similar course to yesterday, but slower. Think I'll try flat tomorrow.

AM - 12.2 easy on the Jordan River trail. Quads are sore from the hills from the last couple days.

PM - 4 easy

I had 4 x 3 mile @ MP on the schedule. Warmed up and got a little over a mile into the fast stuff before my posterior tib flared. One moment feeling 100%. 50m later sharp pain. It's no good pushing through, so I stopped and jogged back to my car. Pain was gone within half a mile. Will have to take a few days easy before trying anything fast again.

Last week made me feel like I was over the hump with this. Now I'm leaning heavily towards tapering into the Indy HM and calling it a season from there. The taper will help me keep it healthy. Since this cycle's marathon is less important to me than this winter's, I'd rather keep the fitness gains I've seen to this point, get my leg right, and have a better shot at a healthy build going into CIM or whatever marathon I settle on.

8 easy in Highland.

12 easy in Highland.

AM - 8 easy on the Jordan River Trail.

PM - 4 easy in Highland.

4 x 1600m at Skyridge High. 200m rests (1:05-1:15)

5:10, 5:13, 5:13, 5:13

Posterior tib held up despite being a little sore when I got up this morning. Didn't feel it at all on the run. I went for 4 reps, trying to balance maintaining fitness with minimizing the stress I put on my leg.

I definitely felt the altitude on this one. Muscle memory carried me through the first rep and then my lungs started complaining late in #3.

Rest day

12 easy on the Jordan River trail. Last day in Utah, flying back this evening. I wanted to get over the Provo River trail for old time's sake but just never made it over. Oh well. It's been a good week.

Not enough sleep for a morning run. 6 easy this evening.

Final quality day. 3 x mile on the levee in the Vaporflys, 1:00 rests. This is only my 3rd run in them this cycle and it felt a little funky. I would have scheduled a couple more runs in them if the cycle were continuing, but I'm not too worried about it. They've felt great in my other races.

74F/73F dew point. 10 mph wind. Part of me is glad to be ending the cycle early so I'm not doing final marathon prep in the humidity. 

5:13 (downwind)

5:20 (upwind)

5:07 (downwind)

I have a lingering side stitch that showed up last Thurs or Fri that I think will persist through Saturday's race. Reminiscint of the Rock n Roll Half from 2018. I'm going to do some breathing exercises and call my PT and see if they can do anything for it. But for now I'm prepping mentally to battle it through the race. It was irritating during the workout, but otherwise my legs are feeling pretty good.

6

4 easy, work, then flew into Indy.

DNF due to right hamstring strain.

Garmin splits: 5:16, 5:14, 5:13, 5:15, 5:18

Interesting non-race stuff: I found a couch for rent through Airbnb about 2 miles from the start line. Weird situation that I chose because I'm cheap. Though $40 is arguably not a great deal for a dirty old couch. I never met my hosts since I arrived late (1 am, thank you Budget car rentals for the 1hr+ wait) and left early (6 am). There was an added thrill as I fell asleep that my hosts could be any sort of sickos. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

Race stuff: The weather was excellent. Low-50s, low wind, and rainy. It doesn't get much better. Could've done with less rain, but it wasn't a downpour by any means. I lined up a couple rows deep, and when the gun went off I got out more conservatively than normal. I think I was only 82-83 at 0.25. Settled into the pace and got into a pretty good groove through the first 4. I didn't feel terribly great early. The hamstring was tight before the race and I suspected after mile 1 I was going to have a strain before the race was over, so easing into the pace seemed the right thing.

The lead pack went out way too hot for me, and the chase pack was a solid group of guys chasing 1:10-1:11. After mile 1 I locked onto a guy who had let go of the lead pack but was running strong solo. Maybe 15-20s up. He looked like my guy and I wanted to reel him in slowly. 

Around mile 3 I had the kind of sensation I dream of as a runner. It felt like all resistance in my body melted away, and the pace felt... easy. I reached mile 4 and I felt like going sub-69 was in my hands and that I was fit enough to do it. The hamstring was there, but it was background noise and I thought it was going to hold up.

Unfortunately as I reached mile 5 things got much worse for the hammy. The course made a right turn, and that seemed to be the breaking point. The pain took over my awareness and a limp crept into my stride. I made it another quarter mile before I admitted I was not going to finish the race. I stopped and tried a last ditch attempt to massage it and stretch it out. Started again and eased up to pace, but the damage was done. I was fortunate to find a volunteer with a medical cart who drove me back to downtown.

Post-race: I haven't DNF'd since 2012, and it feels unbelievably bad to do it when I know I'm fit. I'm really looking forward to getting healthy and proving my fitness this fall. The hamstring is really sore today... definitely the worst strain I've had. I'm guessing 3-4 weeks to full recovery, but I think slow jogging will be doable in a few days.

