Doesn't Get Easier

Total for month.

Total for month.

Total for month.

Catch up entry for month.

It has been a while since my last entry. Watching the Boston Marathon today has inspired me to get back into training and post on the FRB. I began a significant cutback in running last fall due to troubling symptoms that kept getting worse (low energy, falling heart rate, exercise intolerance, dizziness, heart palpitations, etc). These have been on and off issues since 2010, but last year was the worst. Went back to the Cardiologist for my third time and was diagnosed with a parasympathetic form of overtraining. Structurally my heart is normal (no blockages or leaky valves). Just a severe case of overtraining in his opinion, that if not stopped could cause more permanent damage. Only solution was to drastically lower training and rest. Doc is not sure if I'll bounce back since it's a very individual matter and recovery time varies. Not what one wants to hear, but I count my blessings regardless.

So just been jogging about 18 miles per week and eating like a champ (see bodyweight below) for the past 6 months. I would like to rebuild my base again, but really not sure what will happen or how my body will react. God willing, the plan is to 1) keep my running low key, 2) avoid the mistakes made before, and 3) have fun in the process. No other plans at this point.

Awesome weather outside so went out for a run during lunch. Done in about 54 minutes including a 1 minute walk break at 20 minute mark.

Another easy lunch time jog done in about 55:00. Heart rate was in the 100-120 range. Trying to keep it below 120. It feels better and heart is more responsive to activity, but has only been 3 days.

Rest day at home, one child down with an ear infection and flu.

Felt really good during this run and the weather was perfect.  Took the past two days off to be extra cautious.  Still hoping I can get back to my former glory, but will take a year and still not sure what will happen once I get past 40 miles per week. My real problem is a lack if patience.

No run, did 30-45 minutes of skipping rope, boxing work, and weights.

Lunch run of 6 miles.  Windy!  Central IL doesn't have many hills, but has plenty of wind.  I'd rather have the hills because you can see the end.  Legs were a little tired from weights yesterday. 

Nice run over lunch. Definitely feeling the effects of the weightlifting I did on Sunday. Glad I kept it light that day. Observation to note on this run was my heart rate and breathing became in sync after about 55 minutes of running. Like a switch was flipped and I became more comfortable.

Ran on millski during lunch. 4 x 2 min fast with long rest intervals just to mix things up. Resting heart rate at 34 in the morning and 45 in the afternoon. Stays in the 100-120 range during run.

Six slow miles on the mill again. I didn't want to get all bundled up for outside. I promise not to complain about the heat this year. I'll reserve my complaints for the humidity.

Exciting news hit the wire a few days ago regarding the beer mile:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/04/james-nielsen-beer-mile-world-record

Lunch run followed by some weightlifting after. My back always complains when I start running more often. Need to do some core work.

No run, but did spread 5 cubic yards of mulch today. Back is tired. Hope to bump up mileage next week.

Ran over lunch hour, all easy pace. Breathing better and feeling good after the 40 minute mark during this run. Weather was outstanding.

Light weights and extra stuff before supper.

Ran over lunch hour again. Planned on making this a morning run, but was up in the middle of the night worrying about my youngest daughter. She has complained of stomach aches for a long time and now she's going in for a GI plumbing check. We thought it was gluten, but now I think it's an acid reflux issue. I'm praying for a simple issue anyway. Find out tomorrow. Too young to be dealing with this stuff. Going with more organic and non-GMO food in our house, damn the expense.

Summer temps today! Painful stomach bloating, not sure why, but had to walk a few times. Going to make some diet changes and see if that helps my belching frequency during my run. Ginger root might help as well.

Lunch time run. Still felt a burping sensation building at times, but less frequent and it didn't actually result in anything. The diet changes and ginger root might have helped. Wait and see.

The usual run around the neighborhood. Heart rate remained in the 100-120 range throughout. Feeling totally out of running shape. Most miles I've run in a week in 7 months though.

Morning 6.5 miles in 56 minutes. Soaked in drizzling rain. Felt really good and even caught myself speeding a bit, well that might be a stretch, let's just say I was going faster but it still felt easy.

