Of Mice and Marathons

PM: 120' on the trainer. 222W. HR 141. 

First CoachCat workout, which was just zone 2 for approximately 2 hours, which was fine. Warm up and cool down for 5' each and right toward the upper middle of zone 2. Trying to get some strength training scheduled.

PM/Evening: 120' on the trainer. 227W. HR 154.

3 x 20' Tempo

I dislike tempo intervals as I prefer to do them in a solid block of at least an hour, but this stacks with a sweet spot workout tomorrow, so it is plenty hard enough. HR was high from my cold, but manageable.

275W @ 165 BPM; 274W @ 168 BPM; 279W @ 169 BPM

Heart rate was approximately 5-10 beats higher than normal. Perceived effort felt right though.

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 239W. HR 152. 

4 x 12' Sweet Spot

Pretty decent workout. 306W @ 168 BPM; 308W @ 168 BPM; 306W @ 171; 313 @ 172. I felt pretty good on this one. Slightly tired, but the effort was good. 

+ strength session 

I went to the gym after to do an introductory session and it went something like: 

3 x 8 squats on the Smith Machine (bar, bar, 20# added)

2 x 15? leg press machine (no added weight)

2 x 15 Lat pulldown @ 40#

2 x 30" each planks and captain's chair

I have been wanting to do some leg work, something I never really did as a runner because I was afraid to, but apparently cyclists do it. The lat pulldowns were kind of weird in the mix, but supposed to hit some of the stability muscles for cycling, so I went with the planned workout. 

I am going to try to do 2-3 strength sessions a week, mostly after harder sessions time permitting to make sure easy days are easy.

Off. 

Per the training plan. I did not want to take it, but I will attempt to take days off when scheduled. 

AM: ~120' on the trainer.

Dirty Mitten Racing League Prologue 

I was sort of looking forward to this race and sort of not as I enjoy the racing, but want to stick to my training, but I had a lot of fun with it in November and December, so I figured I would do it in January, but probably not February but maybe March.

Three shorter racing for team drafting purposes. 

25' up/35' down.

22:56 @ 279W (291 normalized) HR 171

23:44 @ 253W (274 normalized) HR 169

13:44 @ 276W (293 normalized) HR 168

Second race had a very long neutral start and we futzed around even after that for some reason. Not great racing, but some decent efforts. HR was peaking into the mid- to upper-180s suggesting my cold is still in my system or I am out of shape or both. This will get us rolling. 

Went to the gym after.

Lunch: Weights and strength training 

3 x 12 squats on the Smith machine (added 10# to the first set and then 10# more for the second and third)

3 x 12 @ 45# lat pulldowns

5' on the Stairmaster waiting for the leg press machine

3 x 12 leg press machine (I added weight, but I don't recall what they were)

Captain's chair

AM/Lunch: 6.2 miles, averaged 11:26. HR 127.

Recovery. Decided I needed to get outside. Today was a recovery day for the bike, but I thought getting outside would be good. It was okay. Cold, windy, and a decent amount of snow on the pathways. 

Just kind of running when I can I guess. It isn't going anywhere anyway. Think I am done with trying to get back into running shape and running competitively. I don't know. 

Off.

Scheduled rest day. The boys have been very challenging since we got home. I have not been handling it well. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 240W. HR 152.

2 x 15' Sweet Spot

304 watts (171 BPM) and 307 watts (174 BPM); Pretty solid session. Tested some Formula 369 carb mix. It tastes okay. Definitely not as good as FLOW.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 139W. HR 104.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 238W. HR 153.

4 x 12' Tempo Intervals

273, 274, 272, 277 (HR 159-168)

I think this was the day I did a gym session, but it has been so long since I have updated and things have been so crazy I don't recall. Trying to do Fridays and Sundays when I have harder sessions as I have more time in the morning.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 144W. HR 107.

AM: 2 hours on the trainer. 

Dirty Mitten Racing League Stage 2

73' @ 287 Watts, 174 BPM

Solid race. 4th for the Cs, so I felt decent about that. I chased, but the leaders were too far off. Decently happy with the effort. Probably could have pushed a little bit, but I am trying to push just to hit numbers and race.

Lunch: 60' on the trainer. 136W. HR 105. 

It was nice to get in a recovery ride after class.

Lunch: 60' on the trainer.

20' FTP Test

It didn't go well. These are so hard. I Lost confidence and kind of lost my head this day. Things were already trending downhill. Just have to go with where I am at. I think my FTP from TrainerRoad is set way too high anyway. 311 Watts @ 177 BPM. About 320 watts for the first half and around 300 for the second half. I knew I couldn't hold the suggested 330-340, but I thought maybe I could do 320-325 as I had done an interval somewhat recently around 310-319 for 10' or so in the middle of an interval session. Not the case.

Evening: 90' on the trainer. 219W. HR 139.

3 x 8' Sweet Spot: 275 (155), 276 (157), 279 (160).  

These were a good deal easier with about a 10 % drop in FTP, but solid effort. Feels about right anyway.

Lunch: 60' on the trainer. 193W. HR 130.

Anxiety and mental health have been challenging the last 7-10 days. Struggling.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 181W. HR 138.

Dirty Mitten Racing League Climb Portal Stage 

Tried to get after it, but I didn't get a power-up or any drafting, so I was shy of trying to chase the 12:33 I set out to try to take down. Managed 329 watts for 13:11 @ 176 BPM.

Anxiety increasing today. Starting to get unmanageable. Tried to call to get a doctor's appointment, but I called too late. Oh well. I'll call Monday.

AM/Lunch: 3 hours 31' on the trainer. 232W. HR 157.

Did the Mega Pretzel in Watopia on Zwift. I had about a 4-hour ride planned, but with the TSS around 225-250, so I figured that wouldn't get quite at 4 hours given that I had some efforts. I ended up doing a long sweet spot effort and a shorter one, though I guess technically they are both long. The first one ended up being an hour because I was using a hill segment, but got confused as it didn't record or the route changed from what was planned. Anyway, ended up doing a full hour @ 275 watts (166 BPM) and another 32' @ 278 watts (168 BPM).

Mental health has been a bit rough the last few days, today in particular. Megan took the boys to see her parents to give me some time to myself, which was welcomed. The boys have just been spectacularly awful. Couple that with one of them throwing fits at the start of school and one who had to partially be put under to have some fillings done, it has been a bit of a week. 

I am trying to catch up on my blogging. Starting to fall behind again.

AM: ~2 hours on the trainer. 

Dirty Mitten Racing League Stage 3

After a longer effort yesterday with some quality, I didn't really want to have to get after it this morning. It was about a 60' crit race, so I knew that the effort would not be consistent, which I was fine with and I tried to be conservative, not lead, and just cover moves as necessary. It worked mostly well, until I missed the jump and went in 8th, off first by 3-4 seconds. 63' @ 258 watts @ 161 BPM.

20' up/40' down.

Boys were challenging, then Sawyer ended up getting sick around bedtime and was sick several times in the night. We have actually been very fortunate how little we have had this happen. Charlie and Megan are fine and I am.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 129W. HR 140.

PM: 90' on the trainer. 228W. HR 146.

4 x 8' Sweet Spot Bursts

Interesting workout in which you get out of the saddle hard for about 5 seconds every two minutes and settle back into the intervals. It is supposed to help you practice covering gaps in racing and then settling back into your race effort. Harder than I thought, but not terribly hard.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 214W. HR 140. 

4 x 10' Criss Cross Tempo/Sweet Spot

Another workout I haven't really done. 4 (4' tempo, 1' sweet spot x 2). Nice way to get in a session and some time. 