I think I initially injured it earlier in the week, and the race just hurt it worse. I saw the PT on Tuesday, and we did some hip/glute/hammy strengthening. I had alarm bells going off that I shouldn't do new exercises on race week, and I eventually did tell them I wanted to stop. Too late. But the real mistake was probably doing 3 x mile at LT the next day. The hamstring was complaining afterwards, and it continued to feel tight the rest of the week. Need to realize I'm not 18 anymore and I can't put that kind of stress on my aging muscles. 

In Bellingham for the week for work. Took a slow loop around Lake Padden with Juan. Hammy.... was very sore.

4 very slow on the Urb with Erica's sister.

Arboretum in Seattle. 8:38 avg for 6.

2 at about 10:00 pace. Saw the PT this evening and started rehabbing the hamstring.

Didn't mean to take the rest of the week off.... it just happened.

4 easy

4

4

4

Almost rolled over and went back to sleep. 3 easy.
 

Upped it to 6. Hammy is starting to feel better and the pace is returning to a normal easy pace.

6 easy, 7:19 avg

6 easy, 7:19 avg.

8 @ 7:03. A friend sent me a pair of slightly used Zoom Flys. Tried them out and liked them. Probably will become part of the regular rotation.

6 easy

8 easy

4 very slow. Saw the PT last night and the hammy is a little sore after our work. 8:27 avg.

8 easy @ 7:09 avg.

8 easy, 7:12 avg.

10 easy, 7:22 avg. The humidity was brutal this morning. Welcome (back) to hell. Hoping to bump the miles to 65 this week if everything holds together.

8 easy, 7:08 avg. I seem to have stagnated on the hammy recovery. It's been a month...

10 easy, 7:28 avg. Muggy beyond belief.

Off -- unscheduled, just didn't want to get out of bed.

8 easy

12 easy

8 easy

12 easy. 7:20 avg. Posterior tib flared a bit late in the run. First sharp pain I've felt in it in awhile.

10 easy

Saw the PT in the evening. Told me to be patient and keep working. I suppose that's decent advice.

12 easy

10 easy. It was 69 degrees this morning, I couldn't believe it. I almost felt cold.

Off cause I'm lazy

12 easy. Got out after sunrise and overheated a little the last 2 miles. First run where I did not feel any tightness in the hammy.

Off cause I'm lazy.

Actually my left Achilles has been bothering me quite a bit the last few weeks. This morning it felt especially bad after rolling out of bad, and I rationalized that another rest day would be better than hobbling through the first half of my run while it warmed up. I do not regret this choice one bit.

12 easy. Cooler morning. Achilles felt improved. Hamstring feels ok. A little soreness in the posterior tib. Chalk that all up as a success.

12 easy

12 easy. Hot/muggy, I struggled the last couple miles. Finished feeling dizzy and with ringing ears. Oof.

Our water heater busted Wednesday morning, and dealing with that disrupted training for a couple days. New water heater is in but will have to come back out after insurance assesses damage. Bummer. The silver lining is a I got some cross training hauling the old/new water heaters in and out. 

AM - 8 easy

PM - 4 easy. Tried out my new Ride Isos. Interesting feel. I miss the old Ride, but maybe I can get used to the new midsole. I stuck to the gravel side of the levee and they felt okay on the soft surface.

12 easy. Trying to get back into the groove after missing multiple days last week.

The streak continues. 12 easy this morning on the levee. Local stations are reporting dew points of 80F, and I believe it. Shoes were saturated with sweat by mile 9.

I was lazy this morning and snoozed my alarm. Got out for quick 3 in the evening to at least get something. Took the new Rides on the pavement. I'm a fan. Looking forward to more runs in these babies.

12 easy. Came so close to rolling over and going back to sleep. But I got out and got it done. Can't remember if I said it already, but I need to write my training plan. Endless weeks of easy pace are demotivating to me.

On the plus side, the hamstring feels 100% and I haven't felt anything in the posterior tib in awhile. I think I'll go another week of just easy stuff and then try a small 1:00 on/off workout.

12 easy. Faster side of easy on the last 6 miles or so. The humidity was down and I felt pretty good.

I made it out to Audobon to run with the local group. Relatively nice morning for the last day of June. And good company. Glad I was able to make the run.

No watch, but we started slow and cruised the final 5-6 miles. By feel I'd estimate a 7:30 avg with the last 5 around 6:30-6:50.

12 easy. Hammy is a little tight. No pain, just tight. Suppose that's the new normal?

12 easy. Either I'm losing my mind or I'm acclimatizing. Local stations say it was 80+ with a 77F dew point this morning. I felt relatively cool.

12 easy with 5 x 1:00 on/off. Easing back into some quality. Everything seemed to hold up fine.

12 easy

8 easy

10 on the tready. 6:53 average. My heartrate was >160 at the end of the run, quite a bit high for me.