Wheeler Farm Loops

Sorry to hear this. I think a little break will do you good. Rest up and you'll come back strong for Chicago.

Definitely agree that a break right now is a smart call. Keep listenning to your body and you'll get back on track and come back stronger when your ready. I was reading your UVM report from 2011 and the final paragraph said this: "I put in the miles, did smart workouts, had fun doing it, and executed a great race today." Plain and simple. Once things become too complex we move away from that "fun" in my opinion and running becomes more of a frustrating chore.

Bummer. Does anyone have an idea WHY your ferritin levels are so low? Seems to me like you pay close attention to your diet and nutrition - much closer than most people do.

I did pay close attention to those things until I fell apart towards the end of April. Then I slacked off and paid the price. None of this is a surprise... I stopped trying to consistently do my best. My nutrition has been awful for the past month, and that's probably why I feel like crap.

My ferritin levels are actually still within a good range, even for runners, but I tend to have "exceptional blood" when I'm really clicking and at my best.

It's probably humanly impossible to have such super dedication and attention to detail 24/7/365. We all need time to be a slob. Kick back and enjoy The Summer of Jake, and you'll be ready to re-focus later.

That's crazy! Will you be taking iron supplements now? I've struggled with this too and so now I take a supplement called Ferretts Iron along with more iron-rich foods. At least it's an excuse for more steak! Haha

Scott - to be clear, my iron is not THAT low. My ferritin is usually ~100, and it was 60 this time (still excellent by most standards, most people would kill for that kind of number). But like anything else, these things are very relative and individualized. When you see a 40% drop from normal, that means something has changed.

The HCT, other the other hand, was down ~12% from my typical range, which is a GIGANTIC amount. Unless you're a cyclist, you can't just tape a bag of blood to the wall and get yourself up to 49.9 overnight :-)

In any case, regardless of what these labs showed, I already knew what I needed to know just based on how I was running. I went from being a guy who was ready to attack 1:05 to a guy who couldn't crack 1:07. That's a big difference, and I can't just force my way back... I want a fresh start.

Jake.... this made me think of you. It was a race that took place in Concord, MA the town next to mine. Crappy camera angle, but you get the idea.

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/251624-Adrian-Martinez-Classic-2014/video/746842-Mens-Mile-H01-4-sub-4#.U5JzaXJdXTo

Then this is awesome.... Go Saucony!!!

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/251624-Adrian-Martinez-Classic-2014/video/746850-Eric-Finan-stuns-himself-with-first-sub-4#.U5Jzu3JdXTo

That was an incredible race for Eric. When his time went up on our Saucony team site yesterday, I think a lot of jaws hit the floor!

Saucony > Hoka :-)

Sorry to hear, Jake.

When you say your diet has gone south, I'm just curious- what is a good diet for you, and what is a bad diet?

All I can say, Jake, is RED MEAT. I'm a big fan! But, you don't need to hear this because you already eat red meat. I'm glad you had your labs drawn. You'll figure this out. I feel that a bit of a break from training will do you some good. You have such an amazing base (years in the making), that I predict you will come back with a vengeance: faster and more powerful than ever.

Too bad, in a way, that you need to take a break - which sometimes happens when we have injuries but ultimately this is better than being forced to take a break due to injury, which often carries with it some anxiety of not knowing when you can return to training. This will simply give you time to recharge mentally and physically.

Curious as to whether you will be doing no running at all, or just very light training?

The hard reset is a tough call - but sounds like the right one. It's great to see you taking rest as seriously as running. Rest up! :)

Enjoy the break!

"If your legs are feeling unduly stiff and sore, rest; if you are at all sluggish, rest; in fact, if in doubt, rest."

Bruce Fordyce

Jon - I'd define a bad diet as one where I eat too much and gain a bunch of weight :-0

Bret - I'm not planning to stop running altogether for very long. I'll likely just fall into my routine of easy run-commuting most days, starting next week, and do that for a while. It's still the most efficient way to get back and forth from my office! Ultimately I need to be certain other aspects of life are back in order before I go after this again. That might end up being a while, in which case, I'll take my time. I've got no injuries or anything like that, so I can pretty much get going whenever I feel up to it again.

Jake, sorry to hear your plans got derailed. You'll be back on top soon!

I think this is an excellent idea. Get those iron levels up and rest up those legs and mind and you will come back stronger than before.