The boys didn't have school today due to weather, so it was an interesting week when we were all home.

AM: 2 hours 10' on the trainer. 198W. HR 125.

AM: 180' on the trainer. 204W. HR 130.

Got up to get on the trainer at 5:55AM on my birthday. Turned 40 today, which makes me officially a masters runner and probably time to use that as a new starting point for running to bring thing into perspective. 

I had a solid day and Megan and I got to go to dinner ourselves, which was great. She got me Jason Isbell tickets, which I actually kind of guessed. I have been wanting to go see him for about 5 or 6 years since I started listening to him. 

AM: ~2 hours on the trainer. 

DIRTy Mitten Racing League Omnium Races

This was a lot of fun, though somewhat chatoic logistically, changing bikes and the like. After the first two efforts I was really glad the third and fourth events were not eyeballs out. I was pretty smoked after the first two events.

23' up, 13:38 @ 295W (163 BPM) for the handicap race, which was pretty fun, though would have been better if you could actually see what other riders were on. 14:22 @ 300 W (171 BPM) for the hill climb. I was dying. I figured I would not survive if we continued the effort. The team pursuit thankfully was much easier as we worked to bring some of the slower riders across the line as fast as possible, so a decent effort but not 100%. 14:55 @ 265W (161). We then did a team time trial down Alpe d' Zwift, which was just super funny. Flying downhill, then smash watts for a few seconds, steady, then smash watts. 30' cool down. 

AM: ~2.5 hours on the trainer. 

Dirty Mitten Racing League Finale 

I wasn't sure how my legs would feel after the series of shorter, intense races yesterday, but they were mostly pretty good. I wanted to put out between 285-290 watts for approximately an hour. Normalized power was there, but regular power was not. Covered some gaps when I needed to and tried to press here and there to create my own gaps. Didn't get any, but that was fine. Missed a late break and battled with a few other folks trying to break into the top 10 of the C/D group, but got passed at the line, which ticked me off a bit, but oh well.

59:13 @ 278 Watts @ 165 BPM

This concludes the second tour. I am unsure if I will do the February tour. I will likely skip it for my own stuff and see about the one in March, but maybe bandit a few races or something. I have enjoyed these, but it makes it hard to get longer stuff in. I just don't feel like doing much over an hour after the race to make up total volume/time. 

AM2: gym session. Lifted a good deal heavier than I have been for both the leg press and Smith machine. A woman about 70 lbs lighter than me was definitely squatting more. She wouldn't beat me in a bike race though.

Lunch: 7.5 miles, averaged 10:45. HR 128.

First run as a masters runner. Only my second run this month. Needed some air and sun and it felt good. Pathways were decent. Snow covered in places, with only a few annoying sections. Good recovery. I was pretty sore in the hamstrings and glutes from yesterday's lifting session. I don't think I overdid it. I think it was just right. I have been trying to be cautious and introducing lifting in a way that doesn't give me an insurmountable injury. 

Felt pretty mentally sound today and the last few days, but today in particular. Boys were back in school and I was back teaching after the series of cancellations last week, so I think that helped. Some of the issues of the previous week with going to school are much improved, so I feel like I can deal with other life stuff adequately. 

Thinking I might try to get in what running I can and try some shorter races this spring and summer and try to rebuild speed off of low mileage with high volume cycling. I have no idea if this will work or how well, but I need to take almost all pressure off my running as my cycling is the primary focus. The idea is if I just don't stress about it, then I might surprise myself. 

I enjoyed the run today, so this ticked a lot of boxes. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 221W. HR 135. 

4 x 10' Sweet Spot

272 (150), 274 (151), 272 (150), 280 (152). My HR never got above 159, which was good. With my FTP drop these were very manageable, but I got some work in.

Evening: 7 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:52. HR 139.

5' progressions from 5.0-7.2 MPH. Legs are pretty smashed from lifting on Sunday on top of the races and moving into the week's workouts and running. Oof. Had a decent day with the boys and then just lost it right before Megan got home as the boys were trying to get me worked up. I held off for a while, then it got to me. Trying. Struggling. I wasn't sure I would be able to focus and run, but I was able to thankfully.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 206W. HR 134. 

Up around 5AM or so. Did a handful of sprints. My legs are quite smashed up still.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 224W. HR 135.

3 x 15' Criss Cross Tempo/Sweet Spot

3 Sets of 3(4' tempo + 1' sweet spot).

PM: 4.5 miles, averaged 10:51. HR 134. 

Went to check on some construction at the intersection north of us and to look around at some of the pathways. Still some slippery spots, but mostly good.

PM: 10.4 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:41. HR 155.

3 x 10' Strong Aerobic Pace + 5' Hard

I went to Oakland in the morning to get out of the house and the pleasantness of my children. Managed to efficiently get some work done. Strange. I need to make this a practice on Fridays. 

Decided I wanted to get a workout done even though it was supposed to be a recovery or off day. I did manage to sleep around 10 hours or so, which was excellent. 

Progressive warmup starting at 5.0 MPH and working to 7.5 MPH before getting into the 10' intervals at 8.0. Ended up being the correct effort. Interval 1 = HR 167 Interval 2 = HR 169 Interval 3 = HR 170. I did the 5' interval at 9.1 and that was very hard. I could have lasted maybe one to two more minutes, but I was tapped out. HR hit a max of 187, which I haven't seen for a little bit. Interval 4 = HR 178.

I felt pretty good about this one as I haven't done a running workout since December? November? I don't recall. I kept this one fairly simple and just added the 5' interval because I felt like it. I'l try to progress this workout over the next several weeks. I'll probably add another 10' interval, progress them slightly, and then move the 5' interval down ever so slightly. 

PM: 180' on the trainer. 237W. HR 145. 

2 x 40' Sweet Spot + 1 x 15' Sweet Spot

275W (HR 155), 275W (HR 158), 275 (HR 160)

Wanted to get in about three hours with some quality per the schedule, so I just used the terrain to do some long sweet spot stuff. It worked well, but the course was a bit too hilly in one spot. Once you get to 10-12% grade or in there, it doesn't work well because you run out of gears to keep the power in the right zone. Under that and it helps to hold consistent power. I was pretty pleased with this. HR seems to have settled back out over the last several days from the previous weeks when it was up a bit. 

Took the boys to an Oakland basketball game, which went well until it didn't as they were acting up. They did well at my brother-in-law's game last night and it was nice to get out.

I didn't eat much other than a double protein shake after the ride. Started to get quite tired when we got home and fell alseep on the couch for a short time. Went to get food and then felt very sick. Went to bed, but around 11:30 the GI system on boths ends was acting up. Just a bug I guess. Boys have been sick recently but at different times and that was a bit ago. 

Off.

Slept horribly, I think because my system was worried I was going to get sick, which didn't happen again other than the short, intense period a few hours after going to bed. I would fall asleep, wake up, try to get comfortable, and sort of fall asleep. Got up late, but still felt pretty awful but not sick. Just dehydrated and crappy. 

Lunch: 10.2 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:04. HR 146.

Progression through 65' starting very slow (5.0 MPH) as my legs were beat up, but I didn't feel like doing a straight recovery run as I had a day off yesterday, but figured it I didn't feel great I wouldn't press given how sick I felt yesterday. Thankfully woke up feeling normal and quite rested. Kept it mostly around 7.0-7.5 for the later minutes and then did 4 strides. Need to be more diligent about strides given that my total running volume is low. 

Took a nap after, which felt good. Up early the next three days for bike workouts. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 217W. HR 135. 

