Oh! My Back!

My back's been the story this last week. Sore enough to really bother me, but not enough to stop me from running. I agrivated it doing yard work two weekends ago and sleeping in a sleeper sofa last weekend probably didn't help. I've managed a few runs - but it's really taken it's toll on the strength training - where I'm afraid I'm starting to lose some muscle. Hopefully it'll get better soon.

I managed 34 minutes of running Sunday in NJ and did about 8 minutes or so of push-up/situps (I guess the back wasn't feeling too bad then). I then did the last hill workout with the team yesterday (45,90,120 x2). It felt hot but good and then I did a few more miles to bring the total to ~6.5. Today, since my work office was flooded, I decided to make the best of a bad situation and do my run in the morning after dropping the girls off at school. I did the 7.4 miles of the bluff point course in 67 minutes which is about 9 minute miles. Not great - but hopefully I'll be much faster with a better back for the race in 9 days.

My plan now is to swim tomorrow and try to do a long run Sunday or Monday. Then I'll do a speed session on Tuesday at Fitch.

Updated: new low weight - 153. It was after my trail run - but still, a low I haven't had in years.

Week -1: Again?!?

So I miscounted the number of weeks before my mile-training starts. But that's a good thing - it finishes off the hills next week before the next phase begins. I rebounded with an extra good week of running. Last week wasn't bad overall - but I don't want many weeks with only 8 miles running if I'm going to give a decent shot at the twilight trail run and thje Niantic Bay 10K. So this week looked like: long run, swim, easy run, easy run, fartleks [don't laugh].

The long run was only 7.5 miles and it came after a difficult weekend. My father in-law had a stroke, and that's really the dominating event in my families lives write now. It effects my wife the most, but will no doubt change everything. I have a good deal of kid-guilt for the first time as a dad. Time to focus on the family a little.

I did get a nice visit from my father after his Banjo Camp North experience (which he loved). And some other decent workouts. The swim felt tough, but satisfying: 5x50 fast; 300 steady; 5x50 fast. I'm knocking out the 50s in 50-53 seconds with about 30 seconds rest in between.

I managed 5 mile runs on Wednesday and Thursday which were 'eh (42-43 mins) and went on the same run today but did Fartleks since I've had no real intensity since last weeks hills. I did 4x3:30 (~ 1/2 mile). They felt hard but good. I also reversed the course so I could run up the Meche hill - my only hill work for the week. Amazingly, I did today's loop in 39 minutes - a solid 4 minutes faster than yesterday - same distance. What a difference a day makes. Overall 22.5 miles on the road - my most in a while. 1 swim workout, and a little over 1/2 hour yoga/strength work. Not a bad week.

Hard to believe but the best of the StarWars movies is 30 years old! On May 21st 1980 I was 8 years old - and absolutely astonished when I saw this movie in an absolutely jam-packed theater in Mesa Arizona. Life and times have changed - but this one still rocks and in my opinion is still the best. I'm not alone.

Difficult Week.

So after Tuesday's hill work and "firm" video workout, I only did on more workout all week - a swim on Friday. That's only 1 8-mile hillwork run. I tried to do the Groton riverfront 3.5 miler today - but, um, forgot to bring money. Remarkably, considering it was 1 mile from work, I didn't see any of the normal running dudes there to try and bum money from. Turns out that was about the best the day would get. I won't go into details - but I'll be enjoying a good beer tonight.

I'm watching the Preakness now - I find horse racing very inspiring for some reason. Although I think they should do longer distances some times. Lucking at Lucky wins! Hell of a race. No triple crown again...

Week -1: More Hills + Lots of Wind

Man - lots of wind this week. The week started great from - but not from a fitness standpoint. I had in the last four days the following to eat: Five Guys Hamburger, Kobi Burger from Cheesecake Factory, Meatloaf and more Meatloaf. The meatloaf, to be fair, is somewhat healthy (I added oatmeal, diced mushrooms and shredded carrots). The Kobi Burger was completely awesome - I'm still drooling over the thought of having another one of those. But this is probably the most red meat I've eaten in recent memory - and there is still half a meatloaf to go!

Anyway - missed the Sunday long run again - Mother's day. I did the swim yesterday. It was hard. I wanted to do 800 straight. I was doing easy/efficient strokes getting across the pool quickly in less than 7 cycles - but I must've been using some energy because my times (per 50) were always less than one minute and I was gassed after 500. So I stopped there and then did 2x200. 1500 total including warmup and cooldown.

Today I did a tough run: hills + 5 miles (8 total). The hill workout was 3x60, 2x90 and 1x120. I felt pretty strong during the hills - but boy are they hard. I slogged the last 5 miles at a 9 min/mile pace - but I'm glad I got some mileage in.

Saturday I may try the Groton Riverfront 5k (which is almost 3.5 miles). It's lightly attended - so I may have a shot at an age group place.

Week -2: Done!

Since I skipped my first goal of the season - the Providence 1/2 - I'm targeting a few easy goals: (1) get stronger, (2) get more flexible, (3) lose a few more pounds and (4) maybe run a few mile races this year. I've basically been focusing on goals 1-3 all winter/spring. I'll simply swap-out hills for intervals in a month and try my luck at a 8-week mile plan.

This week started out poorly with no long run on Sunday, but I think I managed to rebound nicely. Monday I did a swim. I found myself getting tired of the sprints, so I did 400, 300, 200, 100 - but with the breathing from last week: every 3 strokes, 4, 5 and 6. It felt pretty good and difficult.

Tuesday I did the hills again: (60,75,90)x2 + an extra 4.5 miles - totaling 8 miles of workout that trashed my legs - but felt good.

Wednesday I did 5 easy at about a 8 min/mile pace. Then yesterday (Thursday) I was going to do nothing, but ended up in my wife's aerobics class after work. The woman worked the cores with lots of ball planks and did a crap load of lunges and squats - once again trashing my legs. I also did about 20 minutes of yoga that night - trying to relieve the legs a little.

Today the legs still felt bad, so despite the gorgeous running weather, I hit the pool for my second session of the week. I did 500 various warmup; 600 free, 300 free and 100 cool. An easy one, but the 600 was my longest continous. I think I'll try an 800 next week.

Another Week of Running

So I missed blogging my workouts for about a week, so here is the quick summary:

Sunday - long run, covered here.

Monday - 1500 in the pool.

Tuesday - missed hill workout, did the Firm video with wife.

Wedn - short run 4.3 miles

Friday - easy 5 mile run.

This week started poorly with a missed long run Sunday, but I've rebounded to get another 1500 in at the pool and then today I did the hill workout with the team from work: (60,75,90 seconds)x2. I then ran an extra ~ 5 miles - so the total mileage was about 8 miles. So that felt hard, but good.