avondale training journal, starting Dec. 2018 (comments welcome)

[garneska]

Wow. Glad it was not too serious. I am back to panicking a bit with the new variant going around. Hopefully back to running soon.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Hope you're all better soon!

 

[avondale]

Week of May 23 - 29, 2022

This was supposed to be my third training week for my 10K trail race on June 25: the Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek State Park. But because I got covid (symptoms and positive PCR test on May 15), last week was a wash for training. I re-wrote my training plan to just be ramping up time and distance leading up to the race. This was not a big goal race for me, fortunately.

Fortunately, last Sunday was really the last day with symptoms I would definitely attribute to covid: a killer sinus headache. After that, I had some issues with phlegmmy throat (I have post-nasal drip often) and an occasional cough. However, I tested positive with at-home tests both Sunday and Tuesday; my understanding is that I could end up testing positive for quite awhile.

Wednesday was day 10, when the CDC says I could come out of isolation. I had been planning to drive to visit my mom, my sister, and her son from Thursday through Tuesday. Since I was past the 10 days, they were fully vaccinated and boosted, and they had had covid in January (even milder than my case), we decided I should go ahead with the trip.

I did feel well enough to start running and playing tennis again this week. But covid did HORRIBLE things to my HR. My HR was higher in general last week, and that's hanging on at least during running this week. In order to keep my HR down, I had to run 1.5 to 2 min/mi slower than usual. So frustrating! I hope that this improves soon.

Monday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Twist the Spine routine
  • 10 (each leg) twisted warrior
  • 50 medball twist (no weight)
  • 40 ball bridge twist
  • 2 x 20 swiss ball tuck twist
  • 3 x 10 (each direction) butt scoots
  • 15 (each side) super swiss side plank
  • 20 (each side) thread the needle plank
  • 15 (each side) long arm band squat
  • 3 x 10 hang spine twist
• Before dinner: walk outside
  • time: 1:09:43
  • distance: 4.24 mi
  • average pace: 16:27

Tuesday

• Before breakfast: Workout 1
  • 3 x 5 squat, 20 lb vest + 60 lb
  • 3 x 1 unassisted pull-up
  • 3 x 5 lat pull-down, 42 lb band
  • 3 x 5 bench press, 65 lb
  • 3 x 5 cable pull-through, 23 lb band
  • 3 x 5 shoulder press, 25 lb each arm
• After work:
  • 40 min easy
    • T+D 112, 1% effect, T 63 F
    • time: 40:01
    • distance: 3.24 mi
    • average pace: 12:21
    • splits: 12:09, 12:30, 12:24, 12:24
    • ave HR: 144 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 49 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Rock Creek Trail
    • comments: I couldn't keep my HR down appropriately.

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Twist the Spine routine
  • 10 (each leg) twisted warrior
  • 50 medball twist (no weight)
  • 40 ball bridge twist
  • 2 x 20 swiss ball tuck twist
  • 3 x 10 (each direction) butt scoots
  • 15 (each side) super swiss side plank
  • 20 (each side) thread the needle plank
  • 15 (each side) long arm band squat
  • 3 x 10 hang spine twist
• In evening: 1.5-hr tennis doubles practice

Thursday before breakfast:

• 40 min easy
  • T+D 106, 0.5% effect, T 59 F
  • time: 40:14
  • distance: 3.0 mi
  • average pace: 13:24
  • splits: 12:31, 13:54, 13:47
  • ave HR: 142 BPM - above my target range
  • elevation gain: 62 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Sligo Creek Trail
  • comments: I slowed down SOOO far and still couldn't keep my HR at 140 BPM or lower to be in the appropriate range.

Friday

• Before breakfast:
  • 40 min easy
    • T+D 123, 1.5% effect, T 61 F, light rain the whole time
    • time: 40:10
    • distance: 3.0 mi
    • average pace: 13:22
    • splits: 13:22, 13:37, 13:10
    • ave HR: 138 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 26 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Samuel Justus Trail
    • comments: Still so, so slow for the HR.
• Afternoon: family walk
  • time: 35:23
  • distance: 0.75 mi
  • average pace: 46:54
  • elevation gain: 52 ft (uncorrected)
  • comments: me, my Mom, my sister, and her son, plus three dogs; my Mom can't walk very fast any more - she is 74 yo.

Saturday

• Before breakfast:
  • 50 min easy
    • T+D 114, 1% effect, T 57 F
    • time: 50:01
    • distance: 3.76 mi
    • average pace: 13:17
    • splits: 13:19, 13:17, 13:21, 13:10
    • ave HR: 138 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 26 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Allegheny River Trail
    • comments: So slow!
• After dinner: family walk
  • time: 38:16
  • distance: 0.82 mi
  • average pace: 38:16
  • elevation gain: 56 ft (uncorrected)
  • comments: same family members, but only one dog!

Sunday before breakfast:

• 60 min LR
  • T+D 108, 0.5% effect, T 54 F
  • time: 1:00:01
  • distance: 5.03 mi
  • average pace: 11:56
  • splits: 11:57, 12:02, 11:56, 11:58, 11:47
  • ave HR: 146 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 36 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Allegheny River Trail
  • comments: My LR pace here is usually my easy run pace. Sigh.
• Interval Run with My Nephew
  • My nephew likes to run, so I asked him if he would like to run with me, and of course he said yes. He's 6 years old and doesn't have a lot of patience, so I thought an interval run with short intervals would be best. I planned on 20-second intervals. We started with a walk interval, a slow run interval, and a fast run interval, and then repeat.
  • My nephew had a lot of fun with this. The intervals were a good idea because his idea of "running" is "sprinting", so this let him catch his breath so he would stay engaged. When he got too tired, we did two walk intervals in a row or paused.
  • time: 15:34 - I forgot to start my GPS right away and missed several intervals.
  • distance: 0.9 mi
  • average pace: 17:14
  • I didn't do an interval workout on my Garmin, so I don't have split values for our fast run intervals. However, looking at the pace graph, I can see that for me, my fast run interval paces were 6-ish min/mi - very nice. I did not pass my nephew, but sometimes he used the "slow run" interval to get a head start on me for the "fast run" interval.
  • route: Allegheny River Trail

 

[avondale]

Week of May 30 - June 5, 2022

This was supposed to be my fourth training week for my 10K trail race on June 25: the Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek State Park. But because I got covid (symptoms and positive PCR test on May 15), that week was a wash for training. I re-wrote my training plan to just be ramping up time and distance leading up to the race. This was not a big goal race for me, fortunately.

I did feel well enough to start running and playing tennis again last week. But covid did HORRIBLE things to my HR. My HR was higher in general the week I had covid, and that's hanging on at least through this week. In order to keep my HR down, I had to run a lot slower than usual. So frustrating!