4 x 15' Criss Cross Tempo/Sweet Spot

Solid workout. Not too taxing. My heart rate stayed under 160. Things are coming along, coming back around. 

PM: 6.8 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:35. HR 137. 

Serious heartburn and indigestion. Oof. Glad to get a run in though. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 214W. HR 130. 

2 x 25' Tempo

Solid workout. 249W (143 BPM); 252W (HR 142). Not too taxing. HR was closer to higher zone 2, but fine.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 216W. HR 132.

5 x 5' Sweet Spot Over/Unders

Somewhat challenging workout, but very tired. The first 30 second were hard, settled into sweet spot for 4 minutes, then 20 seconds full gas, which just mostly took more mental effort and I wasn't sure how much I was suppose to stand up out of the saddle and "sprint." But 500+ watts and not east for me to do seated for 40 seconds. 

Boys were home for an inclement weather day. Oakland had a half day. I was hoping the boys would be in school but knew they wouldn't be. We managed. 

PM: 7.1 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:10. HR 139. 

Felt very good despite some indigestion, I think from coffee, which almost never happens. My zone 2 pace is recalibrating slowly. 

AM/Lunch: 11.1 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:08. HR 155.

3 x 2 Mile + 1 Mile

A good workout today. A slight cold and a good night's sleep. I was going to do the workout in the afternoon like last week but Megan had a last-minute meeting, so I decided to get the workout in, which I wanted to do anyway. 

Plan was 3-4 x 10' and then a harder 5' like last week, but a little faster. I ended up going by distance just for a different focus and kind of went off feel. If it felt way too hard I would go by time (make it 12 minutes so it was still slightly harder than last week) or make some other modification. This worked out well and was in the effort I was looking for, which was strong aerobic (marathon to aerobic threshold). I probably could have done this as a straight tempo as my heart rate was about marathon effort, but figured a recovery would be fine. Took .3 at 6.0. Plenty of time to extend things and make them harder. 

8.0 for rep 1 (162 BPM), 8.1 for rep 2 (164 BPM), 8.2 for rep 3 (166 BPM) and 9.1 for the 1 mile (172 BPM) (6:37 for the mile)

I felt pretty good about this one. The mile felt hard but not out of control like it did last week when I did 5' @ the same pace, which also sent my HR into the mid-180s. Today it peaked at 180, so tough but doable.

PM: 3 hours 30' on the trainer. 229W. HR 139. 

3 x 30' Sweet Spot

273W (152 BPM), 274 (153 BPM), 274 (157 BPM)

Ride called for a total of 20-60' of sweet spot, but I have been doing around 80-90' of total quality work on these, so I kind of just broke it up by 30' off/30' on so that the work was high quality, but recovery was long enough to recover but not doddle. Broke things up nicely. I was going to go 4 hours, but the boys came down and were acting up a bit and I really didn't have the focus for the last 30 minutes. My training stress score was already over target and I got in over 3 hours, so I was satisfied. 

AM/Lunch: 60' on the trainer. 202W. HR 120. 

Basic zone 2 for an hour. The schedule called for 3 hours, but given my training load and timing, I wasn't going to get that in, which was fine. The AI program suggested to take it easier if I felt like it. Total volume is solid this week. 

Lunch: 11.2 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:02. HR 155. 

6 x 1 Mile

Boy howdy. It's been a minute since I have done mile repeats. Maybe early 2019 when I did 7 x 1 mile in March in my unsuccessful buildup to the Glass City Marathon. I kind of planned on a wave tempo, alternating half miles at 8.0/8.5 for approximately 4-5 miles, but I have been wanting to do mile repeats for a while. They aren't fancy but it can be a productive workout. I was pleased with how this went, especially since I nailed the effort, which is tough to do without many workouts recently and the treadmill can be tough if you haven't been running on them much lately (the tendency is almost never to go too slow). I estimated based on my last two Friday workouts that low 7' pace would be a good place to start and that 6:30-6:40 would be hard but doable for perhaps the last repeat if I didn't overcook early. Started at 8.5 and progressed .1 each mile with .3 easy jogs. Pretty manageable, but getting tough the last part of the last repeat. 

7:04, 6:59, 6:54, 6:49, 6:44, 6:39

HR 165-->170 with about 1 BPM increase each mile. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 216W. HR 129. 

4 x 12' Criss Cross Tempo/Threshold 

Solid session. Tried to get up a bit earlier so I would be on the trainer before 6:00, but it didn't happen. 

PM: 4 miles, averaged 11:13. HR 119. 

Probably could have done a full hour, but I wanted to get dinner rolling and get to bed. Morning comes early.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 227W. HR 134. 

3 x 20' Tempo Bursts

Another solid session. It looks as though school will be canceled for the boys again tomorrow (second Thursday in a row). Oakland already canceled. 

PM: 90'+ on the trainer. 222W. HR 135.

6 x 4' Sweet Spot Over/Unders 

Solid workout. Hard 30" into 3' @ sweet spot and then 30" all out. Legs felt more awake as I waited until the afternoon after taking the boys in the morning. I figured a little more sleep was better than getting up early. I was going to extend the workout to 2 hours, but figured I didn't have quite enough time.

AM/Lunch: 13 miles on the treadmill, averaged 7:59. HR 153.

2 x 4 Mile + 1 Mile Hard

I was originally planning a slight increase from last week's 2-mile repeats, but I just kind of went with it based on effort and HR. I could have done this as a straight 6-8 miles without much problem, but I am waiting to get the paces down a bit and kind of going by feel and adjusting accordingly. The first set barely had an cardiac drift after the first mile so I almost just kept it there and rolled. First set I just kept at 8 MPH, which felt mostly moderate to low marathon effort. HR 160 for that one. For the second one I started at 8.1 and increased each mile, going 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4. HR 162, so still not too hard. I did .3 recovery between sets and .7 between the second set and the mile just so I started on an even mile. I did 9.3+ for the mile. My legs felt like they weren't quite turning over and firing for some reason. It didn't feel that fast, just like my legs weren't cooperating. Increased the pace slightly toward the end, so the mile was around 6:28/6:29. HR 170.

PM: 4 hours on the trainer. 222W. HR 132. 

3 x 20' Sweet Spot

Did the intervals late in the ride, starting at the 2.5-hour mark. Did 10' zone 2 between intervals to break up the time. Worked well. It is not often that I hit 4 hours on the trainer. This might only be the third time. Wanted to get my scheduled ride in and my training stress score up so that maybe tomorrow's workout will be a bit lighter than 4 hours. I am not sure I have the time or the concentration for that. 

Triggered a red day, which is good. Will likely just do a true active recovery if the program calls for it.

AM/Lunch: 60' on the trainer. 141W. HR 98.

Active recovery. Felt good after yesterday, but this week has been a THICC with quality on both the running and cycling front. 

Headed to Chas's house this afternoon/evening and on to Florida to see my mom, siblings, nieces, and nephews. Going to get some very light running in come hell or high blood pressure. It is a regeneration week, which was nicely time. Time to absorb the work from the last few weeks. I will be ready to get back to my Zwift universe, Kickr Bike and True Treadmill soon enough, but I am hoping for a day completely off tomorrow and hopefully 4 or so miles with Megan Tuesday, Wednesday,and Thursday. Need to watch my weight as it is slowly coming back down to pre-holiday levels. 

Off.

