VT Dad’s fight vs. inertia & flab

This week was a good week.  I ran low mileage, nearly 26 miles.  The best part about this week is that I’m feeling healthy.  I also ran a 10K PR, about 7 years after my prior PR, which was set on a course which lost 300 feet in elevation over the 6.2 miles.  Yesterday’s 10K was on a course with rolling hills.  My time translates to ~3:54:34 marathon, which would be a PR by 23+minutes, but would be 24+minutes shy of Boston qualifying standards.  I still am trying to improve and tinker with my running form.

My schedule for the coming week is as follows:
Proprioceptive Cue: Scooting
Monday: Base Run + Drills: 9 miles @ Base pace, 2×20 seconds stiff legged run, running no arms
Tuesday: Mixed Intervals: 1 mile warmup and cool down, 2K@ half marathon pace (8:39 per mile), 2 minute  active recovery, 1 mile @10K pace(8:13 goal), 2 minute  active recovery, 1K@5K pace (4:57 goal), 2 minute  active recovery, 800m @3K pace (3:48 goal)
Wednesday: Recovery Run: 2-6 Miles at Recovery Pace
Thursday: Tempo Run @ Half Marathon pace. 1.5 miles warmup and cool down, 5.5 miles@ (8:39 goal pace).
Friday: Recovery Run: 2-6 miles at Recovery Pace
Saturday: Base Run: 5.34 miles@ Base Pace
Sunday: Endurance Run: 18 Miles at Base Pace

Today’s weather was ideal for a race: 47F, 8C calm and sunny.  I arrived at the race start about 50 minutes before the race, and it wasn’t easily apparent where the starting line or registration were.  Other runners seemed as confused as I did, and eventually someone pointed us to the registration location.  I grabbed my bib, went back to the car to listen to some music, and then did some pre-race stretching.  

When the race started I just ran, finding a comfortable pace, and seeing if I could hold it for the entire 10K.  My pace was anything but steady 7:40,8:10,7:59,8:40,7:54, and 8:22.  My first 5K was sub25, my second 5K was sub27.  I finished with a PR of 51:11.  It felt good to run so long and so well.

This afternoon was an absolutely gorgeous opportunity to run.  It was sunny and calm with comfortable temperatures: 52F, 11C.  I couldn’t wait to toss on my shorts and go for a run.  Since I have a 10K race tomorrow I was torn between just a  light run, and something more substantial.  I chose to split the difference.  I went for a relaxed pace 5.3 mile run.  I’m still tinkering with my form, but nothing seems to be clicking.  Still I got a nice run in, reveling in nearly 50 minutes spent outdoors with spring in the air.

Today was a beautiful day, and this afternoon was a glorious time for a run.  It was sunny and clear, and 51F, 11 C.  Unfortunately I had to wait until nighttime to go on my run.  By 9:30 PM the temperature had fallen to 41F, 5C.  It was still calm and clear, wonderful weather for a run.  I got my headlamp and went running in my shorts with long sleeves, hat, and gloves.  It felt exhilarating feeling the cool air against my legs.  I only went for a short run tonight, trying to work on my form.  I was able to maintain a good cadence, but my stride and body positioning still need much work.  I still ran with much better form than yesterday, but the run was too short to challenge my focus or endurance, so I was able to keep my form from deteriorating.

Today was another blustery day,  but also warmer 37F, 3C, so overall it was a more favorable day for a run.  It was an interval day for me.  I chose to run on the dirt road, and ran the 1K hill for my first and second interval, and ran another shorter uphill stretch for my third interval.  Each of my intervals was at least 1.25K.  I still hope to improve and refine my running form, and today I was all over the place.  I ran with all of the grace of a bull moose in heat, trying to overpower the road, rather than finding harmony in my stride.   My downhill interval was 1:25 faster than its uphill counterpart.  My form was at its worse on my last interval, which was also my longest interval.  It was great today to get out and run fast, but with my stride out of synch, I would have benefitted from the feedback of another runner.