I was still visiting my family in PA on Monday and drove home on Tuesday.

Monday before breakfast:

• 50 min easy
  • T+D 126, 2% effect, T 64 F
  • time: 50:00
  • distance: 3.94 mi
  • average pace: 12:41
  • splits: 12:30, 12:37, 12:36, 13:02
  • ave HR: 138 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 56 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Sandy Creek Trail
  • comments: So slow!

Tuesday

• Before breakfast:
  • 50 min easy
    • T+D 124, 1.5% effect, T 70 F
    • time: 50:01
    • distance: 3.92 mi
    • average pace: 12:47
    • splits: 12:32, 12:48, 12:50, 12:57
    • ave HR: 139 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 33 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Allegheny River Trail
    • comments: So slow!
• Evening: 2-hr tennis doubles match - my partner and I lost 0-6, 7-5, 1-0. We let it slip away!

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Twist the Spine routine
  • 10 (each leg) twisted warrior
  • 60 medball twist (no weight)
  • 40 ball bridge twist
  • 2 x 20 swiss ball tuck twist
  • 3 x 10 (each direction) butt scoots
  • 20 (each side) super swiss side plank
  • 20 (each side) thread the needle plank
  • 20 (each side) long arm band squat
  • 4 x 10 hang spine twist
• Evening: 2-hr tennis mixed doubles match - my husband and I lost 6-1, 6-1.

Thursday

• Before breakfast: Workout 2
  • 3 x 5 each side one-leg squat on bench with 20-lb vest
  • 3 x 5 each side lawnmower with 37.5 lb
  • 3 x 5 push-up with 20-lb vest
  • 3 x 5 each side hamstring curl with 13-lb band
  • 3 x 5 parallel bar dips
• After dinner: walking on treadmill
  • time: 1:26:49
  • distance: 4.45 mi
  • average pace: 19:31
  • incline: 4%

Friday after work:

• 50 min tempo ramps
  • T+D 130, 2% effect, T 77 F
  • time: 49:12
  • distance: 4.41 mi
  • average pace: 11:09
  • splits: 11:25, 11:07, 11:13, 11:02, 10:43
  • elevation gain: 315 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: new loop around the neighborhood
  • comments: Slower than I used to do this, but better than the easy runs.

Saturday

• Before lunch:
  • 60 min easy on trail
    • T+D 129, 2% effect, T 77 F
    • time: 1:00:02
    • distance: 4.15 mi
    • average pace: 14:28
    • splits: 14:23, 14:10, 14:29, 14:45, 14:43
    • ave HR: 144 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 154 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
    • comments: SO SLOW! And despite this, I could not keep my HR down in my target range. This was hugely frustrating.
• Before dinner: 2-hr tennis doubles practice

Sunday

• Before lunch:
  • 70 min LR on trail
    • T+D 118, 1% effect, T 72 F
    • time: 1:10:01
    • distance: 5.03 mi
    • average pace: 13:55
    • splits: 13:48, 14:48, 14:05, 13:50, 13:09
    • ave HR: 148 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 735 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Western Ridge Trail, Rock Creek National Park
    • comments: This run was better in terms of HR, but it was at least partly because I could let my HR get higher into the LR range.
• Evening: 2-hr tennis doubles match - my partner and I lost 6-2, 6-1.

Health

I feel like I'm over covid except the lingering fitness effects. My headache continues. I need to get back to physical therapy for it.

 

[avondale]

Certainly it can work in theory. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a training plan that follows a two up, one down pattern. But I don't see why it absolutely couldn't work.

My concern would lie in the build length and gentler approach to the build. I'm of the mindset that one can only build in training load for about 12-16 weeks before you start to hit a point where the body doesn't seem to respond to increases the same anymore and you start to see diminishing returns. Whether that's because of the traditional build models following a three up, one down pattern or not is something I'm not 100% on. But I think that is where I might have the most concern. The length of the build may lead to stagnation towards the end. There is also some reason to believe that if the build isn't aggressive enough (as in what you're doing now isn't that much different than what you were doing 4-6 weeks ago), then your body may not respond similarly in gains. That's a training load theory in which there's a window between not enough difference and too much difference that you want to live in during the bulk of the training cycle.

@DopeyBadger , I wanted to follow up on this. You mentioned how one can only build in training load for 12 - 16 weeks effectively. I'm looking toward my late-fall 30K trail race, it it looks like I will have 22 weeks of training possible leading up to the race. I have been doing my peak LR 3 weeks prior to race day...I am not sure if the time between the peak LR and the race was included in what you meant by 12 - 16 weeks. If the three weeks of taper after the peak LR are not included, then I have 19 weeks of training possible. Still a bit long.

What would you suggest? I am guessing a race in there. Maybe another 10k? (I am doing a 10k on June 25, which is prior to this training cycle I'm discussing.) When? I would take a week off from running after that. But then I don't think I would necessarily have to complete start over in terms of my base-building. I'd appreciate your insight on this.

I'm just trying to block things out. Then I'll be able to think about some periodization of hill repeats and other types of workouts.

 

[DopeyBadger]

@DopeyBadger , I wanted to follow up on this. You mentioned how one can only build in training load for 12 - 16 weeks effectively. I'm looking toward my late-fall 30K trail race, it it looks like I will have 22 weeks of training possible leading up to the race. I have been doing my peak LR 3 weeks prior to race day...I am not sure if the time between the peak LR and the race was included in what you meant by 12 - 16 weeks. If the three weeks of taper after the peak LR are not included, then I have 19 weeks of training possible. Still a bit long.

What would you suggest? I am guessing a race in there. Maybe another 10k? (I am doing a 10k on June 25, which is prior to this training cycle I'm discussing.) When? I would take a week off from running after that. But then I don't think I would necessarily have to complete start over in terms of my base-building. I'd appreciate your insight on this.

I'm just trying to block things out. Then I'll be able to think about some periodization of hill repeats and other types of workouts.

With 22 weeks, you very likely don't want to try and split this into two separate training plans. You're much better off doing something like 50-60% of the peak volume for the next few weeks as a run-in into the plan, and then start to increase the volume.

Depending on how you look at it, the "12-16 weeks of building" does encompass the end of the plan. Training load is really an aggregate of what you've done over the last few weeks (6 weeks by one definition) and how it compares to what you're doing right now. The right now is where you'll see a drop during the taper, but the 6-week value will still be seeing an increase during the taper because you're still likely to be doing more than the average volume from 6 weeks prior.

