Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 3
Body weight: 173 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.05 mil NB Ending Hill 34:08
Day 2: Run 6.0 mil, including 6 x 400m intervals (average 1:39s) with 400m jog rests (average 2:06s)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 22:28
Day 5: Run TM, incline 1.5, 4.0 mil 35:34 HR1 113; DH chin-ups 2x5, push-ups 2x17
Day 6: Run 10.1 mil One Long Hill 1:25:29
Day 7: Run 6.0 mil 48:43
Mileage for the week: 36.2
Hmm...your 400m times increased slightly from last week. Slightly, yes, but get this: last week, my recovery laps were, on the average, 2:14s. This week they were 2:06s. That's a big improvement in terms of recovery: about 30 seconds per mile. One of the ways to improve your interval training, in other words, is not to make the repeats themselves faster, but the recovery laps faster. I wasn't trying to do that, by the way; it simply happened as I put forth a "comfortably hard" effort.
Interesting...because the 5K tempo came down about 30 seconds. That may be a coincidence; time will tell. It would be neat if day 2's workout were a predictor of day 4's.
How do you decide when to take a full rest day? I look for a few indicators, and if more than one of them pops up, that means a full rest day (as on day 3 this past week). First, I slept an extra hour or so on both day 1 and day 2. That's a prime indicator that the body is saying, Hey dude, we need rest. Second, I actually sensed some soreness in my arms during the interval workout on day 2. That's when I knew it was time to back off any kind of upper-body workout. Thus, the full rest day. I was ready to do some minor upper-body stuff on day 5, though, as you can see.
You kinda hit the hills hard this week, didn't you? Yes, and that was stupidity on my part. There was a nasty wind out of the north during my long run on day 6, so inane me decided to run an east-west route to avoid the wind, which would be smart except that the only safe east-west route consists of One Long Hill (about 220 feet of incline one way). Doing that the day after running on a treadmill set at 1.5 incline was dumb, and my left plantar fascia has been complaining about it ever since. I'll keep icing it.
Speaking of treadmills, why do you run on them every now and then? A couple reasons. First, it's super-easy to practice self-restraint on a treadmill: I set it for an easy-day pace, and I forget about it. I tend to overdo when it comes to running, so taking a treadmill day helps keep me in check in that regard. Second, I deal with allergies much of the year, so it's a nice break running indoors every now and then.
You still doing the low-carb / keto thang? "Thang"? Who are you, Tone Loc? But yes, I'm still doing a hybrid low-carb / keto diet, and as long as I'm keeping my electrolytes up, things are working well. However, I'm not sure how much farther to take the diet. My BMI is normal (however much you trust BMI), so that's not a consideration. I may just move into maintenance mode sometime here in the next couple weeks. If I do, I'll start by following Sisson's recommendation of 150 grams of carbs per day and see how that works.
Maybe a weird question, but...since you've lost 25 pounds since the summer, have your feet shrunk? Actually yes, they have. That's part of what's causing my plantar fasciitis to flare up a bit: my custom inserts, which correct my deformed ankles, aren't able to do their job correctly because my current shoes are too big. From what I can tell, I've lost half a shoe size--maybe more. I'm currently correcting the problem with really thick socks, but I'll be getting new shoes soon, and I'll get professionally measured. I suppose this resizing is a consequence I can live with!
FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 4
Body weight: 172 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:28 HR1 111; DH chin-ups 2x5, push-ups 2x17, URRow 2x12x40-BB
Day 2: Run 6.0 mil, including 6 x 400m intervals (average 1:39.5s) with 400m jog rests (average 1:59s)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 21:46
Day 5: Run TM 5.1 mil 45:18 HR1 111; DH chin-ups 2x5, push-ups 2x17, URRow 2x7x50-BB
Day 6: Run 10.0 mil 1:22:52
Day 7: Run 7.0 mil 56:52
Mileage for the week: 38.2
I'm sensing a pattern here. Imagine that! Once again, my 400m interval times stayed about the same; I ran them at what I perceived to be a "comfortably hard" effort. The rest jogs in between, however, came down about 25 seconds per mile. Like last week, the improvement was in the recovery. Similarly, the 5K tempo time came down in proportion--actually a little bit more than in proportion. There's a reason this Hansons plan is popular: it seems to work very well.
Why do you take the HR1 reading after treadmill runs? It's a very good indicator of whether I'm rested or not. That number should be pretty low, given that I'm taking it very easy on a treadmill, after all. If that number is over 120, I'm likely over-trained. That's important to know before going into a workout or long run the next day. As Lydiard counsels, when in doubt, jog easily: you'll speed up your recovery, and you won't do any further damage.
I don't see any nose-breathing this week. Right you are. I just can't get the hang of nose-breathing in cold weather. Believe it or not, the temps here have been in the upper 30s / low 40s already, and it's still oppressively humid. We haven't had much of a Fall season. I suppose I'll just have to suck it up (literally) and learn how to nose-breathe in these conditions. Wearing a fleece balaclava helps...but people get really freaked out when they see someone running around in one of those things. Given everything that's going on in the world, and the costumes of certain political ne'er-do-wells, it's not surprising that I get a lot of strange looks when I run in one.
I'm kinda surprised you did a bit of an upper-body workout the day before your long run. I'm glad you're surprised because that was a dumb move on my part: more than once I sensed some soreness in my arms and chest during the long run, which is exactly what you don't want during one of your more challenging sessions of the week. I'm going to have to move that workout (such as it is) to a different day of the week.
How about the diet? I stayed on a low-carb regimen, <100 grams of carbs per day, for some days this week (like the rest day), but other days I went to maintenance levels: <150 grams of carbs per day. I generally split this amount up over three major meals and two snacks. My weight was steady at 172 lbs for most of the week.
I sense a deload week coming. Wait--do runners take "deload" weeks? Why yes, we do! The subject remains controversial in the running world, but no matter what you call them--down weeks, mini-tapers, cutbacks--they're often used when a runner senses that his or her training is "saturated." In other words, you sense during your workouts that your body can't really hang on or push things at all unless you tap into the reserve you're supposed to save for racing. To put it another way, you sense that over-training is right around the corner unless you pull back a bit for a while.
A running deload week is generally a 20-30% reduction in mileage, with full rest days thrown in as appropriate. That's what I'll be doing next week. I've sensed "full saturation" during my runs this week, and my left plantar fascia could use some time off as it's healing.
Hey, did you get some new pants? You really shouldn't know that, dude. I might have to sic The Central Scrutinizer on you.
Week 4
Body weight: 172 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:28 HR1 111; DH chin-ups 2x5, push-ups 2x17, URRow 2x12x40-BB
Day 2: Run 6.0 mil, including 6 x 400m intervals (average 1:39.5s) with 400m jog rests (average 1:59s)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 21:46
Day 5: Run TM 5.1 mil 45:18 HR1 111; DH chin-ups 2x5, push-ups 2x17, URRow 2x7x50-BB
Day 6: Run 10.0 mil 1:22:52
Day 7: Run 7.0 mil 56:52
Mileage for the week: 38.2
I'm sensing a pattern here. Imagine that! Once again, my 400m interval times stayed about the same; I ran them at what I perceived to be a "comfortably hard" effort. The rest jogs in between, however, came down about 25 seconds per mile. Like last week, the improvement was in the recovery. Similarly, the 5K tempo time came down in proportion--actually a little bit more than in proportion. There's a reason this Hansons plan is popular: it seems to work very well.