Lunch 3.5 miles + light weights. Still feeling really good after the morning jog so thought I'd do a double just for the heck of it. Last 0.5 mile gradually faster down to MP, whatever that is at this point. Followed run by easy squat thrusts, calf raises, and incline crunches, two sets apiece.

5 miles on the TM in the morning. Cold and wet outside so decided to just hop on the mill for a while before work. Followed by one set of push-ups.

6 miles outside during lunch. Cool weather felt really good. Followed by one set of pull-ups. Decided to keep my gym membership so I can run during the lunch hour. Only $10 per month, but thought about running after work instead so wouldn't need it. Problem is I forgot how much I don't like running after work. Feels like I'm cutting into family time and helping around the house.

Slipped this one in late in the day. Didn't feel good until 30 minutes. Week has been a dud running wise. I need to make it more of a priority and do it earlier in the day like the old days.

No run. Skipping rope and weight training.

AM: 5.4 miles, easy jog, legs were a little stiff from weights yesterday.

Lunch: 3.6 miles, didn't want to deal with the wind so did an easy jog on the TM. A little too much leg work yesterday.

Lunch: 7.4 miles

Hot and windy today so cooling system was on high alert. Jogged most of this until the last couple miles were I did a handful of 400s faster with walking breaks. Not sure if I'll ever recapture my old form. Heart still not cooperating and runs 10-20 beats too low.

AM: 6.44 miles. Mixed in some short walking breaks. Heart was just not beating fast enough for energy output. Abstaining from vitamins and other herbal supplements to see if something there has brought on my low heart rate. Long shot, but worth a try. I definitely don't feel overtrained.

AM: 5.1 miles. A couple short walk breaks to check pulse. Felt better than yesterday. Didn't feel so energy drained or constricted with breathing.

PM: 5.5 miles + weighted incline crunch. 

Something felt different during this run. The first 30 minutes started out as usual. Felt like I couldn't catch my breath during 15-30 minutes. Took my pulse at 30 minute point and it was around 108. After that point I then gradually started to feel better and breathing easier. Felt more in balance/homeostasis. Checked my pulse again and it was around 96.  Lower pulse, but felt better overall and could speed up without much issue other than being out of condition.

AM: 10.9 miles in 1:39:56. Most miles I've covered in a week since last September!

Jogged most of way and felt the same as yesterday energy wise. Felt better around the 35 minute mark. Wore a heart monitor during the run. Heart rate was in the mid-90s up until that time, hitting 100-105 on the small hills. After that time it dropped to the mid-80s and I felt better overall. I use to think that feeling meant my heart rate climbed, but it actually meant it fell. I was going about 9:00 pace. Pulse was in the 85-100 range for the remainder of run until the last mile where it gradually climbed to its max rate of 114. Average pulse for entire run was 92 beats per minute. Not sure what to make of all this. Is this normal? Pulse still seems low for the pace even though it was in the low 9s. Also worth noting is whenever my pulse climbed to around 100 I would produce a belch that would trip a vagal response and briefly lower my heart rate by 5-10 beats. This still occurs frequently regardless of nutrition scheme or strategy. Probably over thinking all of this, but still seems odd this started occurring more frequently about 2 years ago. Hoping that it's supplement related and will clear up in a couple months abstaining from all herbs and vitamins. Still don't think it's overtraining, but parasympathetic form and high vagal tone can't be totally ruled out.

Average: 9:10/mile, 92 bpm

Max: 7:28/mile, 114 bpm

Church and later a cookout and volleyball with friends.

A 10.26 mile run or glorified jog around Rochester before breakfast done in 1:31:17. A little warmer and humid. Feeling good and comfortable after about 30 minutes. Problem is around that time my pulse falls about 10-15 bpm and feels like my blood pressure drops as well. A drop in pulse isn't considered normal, but I feel a lot better when it happens and can speed up the pace at that point. Heart is more responsive and climbs easily on hills after that point.

Average: 8:54/mile, 96 bpm

Max: 7:26/mile, 119 bpm

AM: 6.4 miles, general tired feeling most of the way and didn't feel much better after 30 minutes like I have been recently. Legs were in good shape.