As a theoretical example and holding intensity constant where volume is the only variable (for the sake of the example I will assume a peak of 8 hrs which means 50-60% is 4:00-4:50 hrs):

Race Week (taper) - 4:00 hrs + Race
1 Week Prior (taper) - 5:30 hrs
2 Weeks Prior (taper) - 7:15 hrs
3 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 8:00 hrs
4 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 6:45 hrs
5 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 7:30 hrs
6 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 5:15 hrs
7 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 7:00 hrs
8 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 5:45 hrs
9 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:30 hrs
10 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 4:45 hrs
11 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:00 hrs
12 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 5:15 hrs
13 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:30 hrs
14 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 4:00 hrs
15 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:00 hrs
16 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 4:15 hrs
17 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:45 hrs
18 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
19 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
20 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
21 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
22 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs

So then look at the average # of hrs in the six weeks prior

Race Week (taper) - 7:00 hrs
1 Week Prior (taper) - 6:42 hrs
2 Weeks Prior (taper) - 6:57 hrs
3 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:42 hrs
4 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 6:27 hrs
5 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:07 hrs
6 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 5:52 hrs
7 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:52 hrs
8 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 5:37 hrs
9 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:20 hrs
10 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 5:05 hrs
11 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:00 hrs
12 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 4:47 hrs
13 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:40 hrs
14 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 4:30 hrs
15 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:35 hrs
16 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 4:30 hrs
17 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:32 hrs

So my advice with 22 weeks remaining:

4-6 weeks of holding volume around 50-60% of desired peak
16-18 week training plan getting more specific to the goal race as time proceeds

You can do a single workout during the initial 4-6 weeks. But I'd do something very simple and light. Something like very brief uphill sprints or very short duration critical velocity intervals.

 

[avondale]

With 22 weeks, you very likely don't want to try and split this into two separate training plans. You're much better off doing something like 50-60% of the peak volume for the next few weeks as a run-in into the plan, and then start to increase the volume.

Depending on how you look at it, the "12-16 weeks of building" does encompass the end of the plan. Training load is really an aggregate of what you've done over the last few weeks (6 weeks by one definition) and how it compares to what you're doing right now. The right now is where you'll see a drop during the taper, but the 6-week value will still be seeing an increase during the taper because you're still likely to be doing more than the average volume from 6 weeks prior.

As a theoretical example and holding intensity constant where volume is the only variable (for the sake of the example I will assume a peak of 8 hrs which means 50-60% is 4:00-4:50 hrs):

Race Week (taper) - 4:00 hrs + Race
1 Week Prior (taper) - 5:30 hrs
2 Weeks Prior (taper) - 7:15 hrs
3 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 8:00 hrs
4 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 6:45 hrs
5 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 7:30 hrs
6 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 5:15 hrs
7 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 7:00 hrs
8 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 5:45 hrs
9 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:30 hrs
10 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 4:45 hrs
11 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:00 hrs
12 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 5:15 hrs
13 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:30 hrs
14 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 4:00 hrs
15 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:00 hrs
16 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 4:15 hrs
17 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:45 hrs
18 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
19 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
20 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
21 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs
22 Weeks Prior (Base) - 4:30 hrs

So then look at the average # of hrs in the six weeks prior

Race Week (taper) - 7:00 hrs
1 Week Prior (taper) - 6:42 hrs
2 Weeks Prior (taper) - 6:57 hrs
3 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:42 hrs
4 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 6:27 hrs
5 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 6:07 hrs
6 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 5:52 hrs
7 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:52 hrs
8 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 5:37 hrs
9 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:20 hrs
10 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 5:05 hrs
11 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 5:00 hrs
12 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 4:47 hrs
13 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:40 hrs
14 Weeks Prior (Recover) - 4:30 hrs
15 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:35 hrs
16 Weeks Prior (Mod) - 4:30 hrs
17 Weeks Prior (Peak) - 4:32 hrs

So my advice with 22 weeks remaining:

4-6 weeks of holding volume around 50-60% of desired peak
16-18 week training plan getting more specific to the goal race as time proceeds

You can do a single workout during the initial 4-6 weeks. But I'd do something very simple and light. Something like very brief uphill sprints or very short duration critical velocity intervals.

Thanks! This is very helpful. I will probably go with the 18-weeks of training because it will be building to a longer peak run than I've done before, but I'll have see how it shakes out when I write it out.

I suppose the first weeks of base will give me extra time to hopefully get over the covid effects on my fitness. I also have some travel in there.

 

[avondale]

Week of June 6 - 12, 2022

This was supposed to be my fifth training week for my 10K trail race on June 25: the Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek State Park. But because I got covid (symptoms and positive PCR test on May 15), that week was a wash for training. I re-wrote my training plan to just be ramping up time and distance leading up to the race. This was not a big goal race for me, fortunately.

I am still seemingly recovering my fitness from covid, even though it was a mild. It has been very frustrating.

Monday

• Before breakfast: foam rolling and stretching
• After work:
  • 60 min easy on trail
    • T+D 124, 1.5% effect, T 81 F
    • time: 1:00:01
    • distance: 4.28 mi
    • average pace: 14:01
    • splits: 14:07, 14:47, 13:34, 13:37, 13:47
    • ave HR: 141 BPM - just above my target range
    • elevation gain: 115 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Northwest Branch Trail
    • comments: Still so slow!

Tuesday after work: walking on treadmill

• time: 1:26:42j
• distance: 4.45 mi
• average pace: 19:29
• incline: 4%

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Twist the Spine routine
  • 10 (each leg) twisted warrior
  • 60 medball twist (no weight)
  • 40 ball bridge twist
  • 2 x 20 swiss ball tuck twist
  • 3 x 10 (each direction) butt scoots
  • 20 (each side) super swiss side plank
  • 20 (each side) thread the needle plank
  • 20 (each side) long arm band squat
  • 4 x 10 hang spine twist
• Evening: 2-hr mixed doubles match - my husband and I lost 6-3, 6-4

Thursday

• Before breakfast: Workout 3
  • 3 x 5 goblet squat, 20-lb vest + 50 lb
  • 3 x 1 unassisted chin-up
  • 3 x 5 reverse-grip lat pull-down, 42-lb band
  • 3 x 5 close-grip bench press, 65 lb
  • 3 x 5 (each leg) single-leg swiss ball hamstring curl
  • 3 x 5 arnold press, 20-lb per arm
• After work:
  • 50 min tempo ramps
    • T+D 130, 2% effect, T 77 F
    • time: 50:00
    • distance: 4.54 mi
    • average pace: 11:01
    • splits: 11:15, 10:49, 11:00, 11:01, 10:58
    • elevation gain: 338 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: new loop around the neighborhood
    • comments: Slower than I used to do this, but better than the easy runs.