Why do you take the HR1 reading after treadmill runs? It's a very good indicator of whether I'm rested or not. That number should be pretty low, given that I'm taking it very easy on a treadmill, after all. If that number is over 120, I'm likely over-trained. That's important to know before going into a workout or long run the next day. As Lydiard counsels, when in doubt, jog easily: you'll speed up your recovery, and you won't do any further damage.
I don't see any nose-breathing this week. Right you are. I just can't get the hang of nose-breathing in cold weather. Believe it or not, the temps here have been in the upper 30s / low 40s already, and it's still oppressively humid. We haven't had much of a Fall season. I suppose I'll just have to suck it up (literally) and learn how to nose-breathe in these conditions. Wearing a fleece balaclava helps...but people get really freaked out when they see someone running around in one of those things. Given everything that's going on in the world, and the costumes of certain political ne'er-do-wells, it's not surprising that I get a lot of strange looks when I run in one.
I'm kinda surprised you did a bit of an upper-body workout the day before your long run. I'm glad you're surprised because that was a dumb move on my part: more than once I sensed some soreness in my arms and chest during the long run, which is exactly what you don't want during one of your more challenging sessions of the week. I'm going to have to move that workout (such as it is) to a different day of the week.
How about the diet? I stayed on a low-carb regimen, <100 grams of carbs per day, for some days this week (like the rest day), but other days I went to maintenance levels: <150 grams of carbs per day. I generally split this amount up over three major meals and two snacks. My weight was steady at 172 lbs for most of the week.
I sense a deload week coming. Wait--do runners take "deload" weeks? Why yes, we do! The subject remains controversial in the running world, but no matter what you call them--down weeks, mini-tapers, cutbacks--they're often used when a runner senses that his or her training is "saturated." In other words, you sense during your workouts that your body can't really hang on or push things at all unless you tap into the reserve you're supposed to save for racing. To put it another way, you sense that over-training is right around the corner unless you pull back a bit for a while.
A running deload week is generally a 20-30% reduction in mileage, with full rest days thrown in as appropriate. That's what I'll be doing next week. I've sensed "full saturation" during my runs this week, and my left plantar fascia could use some time off as it's healing.
Hey, did you get some new pants? You really shouldn't know that, dude. I might have to sic The Central Scrutinizer on you.
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 5: Deload
Body weight: 170 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Rest
Day 2: Run 6.2 mil 47:42
Day 3: Lower body rest; 3x5 DH chin-ups, 3x17 push-ups, URRow 2x7x50-BB, 2x35 crunches
Day 4: Run 7.0 mil FHNB 54:45
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Run 8.0 mil 1:04:41
Day 7 I: 4x5 chin-ups, 2x17 push-ups, URRow 2x12x30-KB, 2x35 crunches
Day 7 II: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:26 HR1 105
Mileage for the week: 25.2
Dude, whoa--day 2! It was a breakthrough training run, yes, but the circumstances were perfect: temperature and humidity were ideal; the wind wasn't as bad as usual; only a couple minor hills on the route; I'd just taken a day off; and I was wearing some new, very lightweight shoes. So, while I was psyched about that run, I have to temper my enthusiasm, given that the conditions were ideal.
But you didn't slow down much at all on day 4, and you nose-breathed the first half of that run. True. But once again, conditions were ideal. I'm going to need some more evidence before I'm convinced that my overall fitness has increased. And that's fine. The last thing you want to be when thinking about long-term training is overeager.
Hmm, you did slow down a bit for day 6's run. Yes, and there are several reasons for that. First, the weather had returned to its crummy self: temperature, humidity, and wind were all factors. Second, I was suffering a minor head cold, which members of my family now have, poor things. Third, and probably most significantly, I didn't eat well on day 5: I'd erred on the side of keto, when I should have erred on the side of low-carb. My stupid mistake, one I'll try not to make again.
So, did the deload week have the desired effect? It's important to have some hard data in this regard, and we do: look at the HR1 at the end of the day 7 TM run. I did similar runs last week, and the HR1s for both of those was 111. A drop to 105 is significant because the average runner's heart rate drops at least 12 beats per minute during cool-down. So yes, that physiological marker points to a more rested body.
In terms of self-perception, I do sense that the deload week "worked." My left plantar fascia is on its way to recovery; I'm still going to have to ice it for a while, but that's fine. Otherwise, I feel ready to get back into the plan.
Any reason you did regular, not dead hang, chin-ups on day 7? I actually did a mix of dead hang chin-ups and quicker, full-range (but not dead hang) chin-ups, so I didn't feel comfortable saying all those sets were DH chin-ups.
The reason I did some full-range ones is because I've reached the point of diminishing returns in these body weight exercises. In other words, it's becoming more difficult to do my 3x5 chin-ups and 3x17 push-ups, simply because I haven't done any corresponding Max Strength in a while. It may be time to throw in a Fighter block with this half marathon training. I'm going to have to think hard about that, though. Perhaps I can simply switch up the exercises for a while: bent-over rows and dips, for instance.
You lost another two pounds? Apparently. As I mentioned above, I was erring on the side of caution in my diet (closer to keto than low-carb) because the last thing I wanted was to gain weight during a deload week. It looks like I was too conservative though, and I seriously felt the bad effects of that during the day 6 run (as I also alluded to above). The signs are definitely pointing in the direction of "maintenance" in terms of diet. I'll try that this coming week.
It's Decorative Gourd Season! That McSweeney's piece is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. His "Bad News" piece is pretty funny, too (that one's on The New Yorker). Hilarious social commentary.
Week 5: Deload
Body weight: 170 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Rest
Day 2: Run 6.2 mil 47:42
Day 3: Lower body rest; 3x5 DH chin-ups, 3x17 push-ups, URRow 2x7x50-BB, 2x35 crunches
Day 4: Run 7.0 mil FHNB 54:45
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Run 8.0 mil 1:04:41
Day 7 I: 4x5 chin-ups, 2x17 push-ups, URRow 2x12x30-KB, 2x35 crunches
Day 7 II: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:26 HR1 105
Mileage for the week: 25.2
Dude, whoa--day 2! It was a breakthrough training run, yes, but the circumstances were perfect: temperature and humidity were ideal; the wind wasn't as bad as usual; only a couple minor hills on the route; I'd just taken a day off; and I was wearing some new, very lightweight shoes. So, while I was psyched about that run, I have to temper my enthusiasm, given that the conditions were ideal.
But you didn't slow down much at all on day 4, and you nose-breathed the first half of that run. True. But once again, conditions were ideal. I'm going to need some more evidence before I'm convinced that my overall fitness has increased. And that's fine. The last thing you want to be when thinking about long-term training is overeager.
Hmm, you did slow down a bit for day 6's run. Yes, and there are several reasons for that. First, the weather had returned to its crummy self: temperature, humidity, and wind were all factors. Second, I was suffering a minor head cold, which members of my family now have, poor things. Third, and probably most significantly, I didn't eat well on day 5: I'd erred on the side of keto, when I should have erred on the side of low-carb. My stupid mistake, one I'll try not to make again.
So, did the deload week have the desired effect? It's important to have some hard data in this regard, and we do: look at the HR1 at the end of the day 7 TM run. I did similar runs last week, and the HR1s for both of those was 111. A drop to 105 is significant because the average runner's heart rate drops at least 12 beats per minute during cool-down. So yes, that physiological marker points to a more rested body.
