Tempo Thursday

I managed to perform to plan for a change! I was out on the Back Bay in the late afternoon and got a 40 minute tempo run in. Just like the training plan said. Wow. What a concept.

That’s not to say everything went well. My heart rate strap seems to be on the fritz. Or else I ran at 110% of max for the whole run. At least I was smart and ran into the wind for the “out” portion of the run. Which meant that the wind was at my back for the “back” portion of the run. Still, I was only able to put in a measly 4.2 miles.

Nothing else earth shattering is going on. This is the time that I go through at some point in a training program – the doldrums. I’m plugging away, trying to put in the miles. Life is still happening and there are lots of changes are out on the (at this point) foggy horizon. Target races are all several weeks away and goal races even further. Every little tweak or niggle seems to be amplified. It’s easy during these times to lose interest.

Sigh. This isn’t the first time I’ve been through this. And it probably won’t be the last….

At Least I Tried

So, in a moment of surprise, I actually felt motivated enough to head out the door in the early afternoon and get my 400 intervals done. When I got to the local High School track, I noticed the football team was practicing on an adjacent field, so I moved onto the track and got things underway.

My mile warm up went well, and I settled into what was planned to be an 8X400  with 400 rest:

• Interval 1: 1:59
• Interval 2: 2:04
• Interval 3: 2:13 (!!!)
• Interval 4: 2:01
• Interval 5: 2:08 (Starting to tire. Tongue dragging.)
• Interval 6: 2:15 (Friction of tongue dragging over long distance slowed me down)

And – just as I was dreading interval #7, the football team made their way over to the field (which is in the middle of the track) for some live drills. I had two more intervals and a mile warm down left (two more miles), but, not wanting to be the Running Flat Guy, I decided that I would wrap up the evening*.

On tap today – 4 easy miles (I’ll add one of the missed miles from yesterday). It’s uncharacteristically warm and humid for Southern California (it rained on me on the way to work this morning), so I’m hoping I won’t melt.

* Analyzing the data, it turned out that things went pretty well anyways – I spend over 9 minutes at heart rate above 88% of max.

Training Plan Adjustment Required!

I just realized – I have a race in a week and a half. And nothing built into my plan in the way of taper. And some tired legs. So - I’m going to adjust a little this week and next so I can tackle the streets (and hills) of San Francisco.

Tuesday: Did just over five miles (5.2) in the hills of Shady Canyon, including a 14 minute hard run for about 1.6 miles. My legs were feeling tired and non-responsive – I’m sure from Saturday’s little escapade. I struggled to put together any speed whatsoever, and just felt like I was laboring to get anything done. When I got back and checked my data, I never did get my heart rate above 90% of max – even though I felt like I was pushing *very* hard.

Wednesday: Another struggle to put together a consistent four miler. I was sub 10:00 and kept my heart rate below 75% of max, but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty.

Which is why I’m going to adjust a few miles down. I don’t want to just survive San Francisco next weekend. I’m not expecting to PR, but I would like my time to be competitive….

Garmin Woes Part 2

I’m in mourning. My running buddy passed on to the great electronics waste dump in the sky (actually in a drawer in my desk) on Saturday. Unlike most, I hadn’t given him a name – he was just “Garmin”. He accompanied my on every run for the last 2 years. He even carried the scars of a bicycling accident that had me on the shelf for six weeks back in 2008. Garmin – you did me good.

Okay – enough for the teary eyed drama. The important thing is what to do now? Yikes! I can’t run without my electronics! I think it was best put by my blogging buddy Patrick - “How did Roger Bannister break a 4 minute mile without a Garmin?” Funny, but soooo true Patrick. Sooooo true.

I started looking at my options. Luckily, these days GPS enabled devices are plentiful. Garmin. Polar. Suunto. Even software that runs on GPS enabled phones. But – I’m a loyal Garmin convert – so I started looking for a replacement. Even there it’s no longer an easy choice. Garmin Forerunner 205, 305, 310XT, 405. And now a Garmin that is targeted specifically to runners – the 110. Decisions decisions decisions. I sent out a tweet to the Twitterverse looking for people’s opinions on the various devices out there. Good news for Garmin is it didn’t matter which model of Forerunner people were using – they all loved them!

Then – a tweet from @oldtrailrunner - “my 305 died too but for $86 I sent it back to the factory to get it refurbished.” Now my interest was piqued. I started digging through the support pages at http://www.garmin.com, and there it was – Out of Warranty service for Garmin devices:

So maybe my Garmin *can* be resurrected after all. I sent an email to Technical Support requesting a return authorization. The response to my request?