Friday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Twist the Spine routine
  • 10 (each leg) twisted warrior
  • 70 medball twist (no weight)
  • 40 ball bridge twist
  • 2 x 20 swiss ball tuck twist
  • 3 x 10 (each direction) butt scoots
  • 20 (each side) super swiss side plank
  • 20 (each side) thread the needle plank
  • 20 (each side) long arm band squat
  • 5 x 10 hang spine twist
• After work:
  • 50 min easy
    • T+D 131, 2.5% effect, T 79 F
    • time: 50:01
    • distance: 4.02 mi
    • average pace: 12:27
    • splits: 12:20, 12:53, 12:39, 12:01
    • ave HR: 139 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 98 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Sligo Creek Trail

Saturday

• Before lunch:
  • 70 min easy on trail
    • T+D 125, 2% effect, T 66 F
    • time: 1:10:01
    • distance: 4.84 mi
    • average pace: 14:28
    • splits: 14:24, 15:14, 14:00, 15:12, 13:18
    • ave HR: 142 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 676 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Western Ridge Trail, Rock Creek National Park
• Evening: 2-hr tennis match - my partner and I lost 6-1, 6-1

Sunday

• Before lunch:
  • 80 min LR on rail
    • T+D 133, 2.5% effect, T 63 F
    • time: 1:20:03
    • distance: 5.85 mi
    • splits: 13:19, 12:50, 14:05, 14:47, 14:09, 12:52
    • ave HR: 152 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 358 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
• Before dinner:
  • foam rolling and stretching
  • walk outside
    • time: 47:22
    • distance: 2.12 mi
    • average pace: 22:18

Health

Over covid. Headache continues. I am starting physical therapy again this week (had to stop because of covid). I am getting an MRI of my neck this week. I got a new pillow. Maybe something good will come out of all this!

 

[avondale]

Week of June 13 - 19, 2022

This was supposed to be my sixth training week for my 10K trail race on June 25: the Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek State Park. But because I got covid (symptoms and positive PCR test on May 15), that week was a wash for training. I re-wrote my training plan to just be ramping up time and distance leading up to the race. This was not a big goal race for me, fortunately.

I feel like this week I have just about gotten back my fitness after covid. It's hard to tell with the weather we've had this week, but I'm thinking positively.

I did like getting back to a lot of trail running this week, even though most of this week was hotter than heck.

Monday

• Before breakfast: Workout 4 (below) and foam rolling and stretching
  • 3 x 5 (each leg) single-leg glute bridge with 35 lb
  • 3 x 5 bent-over reverse-grip dumbbell rows with 25 lb per arm
  • 3 x 2 (each side) push-up into side plank with hands on medicine balls with 20-lb vest
  • 3 x 5 hamstring slide curls
  • 3 x 5 bent-over lat raises with 15 lb per arm
• After work:
  • 60 min easy on trail
    • T+D 159, 6% effect , T 90 F
    • time: 1:00:04
    • distance: 4.12 mi
    • average pace: 14:35
    • splits: 14:48, 15:12, 14:10, 14:07, 15:05
    • ave HR: 138 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 125 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Northwest Branch Trail

Tuesday after work:

• 60 min tempo ramps
  • T+D 151, 4.5% effect , T 81 F
  • time: 1:00:01
  • distance: 5.38 mi
  • average pace: 11:09
  • splits: 11:23, 10:53, 11:03, 11:08, 11:08, 11:30
  • elevation gain: 381 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: neighborhood loop 2

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Twist the Spine routine
  • 10 (each leg) twisted warrior
  • 70 medball twist (no weight)
  • 40 ball bridge twist
  • 2 x 20 swiss ball tuck twist
  • 3 x 10 (each direction) butt scoots
  • 20 (each side) super swiss side plank
  • 20 (each side) thread the needle plank
  • 20 (each side) long arm band squat
  • 5 x 10 hang spine twist
• After work:
  • 60 min easy on trail
    • T+D 151, 4.5% effect , T 86 F
    • time: 1:00:01
    • distance: 4.28 mi
    • average pace: 14:01
    • splits: 14:01, 14:23, 13:52, 13:50, 13:52
    • ave HR: 138 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 95 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Northwest Branch Trail

Thursday evening: 2-hr tennis doubles match - my partner and I lost 6-1, 6-3.

Friday after work:

• 70 min easy on trail
  • T+D 156, 5.5% effect , T 91 F
  • time: 1:10:01
  • distance: 5.1 mi
  • average pace: 13:44
  • splits: 13:47, 13:34, 13:22, 14:22, 13:34, 13:51
  • ave HR: 139 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 243 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park

Saturday

• Afternoon: 2-hr tennis doubles practice
• Evening: 2-hr tennis mixed doubles match - my husband and I lost 5-7, 6-3, 1-0.

Sunday afternoon:

• 90 min LR on trail
  • T+D 115, 1% effect, T 73 F
  • time: 1:30:02
  • distance: 6.47 mi
  • average pace: 13:55
  • splits: 13:50, 13:53, 14:20, 13:52, 13:59, 13:26, 14:12
  • ave HR: 149 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 528 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Lake Short Trail, Great Seneca State Park

Health

I got the MRI done on my neck on Friday, but I don't have any report back from it yet. I started physical therapy again this week (after stopping while I had covid). The neck and headaches are still happening about the same.

 

[avondale]

Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek 10k Trail Race

Today I ran the 10k trail race held at Seneca Creek State Park, about 30 minutes from where I live. I have learned that summer races and I don't go well together, so this was not a big goal race for me, but something to mark time and a training cycle until I could start training for a goal trail race taking place in late fall. Then, I got covid mid-May and that put a real hit on my running fitness, so I am glad I wasn't worried about performing for this race. I think I was just getting back to my pre-covid fitness level the week or so before the race.

This race is put on by a regional group that does various trail race series in Maryland and Virginia - I ran one of their Virginia races April 2021. They are well-organized and seem supportive of local runners.

Now back to the concept of "summer". The race started at 8:00am, and shortly before that, the T+D was already 131 (2.5% effect) with sunny skies. By the time I finished, the T+D was 145 (4% effect). Fortunately the course was about 95% shaded.

There was a 10k at 8am and a 5k that started immediately after - the 5k immediately had a different course, although both races ultimately finished in the same place. There were 213 runners in the 10k and fewer in the 5k.

I got there about 6:30am to pick up my bib and t-shirt. I hung out in my car a bit until I decided to warm up on the park roads. I brought 1.5L of water plus Nuun.

