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

DopeyBadger · Wednesday at 9:22 AM

Happy Birthday! How was the pie?

avondale · Thursday at 10:37 AM

DopeyBadger said:
Happy Birthday! How was the pie?

Good as always. I've had it for my birthday most years since I got the recipe from you. Thanks!

avondale · Saturday at 7:54 PM

@Herding_Cats @garneska @GollyGadget Thanks for the birthday wishes!
@The Expert The pie is very good, but EXTREMELY rich.
@jmasgat @col1 I'm used to the 10k steps, so it feels like nothing now. I've been doing a Garmin challenge with friends so that I'm getting more like 15k most days and more on the weekends, and that has definitely been keeping me busy!

avondale · Saturday at 8:08 PM

Nov. 13, 2025 was Kali's 18th birthday!

She has outlived her two brothers from the same litter and is so happy being an "only" cat!

We have been giving her subcutaneous fluids three times a week for her failing kidneys for almost a year. She also gets a monthly injection to help with her arthritis. She doesn't really care to eat like she used to, so she's very slowly wasting away - she's a bit over 6 lbs now, when in her prime she was close to 10 lbs. But despite all that, she seems very happy and relatively active for her age. She still has a purr that would fit a cat three times her size.

We're not really expecting her to reach another birthday with her kidneys, but obviously we'll see what happens! Just hoping she'll be happy and comfortable for as long as possible. The cat bed you see her in has a pressure sensor and heating pad in the bottom, so it warms up a bit when she lays in it - it took us forever to get her to like it and try it out enough to lay in it, but now she loves it! She will also follow sunspots around the house to lay in.

Cute photos from the last couple of months.

The Expert · Saturday at 8:54 PM

Happy birthday, Kali! What an amazing cat, and she's so lucky to have you taking care of her. We're going through the same things with our Audrey, who is also a beautiful black kitty and turned 24 this summer. It's hard to see them slow down, but so fulfilling to be able to give her what she needs.

avondale · 2025-11-16T19:29:44-0500

Week of Nov. 10 - 16, 2025

For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 13. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.

I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks, and this week was the peak training week with the longest long run. I also turned out to be an EXTREMELY busy week at work, too, which was not the best timing.

Monday after work:

Speed intervals -- 15 min easy + 10 x (1 min fast + 1 min walk) + 15 min easy
- T+D 61, no effect, T 42 F, WC 34 F
- time: 50:01
- distance: 4.36 mi
- interval splits: 8:43, 8:21, 8:15, 8:16, 8:36, 7:51, 7:57, 7:57, 7:42, 8:03
- elevation gain: 141 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.

Tuesday

Before breakfast: unilateral strength workout
- 4 x 6 each leg - straight leg reverse lunges with 20-lb vest + 24 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric step-up on bench with 10-s hold
- 4 x 6 each leg - heel taps from low step with 20-lb vest + 12 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric one-leg hip thrust with 10-s hold with 20 lb
- 4 x 6 each leg - hip airplanes with 20 lb
After work:
- 60 min easy
  - T+D 57, no effect, T 41 F
  - time: 1:00:02
  - distance: 5.02 mi
  - average pace: 11:58 (GAP ave pace: 11:46)
  - splits: 12:10, 12:01, 11:54, 11:49, 11:56
  - ave HR: 134 BPM - within my target range
  - elevation gain: 320 ft (corrected)
  - route: neighborhood loop 1

Wednesday

Before breakfast: upper body strength
- Superset
  - 3 x 5 - triceps push-ups with 20-lb vest
  - 3 x 5 - dumbbell reverse-grip rows with 27.5 lb per arm
  - 3 x 5 - dumbbell pull-overs with 35 lb
- Superset
  - 3 x 1 - unassisted chin-ups
  - 3 x 5 - front raises with 15 lb per arm
  - 3 x 5 - dumbbell reverse flyes with 16.25 lb per arm
  - 3 x 5 - deep swimmer's press with 16.25 lb per arm
After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 44:04
- distance: 2.58 mi
- average pace: 17:05
- incline: 0%
- comments: Getting some steps in before tennis.
In evening: 2-hr tennis doubles round-robin

Thursday

After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 51:25
- distance: 2.97 mi
- average pace: 17:19
- incline: 0%
- comments: Getting some steps in before tennis.
In evening: 90-min tennis doubles round-robin

Friday after work:

40 min easy
- T+D 86, no effect, T 52 F
- time: 40:01
- distance: 3.45 mi
- average pace: 11:36 (GAP ave pace: 11:36)
- splits: 11:49, 11:40, 11:20, 11:33, 11:36
- ave HR: 130 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 79 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- comments: After a pretty horrible and busy week, I had several things get canceled on Friday at the last minute so I could go home early and run before it got dark!
- Really liked this image!

Saturday

220 min LR on trail
- T+D 86, no effect, T 52 F
- time: 3:36:26
- distance: 16.56 mi
- average pace: 13:04 (GAP ave pace: 12:37)
- splits: 11:59, 12:21, 12:45, 12:09, 14:03, 13:38, 12:42, 12:18, 12:38, 14:39, 12:24, 13:50, 12:47, 12:42, 13:06, 13:43
- elevation gain: 1952 ft (corrected)
- route: Blue Lake Marsh State Park
- comments: I took 1.5L of water + Nuun and 1 L of water and drank most of it. I ate about 180 g of dried pineapple rings, four Honey Stinger waffles, and two servings of M&Ms (one just before starting).
- comments: This is where the Naked Nick 25k race will be held, so I wanted to check it out. This park is in Pennsylvania, almost a 2.5-hr drive from my house, so this was an all-day expedition. But I do enjoy a road trip!
- comments: I was happy with how well this run went! The trails aren't too technical, although there are some hilly parts. It's not all that scenic really, but not much would be in December. It definitely gives me some confidence before the race.
- comments: Normally I would have run around the parking lot to finish out the 220 min exactly. However, since I had a long drive to do afterward, I just stopped when I got back to my car so that I could leave sooner.