Three days to answer an email? Yikes! In the meantime I bought a new Forerunner 305 for $190 at REI. My plan is to repair my old one. Then I’ll have a backup and/or a second one for those really long runs I’m planning on tackling next year. Ooops! I may have let the cat out of the bag…..

Speaking of running – I hit the trails last night with my son for a quick four miler in Laguna Coast. Rest day today. Then 30 kms in the Santa Ana Mountains. Harding Hustle here I come!

I Fooled the Old Brain Yesterday!

It all started back in late March. A sit down at mile 22 of the L.A. Marathon. Fatigue post race. Then days turned into weeks turned into months of burnout. Of making excuses to not run. Of me convincing myself that it would be okay to skip a run here and there.

Well, last night, for the first time in a while, I felt a twinge of guilt as I sat on the couch. I had been home for an hour and a half, when the intent was to just drop by, change clothes and head out the door. Finally, as In Plain Sight came on the USA Network, the guilt overwhelmed me, and I scooted out the door and over to Crystal Cove.

I put in an easy easy four miles (average pace – 10:06, average heart rate – 73% of max). The only reason my heart rate was that high was the hill that I climbed leaving the Shake Shack (this picture from last Christmas).

I grabbed some dinner and then hit my exercise mat for a resistance workout*. In addition to the old stability exercises, on tap were four new exercises:

Box Lunge: This exercise trains the hip abductors to maintain stability when single leg movement. It involves standing on a box and  taking a large step forward, landing on the floor, and then driving the leg back to the start position. Then repeat for the other leg. Complete 8 to 12 repetitions.

(Note: I didn’t have a box that would remain planted on the floor, so I just did a set of lunges)

Stability Ball Leg Curl: This exercise is supposed to train the deep abs to maintain stability while the buttocks and hamstrings generate backwards thrust. All I know is they were T  O  U  G  H  and they H  U  R  T! Lie face up and place your heels on a stability ball. Contract your buttocks and hamstrings and roll the ball toward your butt. Roll the ball back. Repeat eight to twelve times.

Forearms to Palms Bridge: Another exercise to help maintain pelvic stability while performing alternating arm movements. Start in a plank position. Move from plank position to push up position. Reverse the motion. Repeat four to ten times.

Dead bug: Another exercise to train the deep abs to maintain stability during alternating arm/leg movement. Lie flat on the floor, extending one arm above the head. Bring the opposite knee up to your chest. Extend the other arm toward your toe, and the opposite leg down and slightly off the floor. Then, drawing your navel toward your spine (to engage the deep abs), reverse the position of your arms and legs for 20 to 30 seconds.

All this while watching Family Guy and Spaceballs. It was a great Wednesday evening.

* Note: I had to sack the split leg jumps. My quads are *very* tired from miles and from a little hill climb I did on Saturday.

Man Am I Sore!

Three days in a row. I’m still skeptical that my brain isn’t going to cramp and decide the TV is a better option next week, but hey – I’ll take it while it’s here.

Oh the soreness? Not from the four miles last night. But from the resistance workout. No weights. No machines. Just me and my body. To tell you the awesome shape I’m in, just holding my body up for some side planks has resulted in sore arms. Yikes! No wonder I need to do these things.

Final stats for last night – four miles on the lower Back Bay. Average pace 9:45. Average heart rate 77% of max. And then a bunch of resistance exercises. A bunch. Took more time than the run….

Normally today is a trail run day – but with my looming trail race on Saturday, I think I’ll lace up the road shoes and put in a nice slow and easy seven miles on a paved trail.

ETP Day 3

• Training budget: +/- 0 miles
• Calorie budget: -539 calories

Two Days in a Row!

Made it out for a quick four mile run late yesterday. I started in the Lower Back Bay, and mixed it up a little by heading out onto the open streets (Eastbluff Rd, Jamboree Rd):

Not to worry. The sidewalks are pretty wide on these busy streets. At least I got some hills in:

I can tell that my body *still* doesn’t like me for my trek through Los Angeles a couple weeks back. My lower abs are tired/sore and my legs feel fatigued. I was pleased with my paces (especially when you look at the elevation profile above):

It’s just a tough painful go of it these days. I’m reminded of what one of my friends said once about running post marathon – it just takes time until everything feels right again. How long? Sometimes it’s a week. Sometimes it’s a month. He said once it took him 8 weeks until he was able to feel like he was doing more than just shuffling along. Time for me to be patient and get the miles in.