We started on time. The first 0.8 mi of the 10k is along paved park roads to get us from the center of the park to the edge and the start of the trail. I forget how the race director described it, but he said it was in order to allow us to spread out a bit by pace so that we didn't all end up running into each other on the single-track. That makes sense, but unfortunately the paved section was nearly all uphill, and not that gradual. I managed to keep from working TOO hard immediately in this section. If this had been a trail, I would have power-walked it, but I have to admit that I would have felt pretty silly starting off the race by walking. I really don't even like to run on asphalt any more - seems like such a pounding on my feet. Mile 1: 12:33.

The centerpiece of the park is Clopper Lake, which we started next to. The paved portion took us to the northern edge of the park, where we got on the Seneca Greenway Trail to start heading south. I've run on this trail numerous times, because it goes 14 miles south to the Potomac River, so it's great for long training trail runs. Most of this is really nice single-track, and I love single-track. These trails don't have a lot of rocks in the path, but they can be quite rooty and sometimes muddy. We had almost 2 miles going south on this trail, and it was primarily downhill. Miles 2 and 3: 13:17 and 13:17.

Southwest of the lake, we took a junction with a connector trail that headed east and somewhat north to get back to the lake. This was about 0.75 miles and primarily uphill, which means I did a lot of power-walking. Mile 4: 14:09.

We connected to the trail around the lake on the south side of the lake; we had to go more than 3/4 of the way around the lake in the counter-clockwise sense. The Lake Shore Trail was "flat" overall, but there were a lot of small, rolling hills as the trail followed the terrain around the lake. The trail was generally wider than single-track because it's very popular with visitors. It's still quite rooty and more rock than the single-track.

Unfortunately, by the time I got back to the lake, I was most likely already pushing a bit too much, plus the T+D had gone up. T+Ds in the 130s already affect my performance a lot, but the 140s really hit me. My HR was in the 170s BPM by then and never went down for the rest of the race.

On the good side, I had run the race course last weekend, and I had run parts of it multiple times previously, so I was familiar with it. I also now consider that I've done a good amount of trail running. On the other hand, it was pretty clear that a lot of the other runners were not used to trails, at least not those in the back of the pack with me. I was able to pass maybe a dozen runners; a few I leapfrogged with for awhile.

The problem with the Lake Shore Trail is that it all looks pretty similar, so it's hard to judge how far along you are. Of course, I had my watch GPS, but it was just a bit monotonous. Miles 5 and 6: 13:30 and 14:10.

I could tell by comparing the mile markers and my watch GPS that the course described as 6.4 miles was going to be more like 6.6 miles for me. I started thinking about my final push, because who doesn't want to try to end hard. By then my ears were already plugged up. My HR had been in the 180s BPM for a couple of miles, and it was getting really hard.

Finally I could hear the announcer and people at the finish. The race totaled 6.58 miles on my watch GPS, with an elevation gain (corrected) of 522 feet. My official finish time was 1:28:47. I was hoping that was going to be closer to 1:15, but given the T+D and the previous covid, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

My placing was 185 out of 213 runners, 72 out of 91 women, and 24 out of 32 in the 40-49 age group. That was probably more disappointment to me than the time...I feel like I get affected by the T+D more than others, even women in my age group. I did better, relatively speaking, my in 25K trail race in April, which was a much lower T+D.

I hung around and ate some snacks and listened to some of the award presentations. I actually drank most of the 1.5L that I brought, which is pretty amazing for the length of the race - I was thirsty! When I got home, I could wring out my socks, literally, of sweat.

The race was good for more trail racing experience (it's actually the shortest trail race I've done!), and both race staff/volunteers and runners were friendly. The course was well-marked. There were numerous aid stations for the 10k course, although I didn't use them. Sufficient toilets.
Even so, I'm looking forward to running and racing in cooler weather - and we just passed the summer solstice, so I have awhile to wait for that.

 

[avondale]

Week of June 20 - 26, 2022

This was the week of my 10K trail race on June 25: the Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek State Park. Because of covid in May, I didn't have much of a training plan for this, and there was no taper. It was not a big goal race for me.

Monday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Steer from the Hip routine and foam rolling and stretching
  • 10 each side - glute rainbows
  • 20 each side - banded hip twist
  • 5 each side - standing hip circles
• Before dinner:
  • 40 min easy on trail
    • T+D 119, 1% effect, T 79 F
    • time: 40:01
    • distance: 2.98 mi
    • average pace: 13:25
    • splits: 13:34, 13:34, 13:08
    • ave HR: 139 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 49 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Northwest Branch Trail

Tuesday

• Before breakfast: Workout 1
  • 3 x 5 squat - 20-lb vest + 60 lb
  • 3 x 1 unassisted pull-up
  • 3 x 5 lat pull-down - 42-lb band
  • 3 x 5 bench press - 65 lb
  • 3 x 5 Romanian deadlift - 50 lb
  • 3 x 5 shoulder press - 25 lb each arm
• Evening: 90-min tennis doubles practice

Wednesday after work:

• 30 min easy
  • T+D 148, 4.5% effect , T 79 F, some light rain
  • time: 30:01
  • distance: 2.38 mi
  • average pace: 12:36
  • splits: 12:41, 12:31, 12:34
  • ave HR: 136 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 82 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Sligo Creek Trail

Thursday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired:Steer from the HIp routine and foam rolling and stretching
  • 10 each side - glute rainbows
  • 20 each side - banded hip twist
  • 5 each side - standing hip circles
• Evening: 2-hr tennis doubles match - my partner and I won 6-0, 6-3!

Friday before dinner: walk on treadmill

• time: 44:09
• distance: 2.44 mi
• average pace: 18:06
• incline: 4%

Saturday: Blue Crab Bolt @Seneca Creek 10k trail race - see previous post

Sunday before dinner: walk on treadmill

• time: 1:27:23
• distance: 4.24 mi
• average pace: 20:37
• incline: 4%

Health

I had a couple of physical therapy sessions this week. I'm not sure if they are improving things with my headache and/or neck. Saturday afternoon and evening, after my race, my headache was really, really horrible. My neck and traps were also really sore. I've done races before, and this is not generally the reaction. Fortunately today (Sunday) has been better.

I am going to see a "pain management" practice in July after I get back from vacation. I'm not sure what they are going to suggest, but apparently they thought it as worthwhile for them to see me after they got my neck MRI report.

 

[avondale]

One of the race photos from the Blue Crab Bolt 10k trail race that I just did turned out to be good!

 

[Herding_Cats]

That's a great shot!!!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Nice!

 

[avondale]

Week of June 27 - July 3, 2022

This was a recovery week after my 10k trail race on June 25. No running this week. On Thursday afternoon, my husband and I drove to PA to visit my mother, my sister, and her son. We did daily walks with my mother, which is why the second walk each day is very slow. She has had a better than average recovery from her hip fracture, for her age (73 then and 74 now), but she still lost a lot of strength and stamina during the time she was off the leg. She is trying to walk daily and she also does about 40 min per day of easy cycling on a stationary bike.

