I am getting near 100% now and should be able to start putting in some speed workouts soon. This week I got in 104.25 equivalent miles and 68.25 running miles, which is way more than I have done in the past 2 months or so. I am only planning on getting the run portion up to 80-90 miles/week at the peak, so I am getting close. My hip is definitely getting better with each passing day so I am beginning to get a little more confident about being able to add some quality in the next week or two. I will probably start out with some easy hills on my runs to ease into it. The GCS track workouts start up in about a month (April 22nd) and the Great Bay Half Marathon is on April 5th. I am not sure if I will be ready to race a half marathon in just two and a half weeks, but I will be able to start the track workouts in 5 weeks.
I am looking forward to the warmer weather and the longer days so that I can get back into my schedule of doing my long run early in the morning. All winter I have been stuck doing my second work out late at night and not getting home from the gym until 10-10:30PM because I had to use the elliptical trainer. That makes it really hard to get up at 6AM the next day and work out. Last summer, on days that I did not a track workout, I would get up at 5:30AM, get out the door by 6AM to do 10-14 miles and be home by 7:30AM. That only left the easy run for later in the day. I would usually stop somewhere on the way home from work and hit some new trails. That is when I discovered the trails in Groton and Dunstable (this one is actually on 2 miles from my house and connects to about 10+ miles of other trails heading south into Dunstable). On hard days I would get in an easy 5-8 miles early and then hit the track at Nashua South at 6PM. Since I was averaging 100 miles per week I was usually beat and would hang with the kids for an hour or two when I got home and then crash by 9PM, or 10PM at the latest. I suppose that life style does not seem too appealing to most people (sleep run, work, run, repeat and squeeze the family in there) but I like it. As long as I can make some time to spend with the fam it seems to work. Hopefully it will only be a couple more weeks before the weather cooperates and I can resume my summer schedule.
I am looking forward to the warmer weather and the longer days so that I can get back into my schedule of doing my long run early in the morning. All winter I have been stuck doing my second work out late at night and not getting home from the gym until 10-10:30PM because I had to use the elliptical trainer. That makes it really hard to get up at 6AM the next day and work out. Last summer, on days that I did not a track workout, I would get up at 5:30AM, get out the door by 6AM to do 10-14 miles and be home by 7:30AM. That only left the easy run for later in the day. I would usually stop somewhere on the way home from work and hit some new trails. That is when I discovered the trails in Groton and Dunstable (this one is actually on 2 miles from my house and connects to about 10+ miles of other trails heading south into Dunstable). On hard days I would get in an easy 5-8 miles early and then hit the track at Nashua South at 6PM. Since I was averaging 100 miles per week I was usually beat and would hang with the kids for an hour or two when I got home and then crash by 9PM, or 10PM at the latest. I suppose that life style does not seem too appealing to most people (sleep run, work, run, repeat and squeeze the family in there) but I like it. As long as I can make some time to spend with the fam it seems to work. Hopefully it will only be a couple more weeks before the weather cooperates and I can resume my summer schedule.
Monday:
- AM - (8 mi) I went for an hour on the elliptical trainer.
- PM - 8 mi (58:00) Easy run at work and it felt pretty good.
Tuesday:
- AM - (8 mi) Again, an hour on the elliptical trainer. 8 equivalent miles.
- PM - 8 mi (57:15) Same as yesterday.
Wednesday: 16 mi (1:58:30) I did not really feel like doing two workouts today so I just did one long ass workout. I ran 4 miles to the gym, did 60 minutes (8 equivalent miles) on the elliptical trainer and then ran 4 miles home. This was a pretty hard workout because I sweat a TON when I was on the elliptical trainer. When I got home I weighed in at 161 lbs. I was 165 lbs when I left, so that means I lost about a 1/2 gallon of sweat. No pain in my hip either.
Thursday: 16 mi (1:52:30) This was the same workout as yesterday, basically. I ran 6 miles to the gym, did 30 minutes (4 equivalent miles) on the elliptical trainer and then ran 6 miles home. I have a hard time believing that this was 12 miles of running, but that is what it measured. That means that I average 6:55/mi for the run. I weighed 162 lbs when I got home, which makes sense because I did not sweat as much when I was at the gym.
Friday:
Sunday: 14.25 mi (1:41:15) Based on yesterday's successful run I went out on a limb and decided to run the entire long run (what a novel idea). I ran from home to Mine Falls Park to get a little trail running in and ended back home. It was much colder than I anticipated and there were even some snow squalls while I was out, but nothing that stuck. After this run I am convinced that the time spent on the elliptical trainer and the stationary bike was well worth it. My feet were a bit achy at the end since I this was my longest run by far in a while, but cardiovascularly I was fine. I even had to be conservative and hold back the pace to make sure that I would not have any issues later in the run. Very good run.
- AM - (8 mi) I could not stand to do another marathon day today and needed some rest so I got to the gym early and rode the stationary bike for 60 minutes at a pretty decent tempo.
- PM - 8 mi (55:55) Got outside and ran at lunch. It was decent weather, but not great. I felt pretty good and got in a good 8 miles.
Sunday: 14.25 mi (1:41:15) Based on yesterday's successful run I went out on a limb and decided to run the entire long run (what a novel idea). I ran from home to Mine Falls Park to get a little trail running in and ended back home. It was much colder than I anticipated and there were even some snow squalls while I was out, but nothing that stuck. After this run I am convinced that the time spent on the elliptical trainer and the stationary bike was well worth it. My feet were a bit achy at the end since I this was my longest run by far in a while, but cardiovascularly I was fine. I even had to be conservative and hold back the pace to make sure that I would not have any issues later in the run. Very good run.
1 comment:
I found your blog by chance and found it very interesting...
I am also trying to come out from an injury and I can feel the pain that your are experiencing... when the body can not follow the mind...
With your excellent background, it might not be impossible to go down into the low 2h20'
Only one suggestion: because of the long break and the reality of "real life", maybe your objectives in terms of mileage might be too ambitious: your talent should be enough to achieve a good time even if you do not beat up your body too much
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