An Immune System Side Effect?

I can’t believe that I’m writing this this late in the game. Ten days until the Big Day and my body is trying to fight off a cold. I feel like a truck has hit me. Apparently I’m not the only one – check out this blog post from KNBC News Anchor Chris Schauble: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/station/as-seen-on/Iron-News-Man---March-10-2010-87228927.html. He writes today he’s feeling better. I can only hope the same….

So this got me thinking. I’ve been running for 18 weeks through cold, wind, rain (well okay – rain a couple of times) and I’ve been pretty healthy. So what gives? I slow down one week and whamo! Well, it happens there may be a link. From an article on Runner’s World Online:

“One possible reason: A major mileage cut can signal to the immune system that it's okay to back off. But by maintaining volume, your immune response remains constant.”

I wouldn’t think that I would be susceptible. After all, the article says a “major mileage cut.” Face it – my first week of taper was greater mileage than the week prior! Ha ha ! Whatever the reason – I’ll be attacking it with the zinc lozenges this week.

This raises another interesting debate though. On the one hand, the current body of knowledge says maintain intensity but reduce volume. On the other hand, this article says reduce volume, but not too much. As with the rest of life, there must be a delicate balance here. Oh well. Time to pop another Zicam.

Speaking of reduced volume – last night was a nice easy 4 miler. I’m digging this taper stuff!

Back to the Task

Last night I put in the four miles I was supposed to on Thursday. Nice and easy at Crystal Cove at sundown. In 70 degree weather. Gads I'm spoiled!

Stats - 9:05 per mile at 78% of MHR. This is well over a minute a mile faster than a year ago. I sure hope I'm not peaking 10 weeks early. One thing I can tell you - I really feel that running fewer days and miles and spending time cross training has left me feeling much fresher.

Sorry for the quick short post. I'm trying to get psyched up for my 20 miler this morning. I'm not going to repeat last weekend's debacle. Time for my apple fritter!

Another Training First

Last night I did what is my favorite type of workout - a tempo run. Thirty five minutes. I was hoping to do somewhere around 3.78 to 3.8 miles. That would really be moving.

4.02. Gasp wheeze.

Hills! Hills!

This morning's menu included gingerbread coffee and a small taste of some hills! I was a little worried because it has been months since I last did any hill work. In fact, it would have been back in March or April - the last time I used a Higdon plan (training for the Cinco de Mayo Half). I have my "special" hill that I use - 130 feet of elevation gain in 1/4 mile - a 9.8% grade. Here's a photo from this morning:

I put in a two mile warm up, 3 charges up the hill, and a one mile warm down for a total of 4 and half miles. My heart ended up reaching 170 bpm on my third hill, which really means I should be pushing a little harder if I expect to hit my max of 185!

On tap tomorrow - a scheduled rest day. Whew! I can get my blog reading caught up!

Beach Run

Things are returning to "normal" post Long Beach. Yesterday made three running days in a row, and the little tweaks I was feeling last week are slowly working themselves out. My quads and hips still get sore after a run, but at least I feel like I'm moving again and not running in wet cement.

I made it down to Crystal Cove for my planned 4 mile run last night. It's been a windy couple of days here, so I thought that I would take advantage of all of the dust in the air to capture some "Sunset on the Pacific" photos:



Once I took these photos, I dropped down from the bluff onto the beach and jogged on the sand. It was cool and blustery - not another soul on the beach:




One of the cool things about Crystal Cove is that in the 1920's and 30's, there was a bunch of vacation bungalows on the beach. Those were the days when this was *way* out in the country. About 5 or 6 years ago, the State of California evicted the residents and have turned the bungalows into vacation rentals. There is no other place in California quite like it:

Here is the view if you stay in one of those cabins (sorry for the lousy quality - this one was MMS'd to a friend):



And if you get hungry, well, there's always The Beachcomber restaurant:

If I say so myself, what a way to end a day!

Tonight I'm back on the track for some easy mile repeats.

Starting a Streak?

Hopefully I am off on the right foot now. I say "hopefully" because I'm awfully sore and tired today for only running four miles last night. I went backthrough my blog archives to see if I experienced the same after San Diego, but it turned out that I never got this far in a recovery cycle back then before having my cycling accident. This is really the first time I've done a post marathon recovery cycle, so I'm not sure if this is normal or not. My legs are feeling pretty tired and my lower back a little sore for running such a short distance.