Monday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Steer from the Hips routine and foam rolling and stretching
  • 10 each side - glute rainbows
  • 30 each side - banded hip twist
  • 5 each side - standing hip circles
• After work: walk on treadmill
  • time: 1:27:12
  • distance: 4.92 mi
  • average pace: 17:43
  • incline: 4%

Tuesday

• Before breakfast: Workout 2
  • 3 x 5 each side - one-leg squat on bench with 20-lb vest
  • 3 x 5 each side - lawnmower with 37.5 lb
  • 3 x 5 push-up with 20-lb vest
  • 3 x 5 each side - hamstring curl with 13-lb band
  • 3 x 5 parallel bar dips
• After dinner: 90-min tennis doubles practice

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Steer from the Hips routine
  • 10 each side - glute rainbows
  • 30 each side - banded hip twist
  • 5 each side - standing hip circles
• After work: walk on treadmill
  • time: 1:27:30
  • distance: 5.02 mi
  • average pace: 17:26
  • incline: 4%

Thursday

• Before lunch: walk on treadmill
  • time: 1:27:27
  • distance: 5.06 mi
  • average pace: 17:17
  • incline: 4%
• After dinner: family walk in cemetery
  • time: 40:41
  • distance: 0.85 mi
  • average pace: 47:44
  • elevation gain: 16 ft (uncorrected)

Friday

• Before breakfast: walk outside
  • time: 1:00:01
  • distance: 3.73 mi
  • average pace: 16:05
  • elevation gain: 33 ft (uncorrected)
• After dinner: family walk around the hospital
  • time: 32:50
  • distance: 0.83 mi
  • average pace: 39:41
  • elevation gain: 23 ft (uncorrected)

Saturday

• Before breakfast: walk outside
  • time: 1:00:01
  • distance: 3.54 mi
  • average pace: 16:56
  • elevation gain: 20 ft (uncorrected)
• After dinner: family walk on bike trail
  • time: 36:21
  • distance: 1.01 mi
  • average pace: 36:09
  • elevation gain: 7 ft (uncorrected)

Sunday

• Before breakfast: walk outside
  • time: 1:00:01
  • distance: 3.67 mi
  • average pace: 16:21
  • elevation gain: 26 ft (uncorrected)
• Before dinner: family walk around different cemetery
  • time: 58:31
  • distance: 1.03 mi
  • average pace: 56:42
  • elevation gain: 33 ft (uncorrected)

Health

My headache was up and down this week. Some days were really bad but others weren't too bad. I got two PT sessions in this week before I left for my family trip.

 

[avondale]

Weeks of July 4 - 10 and July 11 - 17, 2022

These two weeks started four weeks of base-training running before I start a new training cycle. My husband and I drove home from visiting my family on July 4. We then flew out on Tuesday July 5 to Seattle (our flight was delayed by 5 hours!). On Saturday, July 9 we drove from Seattle to Vancouver, where we stayed for a week with my father-in-law and my husband's brother, his wife, and their two small kids. We flew home on July 16.

It turned out to be wise to not have a training plan for these two weeks, because it put much less pressure on me to worry about getting runs in. We ended up hiking and walking enough that I don't think missing a few of easy runs will matter much.

Monday before dinner:

• 40 min easy on trail
  • T+D 139, 3% effect, T 86 F
  • time: 40:01
  • distance: 2.91 mi
  • average pace: 13:44
  • splits: 13:55, 13:41, 13:37
  • ave HR: 144 BPM - above my target range
  • elevation gain: 43 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Northwest Branch Trail

Tuesday before breakfast:

• 40 min easy
  • T+D 141, 3.5% effect, T 72 F
  • time: 40:02
  • distance: 3.14 mi
  • average pace: 12:44
  • splits: 12:36, 12:48, 12:52, 12:11
  • ave HR: 141 BPM - just above my target range
  • elevation gain: 62 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Sligo Creek Trail

Wednesday:

• A lot of walking around Tacoma between museums
• After dinner: walk in Wright Park
  • distance: 1.17 mi
  • time: 29:16
  • average pace: 25:00
  • elevation gain: 85 ft (uncorrected)

Thursday: hike on part of Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier National Park - we saw Narada Falls, Reflection Lake, and Carter Falls; unfortunately the clouds never broke enough for us to see the top of Mt Rainier. The mountain received a lot more snow than usual this year, so the hike we had planned was still snowed in. We saw a fawn nursing from its mother, which was very cute.

• distance: 6.34 mi
• time: 3:22:14
• average pace: 31:56
• elevation gain: 1771 ft (corrected)

Friday: hike in Mount St Helens National Monument. We hiked from the Johnston Ridge Observatory down to the "pumice plain" area at the base of the volcano. It was really quite amazing.

• distance: 10.65 mi
• time: 5:06:55
• average pace: 28:49
• elevation gain: 2316 ft (corrected)

Saturday

• Before breakfast:
  • 50 min easy
    • T+D 116, 1% effect, T 57 F
    • time: 50:01
    • distance: 3.93 mi
    • average pace: 12:44
    • splits: 12:49, 12:52, 12:32, 12:43
    • ave HR: 137 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 177 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Wright Park in Tacoma
• Late morning and early afternoon: walking around Seattle, going to museums, visiting Space Needle

Sunday

• Before breakfast:
  • 60 in LR on trail
    • T+D 118, 1% effect, T 60 F
    • time: 1:00:01
    • distance: 4.57 mi
    • average pace: 13:07
    • split: 13:07, 13:05, 12:27, 13:59, 12:53
    • ave HR: 140 BPM - below my target range
    • elevation gain: 825 ft (corrected)
    • route: natural surface trails in Stanley Park, Vancouver
• Afternoon: walked around Capilano Suspension Bridge private park
• Afternoon: hike in Capilano Regional Park, North Vancouver. The lake is a drinking water reservoir, dammed up on the downstream side.
  • distance: 2.04 mi
  • time: 58:26
  • average pace: 28:41
  • elevation gain: 837 ft
• 

Monday: hike to Kennedy Falls and a giant cedar tree in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park. This was a difficult hike because the trail surface was very technical (lots and lots and lots of roots and also some rocks and a lot of steep ups and downs); the T+D was also pretty high. The giant cedar was over 600 years old and simply enormous. The falls were gorgeous. It was a very worthwhile hike.