Travel to Florida. We got in at a decent time. The boys struggled a bit the last portion of the flight with their ears. It took us a while to get off the plane. It was pretty warm, which was nice. We went to the place my mom was staying and my aunt, aunt and uncle, cousin, sister, nieces and nephew were there. I went swimming with the boys and they really enjoyed it (as they tend to). It got a little chilly though as the air isn't super humid and the temperature drops a bit at night. We stayed at another house that has three bedrooms. Originally my brother and his kids were going to stay there, but ended up staying with my mom. 

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan, averaged 10:17. HR 124. 

We spent a good portion of the day at where my mom was staying. The boys needed a nap, so my sister took one with them. She is able to magically calm them down somehow. Megan and I went out for a run. I kind of mapped a loop, figuring it would work and I knew Megan wouldn't want to do much more than 4 miles or so. It ended up being around 3.5 or so, perfectly flat of course as it is Florida. The route had sidewalks the whole way, which made for safe running. 

Off. 

I taught my two classes for Oakland, which worked out okay. We went to Bonita Beach in the afternoon. It felt very hot when we got there. It clouded up a bit and got pretty cool quickly. We went back to the place my mom was staying and had pizza. 

I wanted to run, and probably could have in the morning, but didn't. Just hoping to get a little more running, even if short tomorrow. It is a regeneration week, but I don't want it to be too light either. 

AM/Lunch: 9 miles, averaged 8:09. HR 152. Did some strides.

Megan took the boys to meet my mom at the manatee park. I taught my classes and snuck in a run between classes. I was planning to run, but I wasn't sure for how long or about a route. I was feeling kind of anxious, but I think I was just worried about getting done with classes so I could spend some quality time with family on our last day in Florida.

The route had no shoulder or sidewalk, so I ended up in the grass. I then went back toward the place we were staying and made a loop through the neighborhood that cut through on a path to the sidewalk on Del Prado and back into the neighborhood. It actually worked well and I felt good. It was only slightly humid and warm, but it was cloudy, which actually helped because I got a little warm as the sun was coming out. Did some strides and felt very fortunate to get some miles in by myself between classes in a new area. I do not get to run in new areas on vacation that much these days, so it felt like a blessing. 

PM: 4 miles with Megan, averaged 10:22. HR 128.

We did the same route as the other day. The sun was out, but the air decently dry. It felt really good to get a second run in and another run with Megan. I cannot recall the last time we ran together twice on a break. We had a good evening with my family. The boys are pretty spent. We have to get up very early to get to the airport. I am not looking forward to going back to the snow and cold in Michigan. 

PM: 120' on the trainer. 202W. HR 116. 

Quite tired as I only got about 4 hours of sleep. Slept a little on the plane, but the boys were struggling a bit. Slept better in the car on the way back from the airport, which helped. Energy felt okay on the trainer, but my legs felt unsmooth. Kept it quite light zone 2 and my HR was quite low. My resting HR at night has dropped quite a bit, probably because I got a decent amount of sleep in Florida.

PM: 13 miles on the treadmill, averaged 7:58. HR 155.

8-Mile Aerobic Builder + 1 Mile Hard

I planned to do 2 x 4 miles slightly harder than last week, but told myself if I felt decent I would just continue straight through. Mostly just trying to get a decent amount of quality aerobic miles and if I need a little recovery it just adds to the volume. Started at 8.0 and worked down to 8.7, increasing .1 each mile. Took a long jog and did 1 mile hard. Averaged 7:11, HR 165

7:30, 7:24, 7:19, 7:14, 7:09, 7:03, 6:58, 6:54 + 6:19

I solid during the workout. The last 2-3 miles had me thinking about maybe just holding pace, but I pushed through. HR was getting into half marathon range by the end of it, which is not atypical for this kind of workout. I took a full mile job before the faster mile. I was starting to work into the half mile and by three quarters I was wondering if I could hold it, but Megan and the boys came down and were playing so it was slightly hard to concentrate. Gutted it out, but it felt quite hard. HR was not bad, but I was breathing. This was a good bit faster than last week and the aerobic miles were more continuous and faster. The last three miles were what I did the first three mile repeats at the previous Monday.

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer. 209W. HR 119. 

The training program called for less than 2 hours with some unstructured sweet spot, but I would have hit my target training stress score within an hour or just over. Planned to go close to 2 hours, but I slept in and didn't leave myself enough time. This was fine for a recovery week.

Lunch: 10 miles, averaged 8:17.

4-Mile Tempo @ ~Half Marathon Effort

Ventured outside, but only after checking the tempo loop, which was primarily clear of ice and slush with one narrow spot where a contractor truck and trailer was parked on the side of the road. It was pretty snow-covered getting to the middle school, but fine after that, just a lot of water from the rapid melting. 

I planned to do 6 x 1 mile and see where I was with respect to what I did on the treadmill about two weeks ago. I figured I would start in the 6:50 range and really try to work down, hoping to be around 6:20 or under at the end. I knew I would be faster outside. I revised the workout as I got going because I wanted to get something a bit more continuous. I figured I might see how the first mile went and then decide to recovery jog or keep going, so I settled on that. The first mile felt pretty easy, but my legs weren't turning over with much power or snap, but I figured I just needed more warm up. I progressed nicely throughout, but just couldn't find the strength to really turn the legs over. Likely, a lack of glycogen. Decently pleased with the workout. 

6:46, 6:35, 6:31, 6:27 (6:35 Avg @ 170 BPM)

I was decently relaxed most of the time. Starting to work around mile 2.5 or so and really wanted to ratchet things down on the last mile but my right quad was a little tight and just wasn't working right. I felt pretty good about this. I will try to work on bringing my average down as I work the top end of my aerobic pace with the longer, 8-mile tempo. I think on Friday I should be able to do around 6:50 pace for the same effort I did last Friday on the treadmill. Maybe start just under 7' and work down the last two miles.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 227W. HR 133.

3 x 10' Criss Cross (Threshold/Vo2)

First workout in some time that I have struggled to hit the target wattage. 4' @ threshold into 1 minute around 385 back to threshold and then 1 minute at 443. That wasn't happening. I just tried to do the 1' sections harder than the 4 minute and did around 320-340, which was plenty. HR was fine, but legs didn't want to produce a lot of power, which makes sense given the workout yesterday. I just kind of worked through and got my time in.

Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 224W. HR 134.

4 x 8' Sweet Spot Bursts

I decided to sleep an extra 2.5 hours rather than getting up at 5AM because I didn't have my Oakland class, which just seemed like the right idea. Good session, needed a decent bit of concentration but it wasn't too hard. Felt like I got a decent bit of work in without going to the well.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 226W. HR 135.

3 x 12' Threshold

First higher power output interval session in a little bit. Felt solid. 298 watts (155 BPM), 302 watts (159 BPM), 302 watts (160 BPM). Got on the trainer a bit later in the morning as the boys were in school and I didn't have my Oakland classes. Tried to fuel a little bit before, but not much.

AM/Lunch: 14 miles, averaged 7:54. HR 150.

8-Mile Tempo @ Marathon Effort + 1 Mile Harder

I was hoping to run about 6:50 or 6:52 pace for marathon effort, so that I knew I could break 90' in the half. I didn't quite get there, but I was close. Effort was honest marathon effort and I didn't push too much toward the end as I typically might with the aerobic builder version of this, which generally has me going into steady state to half marathon effort for 1-3 miles. 6:55 average @ 163 BPM. Jogged a little bit and did a mile in 6:23. I was going to do another mile repeat, but my legs were a little sore/fatigued. That is what happens on low mileage with quality workouts, I guess. 

7:09, 6:59, 6:58, 6:54, 6:54, 6:48, 6:53, 6:47. 