LH: 4.0 sloooow miles during lunch and one whole set of push-ups! The exercise not the orange flavored treat.

Lunch: 6 miles. Mixed in several short fartleks during the back half. Frustrated and impatient. One set of chin-ups. Those are tough!

AM: 7.1 miles really slow pace, felt great and "pleasantly tired" at the end.

PM: 6.0 miles really slow again, hot and humid out so exertion was a bit higher versus this morning. Followed by one whole set of push-ups, squeezing in one more rep.

I'm convinced that batteries in fire alarms only die out during 1-4am. I always forget to change them out on whatever holiday.

11.40 miles very slow. Warm and humid. Tired from the start. No explanation other than I did too much yesterday. Plus I'm still trying to keep heart rate around 100 or lower so pace will be slow. Gradually losing weight.

Average: 10:32/mile, 96 bpm

Max: 8:41/mile, 115 bpm

No run. Skipped rope, weights, and abs done in 30 minutes.

Lunch hour run of 7.4 miles. Last two miles were really good.

AM: 6.4 miles before work. Legs still sore from weights on Sunday. Typical soreness lasts two days and is worse the second day after. Super hungry today.

Lunch: 7.4 miles at 8:45 per mile. Usual feeling first 40 minutes, but a bit more stamina this time. 

AM: 6.4 miles on a nice cool morning

PM: 3.6 miles after work. Sugar bonked big time right after the first mile. Felt terribly light headed for about a mile and then much better. Regardless of what I eat or don't eat, I always seem to have a blood sugar issue when I run after work. Followed by a light core and leg workout.

AM: 6.5 miles. Started out slow as usual, kind of a struggle until 40 min, felt fantastic last mile.

Lunch: 5.8 miles. Lacked energy the whole way and didn't get that typical burst after 40 min either.

Really starting to dislike miles 2-4 on nearly every run. Body doesn't feel good and feels like forever.

10.3 miles. The usual feelings for 45 minutes or so and then everything was better breathing wise. Sure wish I knew what was going on with my heart and blood pressure the first 4 miles of a run. Doctor said I have really high vagal tone, but I thought that was a good thing and I don't think that's the whole problem. Perhaps blood pressure involvement as I'm borderline low in that category.

Average: 9:27/mile, 96 bpm

Max: 7:09/mile, 121 bpm

Self administered treadmill stress test. Stupid idea doing it unsupervised given my recent heart related concerns, but did it anyway. Resting heart rate prior to test 33. Reached intolerable exhaustion after 1.4 miles and heart rate max of 138. Based on the test result, my estimated VO2 max is 56, which is in the 55-60 range provided by other estimates.

Cooled down with an easy run of 2.6 miles afterward.

Resting the heart.

AM: 7.1 miles, felt easy because of rest and relative to stress test on Monday.

Lunch: 6 miles, no complaints. Noticed I don't get the usual "high" or energy surge at the 25-35 minute mark like I do during the first run of the day.

AM: 8.6 miles

PM: 3.8 miles on the treadmill

All easy paced jogs. Just need to keep things easy and build. Taking care of the kids today while Krista works. Plenty of chores to do and deal out as well. Kids love it when I stay home.

A nice jog before work. Feeling tired, but not sore or stiff. Wish I had another day off.

Perfect day for running. Out and back on the local bike trail. Taking it easy and keeping the pace at 8:30 to 9:30 range. Now go on a picnic with family.

Lunch hour run. Hot and humid combo, sluggish legs as well. Let the sweat fest begin!

AM: 7.1 miles outside early before work. Already in the 70s. 

LH: 4.0 miles on the treadmill because too hot out, 5 minutes ran faster. Followed by some weighted crunches.

Blew off my run this morning + talked myself out of lunch hour run because of heat = sweaty 5.5 miles on the treadmill after work.

Long jog on the trail. Heat and humidity bad again. I would have gotten an earlier start, but had to drive one of the kids to a car wash fundraiser at church. Just can't hang in these conditions anymore. No patience for suffering in dehydration.

Short no run workout with weights. Worked on the heavy bag and speed bag as well.

Slow jog again due to weather conditions. Lots on my mind lately. 