Stats on yesterday's run: 4 miles average pace of 9:22. My heart rate was a little high at 82% of max, a little higher than the target 75%. After reviewing the data, I found that I spent a lt of time in the 80% to 85% of max range, so I'll slow down Thursday's workout.

Tonight's workout will be on the track with Cal Coast. If it's anything like last week, I'll be sucking wind in the first 800 yards. Oh well. No pain no gain. I guess.

The Home Stretch

Well folks - it's here. I'm coming down the home stretch. Got a *great* night's sleep and I'm feeling good. I put in my last run of this training cycle last night - 4.25 miles at uber slow pace. I kept my heart rate down around 70% of max and just concentrated on what it feels like to run at that pace since it's probably pretty close to my goal pace tomorrow.

The real fun starts later this afternoon. I'll mosey up the freeway around 3 or so, pick up my race gear at the expo, and then it's PARTAY time! Tweetup at La Parolaccia at 5PM (will be meeting up with tweeting and blogging luminaries such as @paulboth (Run For Liberty), @chicrunner (Chicrunner), @smellycents (Shelley Centis), @punkrockrunner (Punk Rock Tri Guy), and a host of others), followed at 6 PM ish (emphais on the ish) Runners World Forum Encounter at Ninos in uptown Long Beach. This is the part of these large races that I really enjoy. Nothing like getting together with a couple or 20 friends with the same goal for some fun and food!

For my final tune up, I am reviewing my race strategy. This is taken directly from Bob Glover's book, The Competitive Runner's Handbook (found the strategy online at the New York Road Runners ):

Pace: This is where I blew it big time in San Diego. Went out way too fast for too long. For my reward, I got to walk the last seven miles. Tomorrow I'm doing three things. First, I'm going to start at the back of wave 4 instead of the start of wave 5. I figure it's better to go out and stay slow. Second, I'm going to target a 10:45 pace (4:41 finish) and see how long I can hold that. If I find myself going out too fast, I'll walk through the water stations (thanks @sheilamking!). Finally, I'll be watching my heart rate. According to Glover, a marathoner should maintain 70% to 75% max heart rate and increase to 85% by the end of the race. I'll be watching the ol' Garmin and making sure my heart rate zone stays between 2.5 (start) and 4 (finish).

Crowded Start: I hear that this is a big problem in Long Beach. For the first ten or so miles all of the Half Marathoners and Marathoners are on the same bike path. Based on what I've heard, I'll be going out slower (crowds). I'm not going to panic this time. As long as I'm still in the same time zone as my target pace I'll just go with the flow.

Walking: Yes I will. At least every 3 miles when I pop a gel and a couple of Endurolyte caps.

First Half: Here's where I've got to be careful. My past experience in San Diego I was felt *great*. Up until about mile 12. This time I'll just run within myself and stick to the plan. At the halfway point (2:22:30), I'll to assess how I feel. If my long runs have been any indication, I should be okay. If I'm significantly ahead of target, I'll slow down. If I'm at target, then I'll continue at my target pace. If not, well, time to HTFU.

Second Half: More of the same. I'll keep watch on my pace up to about mile 16. Then I'll lose myself in my iPod. One foot in front of the other. Everything else is out the window at that point.

Third Half (also known as 10K left): Also known as 3:37. Here's where the mind games really begin. Heck we've all run a 10K before. Pretty easy right? I'll think back to the Jet to Jetty 10K where I ran a nice easy race without a lot of effort and almost PR'd. I'll take Glover's suggestion to heart. Each mile marker will get ticked off in my mind. I'll concentrate on the runners around me. I'll get out my virtual lasso and grab a runner in front of me and have them pull me along. The goal will be to complete each mile - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.

The Finish: Glover's suggestion - I'll use the digital clock at the finish to pull me over the line. I figure the last 375 yards will be in the 2:30 range. I really hope that I don't see something like 4:42:40 with .2 left to go! As they say - the difference between a 3:59:59 marathon and a 4:00:00 marathon is an hour!

So - the Garmin is charged. The iPod is charged. The camera is charged. Long Beach here we come!

Finally an Easy Day

One thing that is nice about taper is that every now and then there's an easy day that is part of the training plan. I put in my four general aerobic miles on the Back Bay yesterday once it started cooling down. I even made it to the gym fr some stretching afterwards. Woo hoo!

Oh. Wait a minute. There were a ton of easy days early on? Oh. Hmmm. Has this training plan really been that hard that it's going to become legend?