Actually not too far off from the mile repeats on the treadmill I did on February 10, so a good sign to get these continuous (also that the treadmill is not always easier).

PM: 120' on the trainer. 222W. HR 132. 

Did 26' @ Sweet Spot. 275W. HR 153. Did a few sprints toward the 2-hour mark. Decently sore from yesterday's running. I guess that is because I don't have the volume or a lot of recent outdoor miles.

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 224W. HR 134. 

3 x 10' Sweet Spot w/ 30" Hard

This was supposed to be a gravel simulation ride, but I am having trouble seeing how that is. It simulates surges in races, but not particularly gravel specific, so I think I will design my own based on what I have learned about gravel training. Still a good stimulus.

AM/Lunch: 13.4 miles, averaged 8:09. HR 145. 

10 x 1K w/ 90" Recoveries 

It has been a long time since I have done K repeats. I just decided I wanted to do something a bit faster than the half marathon tempo from last week. I figured I would start at 4:00 and work down. I felt solid through most of them and worried about holding pace. I slowed a bit toward the end, but not bad overall. Averaged about 3:55 or 6:17 pace. I looked back at some kilometer workouts and 10 days out from Philly 2015 I did 10k alternating ks HMP/GMP and ran 37:34 or 6:03 pace for 10k. The half marathon ks were 3:37 or about 5:45 pace I think and the marathon pace about what I did the repeats at today. Crazy to think I was just okay with that workout. I haven't run too many 10ks that fast since that time and it was the hard way and a workout. 

3:55, 3:55, 3:52, 3:52, 3:50, 3:55, 3:56, 3:57, 3:56, 3:57

Legs were starting to get a little sore. Maybe got nervous about blowing up. I don't know. A good session anyway. Perhaps next week I will do 12 x 1k, but work on starting at 4:00 or 4:02 and work down patiently. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 196W. HR 119.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 204. HR 119.

PM: 7.6 miles, averaged 9:37. HR 124.

Felt very good on the run. Dark and wet, but got into a good rhythm. I fell asleep twice briefly while the boys were watching TV earlier in the day. We went to the library and had a really good day. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 206W. HR 121. 

Just mostly zone 2 for the first part of this week. Theshold tomorrow and some longer weekend rides with some quality and maybe my first gravel simulation (though on the trainer as the roads won't be ready for a bit yet).

PM: 5 miles, averaged 8:42. HR 135.

Up early again. Got in a short run before going to pick up the boys. About 55 or so, some wind, but nice out. Moody weather. 

AM: 7.2 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:02. HR 136.

I planned to get up early and get my trainer session in, but decided to sleep, which felt good. I ended up decided to run, but didn't want to run outside as it snowed a bit and was cold and worried it would be slick. It was also unpleasantly windy, so I hopped on the treadmill. Started slow and worked down into steady easy. Felt very good.

PM: 

AM/Lunch: 16 miles, averaged 7:29. HR 150.

8-Mile Tempo @ Marathon Effort + 1 Mile Hard

I didn't end up getting in my bike workout yesterday, so I figured my legs would be ready to go. They were. Solid warmup around low 8' pace and I was off and running. It helped that I slept about 9 hours or so. Last week I ran 6:55 pace and this week I was hoping to cut around 5-7 seconds per mile off that. I exceeded that by a decent margin. Averaged 6:44 pace @ 161 BPM, so I was mostly high moderate to low marathon effort for the first bit, which was just right. I gave myself permission too go into steady state to half marathon effort if I wanted to cut down, but just was content to pick it up a decent amount but not get carried away. This was 11 seconds per mile faster than last week at a slightly lower average HR, which was awesome. I jogged to the entryway of the tempo loop (about 4 minutes or so) and did a harder mile in 6:14. It didn't feel too hard and I could have done 1-2 more, but decided to call it and cool down for a few miles. 

This is perhaps the first real indication post-2020 that I could get back into something like I was 7-10 years ago potentially or at least make some gains from where I have been plateauing the last few years. 

6:55, 6:46, 6:50, 6:42, 6:43, 6:37, 6:37, 6:33 + 6:14

I decided to skip the half marathon this Sunday and take the next 12 weeks to build up to Bay Shore half at the end of May and see how close I can get to getting back to around 1:20-1:22. The way things are going I can get there, but it will take some work. Very pleased with my running the last few weeks. I am getting in the right kind of workouts and the aerobic base from cycling is providing a solid foundation.

PM: 120' on the trainer. 238W. HR 137.

4 x 15' Sweet Spot with 5' @ Zone 2 Recovery

278 watts (148 BPM), 279 watts (152 BPM), 276 watts (151 BPM), 276 watts (152 BPM)

AM: 90' on the trainer. 229W. HR 133.

3 x 12' Under/Overs Sweet Spot/Threshold 

Legs were sluggish, but I got through. 284 watts (HR 147), 283 watts (HR 149), 286 watts (HR 150)

AM/Lunch: 14 miles total. 

6-Mile Steady State Tempo in 39:29 (6:35 average @ 167 BPM): 6:38, 6:35, 6:32, 6:34, 6:35, 6:31

I had the day off from Lawrence Tech because of their spring break or whatever they call it there, so I had blood drawn and then got my Monday workout in a bit early. I planned on 12 x 1k to extend the workout from last week a bit, but was also thinking of something a little faster than the 8-mile tempos I have been doing to get something in between moderate to marathon effort and half marathon to lactate threshold effort (about 15k pace for me currently). I wanted to try to do this as a cutdown, starting at 6:40 and hopefully getting the last two miles under 6:30. As I got rolling I thought maybe I would just turn it into a 95% 10k time trial and maybe shoot for 40-41' but I wasn't able to cut down as far as I thought, but I went out strong and progressed a bit and hung on at the end, which I was fine with. HR never got too high, but I don't think I can sustain miles too far into the 170s these days. 

Effort was high marathon effort to half marathon effort, so right in the steady state zone target. I think last year around this time I was able to do 40' at just under 6:30 pace, so I am a little off that, but I have fewer miles and running workouts, so I really takes this as a positive I am heading in the right direction. Two weeks ago I did 4 miles at the same pace with an average HR of 170, so definite progress. 

4.5 up/3.5 down

AM: 90' on the trainer. 232W. HR 131.

3 x 15' Sweet Spot

269 watts (139 BPM), 274 watts (145 BPM, 275 watts (147 BPM)

Solid earlier session. HR was very low. I think my zones are definitely a bit low at this point. 

PM: 6 miles, averaged 9:39. HR 121. 

Recovery. Got pretty dark, but happy for the room for extra light.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 209W. HR 120. 

Basic zone 2 ride. Listened to some podcast and news, watching the world crumble. 

PM: 8 miles, averaged 8:17. HR 137. 

Felt very good. HR stayed quite low and 8' pace feels very easy at this point. I think after a few weeks of solid workouts, my fitness has turned around. Feeling really really good. The Polly Ann is in decent shape. A bit rutted, but mostly frozen a bit. I imagine it will be full ready before too long.

AM: 8 miles, averaged 8:13. HR 138.

Switched my workouts around to make sure I got enough sleep. I will hopefully get my trainer workout in after Megan gets home. Need to figure out what to do about my workout for tomorrow as Megan has to go to Toledo to help her parents. I doubt I will get up super early to get a long run tempo in, but I might just have to or reorder things for the weekend. 

My weight seems to be dropping quite significantly. I feel like this never happens, but I have been trying to focus on my nutrition a bit more and watch my snacking/what I am snacking on, and increasing my protein intake and making sure I get recovery fuel bac in almost immediately after all workouts. 