Morning run of 6.3 miles. Rained overnight which put the humidity in the 90s this morning. I was drenched after this one.

Lunch run 5 miles on the mill. Progressively faster pace every 6 minutes. Still sweat like a beast.

Morning run 7.14 miles. Sure will be nice once I drop about 20lbs. Can feel the extra weight holding me down.

4 miles during lunch followed by a couple of my key exercises for a few sets.

Morning run 7.6 miles. Got tired really quick after only 5 miles. Feelng more than Lydiard's "pleasantly tired" at the end so no more running today.

Morning: 7.0 miles, feeling much better during and after this run

Lunch: 5.2 miles, tired but gained some stamina during the end

After some trial and error, I figured out that caffeine causes my heart to palpitate. I stopped drinking coffee this week and it has made a difference. 

AM: 8.1 miles. Fresh legs made for a very enjoyable run. 

Lunch: 5 miles. Nothing to report. Heart rate was fine other than typical vagus nerve burping issue that happens every 10-15 minutes.

Morning run 5.3 miles before work. Only run of the day. Feeling in a funk this week. Lack motivation.

AM: 8 miles, wanted to blow this off and just sleep in but couldn't go back to sleep so dragged my butt out of bed.

Great weather for 12 miles on country roads. Thought about blowing this run off again so another mental victory. Too many this week.

10 miles, nothing fancy. Looking forward to the local parade later today. We cut the cable TV cord several months ago and now I need to figure out how I can watch the Tour de France. 

Lunch hour run 7.4 miles. I marked these as "easy", but with the heat index at 94.....well you get the point. I held up a lot better than I thought. Need to start running more in the morning though.

Hit the road after work for 12.8 miles. Much better weather and more late day shade made for an enjoyable trip. Actually felt a bit like my old self again. Just enough inspiration to keep me going.

AM: 6.5 miles before work. Tired feeling. Systems weren't ready to go until 40 minutes into the trip. 

Lunch: 5.4 miles. Not really feeling it until the end. New shoes at a smaller size worked well.

Steady 10 miles later in the day. Feeling my stamina coming back. The first 30 minutes of every run is the most awkward. Not sure what kind of run I'm going to have until then.

Morning run 8 miles. Same good feelings after 30 minutes. Can feel my endurance returning and body is recovering well between sessions.

Easy 6.6 miles before hitting the road. Felt crummy most of the way due to the humidity and gut bomb for supper last night. The horseshoe dish is highly overrated.

Easy 9.2 miles in Parker, CO before dinner with friends. I was surprised since the altitude did not effect my pace even with the additional hills. I was expecting a big slow down, but felt really good thanks to the low humidity. I'm very dry though and drinking water like crazy.

6.4 mi + 4.6 mi + weights

Well, back at it after taking last week mostly off on a family vacation in Colorado. Had a great time staying in Denver with friends who moved there. Hiking around Rocky Mountain National Park and white water rafting were some other highlights. Family really liked it there. So much to do there and trails galore. We already miss it.

6.4 mi + 5 mi

All done very slowly. Legs and glutes were shot due to weight workout yesterday. A small victory getting even this done. 

8.1 mi + 6 mi

Hams were still sore, but oh buddy, terrific weather was calling today. Just had to make the most of it regardless of the discomfort. Plus I watched "Rudy" last night. One of mine and our daughter's fav movies.

8.1 mi + 6 mi (fast finish)

Have to be careful as some areas are still sore from white water rafting last week and weights earlier in the week. Recovery seems to take forever after you turn 40. Can't wait for 50!

13 mi

Medium long run. Yeah, made it past 60 miles this week. Been a long time.

8 mi + 6 mi + weights

All done at easy pace. Great weather. Weight workout before supper.

8.1 mi + 6 mi

Same as yesterday sans the weight workout. Don't feel as beat up from weights as I did last week. Another great weather day. Days are getting shorter though. Would like to run more in the morning, but getting before 5am consistently seems impossible.

Easy pace.

Easy pace before work.

8.1 mi

Easy run before work.

Woke up at 5am but went back to sleep. A couple hours later was out for the usual Saturday morning run. Didn't feel good from the start. Wanted to go a bit further, but wimped out and called it quits early.