I've now used two different training plans. The first one was handed out by my track club to people training for their first marathon. It was an easy, 17 week plan that basically had us running a set amount of time three days a week and a long run on Saturdays. We peaked at around 35 miles per week and had one 20 miler. No lactate threshold work, no VO2Max work. The purpose of the plan was to get us to the finish line. And it worked.

It got me to the finish line, but it didn't fulfill me. That's why I'm back. This time a lot more educated and a lot more knowledgeable. I chose a relatively advanced plan - the Pfitzinger 24 week/55 mile peak plan. This plan methodically addresses all those things that need to be addressed to effectively run a marathon. I've gotta tell you - I feel in as good a shape as I've *ever* felt. But, this cycle has been *much* tougher - physically and mentally. I'm constantly sore and tired. No injuries or anything - I just feel like my body has been well worked. And mentally? 24weeks? That's like half a year! And for someone like me, 55 miles equates to 9 plus hours a week on the trails around here. I've got to be honest - the last few weeks has been tough (cold not withstanding). When I think abut running for three hours, my mind immediately thinks about a bunch of other things to do.

But - the finish is in sight. 16 days. Then I get my just reward for all this training. I get to run a marathon.

Moving in the Right Direction

Yesterday was my great experiment. The day to see if my cold was going to win out or not. My coughing fits have been slowly subsiding, but I thought the same on Tuesday and was barely able to make it one mile before I had to do my pack a day imitation. So I was a little concerned when I decided that I was going to try to get four miles under my belt.

I was determined that if I was going to have to stop and hack away, I was going to at least enjoy the sights. So, I headed down to Crystal Cove State Park about 6PM to attempt an easy four miles. My head was still pretty congested, but I just wanted to see if I could make it out and back two miles. The bottom line was the four miles came and went pretty uneventfully. I had to hold the horses back - I went out the first mile at a 9:24 - I definitely didn't want to stay at that pace in the shape I was in. A little past mile 2 I had the only incident during the run - I think all the snot in my head decided to let go at once. A quick stop and a couple of snot rockets later I was back on the course and finished up in an overall 10:00 pace.

Now, everything isn't back to normal yet. I did have a coughing fit once I stopped and was at the car. It was the strangest sensation. I started feeling a tightening sensation in my chest followed by a minute or two of coughing. (My youngest son has asthma and I couldn't help but thinking that this is what it must feel like when he has an attack.) And I'm still coughing a little this morning, but each day I'm feeling a little better. This week's training plan is petty much out the window at this point, and I'm going to take it day to day. I am going to put six or so miles in this afternoon. Then I'll see where I sit to decide what to do this weekend. I'd love to get one more 20 miler in for the psychological benefits (that would be three 20 milers in this training cycle). With three weeks left, this weekend would be the last opportunity for a final long run. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Hopefully, this cold is finally releasing it's death grip.

Karma?

Yesterday was a pretty interesting day, as far as running went. I had a 15 mile run on the plan. I headed out the door just like clockwork to meet up with the group at 7AM at the local (Corona del Mar) High School. Imagine my surprise when I get there to find there is no parking. None. The lot was completely full. Turns out there was a big Summer Swim League meet going on yesterday. So, not being able to find a parking spot meant that I wasn't going to be able to change after my run (remember my past blogs about my ability to perspire?). So - it was back home to pick up a towel. In the meantime, I also thought that it would kind of be nice to run somewhere other than my normal trails. What about a run along the beach?

Now another thing about my Saturday morning run - normally I take my wife's car. The dealer we bought it from offers free car washes for customers. The dealer is an easy drive from CdM, so after my normal morning run, I normally take the short drive over and get her car washed. Of course, the complimentary Starbucks is also nice. But, since I was no longer going to be running from CdM, I decided that I should also change cars. Long story short - I forgot to transfer my fuel belt and water! And I wasn't going to do 15 miles without that. So - back home.

By the time I got back home (for the second time), I thought "Maybe the running Gods are trying to tell me something." Time was now starting to become a factor. It was getting close to 8 AM. Even though it was cloudy and overcast, this time of year the sun generally breaks out by 9AM. The thought of getting caught out in the humid heat did not sound appealing, so I decided to throw in the towel. Since I am a firm believer of discretion being the better part of valor, I decided to swap Saturday and Sunday workouts.

So, about 6:30 PM I headed out for a quick 4 mile recovery run - Sunday's planned run. I got to Crystal Cove, got my gear on, and turned the Garmin on. Guess what? "Batteries are Low Sucker!" Guess it was good I didn't get out for my 15 miler after all!