In terms of self-perception, I do sense that the deload week "worked." My left plantar fascia is on its way to recovery; I'm still going to have to ice it for a while, but that's fine. Otherwise, I feel ready to get back into the plan.
Any reason you did regular, not dead hang, chin-ups on day 7? I actually did a mix of dead hang chin-ups and quicker, full-range (but not dead hang) chin-ups, so I didn't feel comfortable saying all those sets were DH chin-ups.
The reason I did some full-range ones is because I've reached the point of diminishing returns in these body weight exercises. In other words, it's becoming more difficult to do my 3x5 chin-ups and 3x17 push-ups, simply because I haven't done any corresponding Max Strength in a while. It may be time to throw in a Fighter block with this half marathon training. I'm going to have to think hard about that, though. Perhaps I can simply switch up the exercises for a while: bent-over rows and dips, for instance.
You lost another two pounds? Apparently. As I mentioned above, I was erring on the side of caution in my diet (closer to keto than low-carb) because the last thing I wanted was to gain weight during a deload week. It looks like I was too conservative though, and I seriously felt the bad effects of that during the day 6 run (as I also alluded to above). The signs are definitely pointing in the direction of "maintenance" in terms of diet. I'll try that this coming week.
It's Decorative Gourd Season! That McSweeney's piece is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. His "Bad News" piece is pretty funny, too (that one's on The New Yorker). Hilarious social commentary.
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 6
Body weight: 169 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.1 mil NB 32:54
Day 2: Run 6.0 mil, including 6 x 400m intervals (average 1:38.5s) with 400m jog rests (average 1:57s)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 21:12
Day 5: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:26 HR1 100; DH chin-ups 1x4xBW+10
Day 6: Run 10.3 mil 1:23:19
Day 7: Run 4.2 mil MIN 31:47
(+Some easy sets of push-ups and bent-over rows sprinkled here and there throughout the week)
Mileage for the week: 34.7
Let me guess: the conditions on day 7 were ideal? Actually they weren't: the first half of the run was dead-on into a 15-25 mph headwind. That made the second half of the run quite enjoyable! I tend to run better, it seems, whenever I wear those minimalist shoes (currently Nike Free FN).
Wait: you're recovering from a plantar fascia injury. Isn't running in minimalist shoes kinda dumb right now? Maybe. I have a theory, and of course the only way to test a theory is to try it: my left plantar fascia flared up because of too many hills, not because of the minimalist shoe use. And honestly, the Nike Free FNs aren't truly minimalist shoes like Merrells or Vibrams or what have you. I'm continuing to ice my left plantar fascia until I'm pain-free; I actually had several days this week when I didn't notice it at all. Also, the fact that it's only one foot that's affected makes me think the issue is more of a mechanics thing--or that one side is simply more at risk than the other. We'll see.
I think you broke a cardinal rule of pull-up training. You would notice that, wouldn't you? Okay, so, the general guideline is that you shouldn't add weight to your pull-ups until you can do a set of 10. I can't do that yet, but I have over the past month or so done 3x5 dead hang chin-ups many times, and I'm at an impasse. So, forgive me if I'm bucking common lore here, but I'm going to try adding some weight. I'm not trying to be contrarian or anything, and if this experiment turns out to be a disaster y'all can laugh all you want. In the meantime, I'm going to slowly but surely add some weight and see how things go. The 1x4 with an added 10 lbs on day 5 felt fine, and I look forward to trying some more.
The interval training (day 2) didn't improve much from two weeks ago. True: overall, it improved about five seconds per mile--fifteen seconds total--which is significant for a three-mile workout, but isn't all that impressive after a deload week. I think I've "topped out" on this particular workout--from here on out it's diminishing returns--which means it's time to change it.
If I were preparing for a half marathon in the near future, I'd increase the length of the intervals--say, from 400m to 800m--so as to emphasize speed-endurance. That's what the Hansons' plan calls for, in fact. If, however, I were preparing for a shorter race in the near future, I'd decrease the intervals down to 200m so as to emphasize speed. Good ol' 5K Turkey Trots are ubiquitous around this time of year, so perhaps I should think about focusing on speed.
The tempo run, however, was much faster than last time! Yes--34 seconds--which surprised me. The conditions were roughly the same; I'd say add maybe 5-10 seconds to account for the less-intense wind, but that's still a significant improvement. There's still room, in other words, for this workout to produce more good results, it seems.
How's the diet going? I mostly stuck to maintenance levels of carbs this week: <150 grams per day, more or less, but not much below that. I'm getting to the point in my training, though, where I may need more. For instance, I had dinner out with my wife after doing the 10-mile run on day 6, and I simply celebrated with the ever-reliable but oh-so-cliche "burger and fries" meal, complete with a glass of California Cabernet (can't beat those big Cali cabs). My body processed it all just fine, and the next day's run went very well. We can do this kind of thing every now and then, I think; it's the only meal remotely like it that I had all week, after all. My point, however, is that if my body is processing that kind of high-carb, high-calorie meal just fine, I better be prepared to feed it properly for the rest of the week.
Week 6
Body weight: 169 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.1 mil NB 32:54
Day 2: Run 6.0 mil, including 6 x 400m intervals (average 1:38.5s) with 400m jog rests (average 1:57s)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 21:12
Day 5: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:26 HR1 100; DH chin-ups 1x4xBW+10
Day 6: Run 10.3 mil 1:23:19
Day 7: Run 4.2 mil MIN 31:47
(+Some easy sets of push-ups and bent-over rows sprinkled here and there throughout the week)
Mileage for the week: 34.7
Let me guess: the conditions on day 7 were ideal? Actually they weren't: the first half of the run was dead-on into a 15-25 mph headwind. That made the second half of the run quite enjoyable! I tend to run better, it seems, whenever I wear those minimalist shoes (currently Nike Free FN).
Wait: you're recovering from a plantar fascia injury. Isn't running in minimalist shoes kinda dumb right now? Maybe. I have a theory, and of course the only way to test a theory is to try it: my left plantar fascia flared up because of too many hills, not because of the minimalist shoe use. And honestly, the Nike Free FNs aren't truly minimalist shoes like Merrells or Vibrams or what have you. I'm continuing to ice my left plantar fascia until I'm pain-free; I actually had several days this week when I didn't notice it at all. Also, the fact that it's only one foot that's affected makes me think the issue is more of a mechanics thing--or that one side is simply more at risk than the other. We'll see.
I think you broke a cardinal rule of pull-up training. You would notice that, wouldn't you? Okay, so, the general guideline is that you shouldn't add weight to your pull-ups until you can do a set of 10. I can't do that yet, but I have over the past month or so done 3x5 dead hang chin-ups many times, and I'm at an impasse. So, forgive me if I'm bucking common lore here, but I'm going to try adding some weight. I'm not trying to be contrarian or anything, and if this experiment turns out to be a disaster y'all can laugh all you want. In the meantime, I'm going to slowly but surely add some weight and see how things go. The 1x4 with an added 10 lbs on day 5 felt fine, and I look forward to trying some more.
The interval training (day 2) didn't improve much from two weeks ago. True: overall, it improved about five seconds per mile--fifteen seconds total--which is significant for a three-mile workout, but isn't all that impressive after a deload week. I think I've "topped out" on this particular workout--from here on out it's diminishing returns--which means it's time to change it.