No run. Two supersets of skipping rope, heavy bag, and speed bag work. Basic weight training afterward.

Ran 12 after work. Warm out so stayed on the shaded bike path. Focused on staying relaxed. Closed my eyes from time to time and soaked in the summer sounds.

Easy 5 before work. Probably only run of the day. Legs are a bit throttled from weights on Sunday. 

Temp was good, but struggled something fierce in the humidity. I was soaked and the legs were foamed at the end.

Ain't gots nothing today. Hate it when I get in these emotional depressed funks. Don't want to do anything but eat and sleep. Here's to better days soon.

10 mi. + 6 mi. (faster finish)

Feeling much better today after stuffing my face with pizza and ice cream last night. Most of the miles today were a glorified jog, but dropped the pace at the end of second run. Need to get the Cardiologist checkup done so I can put a race on the calendar.

No run. Two supersets of skipping rope, heavy bag, and speed bag work. Basic weight training afterward.

Long week of work

Mix of rope skipping, boxing work, and weight training. I've always enjoyed boxing since I was a kid, but thankfully didn't get real serious. Came in handy in my old neighborhood though.

7 mi. + 3.5 mi (faster)

Dew points are high and bugs are out in full force. Work has been draining for two weeks now. Need to get back on track again.

5 miles on the treadmill, then boxing work followed by weights.

6 miles on the treadmill during the lunch hour. Crazy hot outside. 

5.3 miles around noon. Terribly humid so this was a slow jog.

6 mile progression run during lunch hour. Crazy humid still.

6.5 miles slow before work

5.1 miles a little faster during lunch

8.8 miles easy jogging, then mowed the lawn right after.

6.75 miles during lunch, general aerobic run. A breeze made it feel less humid.

I had my follow-up appt with the cardiologist yesterday. Resting pulse is still abnormally low (31 bpm on EKG), but he's not concerned since I'm symptom free now and EKG is normal. Told me to watch for symptoms (palpitations, dizziness, etc) as guide for doing too much.

6 miles faster than usual over the lunch hour.

Mixed workout with 2 mile barefoot run followed by a couple sets of skipping rope, heavy bag boxing, and basic weight training exercises.

Easy 8 miles before work. Hardest part was getting up!

8.5 miles before work. Wanted to quit early because of negative thoughts, but kept going.

7 miles during lunch, tuffy. Note to self, stay inside if dew point is at 76.

5.5 miles during lunch. Faster at the end.

15.4 miles after fixing a big breakfast for the family. Great weather day! 

7.1 miles before work, slow pace, nice and cool out

5.4 miles during lunch, faster pace. Deadlifts and push-ups afterward.

8.0 miles, slowly before work

5.8 miles, faster during lunch 

6.9 miles, slowly during lunch

Faster than usual pace.

Most of it done at an easy conversation pace. Throwing in a little speed at the end.

Faster than usual 7 miles during lunch.

2 miles barefoot followed by weights and some boxing.

Easy jog of 8 miles before work.

Lunch run 6 miles.

Easy jog 8 miles before work.

Progression run 6 miles on the mill during lunch due to rain. Some crunches and calf work afterward.

7.25 miles starting out easy and then faster during last half mixing in some fartleks.

3 miles in Vibrams followed by usual exercises with weights and banging away at the speed bag.

6 miles before work, nice and cool, but in the dark the whole way.  Story of my life.

6 miles during lunch, not really feeling it today so kept it all at a jog.

8 miles - Early before work.  Felt really good from the start and went a little faster at the end.  I've found it usually takes 2 days to recover from weights and get back to a better running mojo.

6.5 miles - During lunch.   Started out slow, "felt it" after 26 minutes so then proceeded with a couple short steep hill climbs and short fartleks (6 reps).

6 miles - During lunch.  Felt flat so went real easy the whole way.  Days like this have me wondering how I'll ever finish another marathon.

Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, says the three-day work week will happen and that we'd all be better off if we slowed down.  Agree, but not sure if I want to work until 75 to make that happen.