PM: 90' on the trainer. 226W. HR 136. 

4 x 10' Threshold

298 watts (151 BPM), 296 watts (155 BPM), 300 watts (157 BPM), 301(158 BPM)

Evening: 78' ride outside. 18.6 miles @ 14.2 MPH. 134. HR 102.

Recovery. First outdoor ride of the year. A bit later than normal, but things weren't great for a while and then just really turned around quickly. Roads were graded and actually very dry and chunky in places. A few wet and/or muddy spots, but nothing you don't see after a little rain in the summer. I was hoping the warmer weather would be dry so I could get a longer ride outside this weekend, but not going to happen.

I skipped my Friday long run as Megan had to go to Toledo and I took the boys for the day. The boys were extremely challenging and my parenting was about a D+ at best.

PM: 3 hours 33' (56 miles @ 15.8 MPH). 185W. HR 125. 

I thought it was supposed to be raining all day, but it cleared off and the sun came out a bit, though it was extremely windy (40 MPH gusts), but given that I figured the roads would be decently dry and it was in the 60s I was going to just deal with it. The wind was quite obnoxious at times and pulled my front wheel a few times, which was a bit scary.

Roads were generally good. Slow and chunky in places. Some real rutted out sections of low-lying areas where there is water on both sides of the road, but overall quite good for mid-March. Power was okay, though speed was lower than I would have liked, but wind and a somewhat hilly route will do that. Glad to bank a little time on a planned 3 hour ride. 

Lunch/PM: 3 hours on the trainer. 240W. HR 142. 

Gravel Simulation #1: 2 Hours @ Sweet Spot (264 watts @ 152 BPM)

Well, not exactly a "gravel" simulation but a gravel simulation. It was rainy out and knew things would not be great condition-wise, so I stuck to the trainer for this very challenging workout.

Warmup was scheduled for 15', but I did 30 before getting into things. I used one of the pacer group rides on Zwift that was set at 3.5 watts per kilo, shooting to average around 270ish. I dropped the group at one point and eventually they came back. My HR stayed quite low, only getting into the lower-160s in the final few minutes. I tried not to press too hard as 2 hours at this effort is like running at a high moderate to low marathon effort, so it helps to be patient. I have never gone this long at this intensity (though admittedly some of my really long tempo rides were probably sweet spot before). The most sweet spot I have done straight through is around 80-90 minutes. 

I tried to maintain my carbohydrate intake during the ride as I knew it would be impossible without it. I think I was north of 90 grams of carbs per hour though did not do the exact math. I know I had 3 bottles of 90 carbs each and 3 gels of 30 carbs each and I drank 2.5 bottles and took 2 gels, so around 95 grams per hour. I was going to take more but it was a lot of sugar and didn't want my stomach to revolt. I felt fine though. I think I would shoot to be around 100-110 next time and maybe even higher from there. I have been studying higher carbohydrate intake during training sessions and trying to implement it. If you look at modern endurance sports, that is where the focus has neem.

Lunch/PM: 14 miles, averaged 7:32. HR 147. 

8-Mile Tempo @ Marathon Effort Avg 6:42 @ 160 BPM

After yesterday's long hard bike effort I was really due for a recovery day, but I don't really have any other days during the week to do a midweek workout, so I told myself not to force things and if I felt awful I would adjust or just run easy. It ended up going well, though with fresher legs I would like to have seen where the pace could have gone. Effort was good, legs were decent. My HR stayed quite low. The last lap was only 162 BPM, when 10 days ago that is abotu what I averaged. This was about 2 seconds faster per mile, so still progress, which is good. I still need to find the old entry where Rob Murphy gave me advice about getting stuck comparing workouts week to week a number of years ago. 

I decided going into the workout not to do any additional mile repeats as I have done previously. The stacked training load the last few days has been a lot. 

3 up/3 down 

6:52, 6:46, 6:43, 6:38, 6:41, 6:41, 6:40, 6:31

The effort felt right. I decided to pick it up the second half slightly but not press too hard and keep the effort more or less consistent. Not a ton of cardiac drift. Hovered right at 160-161 for most of it.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 142W. HR 94.

Got up early and did a recovery ride. I was in the red the last two days, unsuprisingly. Felt like falling back asleep, but I had to go to the bathroom and figured I might as well get up. Looks like a warm day, so I will get a recovery 10k in later. 

Weight looks to be accurate accounting for hydration, etc. I have never seen weight come off this fast. I am now right around my median racing weight. I would like to see things continue to drop, but maybe not as drastically (though I don't think I have ever said that in my entire endurance career!). Some slight adjustments to eating have made a difference. I am fueling workouts more and taking in more recovery protein immediately after workouts, which keeps appetite spikes way down and ensures proper fueling and recovery, so I don't see it as a bad thing.

PM: 8 miles recovery, averaged 9:47. HR 121. 

A beautiful evening for it.

PM: 8 miles, averaged 7:57. HR 146.

It was 65 or 70. Just absolutely beautiful, though windy headed south. I kept the pace pretty steady as I wanted to get the full loop in before going to get the boys. 

Night: 120' on the trainer. 220W. HR 133. 

3 x 15' Sweet Spot

I still wanted to get in my bike workout. I slept in and didn't get it in, so I got it in late, which wasn't ideal. I got dinner ready for Megan and after the boys went to bed I got on the trainer. Energy was decent, but as soon as I tried to push my legs were super heavy. I struggled to keep my power up. My HR was very in control, but my legs did nothing. That is a tough time of day to try to do a workout, so I didn't worry about it too much. Right around the upper 260 to lowe 270 watt range. I was hoping for upper 270s to low 280s. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 139W. HR 95. 

PM: 6.2 miles, averaged 9:41. HR 121. 

About 35 degrees with blowing sleet and snow, so quite a change from yesterday when I was in a t-shirt and shorts and I was sweating before mile 2. My bike training program signaled a red day and a recovery ride, which was welcomed. V02 max intervals were not high on my list. Felt very good for both recovery sessions.

AM: 14.5 miles, averaged 7:40. HR 146.

4 x 2 Miles @ Half Marathon Effort

It's been years since I have done this workout. I think maybe fall 2015 before my half marathon PR, but I might have done it spring in 2016. I have to look. Anyway, certainly one of the slowest I have ever done this workout, but I am pleased with it, as this would have been impossible at this pace even 6 weeks ago. Megan had something at Oakland, so I had to get moving. I usually sleep as late as I can on Fridays. Still managed a good night of sleep with good sleep data. I planned on trying to get everything under 6:30 pace as this would be just below the faster end of my recent 8-mile tempos and a bit faster than my 6-mile threshold run a few weeks ago. It was quite cold.

Warmed up 3 miles or so with some pickups and strides. I did these on my 1k+ loop, which ended up working out well because each repeat was just under three laps. I took a very easy 3-3.5' plod between repeats. I wanted to start in the same spot rather than doing them continuously as I sometimes do my workouts. Effort was good throughout. HR never got very high, but I guess that really doesn't matter. This was definitely another good step in the right direction. 

Repeat 1: 6:35, 6:30, Repeat 2: 6:21, 6:25, Repeat 3: 6:23, 6:24, Repeat 4: 6:23, 6:25

Avg 6:25/6:26

Cooled down 2.4 miles. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 202W. HR 119. 

PM: 3 hours on the trainer. 212W. HR 122. 

Felt a little sluggish even though the effort wasn't hard. Just low on calories I think.

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 225W. HR 136.