Today it took either a hardy or foolhardy runner to venture outdoors for a run today.  It was 24F, -4C, with winds gusting to 25 miles per hour.  I chose to accept mother nature’s challenge and run outdoors.  The temperature wasn’t bad, but the wind was a wild card.  I ran the same mile upwind and down wind about 30 seconds faster down wind.  Only momentarily did my legs give me any trouble.  For most of the run I felt great, my only concern was the wind.  I ran pretty consistently, keeping all of my miles sub 10:00.  It felt good to be on the run again.

I had a rough go at it this week, choosing to rest and recover, rather than risk further injuring some already questionable quads/knees.  I still haven’t been proactive on my diet and nutrition, so I believe I put on 3-4 pounds while I was more sedentary.  This week starts a 5 week stretch where I’ll be racing most weekends.  This Saturday I’ll run a 10K. 4/11 and 4/18 will b 1/2 marathons, and 4/26 may be an 8.5 mile race.  Because of those plans I took today as my rest day, and I am planning to run Monday-Saturday, hopefully before dawn.

My schedule for the coming week is as follows:
Proprioceptive Cue:  Pulling the Road
Monday: Base Run and Drills: 7.6 Miles at base pace & 2×20 seconds of stiff legged running and running no arms.
Tuesday: 1K intervals at 5K pace.  1.5 mile warmup and cool down with 3X1K intervals (4:45 target)
Wednesday: Recovery Run: 2-6 mile @recovery pace
Thursday:  Tempo Run 7.6 miles with middle 4.6 miles at 10K pace.
Friday: Recovery Run: 2-6 miles at recovery pace
Saturday: 10K race

Deciding to proceed cautiously, I rested all week, waiting until Saturday to go for a run.  We were visiting my brother and sister in law in Connecticut, and he mapped out for me a 7.5 mile loop.  It was a glorious morning for a run, as I headed out at dawn’s early light.  It was clear, calm, and cold 28F, -2C.  His loop took me on rural roads, circling a lake.  I felt good, but had no clue about my pace, or how far I was as I proceeded along my run.  It was generally downhill to the lake, and then flat along the shore.  As the run left the lake the hills resumed.   A short gentle uphill, followed by an exhilarating downhill, and then a 3/4 of a mile uphill.  After the up hill there was  one more flat stretch, and then a couple of short turns back to my brother in law’s house.  It was a nice relaxing run.  Hopefully, my recovery will be quick, and I can run again tomorrow.

This afternoon was an awesome day for running, 56F, 13C when I threw on my shorts and shoes and set off for a run.  I didn’t run very far before I stopped, I was still hurting, and rest would serve me better.  I remember back to playing basketball with people that just ran a marathon.  They can’t jump.  You could let them take whatever jump shot they wanted and they were going to miss.  Their brains were telling them that they were 15 feet from the basket, and they’d shoot the ball with the force for a 15 footer, but unable to jump the shot would only go 13-14 feet.  On Friday, I totally exhausted my quads with 2 hours of volleyball. Sunday I ran, 16, but was totally spent at 12.  I just need to rest another day today.

I am now less than 70 days from my marathon, and I have more questions than answers.  How come my weight and body fat percentage are staying the same?  Who is the real me, the runner who struggles back to only run 16 miles, or the one who breezed through 16 miles the previous week?  How can I strengthen my mind and train my body better?  Our weather outlook is great for the coming week.  It’s sugaring weather, below freezing at night, with temperatures rising into the 40s and 50s during the day.  So if I run in the morning I’ll be in tights, in the afternoon in shorts.  

Proprioceptive Cue:  Running on water
Monday: off
Tuesday: Base Run & Drills: 8 miles at base pace. 2×20 seconds of steep hill climbs and one legged hops. PM core workout.
Wednesday: 1K intervals @ 5K pace (4:45 goal): 1.5 mile warm up and cool down 5×1K intervals with 3 minutes active recovery. PM core workout.
Thursday: Recovery Run 2-6 miles at recovery pace. PM core workout.
Friday: Tempo Run 1.5 mile warmup and cool down 5 miles @ 10K pace (7:53 goal)
Saturday: Recovery Run 2-6 miles at recovery pace. PM core workout.
Sunday:  Long Run, Progression Run: 15 miles, 1st 8 @ base pace, last 7 negative split until reaching 1/2 marathon pace (8:17 goal).