If I were preparing for a half marathon in the near future, I'd increase the length of the intervals--say, from 400m to 800m--so as to emphasize speed-endurance. That's what the Hansons' plan calls for, in fact. If, however, I were preparing for a shorter race in the near future, I'd decrease the intervals down to 200m so as to emphasize speed. Good ol' 5K Turkey Trots are ubiquitous around this time of year, so perhaps I should think about focusing on speed.
The tempo run, however, was much faster than last time! Yes--34 seconds--which surprised me. The conditions were roughly the same; I'd say add maybe 5-10 seconds to account for the less-intense wind, but that's still a significant improvement. There's still room, in other words, for this workout to produce more good results, it seems.
How's the diet going? I mostly stuck to maintenance levels of carbs this week: <150 grams per day, more or less, but not much below that. I'm getting to the point in my training, though, where I may need more. For instance, I had dinner out with my wife after doing the 10-mile run on day 6, and I simply celebrated with the ever-reliable but oh-so-cliche "burger and fries" meal, complete with a glass of California Cabernet (can't beat those big Cali cabs). My body processed it all just fine, and the next day's run went very well. We can do this kind of thing every now and then, I think; it's the only meal remotely like it that I had all week, after all. My point, however, is that if my body is processing that kind of high-carb, high-calorie meal just fine, I better be prepared to feed it properly for the rest of the week.
-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 7
Body weight: 168 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.1 mil 31:55
Day 2: Run 5.5 mil, including 10 x 200m (average 43.2s) w/ 200m jog (average 1:07.5s)
Day 3: Chin-ups 3x3xBW+10, Dips 3x5xBW+10, URRow 2x6x50-BB, some crunches
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 20:53
Day 5: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:00 HR1 102
Day 6: Run 12.3 mil 1:34:20
Day 7 I: Chin-ups 3x3xBW+10, Dips 3x5xBW+10, URRow 3x5x50-BB, 6 sets of various abs work
Day 7 II: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:24 HR1 101
Mileage for the week: 37.2
Are those day 6 numbers correct? They are! It's the best long run I've had in two years. Conditions were good but not great: I was tacking into a semi-rough headwind the first four miles, and a driver who must have been texting nearly ran into me, but otherwise the run was strong and consistent. Several factors played into it: 1. I've finally figured out how best to eat before a long run: BCAAs (first thing in the morning on an empty stomach), a banana, and a gluten-free waffle--with lots of water and extra salt. 2. I got some new, flexible, lightweight shoes that are appropriate for long runs, and they felt fantastic. 3. I ate an electrolyte-enhanced energy gel at 6 miles and at 9 miles. 4. I ate well the day before--on the high side of maintenance carbs (probably between 150 - 200 grams total). 5. I ate really well throughout the week..."really well" meaning "all the Halloween and All Saints candy my family didn't want." 6. I ran very easily the day before.
That sounds like a lot of carbs for someone on a low-carb diet. True, but realize that my next few meals that day were either low-carb or keto meals. One of my snacks that day, for instance, was a hunk of (extra sharp) cheese: 200 cals, 1 gram of carbs. That's what I mean when I say that I'm on a "hybrid" version of the diet: I use carbs when I need to (before / during / after intense exercise), but otherwise I keep them at low levels. I try to see things on a daily basis, in other words: I shoot for 150 grams of carbs per day, and I can scale up to 200 grams as necessary (like on a long run day). As I mentioned last week, I also don't mind having the very occasional high-carb meal. Sisson mentions in his books, too, that some athletes do better with more carbs than he recommends. In other words, he counsels readers to try things out as necessary. As my fitness improves (I hope), I may scale the carbs up to 250 grams on long run days--we'll see.
Those 200m intervals on day 2 were faster in relative pace than the 400m intervals you've been doing. Yes, and that surprised me. In any case, look at how slow the recovery periods are! That's a good indicator, at least, that there's a lot of room for growth in this particular workout.
You gained 19 seconds on your 5K, too. Indeed, but that's not too remarkable of an improvement, especially since the weather was optimal that day. I could have still been recovering from the new 200m interval workout, which is likely. Still, there's some discernment to be made here: am I training for a longer or a shorter event in the near future? Since it's the latter, it's better that I change that 5K tempo into something shorter but more intense: maybe 2 x 1600m with a jog in between.
How are the weighted chin-ups and dips going? Well. I've added only 10 pounds, but that's enough. The chin-ups felt about the same on both days: doable and a bit challenging. The dips were similar the first day, but they were slightly easier the second day. I'm going to add another 5 lbs this week and see what happens.
Did you see that study in Men's Health? The one that looked at older men and weightlifting? Yes--apparently you're 46% less likely to die early if you keep lifting weights as you get older? That percentage came down as they controlled for various factors (see the actual study), but it was still a statistically significant finding. Sounds good to me!
Did you follow the New York City marathon? Not as closely as I would have liked, but yes. Big news in that regard: four American men finished in the top 10 overall! That's a huge win for USA distance running. We may really be on the rebound after all. True, those guys were several minutes behind the leaders; the top three men overall were separated by less than thirty seconds. Still, placing that many American men that highly was impressive and inspiring.
Week 7
Body weight: 168 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.1 mil 31:55
Day 2: Run 5.5 mil, including 10 x 200m (average 43.2s) w/ 200m jog (average 1:07.5s)
Day 3: Chin-ups 3x3xBW+10, Dips 3x5xBW+10, URRow 2x6x50-BB, some crunches
Day 4: Run 6.1 mil, including 5K tempo in 20:53
Day 5: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:00 HR1 102
Day 6: Run 12.3 mil 1:34:20
Day 7 I: Chin-ups 3x3xBW+10, Dips 3x5xBW+10, URRow 3x5x50-BB, 6 sets of various abs work
Day 7 II: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:24 HR1 101
Mileage for the week: 37.2
Are those day 6 numbers correct? They are! It's the best long run I've had in two years. Conditions were good but not great: I was tacking into a semi-rough headwind the first four miles, and a driver who must have been texting nearly ran into me, but otherwise the run was strong and consistent. Several factors played into it: 1. I've finally figured out how best to eat before a long run: BCAAs (first thing in the morning on an empty stomach), a banana, and a gluten-free waffle--with lots of water and extra salt. 2. I got some new, flexible, lightweight shoes that are appropriate for long runs, and they felt fantastic. 3. I ate an electrolyte-enhanced energy gel at 6 miles and at 9 miles. 4. I ate well the day before--on the high side of maintenance carbs (probably between 150 - 200 grams total). 5. I ate really well throughout the week..."really well" meaning "all the Halloween and All Saints candy my family didn't want." 6. I ran very easily the day before.
That sounds like a lot of carbs for someone on a low-carb diet. True, but realize that my next few meals that day were either low-carb or keto meals. One of my snacks that day, for instance, was a hunk of (extra sharp) cheese: 200 cals, 1 gram of carbs. That's what I mean when I say that I'm on a "hybrid" version of the diet: I use carbs when I need to (before / during / after intense exercise), but otherwise I keep them at low levels. I try to see things on a daily basis, in other words: I shoot for 150 grams of carbs per day, and I can scale up to 200 grams as necessary (like on a long run day). As I mentioned last week, I also don't mind having the very occasional high-carb meal. Sisson mentions in his books, too, that some athletes do better with more carbs than he recommends. In other words, he counsels readers to try things out as necessary. As my fitness improves (I hope), I may scale the carbs up to 250 grams on long run days--we'll see.
