Training Log Archive: Traut

PSSA testing in Meadville. Dan and I went out for a run after we were done. Nice to run with someone right now as it keeps me running slower. Pace was relaxed. I didn't feel good, but never felt any push at the same time. Worked on form but my knee was still feeling it. Felt like I did have form though and felt very relaxed in pace. Right calf was still tight at times and left heal was definitely there.

I looked on a map and found the Ernst trail was very close to our hotel. I wasn't sure if it actually crossed 79 or not so it could have been an out and back or finding some trails, or if it went through we could find some country roads to take back.

The Ernst trail did go through and was surprisingly nice. Lots of swamp and creek scenery and the hills off French Creek created a secluded feeling. Dan was hanging back at 7:30 pace and that ended up a just perfect relaxed pace for me on the flat rail trail. I posed the idea of just heading back on roads as I had a good sense of the parameters the map set. This included a nice hill that kept winding up. Dan didn't like it, but was happy afterward of course. It was a nice farm road and we got back just short of an hour. Worked out nice.

2 straight days of staying relaxed!

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/289449583

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7524777...

Event: 2015 Billygoat Run
 

Event: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
 

Gail had to work most of day and Abby was restless so I couldn't get any exercise until Dan and I got up to Meadville. We have PSSA testing the next two days. Went to hotel exercise room. I plan to run with Dan the next two days so running as out and all that was left was an elliptical and a recumbent. I hate recumbents but I hate ellipticals more. Dan ran on the treadmill and conversation made the time pass. I kept it really relaxed. My glutes felt totally worked, but I don't think my HR passed 120 even. That is the crazy thing about biking with me. The other thing is how crazy my hip and glute strength is unbalanced. My right leg was actually brushing against the machine... I focused on glutes and it got better...

Very happy to find a day where I truly was OK with keeping it very relaxed.

Was a beautiful day and we took the chance that we would all be feeling good enough to head to the south hills and spend some time at South Park while the Daffodils are blooming and maybe the Buffalo are roaming. Gail ran first and I played with Claire and Abby at the playground. I was feeling OK. Claire was a bit lethargic. I ran next planning to head out into the trials after heading up the little winding hill up Stone Manse rd. I figured I would circle around through the daffodil trail and the buffaloes. The trails at times seemed like they were the same and at times I felt like they had been changed, but would always end up where I thought I would. Short of not quite remembering where a trail lead out of a clearing I hot everything perfectly. It ends up there had been very few changes. I skipped quite a bit of the park, but those were mostly in the sections I got to do the last time we ventured down to South Park in November (see bottom of page for a link to that entry).

I felt just fine for the first 4 miles of this run, even good. I had control of my calves and foot-strike. Not as good as my run last week, but decent. I felt over being sick, but sluggish as a result of being sick if that makes sense. I knew I wasn't moving as fast as I did last week. Then after the Girl Scout Cabin when I hot the mud... that I remembered as soon as I hit it... I juts fell apart all at once. My calves tightened and my form fell apart. I was just tired and out of gas. I stopped for a bit and then tried again before just walking the almost unusable trail due to the mud (that was how I remember it) up through the Daffodils . I skipped the trail through the Game Preserve area and ran down McConkey and in. I was exhausted.

That medial quad is a non-issue now, but that left calf/ heel bit is still not right. Can't stretch it at night and I feel it running. Even though it seemed gone during 20-mile of Racoongaine.. it is still there.



Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/288024726

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7501841...

Forgot to change the watch out of bike mode, so no run metrics.

Run that links to many past South Park runs so can compare routes: http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp?userid=1164...

Really sick yesterday and through today. Just walked to get some fresh air in my system. Felt better during walk.

With the swelling in my face following taking a week off due to the strain in my inner quad, I am sick. It has been building for a few days and I knew it. I was wondering why my ride seemed to feel OK, but was as slow as it was and seemed to fade toward the end. Does the virus bring the swelling? Vice versa? Unrelated?

It was one of those rides. It wasn't going to come to me. The whole warm-up I just couldn't get my rpms above 90. I wanted to keep the ride relaxed so I did a few pickups but just kept waiting for the ride to come to me. I gave up after 30-minutes. It was my calves that were hurting my rpm sand a chance to get into a flow. I just did not have flow at all. My back was also tight and sore which is another sign that things are just not flowing at all.


Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7503532...

stretching and rolling with clams

Did the after school program until 8:00pm and wanted to get in an EAST short run after work. Went out for 30-minutes. Not sure how far or fast, didn't have my GPS watch. I did keep it easy, but still tightened up in both calves. Am I just too vulnerable for the Pure Connects? Every time I wear them I have problems now. I was tight and struggled with my form the entire run (right knee could feel it) as a result.

stretching and rolling with straight leg lifts. Can not seem to find a way to stretch left calf. That heal area just will not stretch. That is a pretty clear sign there is some damage in there.

First ride of the year outside. I planned to take it very easy and just do a relaxed pedal with a focus on form with loose firing calves/ foot-strike and weight-shift. Tried to spend plenty of time out of the saddle and relaxed. For the most-part that was accomplished. Tried to relax and focus on form on hills. Of course worked somewhat harder there, but I think it was a relaxed day. My quads threatened to tighten up, but I found my form enough or returned to it after feeling my quads that life remained good. I got into a fairly strong rhythm over the backbone of Babcock. That was the closest thing to pushing.

One of the harder things for me to remember in cycling is always to let the ride come to me so I can be on top of my ride (on top of my gear- getting my hips and weight shift up and drive from my glutes and foot-strike with loose calves). I need to ride relaxed and easy and let the hard push times come to me when my body is ready instead of trying to get into a pace I deem acceptable early in the ride. Some rides (especially at the shore) have so many stop signs and traffic early on that I have to be relaxed... that is why those rides always seem to go well... I have to do it myself here. Just like I need to work in the easy days on my own and not let my mind decide that I might feel good enough to go hard and I can't waste that with the few good days my arthritis gives me...

I must have slowed as I went though because my forth 5 miles was my slowest and my climb up Kumer was like 45-seconds slower then my PR while my climb up the hill on 910 was the same as my PR (but only climbed once before). I didn't feel myself slowing that much. If that is what relaxed was, then that is what relaxed was...

Knee felt good and no recovery issues or tightness afterward.

It was also nice that bike worked well. Shifters are still bad, but worked as well as they did in the fall. This was first ride since my crash on Columbus Day weekend.

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/285509873

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7466851...

This was the first ride after my watch got updated and has a bike mode. The heart-rate is completely wackadoodle... My heart-rate was extremely low. Not sure if this is a one-time weirdness or what...

full stretching and rolling with straight-leg lifts.