• distance: 8.59 mi
• time: 5:19:41
• average pace: 37:12
• elevation gain: 1808 ft (corrected)

Tuesday: we took the ski-lift gondola to the top of Grouse Mountain with the intention of hiking to Dam Mountain while the rest of the family was doing the summer-resort activities at the resort. but the trail was still deeply snow-covered. We ended up just walking around the resort area at the top of Grouse Mountain and taking the day easy.

Wednesday: hike of the Diez Vistas loop around Buntzen Lake near Vancouver. This was a technical hike, but not quite as bad as the Kennedy Falls hike. As the trail name suggests, there were supposed to be ten views of Vancouver and the surrounding area from the ridge the trail went along, but we did not find nearly so many views - maybe they are too grown over with foliage in the summer? But it was still a good hike.

• distance: 8.89 mi
• time: 5:00:52
• average pace: 33:49
• elevation gain: 2785 ft (corrected)

Thursday: walk around Stanley Park - this is a large almost-island that is entirely a park, with many trails for pedestrians, bikers, horses, and it has fields for sports and other activities.

• distance: 6.0 mi
• time: 2:15:16
• average pace: 22:32
• elevation gain: 1054 ft (corrected)

Friday: hike at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. This was a small park, but it had good views and we would never get too far from our SUV - rain was threatening.

• distance: 3.53 mi
• time: 2:02:57
• average pace: 34:50
• elevation gain: 994 ft (corrected)

Saturday before breakfast:

• 50 min easy
  • T+D 120, 1% effect, T 59 F
  • time: 51:50
  • distance: 4.07 mi
  • average pace: 12:45
  • splits: 13:15, 11:49, 12:10, 13:47, 12:03
  • ave HR: 139 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 522 ft (corrected)
  • route: paved trails in Stanley Park, Vancouver

Sunday before dinner:

• 60 min LR on trail
  • T+D 157, 5.5% effect T 86 F
  • time: 1:00:01
  • distance: 4.4 mi
  • average pace: 13:38
  • splits: 13:02, 13:32, 13:53, 14:07, 13:30
  • ave HR: 153 BPM - at the top of my target range
  • elevation gain: 274 ft (corrected)
  • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park

Health

My headache was up and down during our trips, but mostly not awful, which was a blessing. I have my first appointment with the pain management medical group tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

 

[GollyGadget]

Those are some really lovely hikes! Hard for this flatlander to grasp how elevation impacts weather and there's still snow on the ground

 

[garneska]

Those hikes look beautiful. I love running in Stanley Park. I get to next month. We are taking a cruise out of Vancouver and up to Anchorage. Unfortunately this trip I am only overnighting in Vancouver so it will be one run in Stanley Park and then get on the boat. Planning to hike in Skagway and Seward when we are in Alaska. Right after the trip I will start marathon training.

 

[avondale]

Week of July 18 - 24, 2022

This week is the third of four weeks of base-training running before I start a new training cycle. It turns out that I had so much tennis this week that I didn't get all of my planned runs in. Ah, well.

Monday after work: walk on treadmill

• distance: 5.06 mi
• time: 1:27:35
• average pace: 17:19
• incline: 4%
• comments: I had intended to run this night, but some bad thunderstorms came through after work and nixed that plan.

Tuesday evening: 2-hr tennis mixed doubles match - my husband and I lost 7-6, 6-3. Blast!

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Running Rewired: Steer from the Hips routine and foam rolling and stretching
  • 10 each side glute rainbows
  • 30 each side banded hip twist
  • 5 each side standing hip circles
• Evening: 90-min tennis doubles practice

Thursday evening: 90-min tennis doubles practice

Friday

• Before breakfast:
  • Running Rewired: Steer from the Hips routine
    • 10 each side glute rainbows
    • 30 each side banded hip twist
    • 5 each side standing hip circles
  • Core routine
    • 60-sec plank
    • 20 starfish
    • 20 dead bug
    • 20 bird dog crunches
    • 20 isometric quad presses
    • 20 bicycle crunches with hold
    • 5 10-sec hollow-body holds
    • 2 30-sec side planks
    • 20 double leg lift/lowers
• After work:
  • 50 min easy on trail
    • T+D 159, 6% effect T 93 F
    • time: 50:01
    • distance: 3.63 mi
    • average pace: 13:47
    • splits: 13:42, 13:56, 13:33, 14:05
    • ave HR: 142 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 105 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Northwest Branch Trail
    • comments: The T+D was bad. It really slowed me down even though the trail was shady.
    • 
    • 

Saturday

• Before lunch:
  • 60 min easy on trail
    • T+D 162, 6% effect
      
      
      
      T 86 F
    • time: 1:00:01
    • distance: 4.28 mi
    • average pace: 14:02
    • splits: 13:47, 13:44, 14:03, 14:27, 14:20
    • ave HR: 145 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 141 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
    • comments: I think this is the highest T+D that I have ever run in. It was very bad. I could not keep my HR down, especially in the second half of the run. One of my ears started to plug up at the very end - I've never had that for a 1-hour run.
    • 
    • 
• Before dinner: walk on treadmill
  • distance: 4.97 mi
  • time: 1:28:08
  • average pace: 17:44
  • incline: 4%

Sunday

• Before lunch:
  • 70 min easy on trail
    • T+D 161, 6% effect
      
      
      
      
      T 90 F
    • time: 1:10:01
    • distance: 5.03 mi
    • average pace: 13:55
    • splits: 13:55, 13:36, 13:59, 15:01, 13:06, 12:27
    • ave HR: 149 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 194 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
    • comments: This was better than the day before. I started at an easy pace and as my HR went up, I ended up averaging with my LR range. I brought water, which was nice. But still pretty miserable.
    • 
    • 
• Before dinner: walk on treadmill
  • distance: 2.66 mi
  • time: 50:33
  • average pace: 19:00
  • incline: 4%

Health

I felt like I had a million appointments this week, but I guess only two. Routine visit to my rheumatologist. My first visit to the "pain management group" that my neurologist referred me to for my continuous heads and neck pain. They were very thorough and after talking with me in detail, looking at my new neck MRI, and looking through my record, they developed a multi-stage plan for me.

1. First, they changed my meds a bit. They added a couple of pain killers at my discretion and also prescribed some pain-killer patches and gel. This may be helping.
2. Second, looking at my recent neck MRI shows three bulging disks in my neck. They said it's not clear if these bulging disks are actually the cause of my pain because typically I would also be having pain down my arms, which I don't. However, the first thing to do to try to relieve this is to have an epidural steroid shot in my neck - that is scheduled for this upcoming week. It will not provide immediate relief but improving relief over ~3 weeks and follow-up shots may be needed.
3. Third, they want me to continue with PT. As they say, the oral and injection pain killers are all to try to interrupt the pain cycle and give me relief, but the PT should be what will keep me pain-free once the appropriate muscles are loosened, strengthened, etc.
4. Fourth, if the epidural shot (and subsequent ones?) don't work, then they may move forward with the possibility of myofascial trigger points being the cause and doing interventions with that.