Those 200m intervals on day 2 were faster in relative pace than the 400m intervals you've been doing. Yes, and that surprised me. In any case, look at how slow the recovery periods are! That's a good indicator, at least, that there's a lot of room for growth in this particular workout.
You gained 19 seconds on your 5K, too. Indeed, but that's not too remarkable of an improvement, especially since the weather was optimal that day. I could have still been recovering from the new 200m interval workout, which is likely. Still, there's some discernment to be made here: am I training for a longer or a shorter event in the near future? Since it's the latter, it's better that I change that 5K tempo into something shorter but more intense: maybe 2 x 1600m with a jog in between.
How are the weighted chin-ups and dips going? Well. I've added only 10 pounds, but that's enough. The chin-ups felt about the same on both days: doable and a bit challenging. The dips were similar the first day, but they were slightly easier the second day. I'm going to add another 5 lbs this week and see what happens.
Did you see that study in Men's Health? The one that looked at older men and weightlifting? Yes--apparently you're 46% less likely to die early if you keep lifting weights as you get older? That percentage came down as they controlled for various factors (see the actual study), but it was still a statistically significant finding. Sounds good to me!
Did you follow the New York City marathon? Not as closely as I would have liked, but yes. Big news in that regard: four American men finished in the top 10 overall! That's a huge win for USA distance running. We may really be on the rebound after all. True, those guys were several minutes behind the leaders; the top three men overall were separated by less than thirty seconds. Still, placing that many American men that highly was impressive and inspiring.
-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 8
Body weight: 167 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.1 mil MIN 30:33
Day 2: Run 5.0 mil, including 8x200m (avg. 46.2s) with 200m jogs (avg. 59.1)
Day 3: Chin-ups 3x2xBW+15, Dips 3x5xBW+15, URRow 3x5x50-BB, 6 sets of abs, 2x2 pull-ups (not chin-ups)
Day 4: Run 5.5 mil, including workout: 1600m in 6:11, 800m jog in 4:33, 1600m in 6:32
Day 5: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:00 HR1 99; then 1x3 pull-ups (not chin-ups)
Day 6: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:25 HR1 101
Day 7: Run 10.3 mil 1:17:20
Mileage for the week: 34.1
--> PR: Body weight* <-- *see note below
Your 200m sprints slowed down by about 3 seconds each? Yes: I sensed fatigue in my legs, probably from the 12-miler I did last week, so my top speed was down. But look at the recoveries: they sped up almost nine seconds each. That's an overall gain, of course, and that my recovery times are speeding up is a good indicator of better fitness.
Notice, too, that I shut down the workout early: last week I did 10 reps; this week, 8. I pulled the plug when my sprints (technically they're cruise intervals, not sprints) started showing a major drop-off. Lydiard even says that you don't need to time your speed work; simply run intervals until you're comfortably tired. I'm not ready to jettison my stats yet.
Only one strength workout this week? I was planning to do the second one on day 7, assuming that the long run would happen on day 6 (like all the previous weeks in this schedule). However, I woke up on day 6 to a temperature of 5F with the wind chill, and the forecast showed that it wasn't going to get much warmer because the winds would be increasing to 30mph gusts as the day went on. Now, if I'm ordered to run in that weather, I will, and I have gear that can protect me in those kinds of conditions, but I'm not going to voluntarily subject myself to it when the forecast shows a 40-degree increase for the very next day. So that's what I did. It meant pushing the second strength session to day 1 of next week (i.e., tomorrow), so I threw in some brief push-ups and bent-over rows on days 6 and 7 just to keep things well-greased.
The day 7 long run looks a lot like the breakthrough day 6 long run from last week. It couldn't have felt more different, though, and that was an asinine mistake on my part. Because I moved the long run to day 7 I also had to reschedule it from the morning to the afternoon. I thought having some coffee in the morning--a full three hours before my run--wouldn't be a problem, for it would be long out of my system by that point. --> WRONG-O <-- If anything, the diuretic effects were worse; I lost a lot of water during that run through excessive sweating, even though it was 42F with the wind chill bringing it down to 36F. Seriously, my wife asked when I got home if I had jumped in a pool or something. It was freaky. Anyway, I should have known better, since that kind of thing has happened to me in the past when I've run "under the influence" (of caffeine). I need to just say no.
Anyway, I did let myself rip a bit on that run simply because it's the last long run I'll do before the Turkey Trot.
What do mean when you write "pull-ups (not chin-ups)"? Okay, well, this is actually pretty exciting for me, though I imagine for most of you on TB this moment will be a yawner. I've never been able to do proper pull-ups in my life. By that, I mean grasping the bar with your palms away from you, your knuckles facing toward you, starting fully relaxed at the bottom, pulling up until your chin is over the bar, and and lowering yourself back down to relaxed. That's a proper pull-up, which is not a chin-up. For the first time in my life I can actually do pull-ups. It's a whole new world, baby. Seriously: the pull-up (basically) takes the biceps out of the equation and involves smaller muscles in the back that the chin-up doesn't. There's a reason one of the go-to exercises standard to TB is the weighted pull-up. Anyway, I'm quite happy to actually be able to do them for the first time.
How in the world does one "PR" in body weight?! I suppose there are many factors involved, including overall body fat, muscle, strength, etc., that ought to be considered when assessing healthy body weight. But in any case, I am currently at the lowest body weight I have ever been in my adult life. I didn't lift in high school; I did karate and developed some speed and strength that way, but in any case I was usually in the high 160s. As I got older my body weight was generally in the 170s (if I were running every now and then) or the 180s (if I were lifting). The lowest my body weight ever got as an adult was about 12 years ago when I was running 50-60 miles per week in preparation for a half marathon: I was 169 before I ran it. At that time, however, I was not as lean as I am now; I was on the typical high-carb diet, which often put me into fat-storage mode, even though I didn't realize it.
I've been 167 all week, which makes this the only time in my adult life I've been this low in terms of body weight. FWIW, the good ol' BMI says I could lose another ten pounds and still be healthy. Now that is kinda scary to me; I know I've never been that low, even as a high-schooler.
Dude! Hoka reissued the Clifton 1! That shoe is legendary. All the sequels have been disappointments according to most Hoka fans, so the reissue is bound to make a lot of folks happy. I got myself a pair this weekend and did the 10-miler in them. They rock.
Week 8
Body weight: 167 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run 4.1 mil MIN 30:33
Day 2: Run 5.0 mil, including 8x200m (avg. 46.2s) with 200m jogs (avg. 59.1)
Day 3: Chin-ups 3x2xBW+15, Dips 3x5xBW+15, URRow 3x5x50-BB, 6 sets of abs, 2x2 pull-ups (not chin-ups)
Day 4: Run 5.5 mil, including workout: 1600m in 6:11, 800m jog in 4:33, 1600m in 6:32
Day 5: Run TM 4.0 mil 35:00 HR1 99; then 1x3 pull-ups (not chin-ups)
Day 6: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:25 HR1 101
Day 7: Run 10.3 mil 1:17:20
Mileage for the week: 34.1
--> PR: Body weight* <-- *see note below
Your 200m sprints slowed down by about 3 seconds each? Yes: I sensed fatigue in my legs, probably from the 12-miler I did last week, so my top speed was down. But look at the recoveries: they sped up almost nine seconds each. That's an overall gain, of course, and that my recovery times are speeding up is a good indicator of better fitness.
Notice, too, that I shut down the workout early: last week I did 10 reps; this week, 8. I pulled the plug when my sprints (technically they're cruise intervals, not sprints) started showing a major drop-off. Lydiard even says that you don't need to time your speed work; simply run intervals until you're comfortably tired. I'm not ready to jettison my stats yet.
Only one strength workout this week? I was planning to do the second one on day 7, assuming that the long run would happen on day 6 (like all the previous weeks in this schedule). However, I woke up on day 6 to a temperature of 5F with the wind chill, and the forecast showed that it wasn't going to get much warmer because the winds would be increasing to 30mph gusts as the day went on. Now, if I'm ordered to run in that weather, I will, and I have gear that can protect me in those kinds of conditions, but I'm not going to voluntarily subject myself to it when the forecast shows a 40-degree increase for the very next day. So that's what I did. It meant pushing the second strength session to day 1 of next week (i.e., tomorrow), so I threw in some brief push-ups and bent-over rows on days 6 and 7 just to keep things well-greased.
The day 7 long run looks a lot like the breakthrough day 6 long run from last week. It couldn't have felt more different, though, and that was an asinine mistake on my part. Because I moved the long run to day 7 I also had to reschedule it from the morning to the afternoon. I thought having some coffee in the morning--a full three hours before my run--wouldn't be a problem, for it would be long out of my system by that point. --> WRONG-O <-- If anything, the diuretic effects were worse; I lost a lot of water during that run through excessive sweating, even though it was 42F with the wind chill bringing it down to 36F. Seriously, my wife asked when I got home if I had jumped in a pool or something. It was freaky. Anyway, I should have known better, since that kind of thing has happened to me in the past when I've run "under the influence" (of caffeine). I need to just say no.
Anyway, I did let myself rip a bit on that run simply because it's the last long run I'll do before the Turkey Trot.
What do mean when you write "pull-ups (not chin-ups)"? Okay, well, this is actually pretty exciting for me, though I imagine for most of you on TB this moment will be a yawner. I've never been able to do proper pull-ups in my life. By that, I mean grasping the bar with your palms away from you, your knuckles facing toward you, starting fully relaxed at the bottom, pulling up until your chin is over the bar, and and lowering yourself back down to relaxed. That's a proper pull-up, which is not a chin-up. For the first time in my life I can actually do pull-ups. It's a whole new world, baby. Seriously: the pull-up (basically) takes the biceps out of the equation and involves smaller muscles in the back that the chin-up doesn't. There's a reason one of the go-to exercises standard to TB is the weighted pull-up. Anyway, I'm quite happy to actually be able to do them for the first time.
How in the world does one "PR" in body weight?! I suppose there are many factors involved, including overall body fat, muscle, strength, etc., that ought to be considered when assessing healthy body weight. But in any case, I am currently at the lowest body weight I have ever been in my adult life. I didn't lift in high school; I did karate and developed some speed and strength that way, but in any case I was usually in the high 160s. As I got older my body weight was generally in the 170s (if I were running every now and then) or the 180s (if I were lifting). The lowest my body weight ever got as an adult was about 12 years ago when I was running 50-60 miles per week in preparation for a half marathon: I was 169 before I ran it. At that time, however, I was not as lean as I am now; I was on the typical high-carb diet, which often put me into fat-storage mode, even though I didn't realize it.
I've been 167 all week, which makes this the only time in my adult life I've been this low in terms of body weight. FWIW, the good ol' BMI says I could lose another ten pounds and still be healthy. Now that is kinda scary to me; I know I've never been that low, even as a high-schooler.
Dude! Hoka reissued the Clifton 1! That shoe is legendary. All the sequels have been disappointments according to most Hoka fans, so the reissue is bound to make a lot of folks happy. I got myself a pair this weekend and did the 10-miler in them. They rock.
-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Week 9
Body weight: 166 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:26 HR1 104
Day 2 I: Chin-ups 4x2xBW+15, Dips 3x5xBW+15, URRow 3x4x60-BB, 6 sets various core
Day 2 II: Run TM 4.0 mil 34:56 HR1 96
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 4.5 mil, including 2.4K in 9:31
Day 5: Run 8.2 mil 1:00:37
Day 6 I: Chin-ups 3x6xBW, Push-ups 3x20, URRow 3x5x50-BB, 6 sets various core, pull-ups 1x3xBW
Day 6 II: Run TM 4.0 mil 34:28 HR1 101
Day 7: Run 4.1 mil, including drills: Strides x 5, High-Knees Uphill x 5
Mileage for the week: 30
Given your training over the past few weeks, I thought your 1.5-mile time (2.4K, day 4) would be faster. Me too; I was hoping for 9:20, especially after a full rest day. In regards to that, there are two observations worth mentioning. First, it was 18F with the wind chill when I ran it--far from ideal, especially since there was no way to avoid the icy headwind for half the run. Second, I sensed a weird fatigue while I was running it--not in my legs, which were raring to rip; not in my aerobic system, which HR1s earlier in the week pointed to being at full health; but a strange feeling of sickness. I looked back at my food logs for the past week and noticed I'd lapsed into eating a lot more wheat than usual. Wheat and I don't get along very well, which blood tests have confirmed; I usually restrict myself to one serving of wheat every other day. I far exceeded that last week (just pure stupidity on my part), which experience has shown me can lead to this kind of "allergy sickness," which is basically the body's attacking itself. Well, I put a quick stop to the wheat train. My system should be clear by now, if not within the next couple days. Lesson learned, hopefully.
It certainly didn't affect your day 5 run. True, and I was very glad for that. You'll appreciate this: the weather for that run was 56F! Yes, those are the kinds of bizarre shifts we get around here. I still had a moderate headwind to deal with for a couple miles on that run, but otherwise I was very pleased with it. Good weather definitely makes a difference.
Why didn't you increase your weighted chin-ups on day 6? If I'd been following a typical Fighter or OP I/A pattern, that day should have been BW+20 or even BW+25. But with the Turkey Trot coming up in the next week, I didn't want to move into an 85% or 90% week, as that would cause too much upper-body fatigue. So I simply dialed it down to lower weight and higher reps.
Is that why you pulled back from the mileage this week, too? You got it. There are various theories on tapering, and I'm probably tapering just a little too much for such a short race (a 5K Turkey Trot), but I haven't done high-intensity work like repeat 1600s, a 2.4K, or strides in a long time, and I figured I'd better play it safe.
Speaking of which, "High-Knees Uphill" is just what it sounds like. You start at the bottom of a hill and start doing the typical high-knees drill, getting your knees in alternating fashion as high as you can, landing on the balls of the feet, and slowly making your way up the hill. This drill really helps you get "on your toes" as a runner, and it also reminds you not to just shuffle along but to, well, get your knees up. This is not the Lydiard hill drill, by the way! Lydiard's hill training is bounding and is a strengthening exercise best used right after base-building, not before a race.
How that's plantar fasciitis doing? It comes and goes in the left foot. I've been trying various things: stretching my calves, ice baths, compression sleeves--or all three. I suspect it's time for me to get new orthotics. I have to wear custom ones all the time because of my somewhat malformed ankles. We'll see what the podiatrist says.
Any predictions for the Turkey Trot? I know the course: the first 2.5 miles have a net incline of about 130 feet, and the last half-mile drops you all the way back down. That makes for a super-fun 5K! Seriously, you can probably guess what most folks do: they go out too fast (most common mistake in any race), and by the time they make it to mile 2.5 and see the downhill they're ready to just sit back and relax. Understandable--but not race-savvy. The best way to handle a race like this is to go out a little more slowly than you expect, and then when you hit that downhill just let it all rip. Easier said than done, of course.
I like to have three goals for any race: doable, reach, and dream. I ran a 20:53 5K on a track a few weeks ago, so considering my training since then, I think that's doable on this Turkey Trot course. A reach goal would be 20:29, and a dream run, given where I'm at right now, would be 19:59. I'll have to be very careful over the next few days to take it easy if I want to be ready to go.
Did you see that low-carb diet study that made the news this week? "Made the news"? Uh, how about, "was on the front page of every major online news source this week"?! Seriously, it was a big deal! The low-carb diet is now "legit" and "out there" for everyone, apparently. Sure, people had discussed it before, but the way the popular media broke the story this week really put the low-carb diet on the map for a lot of folks. One reliable indicator of that: some major outlets started posting refutations. That's when you know that something is really starting to gain traction: people call in experts and start battling it. See Runner's World, for instance, which covered the story and posted critical comments from a couple nutritionists.
Week 9
Body weight: 166 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:26 HR1 104
Day 2 I: Chin-ups 4x2xBW+15, Dips 3x5xBW+15, URRow 3x4x60-BB, 6 sets various core
Day 2 II: Run TM 4.0 mil 34:56 HR1 96
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Run 4.5 mil, including 2.4K in 9:31
Day 5: Run 8.2 mil 1:00:37
Day 6 I: Chin-ups 3x6xBW, Push-ups 3x20, URRow 3x5x50-BB, 6 sets various core, pull-ups 1x3xBW
Day 6 II: Run TM 4.0 mil 34:28 HR1 101
Day 7: Run 4.1 mil, including drills: Strides x 5, High-Knees Uphill x 5
Mileage for the week: 30
Given your training over the past few weeks, I thought your 1.5-mile time (2.4K, day 4) would be faster. Me too; I was hoping for 9:20, especially after a full rest day. In regards to that, there are two observations worth mentioning. First, it was 18F with the wind chill when I ran it--far from ideal, especially since there was no way to avoid the icy headwind for half the run. Second, I sensed a weird fatigue while I was running it--not in my legs, which were raring to rip; not in my aerobic system, which HR1s earlier in the week pointed to being at full health; but a strange feeling of sickness. I looked back at my food logs for the past week and noticed I'd lapsed into eating a lot more wheat than usual. Wheat and I don't get along very well, which blood tests have confirmed; I usually restrict myself to one serving of wheat every other day. I far exceeded that last week (just pure stupidity on my part), which experience has shown me can lead to this kind of "allergy sickness," which is basically the body's attacking itself. Well, I put a quick stop to the wheat train. My system should be clear by now, if not within the next couple days. Lesson learned, hopefully.
It certainly didn't affect your day 5 run. True, and I was very glad for that. You'll appreciate this: the weather for that run was 56F! Yes, those are the kinds of bizarre shifts we get around here. I still had a moderate headwind to deal with for a couple miles on that run, but otherwise I was very pleased with it. Good weather definitely makes a difference.
Why didn't you increase your weighted chin-ups on day 6? If I'd been following a typical Fighter or OP I/A pattern, that day should have been BW+20 or even BW+25. But with the Turkey Trot coming up in the next week, I didn't want to move into an 85% or 90% week, as that would cause too much upper-body fatigue. So I simply dialed it down to lower weight and higher reps.
Is that why you pulled back from the mileage this week, too? You got it. There are various theories on tapering, and I'm probably tapering just a little too much for such a short race (a 5K Turkey Trot), but I haven't done high-intensity work like repeat 1600s, a 2.4K, or strides in a long time, and I figured I'd better play it safe.
Speaking of which, "High-Knees Uphill" is just what it sounds like. You start at the bottom of a hill and start doing the typical high-knees drill, getting your knees in alternating fashion as high as you can, landing on the balls of the feet, and slowly making your way up the hill. This drill really helps you get "on your toes" as a runner, and it also reminds you not to just shuffle along but to, well, get your knees up. This is not the Lydiard hill drill, by the way! Lydiard's hill training is bounding and is a strengthening exercise best used right after base-building, not before a race.
How that's plantar fasciitis doing? It comes and goes in the left foot. I've been trying various things: stretching my calves, ice baths, compression sleeves--or all three. I suspect it's time for me to get new orthotics. I have to wear custom ones all the time because of my somewhat malformed ankles. We'll see what the podiatrist says.
Any predictions for the Turkey Trot? I know the course: the first 2.5 miles have a net incline of about 130 feet, and the last half-mile drops you all the way back down. That makes for a super-fun 5K! Seriously, you can probably guess what most folks do: they go out too fast (most common mistake in any race), and by the time they make it to mile 2.5 and see the downhill they're ready to just sit back and relax. Understandable--but not race-savvy. The best way to handle a race like this is to go out a little more slowly than you expect, and then when you hit that downhill just let it all rip. Easier said than done, of course.
I like to have three goals for any race: doable, reach, and dream. I ran a 20:53 5K on a track a few weeks ago, so considering my training since then, I think that's doable on this Turkey Trot course. A reach goal would be 20:29, and a dream run, given where I'm at right now, would be 19:59. I'll have to be very careful over the next few days to take it easy if I want to be ready to go.
Did you see that low-carb diet study that made the news this week? "Made the news"? Uh, how about, "was on the front page of every major online news source this week"?! Seriously, it was a big deal! The low-carb diet is now "legit" and "out there" for everyone, apparently. Sure, people had discussed it before, but the way the popular media broke the story this week really put the low-carb diet on the map for a lot of folks. One reliable indicator of that: some major outlets started posting refutations. That's when you know that something is really starting to gain traction: people call in experts and start battling it. See Runner's World, for instance, which covered the story and posted critical comments from a couple nutritionists.
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 7: Half Marathon training
Race week
Body weight: 166 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:22 HR1 102
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Run TM 3.0 mil 26:28 HR1 101
Day 4 I: Run 5.1 mil; including Very Hilly 5K in 20:22
Day 4 II: 4 sets of chin-ups / pull-ups, 3-5 reps each set; 4 sets of push-ups; 2 sets of KB swings
Day 5: Run 10.1 mil Trail, 1:14:25
Day 6: Run 6.5 mil Trail, Moderately Hilly, 51:06
Day 7: Rest
Mileage for the week: 29.9
Looks like the Turkey Trot went well. It did! It's been many, many years since I've raced, and I realized how much I've missed it: the high energy of the crowds, the twinges of nervousness, the b*lls-to-the-wall intensity you need to run a 5K...Ah, memories.
For perspective, this particular 5K had 2,000+ runners, and the winner was somewhere in the mid-15-minute range, which is very typical for a regional race, where some standout cross country kid will usually win (as opposed to smaller local races or more competitive state races). The temperature was 35F, and mercifully the wind was minor. I ended up finishing in the top 45 overall, and my age group wasn't competitive, so I did get an age group award, which surprised me (usually a time in the 20s doesn't get it, even at my age).
I have three postmortem thoughts.
A Major Blunder. If you look at last week's log, I did some strides and high-knees drills on day 7. That turned out to be dead wrong--not for the exercises themselves, which helped, but for the recovery. Major DOMS hit me in my quads on day 2 of this week; it hadn't healed by day 3; and it flared up again during my warm-up for the race on day 4. "Well," I said to myself, "I'm going to race in pain." And I did. You embrace it; you let the pain teach you the lesson. The fact that it first appeared as DOMS gives me valuable information: strides and high-knees drills are working my muscles and tissues in ways that nothing else in my training is. I need to give them a regular rotation in my schedule.
A Minor Misstep. I've run this course before (many, many years ago) and, based on the description on the website, assumed it was the same course I knew. WRONG. They'd changed it--just enough for it to be new to me, but just enough for it to be recognizable. Overall it was slightly hillier than I remembered; there was a barely a flat section on it now. The new challenge was that there were four switchbacks in the course--not turns (of which there were several, too) but switchbacks, which are strategic points because almost everyone slows down during a switchback, and if you learn the technique, you can accelerate through one instead of slowing. Anyway, I should have double-checked the course map; I would have been able to plan better.
A Risk that Paid Off. Of course, I'm realizing those two things I just wrote above as I'm running, so I decided then and there (somewhere around mile 1) to take a risk: I changed up my breathing pattern to a faster one. Doing so gave me a needed boost, but it risked being unsustainable for the coming miles. Of course, I could always go back to a slower breathing pattern, but doing so would necessarily mean slowing down. To my happy surprise, I was able to sustain the faster breathing pattern for the whole race. I did have some minor lung pain for the rest of the day and a few small coughing fits, but it all cleared by the next day.
Overall: The week of Sept. 30th, I ran a 5K on a track in 23:00. Just under two months later, I ran a very hilly, road race 5K in 20:22. I suspect this kind of rapid improvement is analogous to the kid who starts on a linear weightlifting program and makes gains quickly, but...I'll take it.
Why'd you run so much the two days following the race? Normally I'd take a day off after a race, but it is possible to program a long run on the day after a race, as long as you stay in control. However, the more important reason I ran long on the two days after the race was simple: the folks I was visiting for Thanksgiving live near a rails-to-trails project, and I absolutely love running on that trail. It's wooded, quiet, clean, calm, soft yet stable underfoot, marked every mile--a runner's dream, really. Don't read too much into this, but, quite honestly, being out there running makes me feel closer to the divine (no, not you, Ralph Waldo--nor you, Henry David). Anyway, I wanted to get as much trail time in there as I could. Taking day 7 off was the necessary consequence of overloading my training like that. My plantar fasciae didn't like it very much, either, but I iced them, and they calmed down.
I'm noticing a trend: your shorter, faster efforts tend to be below the mark, but your longer, faster efforts tend to be surprisingly good, like that day 5 run, which was the day after the 5K. A keen observation. What I've noticed over the years, too, is that my lactate threshold pace (somewhere between 10K pace and half-marathon pace for me) is much stronger than my basic speed pace (5K and shorter, so-called "middle distance," events). In other words, half marathon training tends to get me in decent running shape better than other plans, as it takes advantage of the lactate threshold pace more so than marathon training or 5K training. To put it another way, 5Ks have never been my strong suit, but 10-mile or half-marathon races are right up my alley. Since older runners can continue to make gains in endurance anyway (a few weeks ago, a 70-year-old man finished a major marathon at 6:51 pace!), it only makes sense for me to focus on those strengths. That's what I'll be doing in the next block.
I guess that answers my "what's next?" question, then. Yes: still doing some half marathon training, but I'll be changing the workouts to focus better on my 10K and half-marathon paces, to see if those develop as I expect they might.
Did you really do pull-ups and push-ups on Thanksgiving Day? Why not? They offset the apple pie. And the ice cream. I think.
Race week
Body weight: 166 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping
Day 1: Run TM 5.2 mil 45:22 HR1 102
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Run TM 3.0 mil 26:28 HR1 101
Day 4 I: Run 5.1 mil; including Very Hilly 5K in 20:22
Day 4 II: 4 sets of chin-ups / pull-ups, 3-5 reps each set; 4 sets of push-ups; 2 sets of KB swings
Day 5: Run 10.1 mil Trail, 1:14:25
Day 6: Run 6.5 mil Trail, Moderately Hilly, 51:06
Day 7: Rest
Mileage for the week: 29.9
Looks like the Turkey Trot went well. It did! It's been many, many years since I've raced, and I realized how much I've missed it: the high energy of the crowds, the twinges of nervousness, the b*lls-to-the-wall intensity you need to run a 5K...Ah, memories.
For perspective, this particular 5K had 2,000+ runners, and the winner was somewhere in the mid-15-minute range, which is very typical for a regional race, where some standout cross country kid will usually win (as opposed to smaller local races or more competitive state races). The temperature was 35F, and mercifully the wind was minor. I ended up finishing in the top 45 overall, and my age group wasn't competitive, so I did get an age group award, which surprised me (usually a time in the 20s doesn't get it, even at my age).
I have three postmortem thoughts.
A Major Blunder. If you look at last week's log, I did some strides and high-knees drills on day 7. That turned out to be dead wrong--not for the exercises themselves, which helped, but for the recovery. Major DOMS hit me in my quads on day 2 of this week; it hadn't healed by day 3; and it flared up again during my warm-up for the race on day 4. "Well," I said to myself, "I'm going to race in pain." And I did. You embrace it; you let the pain teach you the lesson. The fact that it first appeared as DOMS gives me valuable information: strides and high-knees drills are working my muscles and tissues in ways that nothing else in my training is. I need to give them a regular rotation in my schedule.
A Minor Misstep. I've run this course before (many, many years ago) and, based on the description on the website, assumed it was the same course I knew. WRONG. They'd changed it--just enough for it to be new to me, but just enough for it to be recognizable. Overall it was slightly hillier than I remembered; there was a barely a flat section on it now. The new challenge was that there were four switchbacks in the course--not turns (of which there were several, too) but switchbacks, which are strategic points because almost everyone slows down during a switchback, and if you learn the technique, you can accelerate through one instead of slowing. Anyway, I should have double-checked the course map; I would have been able to plan better.
A Risk that Paid Off. Of course, I'm realizing those two things I just wrote above as I'm running, so I decided then and there (somewhere around mile 1) to take a risk: I changed up my breathing pattern to a faster one. Doing so gave me a needed boost, but it risked being unsustainable for the coming miles. Of course, I could always go back to a slower breathing pattern, but doing so would necessarily mean slowing down. To my happy surprise, I was able to sustain the faster breathing pattern for the whole race. I did have some minor lung pain for the rest of the day and a few small coughing fits, but it all cleared by the next day.
Overall: The week of Sept. 30th, I ran a 5K on a track in 23:00. Just under two months later, I ran a very hilly, road race 5K in 20:22. I suspect this kind of rapid improvement is analogous to the kid who starts on a linear weightlifting program and makes gains quickly, but...I'll take it.
Why'd you run so much the two days following the race? Normally I'd take a day off after a race, but it is possible to program a long run on the day after a race, as long as you stay in control. However, the more important reason I ran long on the two days after the race was simple: the folks I was visiting for Thanksgiving live near a rails-to-trails project, and I absolutely love running on that trail. It's wooded, quiet, clean, calm, soft yet stable underfoot, marked every mile--a runner's dream, really. