Monday, July 18th:
5:25 am, 73 degrees, 80%, 0-5mph. Kilmer Loop. Saucony C2.
Easy pace - 7:57 average. Like yesterday, my legs were very heavy at the start and it took me awhile to get moving. Picked up the cadence and shortened my stride after 1.5m and the run felt much easier from there. Very thick, humid air to breathe today - day one of what is supposed to be a 10 day heat wave. Can't wait.
Tuesday, July 19th:
Day off.
Wednesday, July 20th:
4:30 am, 72 degrees, 95%, calm. Cherry Hill West Track. Nike Lunarfly.
2m warmup, goal: 1x3200(12:00)/2x1600(5:45)/2x800(2:45) w/400 recovery jogs, 2m cooldown
Actual splits: (11:56, 5:45 5:43, 2:42 2:40)
Felt very well rested at the beginning of the run - which may be due to me getting a little more sleep lately. The air was heavy to breathe when I first started the warmup, but once I got to the track, it seemed like cooler air was coming off the infield grass which made the effort seem easier. I learned my lesson from last week and brought gatorade with me to drink after each rep. The entire workout felt controlled like I was in the zone, and while I had to push the effort on the last 800m, I still felt like I had one or two gears left in the tank. Probably the best a workout has gone so far this cycle. Very, very pleased to get this level of workout in this week.
Thursday, July 21st:
Happy Anniversary Casey & Janine!
4:45 am, 75 degrees, 95%, calm. Kilmer Loop. Nike Pegasus 27+ (Red).
6m easy (BOF) - 7:40 average. Another morning of oppressive humidity this week, but my body is responding well. Not sure if I am just finally acclimated to this crazy weather, or if I am feeling recovered on my down mileage week, but I keep feeling stronger and stronger with every run.
Friday, July 22nd:
5:45 am, 85 degrees, 80%, 0-5mph. Moorestown. New Balance 890.
7m easy pace - 7:47 average. Dew point 78. Clothes 5lbs heavier at end of run. Still felt solid. Wet, but solid.
Saturday, July 23rd:
4:30 am, 84 degrees, 80%, 0-5mph. Manayunk Diner-Kelly Drive (out-and-back). New Balance 890.
1.25m warmup, goal: 6x1mT (5:55/mi) w/1:00 recov, 1.75m cooldown
Actual splits: (5:50 51 53 54 54 - 1/2m 2:57)
I can't even begin to explain how difficult the conditions were for this workout. I ate 4 freeze pops within 90 minutes of the run. I drank 20 oz of gatorade before the run. I drank 20 oz of gatorade during the run. And by the 4th rep, I felt my insides starting to cook. The 5th rep was a real struggle, and I literally had to sprint the last 1/2m to make that split. There was no way I could have continued on - I was just totally overheated. The cooldown was very slow, to give my body a chance to recover for the SECOND half of the run!
5:50 am, 84 degrees, 80%, 0-5mph. Manayunk Diner-Tow Path (out-and-back). Adidas Marathon 10.
7m easy - 7:38 average. I had about 15-20 minutes to recover, rehydrate, change socks/shoes/hat/shirt before heading out for the "easy" portion of the long run. Thankfully, I had Rich, Ron, and John join me for this segment, and it was a good thing or else I may not have made it. I kept taking tons of fluids, but my body was really struggling to maintain any type of rhythm - the last two miles were a real struggle. It obviously wasn't a great day for this type of workout, and looking back I should have scaled back on the paces to accommodate for the heat. In total, 4 freeze pops, 3 gu gels, 80 oz of gatorade, 16 oz water, 16 oz chocolate milk. Still wasn't fully hydrated. Tough, tough day.
Sunday, July 24th:
5:00 am, 82 degrees, 70%, calm. Neighborhood. Nike Pegasus 27+ (Red).
5m rejuvenation pace - 8:26 average. After I recovered from my run yesterday, I noticed a lot of tenderness/pain in my left heel, as if I bruised it or needed to stretch it out. Not achilles related, not plantar related - but right on the heel. I thought it was maybe swelling from the long run yesterday, but it was more prominently noticeable when I woke up this morning. I tried calf stretching, ankle rolls, rubbing it to loosen it up before today's run but nothing made it go away. I had planned on running to Maple Shade this morning, but I only made it about a 1/2m from the house when I stopped running because of the pain - it felt like it was affecting my form. I turned around, walked for about 30 seconds, and then started jogging very slowly. Instantly, the pain was gone, as if I had "warmed up." I sceptically ran in the neighborhood to see if it would flare up again and as the run progressed it seemed further and further removed. After getting home, I did my normal stretching routine with no problems. But after about an hour of sitting around, I am feeling the tightness starting to return. Not sure what to make of it: soreness? bruise? broken bone? heel spur? I am definitely going to ice today and stay off my feet. I know it's impossible to stay 100% healthy during a marathon cycle, but I really hope I don't have to fight with a possible injury right now. Will monitor.
Weekly Total: 50 miles
Very tough weather week. I actually felt good despite the weather until Saturday's long run workout. Now I know not to make that kind of mistake again. I am concerned about this heel issue - hopefully it resolves itself soon. I am also concerned that next week is supposed to be 70 miles. There doesn't seem to be much relief in the forecast, and now I may possibly have an injury to deal with on top of that. I may have to adjust training for a while by either cutting down planned mileage, workouts, or both. And if the heel situation doesn't improve, I may just have to bite the bullet and take some time off. Still plenty of time to recover before the marathon - I am just hoping I don't have to amend too greatly my time goals. But...it is what it is. We'll see what the future brings. 5 weeks to the half marathon, 12 weeks to the marathon.
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