4 x 12' Under/Overs

Got a good night of sleep, sleeping until almost 9:30. The 3 x 12' version of this workout was tough two weeks ago, mostly due to muscular fatigue. Aerobically, it is not terrible. Today I felt a bit better, but it was still challenging to concentrate. I was slightly under targets on a few of the intervals but mostly close, at, or slightly above in some cases. Having lost quite a bit of weight recently and rapidly I know that it is a bit harder to put out higher power. This was also the second week at 17+ hours of total training time. I think this week I will try to cut volume and not do a "midweek" (Monday, that is) workout and just run very easy until Friday's long run workout and do whatever is on my cycling schedule. I don't wont to get too manic about my training, but boy it feels good right now. 

Lunch: 6.1 miles, averaged 9:31. HR 121.

PM: 6.5 miles, averaged 9:10. HR 119. 

Cold and windy on both runs, but felt good to run twice. 

AM/Lunch: 14 miles, averaged 7:32. HR 146. 

6 x 1 Mile

It's been a while since I have done mile repeats outside. I did them on the treadmill in early February and I think the fastest was around 6:40. I think I started at 7:05ish pace. Today my goal was to run approximately 10 seconds faster than the 2-mile repeat pace from Friday, which would put me slightly faster than 15k-10-mile pace to around 10k pace. The boys went to their friend's for a few hours, which was welcomed given how things have been lately and that Tuesdays I am with them for the day. So instead of getting a bunch of work done, I decided to sneak this in. With two recovery runs yesterday and no bike workouts just the day before as I have been doing, I figured I would have decent legs today. I did. 

Goal was to start around 6:20-6:22 and cut down, hoping to hit 6:10 or faster by the end. Pretty much was on target. Quite chilly and decently windy, though this loop is just over a kilometer so it isn't all in the wind. 

6:16, 6:20, 6:14, 6:16, 6:15, 6:12

I took just over 2' jog recoveries. About 1/5 of a mile (2:10-2:15). 3.2 up/3.6 down. I think this is right around half marathon goal pace in about 8 weeks. I think that is double with some consistent mileage and working these midweek workouts a bit, try to extend these out to 2k next week or the week after and then maybe to 4 x 10' in about 4-5 weeks, and then about a week out do 4 x 2 miles. 

PM: 73' outside ride. 181W. HR 111.

Brrr. It was cold and spitting snow. Wind in my face for a good bit of it. Felt pretty sluggish from the morning session, so I probably should have just sat on the trainer to minimize leg fatigue. I just felt like getting outside. I am not sure I will get outside on the bike this week. Thursday Night Dirt is on, but with the boys on break and the schedule out of typical order, I think I will wait. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 220W. HR 132. 

3 x 15' Sweet Spot (5')

I wasn't sure how my legs would feel after yesterday. They felt fine throughout the day, but they were quite sluggish and slow to warm up on this session. I am glad it wasn't threshold. HR was nice and low and my average was slightly above target and I got stronger with each interval, which was good. Not a tough workout when you have recently done two hours at the same effort, but good to stack some quality. 

267 watts (148 BPM), 274 watts (148 BPM), 276 watts (151 BPM)

PM: 3 hours 6' (54.6 miles @ 17.4 MPH). 214W. HR 141. 

Thursday Night Dirt Season Opener!

The boys have been on break so our schedule has been a little jumbled and I wasn't planning to do the ride, but I didn't have much time planned for my classes this week and I took the boys for some extra time so Megan could sort some things out for her parents. I decided it was okay to do the ride, which I really wanted to do but didn't think it was appropriate if Megan was going to be with the boys for most of the day when they are typically in school and she is on campus. 

It was in the 50s with a decent bit of wind, so I dressed for about 40-45 degrees and it worked out well. Rode to the ride as usual. Greenshield west was loamy and sandy, but the bike was actually floating over it quite well. It is amazing what the weight loss has done on the bike. Takes no effort to get going and maintain speed. Met the group coming up Sheldon. Stayed at the back to get used to riding next to people again then moved up. 

One guy off the front going up/down Hixon, so a few took off and I took a strong pull up the hill and put a gap on the group temporarily. I got into a fast group of a few guys and we were moving. We cornered and I thought they would let up, so I tried to get some fluids in knowing I needed some carbs to keep up. That was a mistake. Gap opened and I was never going to cover it. 

A few guys caught up with me and I tried to work with them a bit but our rhythm was off. The group caught us going through the Proving Grounds so I figured I would stick with them. A very good ride. Not super fast overall, but windy and an uneven effort. 

Chatted for a while and then rode home. I wasn't going to RJ's as I wanted to get home and I didn't want to sit around and then freeze on the way home. It was cold enough and sometimes even in May doing that is too cold. 

Loop Data: 19.1-19.3 MPH 247 Watts (275 Normalized). 30.2 miles in 1:33:50.

AM: 15.3 miles, averaged 7:22. HR 149. 

8-Mile Tempo @ Marathon Effort

I was going to be sensible and do 2 x 10k recovery runs, but I wanted to get in a long run. Originally I was going to do 2 x 5 miles @ high marathon to steady state effort (around 6:28-6:35), but Megan had a meeting and I needed to be back, so I figured this would be a better focus and I could get in what I wanted and have a good idea of how much time it would take. My legs were tired from last night, but knowing they actually can do well if I don't run the day before even with a longer harder bike workout, I just went with it, running under 8:00 for the first mile, which almost never happens. I had the goal of being slightly under my pace from about 10 days ago (6:42 pace), but not to force things if I felt overly tired or if I was out of my target zone. Felt quite solid if a bit tired toward the last mile to mile and a half, but I expected that. 

6:37 average @ 161 BPM

6:44, 6:39, 6:36, 6:36*, 6:36, 6:38, 6:35, 6:35

The fourth split was 6:28, but I knew that couldn't be right, and the data confirmed a pace glitch. Figured it was in line with the other splits, so I put it down as 6:36. Did a somewhat longer cool down. 

3 up/4.3 down

18 seconds faster per mile than exactly one month ago. I'm pretty much back to where I have typically been as a base since 2013 or 2014, so that feels good. 

My weight is down 8.75 lbs from one month ago, which is almost 4 kilos. I have never lost weight so quickly in my life, even when I first started running. I think I lost 10-12 lbs in early 2014 over an 8-week period, so that was close. I was also 11 years younger. That was after a serious injury. 

PM: 3 hours 10'. 52.6 miles @ 16.6 MPH. 191W (201 Norm.). HR 119. 

Decided to roll the dice on the road conditions and weather. I lost. It was fine to start. Roads a bit damp, but not bad. Got a few sprinkles and then light rain and the roads were a bit messy. I was just going to keep going, but I decided to trun back thinking I would finish on the trainer. I heard grit in my brakes, which is usually a sign to be done. I was kind of ticked at myself, but that happens some times. I had checked the forecast and thought there was a window. Oh well. I still managed to get in over 3 hours and had it not been raining I would have done 4+ hours even though my training program told me it was best to cut it down. This was somewhere in the middle. 

I had my hydration pack loaded with Flow Formula and two 25 oz bottles, so I was ready for abotu 4 hours. It worked well though I didn't ingest a ton. I did have a decent meal prior: two granola bars, a small stack of Ritz, and a bowl of yogurt with granola. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 225W. HR 135. 

3 x 12' Threshold

297 watts (154 BPM), 295 watts (157 BPM), 295 watts (158 BPM)

Slightly lower than the same workout a month about, about 3-5 watts but 8-9 lbs lighter, so I still think I am ahead. Going to be tough trying to push 315-320 for an FTP test next week I think. HR didn't get high, but breathing got up there a bit the last 90"-2'. Legs were decent. 

