Training Log Archive: Bags

Barely any warm up. Ironically it just seemed to cold to even bother. I wore 3 layers on legs and about 15 on top...3 light jackets, 4 shirts so 'only' 7 layers on top. Bending my knees was restricted some but eventually everything seemed semi-normal. I was shooting for 6, hoping to at least go 5 if the cold was over-bearing but went for 7 as I was holding up all right and there was traction. Snow coming in after midnight. No telling what the traction situation will be. It may be fine or horrible.

Was right at 37:15 or so at 3 miles but can't remember the halfway or 4 mile splits.

1st 3M's 37:15 12:15 pace
Next 4M's 42:15 10:34 pace

Wore mask but had to keep pulling it down again. It was getting semi-frozen by 5 miles or so. Frozen 'stuff' to put it delicately (I would never say spit and snot). Remember getting 'ice balls' (no not those or okay those too) on the chin of my face mask back 50 years ago.

50 minutes of 'warm down' done about 2 hours later. Everything. Either same reps or slightly more for most things. PU 3 x 13/13 78 total...39 regular 39 knee new record. Still believe not a coincidence that as I began pushups with very modest totals at first that I began to run stronger and faster (along with eating about 2 bananas a day of course). Leg lifts to strength quads and stabilize knees; foam roller; leg and arm bands; floor core including 32 situps all sides worked standing or on floor including bands,etc; standing leg stuff (kicks/swirls) and lite stretching.

Late afternoon: 10 more minutes of stuff. Leg lifts with and without ankle weights (on floor); a little floor core stuff not much; 26 PU 13/13; leg bands.

Cable guy coming today (actually for converting home security). Cold with a light snow that was distracting in a good way. During 1/2 warm up as I was tired I realized there was that dead battery feeling that was beyond discouragement for the cold, etc. Switched rest day from Sat to today. 25 minutes of just a little of everything but weights.

30 PU, 7/7 and 8/8. Foam roller, arm and leg bands, floor core with 20 Sit ups; standing leg stuff and light stretching. When I went out had tons of clothes on like Duluthian days. Spent entire workout shuffling along and adjusting face mask on nose, off mouth, off chin, back on chin, etc. As weighed down as I was and dead legged also I was going minute and half faster than it felt like.

20:40 1.5M
17:44 1.5M second half

13 degrees with -4 temp. Transported back 50 years to Jan-Feb of 1971 when winter in Duluth was really bad even for Duluth. What I remember is that most of the winter was like the weather of the last ten days...the WHOLE winter: minus 20 to 30 below WC regularly. Nite temps usually around 10 below and WC got to 50 below a few times. Note: WC formula apparently changed over the years so that the WC was about 6 degrees 'warmer' than it was recorded then but all the temps mentioned would still be bitterly cold with that in mind.

There was a slick spot here and there...most little slips were just that just a tiny slip but there were 3-5 where started to skid a little but nothing that was out of control. Very little wind. Again felt much warmer than temperature especially WC. Just a hint of dry snow the entire way. Off and on I would hit an area that had a few more slick spots or better traction.

50 minute warm up of everything: 58 push ups 8/8; 10/10; 11/11. (Full/knee), foam roller, arm and leg bands; floor core with 32 sit ups included; standing leg stuff and lite stretching. Using hand roller to supplement the foam roller.

All bundled up again...tights with wind pants over...ever since I started doing that it seems to have helped my legs feel better...sweating bad stuff out? Whatever...it's doing something good.

1st half 3.5M 41:35
2nd half 3.5M 36:15

The iffy conditions made me run within myself so that's a positive out of the cold weather also. About the same temp: 18 actual +4 WC.

Early evening: 20 more PU 10/10 full/knee; a little more floor core; leg lifts with and without ankle weights. 10 minutes.

Today we had the conditions I feared yesterday. Just enough moisture in the air to form an ultra thin icy sheet. I basically did a slide stride almost like cross country skiing on pavement and then just shuffled along on the grass...the higher/thicker the grass the more difficult it was. Early on I was not sure if my legs would hold up once I got on the grass...it was covered in ice...but not a sheet of ice...so there was traction but the ice made the grass even 'thicker' if that makes sense.