7.5 miles - During lunch on a cool overcast day.  Feeling better after 36 minutes so proceeded to do 6 x reps of strides and short fartleks.

11 miles - Treadmill run at mostly easy pace. Did a handful of 5 minute faster paced reps with equal parts rest.

11 miles - All on the treadmill hanging out with the kids.  Quick weights session afterward.

5 miles - Morning before work, felt really tired and out of sorts even walked a rew times.

6 miles - In NYC for business so slipped in a morning run around Central Park before meetings.  Always had this on the "to do" list.  Really cool to see so many runners around.  Makes you want to run faster. 

14 miles - Took the afternoon off for a 2 hour run and then yard work. Feeling stiff the last 30 minutes, but managed to finish strong.

9 miles - On the treadmill for convenience sake. Listened to some Shostakovich to keep my mind occupied. Pace at just under 9 minute miles.

0.75 miles - 3 x Superset of quarter mile run barefoot followed by boxing work and basic exercises with weights

4 miles - Legs were tired and heavy from squats yesterday.  A little faster pace near the end.

7 miles - Over lunch hour.  On the treadmill to give my hamstrings time to recover from squats.  Gradually faster paces, up to 8.7 mph, after 40 minutes of easy pace when my heart felt ready.

8 miles - Easy pace in the dark before work.  Slight speed buildup during last miles.

6 miles - Easy pace for about 27 minutes.  A handful of speed surges at various lengths the rest of the way.

3 super sets of running in Vibrams, heavy bag work, and weights.

6 miles - Morning run before work in shorts and a t-shirt!

6 miles - Temps in the 70s, can't believe it. I felt flat due to weights yesterday and anxiety being high. Our oldest daughter is ill and waiting to hear if hospital admission is required.

7 miles - Treadmill run before work.

3.4 miles - Treadmill run during lunch

6 miles - Colder, breezy run outside before work.

My running consistency over the past several months has mirrored my emotional state, which has been in the pits. I was hoping to return to more consistent mileage, but over the past couple of months my "black dog" (clinical depression) has become a frequent visitor and gradually built a more permanent place in my life once again. Depression chips away at you slowly and no matter how much I tried I could not shake it off. This has made motivation in most things a struggle.  Now seeing my oldest daughter battling the same issue again put me on a path to destruction that required medical intervention and action. The both of us started a recovery plan this week and hope to rebuild what has been lost. For now we just take it day by day.

6.5 miles - All done easy.

6.0 miles - Another easy run before work.

5 miles - Easy run during lunch.

Quick run outside before dark.

Several sets of barefoot running (Vibrams) and weight training.

5 miles - On the treadmill, gradual progression.

5 miles - On the treadmill during lunch.  Gradual pace progression every 6 minutes.

5 miles - On the treadmill during lunch.  Flat pace with 6 hills during the first 30 minutes and then pace progression last 10 minutes.

6 miles - On the treadmill, real easy first 30 minutes then pace progression.

5 miles - Treadmill during lunch.  1 minute hill every 4 minutes during first 30 minutes and then closed with pace progression.

3 miles - Easy jog before work.

5 miles - During lunch.  Pace and incline progression throughout to 8.2 mph.

5.5 miles - Treadmill before church.

5 miles - Treadmill during lunch hour, hills program.

5 miles - Lunch time run, very gradual pace progression.

7 miles - Early on the treadmill.  Real easy pace the whole way.

6.5 miles - Very easy morning jog on the treadmill before work.

Noon: 6 miles on da millski with 5 x intervals mixed in after 30 minutes.  Leg lifts afterward.

8 miles - Morning jog on the mill followed by pull-ups until tired.  Really need to get outside, but so cold and dark.  Tough to do.

On the treadmill again.

Morning: Finally got my butt outside for 5.8 miles. Cold wind and flurries.

3.4 miles - Lazy jog on the mill during lunch followed by crunches.

4 miles - Progression run on mill during lunch followed by calf raises and leg raises.

This year will be the lowest mileage total I've had in nine years. What happened?! A job promotion with more responsibility and daddy duty basics are a few reasons, but a big one is the competitive fire is down to a smolder and not sure how to get it back. Time to reflect.

Merry Christmas!