Lunch: 8 miles, averaged 8:33. HR 131. 

PM: 6.3 miles, averaged 8:48. HR 124. 

Two good, relaxed runs. Stride felt great and HR was excellent. 

PM: 120' on the trainer. 

Zwift Race: 35:22 @ 280 watts @ 161 BPM

I had an FTP test scheduled, but was nervous about it, so I figured a race around 25-30' might be better and I could go out hard for 20', die, and get my 20' test. I warmed up about 24' with a clearing effort and got into the race. I went out decently hard and found myself off the front and increasing my lead, so I stuck with it. I had a 10-15 second gap at one put but the guys behind me were pushing pretty hard to catch me and I got caught around the 12' mark. I hung on as well as I could and kept up with the chase pack, but my confidence was shot (even though I didn't expect to hold them off the whole race, I still kind of hoped I would). My power dropped throughout and the overall effort wasn't fantastic, but it was okay. 

Cooled down an hour mostly in zone 2. Felt good for that. I wasn't super happy with the effort, but I also haven't done many full gas efforts over 10-12' in about two months, so probably something to that along with the weight loss. 

24' up @ 209 watts @ 123 BPM; 61' down @ 200 watts @ 120 BPM

PM: 60' on the trainer. 139W. HR 92. 

Active recovery. I was going to get up early and run or ride, but I went back to sleep. It's been miserably cold and rainy, so I doubt I'll get outside today. Megan is going to Toledo to help her parents move on Saturday, so I am going to shuffle workouts around a bit. Tomorrow's weather looks good for TND but I am sure with all the rain the roads are going to be an absolute mess. Oh well. 

AM: 8 miles, averaged 7:56. HR 141. 

Felt great on my morning run and sub-8:00 to 7:30 pace feels easier than it has in years. No doubt the quality aerobic workouts over the last 8 weeks have made these feel much easier. 

PM: 90' on the trainer. 227W. HR 136. 

5 x 8' Threshold

A good session today. I didn't have much time between my run, but it is easier to ride closer to a run than it is to run close to a run. Warmed into the workout and got strong throughout, which was the point. Even got my HR out of the 160s!

300 watts (149 BPM), 299 watts (151 BPM), 306 watts (152 BPM), 311 watts (155 BPM), 310 watts (159 BPM)

Lunch/PM: 4 hours 35' (~80 miles @ 17.4 MPH). 208W. HR 124.

Really solid ride. About 50 new miles. More pavement than I expected, but I was looking for roads back east. Power and HR were very solid. Back over 200 watts, which is good. Not too much wind, not too cold and not too warm. Fueled pretty consistently and made a big difference. I did two heavy Maurten gels and 2 Precision gels. I didn maybe 40 oz of 90g carb drink mix. So maybe only 50g or so per hour. Those gels are about $5 a piece though. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 140W. HR 92.

Early recovery ride. Megan is in Toledo for an undetermined amount of time today, but I will try to get a short recovery run in later as I haven't run as much as I would have liked this week, but I had to skip my long run yesterday to get my long ride in given the weather window we had.

AMlLunch: 120' on the trainer. 236W. HR 137.

4 x 15' Under/Overs

A solid session today. I felt quite strong after getting to bed a decent hour and sleeping until just before 9:00. Did some work and decided to jump on the trainer. I was thinking about going outside but it was just about freezing and didn't feel like taking the extra time to get my bike ready. I was also thinking about doing a long run, as my running this week has been more minimal and inconsistent than previous weeks, but I did three bike sessions and a long ride, so I had plenty of training. 

This was a progression from the last several weeks. 3-4 weeks ago or so my legs felt like crap on these. Today I was ready to blast and on most of them felt I could have held full threshold for the entire 15'. The overall average power for the intervals confirms this. 

Goals were 270 watts for 2' and then 295 for 1' with 6' of recovery at zone 2 between intervals. I exceeded those targets, starting around 275 and finishing most around 280-285 and the threshold sections around 300-306 and finished with a few around 310-325.

Overall: 286 watts @ 150 BPM, 289 watts @ 153 BPM, 289 watts @ 154 BPM, 291 watts @ 154 

PM: 8.4 miles, averaged 8:46. HR 126.

Lunch/PM: 15.7 miles, averaged 7:41. HR 144.

6 x 2k w/ 2-2.5' Recoveries 

I was looking to extend the mile repeats from 2 weeks ago. I didn't get in a midweek workout or a long run last week, but that was okay. I just haven't run fast in a while. I was hoping to get around 6:15 or so for these to be in line with the 6 x 1 mile workout from two weeks ago, knowing that that is a a good bit faster than half marathon pace but that I want to see if I can get pretty close to sub-80 minute shape in 8 weeks. Today told me I am closer to that goal than I could have imagined. Plenty of work to do, but it doesn't feel as unrealistic as it did 4 weeks or so ago.  

I warmed up just under 4 miles. The wind was picking up and it was starting to rain a little and it was supposed to snow, but we never really got it thankfully. I wore super shoes for the first time in a long time. The last time I raced in September I didn't even bother with them, but I do think they help a good bit. 

Goal was to hit 7:40-7:45 per 2k or 6:10-6:14 per mile. I averaged 7:40, or 6:10/6:11 per mile. Jogs were no more than 2:30 with most around 2:15-2:25. I didn't get too fussy with those. 

Cooled down about 3.2 miles or so. I didn't have much on the cool down and my vision was a touch foggy. Clearly not enough fuel. A little fatigued after the workout but I got in a nap before picking the boys up. I haven't felt knackered after a workout in a while. Usually I gather myself and I am fine after a mile or so of cooling down. My legs didn't have much more than 9' pace, which was fine. It brought my HR back down nicely. 

Pretty pleased with this one. I have made a lot of progress since February. I feel very fortunate to be able to do this. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 142W. HR 93.

Recovery ride. Felt decent, but a bit tired. Fell asleep while the boys were watching TV. I went to pick my mom up at the airport as she is staying with me and the boys while Megan is at a conference in Baltimore. 

PM: 8 miles, averaged 9:13. HR 119. 

Felt decent to start, then pretty awful. Just low on energy and thought I had to go to the bathroom. Felt fine after the halfway mark and picked up the pace. I will be interested to see how fast I can run and still keep my averaged HR below 120. It used to take 10'+. Running feels very effortless and enjoyable. Quite pleased.4

AM: 120' on the trainer. 212W. HR 126.

3 x 5' Anaerobic Over Unders

30" hard, 4' vo2 max, 30" hard as you can go. These were supposed to be something like 590 watts/336 watts/590 watts, but I wasn't getting there. I did not expect the 4' efforts to be that high. I figured 100% of threshold or slightly over, not 112-115% or whatever it was. Good session even if I wasn't able to fully hit the numbers. Mostly zone 2 other than the recoveries and a short warm up and cool down.

Megan left for Baltimore this morning. I will try to get my run in after class and before picking the boys up from school, otherwise I will see if they will behave for my mom long enough to squeeze in an hour. 

PM: 8 miles, averaged 8:01. HR 136.

Felt fantastic. Had just enough time to run before getting boys after class. Ran about 8:20 for the first mile and sped up organically. My strides feels the best it has felt in years. 7:30 pace feels better than maybe it ever has. HR was right around 145 for those last miles, so basically my zone 2 has gone from 7:50-8:45 to something like 7:20-8:00. 

Got the boys off to school, but it was a little stressful. Not that it surprises me, but Megan and I rely on each other a lot to take care of the boys.