Training Log Archive: Bags

First 3/4th...lots of short walking and the trotting was not that long either...back and forth trying to loosen up and motivate up. Bundled up for the second day in a row. Actually 40 degrees which seemed warm for morning but it also felt good to have my Charlie Brown bundling cocoon. I had run a lot of runs 'dressed down' that had gone well but that method for me does not work if I'm in a funk and have too many aches and pains. Plus the psychological and physical advantage when you are not running in 14 layers of clothing is kinda nice too.

No warm up at all.

Early afternoon: 50 minutes of everything. Less reps on some stuff. Foam roller, 48 push ups...7/7 9/9 then 8/8. Doing the full push ups first then knee style. Sit ups 28, with floor core; leg and arm bands; free weights...less reps, standing leg stuff and lite stretching.

There is a 200 yard or less stretch where I now have had 3 'slap on the back' type psychological boosters. First time a guy was practically leaning out of his car window shouting encouragement to me...about a year ago or less, then a few months later someone filmed me in nearly the same spot. Today I passed a young Hispanic lady that said in a friendly voice, "I wished I had your motivation."

I laughed and replied, "Actually I don't have 'it' today but thank you." It was one of those times you get lifted up by a simple act of kindness. I was in the same area as yesterday when my energy tank seemed to go dry whereas today I sparked up. Still not at full power but I ended up running about 30 to 45 seconds per mile faster than I expected.

3M split 34:30 (11:30 pace)
2nd half 3M split: 30:30 (10:10 pace)

Warm up...really had no energy...35 minutes. No weights. 20 push ups. 2 sets of 5/5. Did the full pushups first this time and I kinda liked that. Foam roller, lite stretching, floor core, leg and arm bands. Wore extra layers today. Preferred sweating and having the extra weight and it seemed to work.

Yesterday was a discouraging day. I felt tired and sore. It was as if I had done an extra hard workout or even back to backs and a lot of weights. I guess all the hard training I was able to do (even with nicks and niggles and trip n falls) caught up to me as the weather turned slightly cooler.

I barely did a warm up hoping this would give me the energy I needed to have an okay workout. Really windy. I'm spoiled by all the calm weather for nearly a year now. Legs just would not go. Wearing sleeve on right calf again and I think that interfered with pushing off and stressed my knee...it is not hurting but not really 'working' smoothly which compounds the effect of the wind and no energy.

At 2.25 I started to walk...at first just ten steps...then 30 yards or so every quarter to third of a mile...and that helped me get a little rhythm for at least pitter pattering along...then last 1.5 had the wind at my back.

I've really pushed it the last two months so not a surprise. Hopefully I'll fire back up tomorrow. Cut the 7 miler to 5.5. Borderline between walk/trot and running...counted it as latter at first but revised to run even tho slow and included walking.

The workout yesterday left me somewhat zonked and drained rest of the day...not the worst type of tired but more than normal. First half was 'quick' even tho I was not feeling strong but coming back home the wind affected me more than it should have. My stride never was smooth...right knee just stayed stiff. Wore sleeve on right calf.

No free weights. 44 push ups. 22 of each type. Sets 7/7; 8/8; 7/7...I do the knee type first to warm my arms up...foam roller, leg and arm bands, floor core with 36 sit ups included; standing leg stuff and lite stretching. I also rolled the calf more with hand roller. It was fine...today it was the right knee that did not cooperate. Did not hurt just didn't work free and smooth. It does that but today a little more.

26:57 1st 2.5M 10:47 pace
24:36 2nd 2.5M 9:49 pace...second half usually about to go faster

Positive spin is the was a really fast run for how I felt.

Afternoon: 14 more push ups. 7 of each knee/full. A little floor core, leg lifts with ankle weights, a few reps with free weights and leg bands. 15 minutes.

Slight SE wind, bothered me more than it should have. Decided to change things up and run the trail backwards. I really do not like doing this as there is a 1/2M gradual hill that just wears me down more than it should. There are hills around my house that are about the same length and they seem steeper to me but OC's hill zaps me more.

Early on right calf tweaky...kinda electric not painful twitch. Mostly went away until just over half mile to go. I decided to play it safe and stopped for a few seconds and massaged and stretched.

Loop One-- 2.5M 25:38 (10:15 pace for loop)
Loop Two-- 5.0M 49:22 (23:44 9:30 pace for 2nd loop)
Loop Three--7.5M 1:12:09 (22:47 9:07 pace for 3rd loop)

Pre run warm up 30 minutes partly due to fewer reps and also just did things quicker: 28 push ups 7/7 x 2; foam roller; leg and arm bands; floor core including 28 sit ups; standing leg stuff and lite stretching.

45 min warm up of everything. 42 push ups...21 of each type 3 sets 7/7 x 3; foam roller; leg and arm bands; just a little free weights; floor core including 40 sit ups; standing leg stuff and lite stretching.

A lot of runs past several weeks really 'flying' home second half but as time goes by I find myself wondering if I can keep doing this (second half surge...almost always pick up pace...even significantly, but it's been an extra 10 to 15 seconds faster than my normal second half pace). Not complaining just observation.

1st 2.5M 28:48 (11:31 pace)
2nd 2.5M 23:17 (9:19 pace)

Last 2 miles about 18:12 or so...so right at 9 min pace.

Evening: 15 minutes. 10 more push ups...5 of each type. A little floor core and standing leg stuff. Leg lifts with and without ankle weights...not a lot of reps. Just wanted to stir up and move muscles and tighten quads and muscles around knees for stability. Also a few leg bands.

C • Yup... 5

15 min warm up...just a little of most things but not all. The knee was about same as yesterday morning. I was not sure what to expect but started out to run 11 and accept what pace I could. Moderate to almost strong wind from N/NW at start...at .9 someone came out of a side neighborhood and ran off from me. I swear within quarter mile he had doubled what I had run...probably 7 min pace...actually since wind was mostly helping until 4.5M and with the motivation of that mystery runner I was running quicker than expected.

1st 5M 1:00:17 (12:03 pace)Turn at 4.5 for 4M fighting wind and several hills
Last 6M 59:56 (9:59 pace)

At 7M while checking split I guess I took a misstep of some kind...my left leg sort of collapsed oddly. I did not step on anything...this was like a weird mid air 'incident'...as my leg went down for that one stride it was like it was turned 'off' so it just gave way to the point I barely stayed on my feet. Then I was back to running.

Had one of those rare days where the wind was up when I started and after a mile into the wind from 4.5 to 5.5 it felt like the wind had let up a little and rest of the way into wind it seemed to let up even more...if it hadn't I would have run about 30 seconds a mile slower for those 4 miles.

Right now just running on edge. I swear there is a misstep or something almost every run where I had a semi-phantom to very real pain event...I need to just keep doing what I'm doing and not get greedy and try to add any miles. I did that 3 or 4 weeks ago...and started up a weekly occurrence of these tweaks in both legs but mostly right leg. Icing right knee and left quad now.