Of Mice and Marathons

Lunch: 4 miles w/ Megan, averaged 9:12. HR 154.

Megan was on the move again today. Negative split and progression on what is a down and then up course. Roads were mostly clear with just enough shoulder for marginal safety. We got together with my siblings and did some sledding on the old back hill. I brought out my middle school snowboard and did a few short runs downs the smaller section of the back field with a beer. Made me wish I could put time and money in snowboarding, but cycling is already too expensive.

PM: 6.3 miles, averaged 9:28. HR 153.

We got home around 4. Nice two-hour, direct flight that was 30 minutes early. I slept pretty much the whole way.

PM: 10.4 miles, averaged 8:34. HR 170.

Felt pretty decent after going back to bed and sleeping most of the early afternoon. Can't tell if it is overtiredness, stress of impending semester, or depression. Enjoyed the run even though it was too fast for current fitness.

PM: 4 miles on the treadmill.

Did captain's chair and some core machines and some weak pullups and chinups. It's been a while.

9 weeks of the cough, preceded by about a week of a minor cold. A new cold started kicking in today. I've never been so sick as when I have lived here. I am wondering if it is something environmental, though Megan seems normal and is not catching anything I have.

School starts Monday.

PM: 4.5 miles, averaged 10:38. HR 149.

Got some light snow that made things a touch slippery but nothing bad. Cold is definitely there. Trying to keep it from flaring up, but I refuse to take a rest day at this point.

Went to the gym after to allow Megan to use my guest pass feature. Did captain's chair, some core machine, and the hip machines.

Firsy day of winter semester tomorrow.

First day of classes. 

Coughed a lot today and by the end of the day I wasn't feeling great. 

Off. 

Got up around 8 or 9 when Megan was getting up (I slept on the couch and didn't cough too much, but was worried I would). I felt awful when I got up. Slept until noon. Got up for a bit and did some minor work, but stayed on the couch. Slept from 2:50-4:30 and then again from 8:30-9:30. Felt somewhat better. Not coughing as much, but when I do it is really intense.

Off.

Slept in the bed last night without too many coughing fits. Feel okay so far today. Will likely need to take a few more days off to maybe finally get out from under this thing.

Off.

Off.

Off.

Purchased a Wahoo Kickr trainer for my bike. Messed around with that for a while to try to get it setup correctly. Couldn't get it to work.

PM: 30' on the trainer. HR 150.

Haven't felt like running at all.

Went to the bike shop to figure out what I was doing wrong. Got it to mostly work, enough to do 30' on Zwift. I ended up coughing really deeply and ended up vomitted up lunch. Good times. Cough been going on 10 weeks on Saturday.

Off.

I was going to run or hit the trainer, but didn't.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan, averaged 10:10. HR 145.

Didn't feel like running. I was in a bad mood and I'm just really off mentally and lack of focus in everything I am doing.

Off.

Planned to run, but too a nap instead and didn't feel like going out.

PM: 8.3 miles, averaged 10:28. HR 143.

Dark and chilly but good run. Waited for jury duty for 7.5 hours and never got called. I was hoping to be more a part of the process, but I guess I participated as required. I read a bit about training with a power meter for cycling. Very data oriented stuff. Much more complex than running which is both interesting and (of course) expensive.

I'm shifting my focus to cycling for the future while still doing a decent amount of running to maintain weight (currently to lose weight) and destress.

PM: 10 miles, averaged 10:11. HR 145.

First 4 w/ Megan. Chilly out.

PM: 4.5 miles on the treadmill.

Wasn't really feeling it. My attention sucks right now and the treadmill isn't the best option, but we got 8 inches of snow and it was partially slush and partially frozen.

PM: 7.2 miles, averaged 11:16. HR 140.

Quite slippery in places, but I managed. Should have put my Katoolas on.

PM: 10 miles, averaged 10:20. HR 147.

Quite icy in places and I had to snow shoe some of the sidewalks, but most of the neighborhood street weren't terrible. Getting some miles in the last few days has improved my mood considerably. Still waiting on parts for my bike, so I decided to buy a power meter and have them install that while I am at it. Apparently it's the only way to train for cycling.

It will likely be a higher running week since it will likely be Thursday or Friday I am guessing before I get it back.

PM: 10.4 miles, averaged 9:42. HR 152.

Did a sporadic pickup the last 4 miles for a progression. They weren't fast but faster than I have been running. Still very slick in places.

PM: 10.2 miles, averaged 8:52. HR 152.

Felt pretty solid today. Did a couple laps of the ~2 mile loop around the neighborhood to avoid ice. Worked out nicely.

Weighed myself this morning for the first time in about a month. Ugly!

Off.

Lunch/PM: 13.2 miles, averaged 8:41. HR 165.

Turned 35 today. Ran in the 34 degree rain to celebrate. HR was very high for the perceived effort, but I'm overweight and out of shape. Good run.

Got a call from the shop that my bottom bracket on the frame is cracked, so they initiated the warranty process. I am hoping it is covered. I'm guessing I have a decent sized bill already coming to me. Looks like it will be at least a week or two before I get into training. I'll likely have to do a few spin classes starting this week. They are actually pretty fun. Definitely a good workout.

Had a nice dinner and evening with Megan.

PM: 4.1 miles w/ Megan, averaged 10:22. HR 137.

PM: 12.3 miles, averaged 9:11. HR 153.

Went to the park. It was much clearer than I thought it would be. No snow except for the grass portion. Little muddy, but not bad.

PM: 12.3 miles, averaged 9:00. HR 153.

Felt very good. Bike shop called and a new frame will be coming. It's a cool looking green color for 2020. Fine with me.

PM: 12.3 miles, averaged 9:02. HR 152.

Night: PT, crunches, hip stretching

AM/Lunch: 12.3 miles, averaged 9:03. HR 148.

PM: 90' on the Spin Bike @ Oakland. HR 140.

40' easy, then 3 x 5' fairly hard w/ 3' easy recovery and 10' cool down. Wanted to try to put some watts down and see how I felt as I will be doing intervals when I get my bike back. I find it easier to ride on the trainer than the treadmill, at least currently.

Interval 1: HR 164; Interval 2: HR 168; Interval 3: HR 170

Megan and I went to a CARE event, which is a partnership with a local church and Oakland to put on events for international students. People are assigned a student and they go to events and the get togethers. Megan has been doing it for a few semesters, and I should have been. We had a good time, even though Megan's student hasn't been able to make the events.

PM: 12.3 miles, averaged 8:37. HR 153.