So I was impressed with the multi-pronged approach although it's daunting for there to be such a long timeline. I also have an appointment with my neurologist this week, so we'll see what he thinks.


Weight

I really need to lose vacation weight and pandemic weight, so I'm hoping making my goal and result somewhat public here will make me more accountable to actually doing so. I've broken my goal into three 5-lb stages, so I'll track the first stage starting now.

• Monday: +3.6 lb
• Tuesday: +3.2 lb
• Wednesday: +4.0 lb
• Thursday: +4.4 lb
• Friday: +3.2 lb
• Saturday: +1.8 lb
• Sunday: +1.4 lb

I have a lot of fluctuations from water weight, especially since it's been so hot and I sweat buckets. But hopefully I will start seeing a downward trend.

 

[avondale]

Week of July 25 - 31, 2022

This week is the last of four weeks of base-training running before I start a new training cycle.

Monday

• Before breakfast:
  • Running Rewired: Steer from the Hips routine
    • 10 each side - glute rainbows
    • 40 each side - banded hip twist
    • 5 each side - standing hip circles
  • Tabata for tennis: 20 sec fast feet, 20 sec rest - 10 rounds
  • Foam rolling and stretching
• After work:
  • 50 min easy
    • T+D 149, 4.5% effect T 88 F
    • time: 50:02
    • distance: 3.94 mi
    • average pace: 12:41
    • splits: 12:41, 12:42, 12:35, 12:48
    • ave HR: 144 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 82 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Sligo Creek Trail
    • 

Tuesday evening: 2-hr tennis mixed doubles match - my husband and I lost 6-1, 6-3.

Wednesday

• Before breakfast: Workout 3
  • 3 x 5 goblet squats, 20-lb vest + 50 lb
  • 3 x 1 unassisted chin-ups
  • 3 x 5 reverse-grip lat pull-downs, 42-lb bands
  • 3 x 5 A-frame bench presses, 65 lb
  • 3 x 5 (each leg) single-leg swiss ball hamstring curls
  • 3 x 5 Arnold presses, 20 lb per arm
• After dinner: 90-min tennis doubles practice

Thursday

• Before breakfast:
  • Running Rewired: Steer from the Hips routine
    • 10 each side - glute rainbows
    • 40 each side - banded hip twist
    • 5 each side - standing hip circles
  • Tabata for tennis: 20 sec fast feet, 15 sec rest - 10 rounds
  • Core workout
    • 1 60-sec plank
    • 20 starfish
    • 20 dead bug
    • 20 bird dog crunches
    • 20 isometric quad presses
    • 20 bicycle crunches with hold
    • 5 10-sec hollow-body holds
    • 2 30-sec side planks
    • 20 double leg lift/lowers
• After dinner: 90-min tennis doubles practice

Friday

• Before breakfast: Workout 4
  • 3 x 5 (each leg) single-leg glute bridges, 35 lb
  • 3 x 5 bent-over reverse-grip dumbbell rows, 25 lb per arm
  • 3 x 2 (each side) push-ups into side plank with hands on med balls, 20-lb vest
  • 3 x 5 hamstring slide curls
  • 3 x 5 bent-over lat raises, 15 lb per arm
• After work:
  • 50 min easy on trail
    • T+D 157, 5.5% effect T 86 F
    • time: 50:01
    • distance: 3.5 mi
    • average pace: 14:18
    • splits: 14:22, 14:05, 14:23, 14:30
    • ave HR: 140 BPM - within my target range
    • elevation gain: 62 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Northwest Branch Trail
    • 

Saturday

• Before lunch:
  • 60 min easy on trail
    • T+D 141, 3.5% effect, T 81 F
    • time: 1:00:01
    • distance: 4.14 mi
    • average pace: 14:29
    • splits: 14:21, 15:06, 14:01, 14:49, 12:13
    • ave HR: 146 BPM - above my target range
    • elevation gain: 554 ft (uncorrected)
    • route: Western Ridge Trail, Rock Creek National Park
    • comments: This is such a hilly route that it's hard to keep my HR in the easy range.
    • 
    • 
• Before dinner: walk on treadmill
  • time: 1:27:28
  • distance: 4.59 mi
  • workout:
    • 4% incline
      • 5 min at 3.0 mph
      • 5 min at 3.5 mph
    • 12% incline, 10 min at 3.0 mph
    • 4% incline, 10 min at 3.5 mph
    • 12% incline, 10 min at 3.0 mph
    • 4% incline, 10 min 3.5 mph
    • 12% incline, 10 min at 3.0 mph
    • 4% incline, 10 min at 3.5 mph
    • 12% incline, 10 min at 3.0 mph
    • 4% incline
      • 5 min at 3.0 mph
      • 5 min at 2.5 mph

Sunday before dinner:

• 70 min LR on trail
  • T+D 144, 3.5% effect, T 79 F
  • time: 1:10:01
  • distance: 5.02 mi
  • average pace: 13:57
  • splits: 13:50, 13:21, 13:37, 15:22, 13:31
  • ave HR: 152 BPM - within my target range
  • elevation gain: 194 ft (uncorrected)
  • route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
  • comments: The first half of this run felt so good - a nice flow that wasn't as slow as recently. But then my HR got too high toward the end, even though I was slowing down.
  • 

Health

I had a visit with my neurologist on Tuesday. He said to keep continuing with the PT and epidural injection. I received the epidural injection in the back of my neck on Wednesday. Fortunately it was as quick and painless as advertised. It was supposed to have a side effect of worse headaches for a few days, and that happened. Now this weekend, I am not sure if maybe the headaches are improved. If the shots work, it usually takes at least two. I have the next one scheduled for mid-August. I'm starting PT again this upcoming week. Hopefully we're on to something!

ETA: The weight section was supposed to go here!

Weight
I really need to lose vacation weight and pandemic weight, so I'm hoping making my goal and result somewhat public here will make me more accountable to actually doing so. I've broken my goal into three 5-lb stages, so I'll track the first stage starting last week.

• Monday: +1.4 lb
• Tuesday: +2.2 lb
• Wednesday: +4.0 lb - high sodium meal the night before
• Thursday: +3.2 lb
• Friday: +3.0 lb
• Saturday: +1.6 lb
• Sunday: +1.0 lb
• average: +2.3 lb
• average Week July 18 - 24: +3.1 lb

I have a lot of fluctuations from water weight, especially since it's been so hot and I sweat buckets. I am maybe seeing a bit of a downward trend.