I finally found a stride that worked for both conditions and did as well as I could have hoped. No falls or trips.

35 min warm up. No weights. 56 push ups 3 sets 8/8; 10/10; 10/10 full/knee; foam roller; lite stretching; arm and leg bands; standing leg stuff and floor core with 28 sit ups.

35:45 first half 14:18 pace
33:00 second half 13:12 pace

20 degrees with +8 WC. A couple of degrees warmer today but I guess some of my Minnesota blood stirred up as it felt 10 degrees warmer today...not warm...warmer. But there is a thin coat of ice on the roads, sidewalks...everything.

Around 17 degrees depending on which weather service you check...WC 4 above. Luckily no icing over occurred overnight...in fact what ice what there yesterday almost seemed to evaporate. Still patches here and there but nothing like I feared.

Decided to go to OC after all.

I ran nearly 5 minutes faster than I expected. Best of all had good footing which I did not expect would be the case yesterday evening. 1st run in new Hoka Arahi 4's and they were pretty firm. At first I thought too firm but the thing is Hoka fits my foot so well that I can run in most of their models (at least so far). Stopped to stretch on first and second laps. Right calf upper and outer area oddly tight almost like a cramp. 20 seconds or so each time (stopped watch of course).

Loop one 2.5M 26:22 - 10:33 pace
Loop two 5.0M 50:13 (23:51- 9:32 pace)
Loop three 7.5M 1:13:39 (23:26- 9:22 pace)

50 min warm up. Everything. 56 push ups. Sets 8/8 + 10/10 + 10/10 doing the full push up first then knee. Foam roller. Leg and arm bands. Floor core with 40 sit ups included; standing leg stuff and lite stretching.

Afternoon: 15+ min of 22 push ups 11/11 set full/knee; leg lifts with and without ankle weights, foam roller and leg bands.

31 degrees with mist. Just cold enough long enough the ground is not that warm now so patches of ice. 20 miles north more icy. Highway 35 shut down in fact. I would hate to be traveling and dealing with icy roads and shut down highway. One bridge about 35 yards across with a sidewalk that has a barrier between it and street was iced over so had to grab steel rail and just slide across. Probably had 5 or so partial slips here and there but otherwise traction was fine...except you really could tell a random ice patch from water so had to stay ready and on triple alert for unexpected slick spots.

50 min warm up. Everything. Not a lot of weight reps but did include free weights. 54 push ups...27/27 of each kind. Sets 8/8; 9/9; 10/10. Still doing the full push ups first now...actually the knee push ups are not nearly as easy for me as they should be. Foam roller, leg and arm bands, floor core including 45 sit ups; standing leg stuff and lite stretching.

Forecast changed sometime I did not notice...supposed to be in 20's rest of week into next week...instead of 30's this afternoon it is now 21 with 7 WC...balmy compared to Duluth of course. Problem is the lite rain off and on here and there...no telling what will happen with the footing. I have no fancy snow trails to go to for easy leisurely training like other areas. :-)

10 minute easy warm up. Leg bands. Foam roller. Standing leg stuff.

I bundled up again although I did one less layer on top that would have qualified as 'bundling up' per the standard set by the ole Duluth 71-72 Charlie Brown Ricky . Did have two layers on legs again...tights under wind/rain pants. I was pretty sure that might have been a mistake for about 4 miles. I was concerned the tights might hold too much sweat and my legs would feel heavy but it worked out just fine. I think the tights supported my legs in a way I needed.

Only a light wind. 28 with about 20 WC when I started. All I could think about was -46 in Duluth. So thankful not only for dry pavement with traction but even though slightly colder today it was balmy compared to Duluthland.

1st 6M 1:12:30 (12:05 pace)
2nd half 6M 58:55 (9:49 pace)

First two miles was barely under 14 min pace so I was pretty concerned about how things were going to go but I dropped down to 12 min pace the next mile and just kept slowly but surely speeding up. Then as often happens as I get to 5.5 or less to go it gets light and my pace picks up.

Ran last 3 in 33:50 (9:40 pace) and actually felt as strong or stronger when I finished rather than staggering in like I expected.