Training Log - Week Ending May 29

First things first....happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!  Shout out to my Dad (who served during the Vietnam War) and my father-in-law (who served during the Korean War).  A big "thank you" to all those currently serving and all veterans.

Okay, on to the less important stuff......

This week is still easy running after my goal race two weeks ago.  I'll start training for my next race, a 20k, on August 21 next week.

So - all easy miles - about 32 miles total.  I plan to get up to about 55 miles / week later in the training plan.  In my last training cycle I topped out around 45 / week. 

Last week I did a couple of easy runs after taking Monday thru Thursday off.  I thought I was going to feel better than I did after the time off, but I felt flat and stiff.  This week is better, and I feel like I'm starting to get "back in the groove" somewhat, even if it is all on easy miles.

And summer hit the DC area this week!  It was pretty hot over the weekend.  Saturday's short run at 8am was 74 degrees, and "felt like" 82 with super high humidity.  My first run since last Sept that felt "hot", and my first run in only shorts....getting a little color on my back and chest....that felt good.  Time to start "acclimating" to the heat!


Weekly miles: 32
Long run:  11
Weight:  140


Daily workouts:

• Monday - off.  Foam rolling.  My "upper glutes / lower back" are tight.  This is not new for me.  If I ever get sore / stiff, this is the first place it starts.

• Tuesday - 5 miles easy on the WOD trail in Herndon.  Pace - 7:40 - a little too fast for an easy run.  I haven't been looking at my pacing while running, a problem for me is going too fast on easy runs.  Not a big deal since no hard workouts this week.  I like that the sun is up earlier now and I have decent weather....yay summer!  Core work and dynamic stretching.  

Note:  Most of the time my core workout is the Standard Core routine by Jason Fitzgerald at Strength Running.  It's available on YouTube, or you can click on the Strength Running link on my blog home page.

• Wednesday  - 7 miles easy on the WOD trail again.  In Herndon.  But in the opposite direction...slight change in scenery.  ITB rehab routine, stretching, some upper body work.

Side note on the WOD trail - it's a paved path that runs from DC thru northern Virginia.  But, often there are "side" paths for horses, etc. that are dirt.  I run those whenever possible.  So, my runs on the W&OD end up being a mix of asphalt / dirt.

• Thursday - off.  Didn't do nuthin.

• Friday -  5.3 miles easy on the WOD again.  Foam rolling / stretching.  Legs felt a little heavy today, probably from the squats and dead lifts on Wednesday.  I usually feel those two days after, and I haven't done them for a while....like three weeks....so that might be it.  Overall pace @ 8:05.  Also much warmer today...it was about 70 degrees during my run, at least 10 degrees higher than any other run this year.

Side note:  All my weekly runs are before work.  I have to be done running around 7:15 allow time to drive to work from the trail, do any workout, stretching, foam rolling, and shower at the office gym, and get to my desk by 8:00.  It's a nice luxury to have a trail close to my office, and facilities at my office.  Bonus - by driving to the trail close to my work - and THEN running - I can avoid most of the morning rush hour traffic.

• Saturday - 4 miles easy around my house.  Core work / foam rolling / hip mobility stuff.  Overall pace about 7:50.

• Sunday - 11 miles on CandO canal towpath.  All dirt.  Nice to be back on the trail.  I've found it's great to run on in good weather.  In the rain / snow it's all mud and /or super slippery.  ITB rehab / upper body strength.  Unfortunately today I got a big side stitch about 3 miles into the run, the kind that makes you stop and bend over.  So...after walking a few minutes I had to slow my pace.  Overall pace for the run was 8:00.  Might be my body's way to reminding me this week is a "recovery / build back up" week.  I'm not supposed to be running too hard.  ITB rehab routine / chin-ups and push-ups / dynamic stretching.  Single leg squats / single leg dead lifts / rocket jumps (see Coach Jay Johnson - a nice plyometric thing).  Foam rolling.

I've been reading some running advice from 'Coach Jay Johnson' (I have this site linked on the right side of my blog page).  I've decided to NOT check my pace during easy runs, and run more by feel.  When I check my pace I have a tendency to try to keep a pace that may be too fast for how I'm feeling.  "Easy runs should be easy".  So, this week I've put my watch on distance the whole time and checked my pace at the end.  Interesting how my pace has moved by :25 / mile.  They all "feel" the same, and I think that's the point.  I might switch my easy runs from miles to time....not sure yet.  But I will definitely try NOT to run by a specific pace.  I'm a "numbers" person, so it will not be easy.  We'll see what happens.

I'm looking forward to getting back to my quest to run the full length of the CandO Canal towpath.  If interested in my journey, look up the posts with the 'C&O Canal Towpath' label.   I've found the CandO towpath is a "fair weather" trail......so Summer and Fall are the best times to run on that path (less rain and no snow).

Next week, training "proper" for the 20k in August.  I actually wrote my own plan this time based on my experience so far, and using the Strength Running plans as a "jumping off" point.  I'm going with a harder run on Wednesday (10k pace stuff, then moving to tempo runs) and a long run on Sunday with half marathon pace, or progression at the end every other week or so.

Have a good week everyone!