On tap today - ummmm - 15 miles. I'm out the door soon....

Wrapping Up the Week

With my 4 mile recovery run, I wrapped another week in the history of the Running Fat Guy. Final stats for the week: 37 miles running and 10 miles walking. This also wraps May. I ended up running fewer days than last (11 days off compared to 9 days off in April), but putting in more miles (142 compared to 136). The fatigue that I started the week with seems to be gone as well. A couple nights of extra sleep and a couple days of pigging out seemed to do the trick! I'm not sure that I did the weight loss thing any justice, but I'm feeling a whole lot better than I was on Monday.

This also wraps up four months of consistent running. Since my groin strain back in December and recovery in January, I've been able to remain pretty consistent with my running. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I slowly came back. If I look at my training progress over the last few months, I've doubled my January mileage, but it was a slow build over a couple of months.

(In fact, now that I'm looking at the graph - check out that doubling of miles between August and September. Hmm. Maybe my groin strain was well deserved.)

I'm feeling pretty good about where this training is leading. I've dropped 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. I need to get my night time snacking back under control to work on the other 10 pounds on my goals for this year. I'm going to knock on wood here so that I can keep the streak alive.

This week's plan includes more base build and a 10K race:

Monday: Rest day. No cross training since I'm on a plane to East Texas

Tuesday: 8 miles GA. Wrap it up with 10X100 stride outs.

Wednesday: 5 mile recovery

Thursday: 9 miles GA

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: Wrigley River Run 10K

Sunday: 14 mile long run.

Total planned: 42.2 miles (new mileage record if I get it).

The catch this week is that I am getting on a plane today for a short business trip to Texas. In the past, I've always used my travel time as extra rest days. But I am eager to continue base building. So I'm going to try to get my run in Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully there will be a running path close to my hotel. That would be pretty prime. Maybe 4 miles on a trail and four miles on a treadmill. I'll have to play it by ear.

Finally, I want to apologize to my readers if some of these blogs sound like I'm full of myself. Being a male, I'm not good at things like keeping a diary (heck - as long as the Dodgers and Lakers are winning and the Stanley Cup is on TV, who cares about anything else?). So, I end up using my blog here as my diary. It's actually kind of neat to go back and check my old blogs to see how things are progressing (or not).

Hope that this week is good and injury free for all of you out there! And San Diego Rock n' Roll runners - take some time off! You all deserve it!

Recovery Day

Yesterday was a short recovery day. Went out and finished four slow miles on the lower Back Bay. If I had doubts that I could run on Tuesday, I should have had similar doubts for the same reasons yesterday. Ten miles of hiking Monday along with a hard eight mile workout Tuesday had left me limping and shuffling yesterday. I toyed with rescheduling, but I figured since it was supposed to be a slow, easy run, I would be better to get it over with and keep my Friday free. After all, the purpose of the recovery run is to help with recovery, right?

Well, it took a little longer to get all the kinks and soreness worked out, but in the end I put in the four miles. Put in really easy miles at an average pace of 10:15. Average heart rate was 73% of max. I'm none the worse for wear. I have some lingering muscle soreness, but nothing seems to be pulled/strained. All systems are go!

I actually made it to the gym last night and finished up my day with stretching and core/ab work. I've added leg lifts to my workout. Great. Another set of sore muscles....

Today's schedule is an eight mile general aerobic run. That means another CDM to Crystal Cove run. Woo hoo!

Week 2 Wrap Up

Week 2 wrapped with a 4 mile recovery run. I finally made it to the gym last night for some stretching and core work. Final stats for the week: 33.3 miles running, 7.6 miles rowing. I need to mention two other items of note. This past week I've been really fatigued. I've also been having trouble sleeping well at night. These are some classic signs of over training.

I'll keep an eye out and probably slow myself down this week. I'm only demonstrating two of the seven classic signs of over training. Other signs include increased resting heart rate, frequent colds, weight loss, impaired racing and training times, slow recovery from training, and a loss of enthusiasm for running. So far I haven't seen any of those (although I wouldn't mind the weight loss), so I'm not too concerned *yet*.

Plan for this week is another step up in the mileage column:

Monday: Rest day/cross train (probably going out for a hike)
Tuesday: 8 miles (4 mile GA, 4 mi HMP (Half Marathon Pace))
Wednesday: 4 mile recovery, gym for stretching and core
Thursday: 8 miles GA
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 13 mile long run
Sunday: 4 mile recovery

Total miles: 37. Whew!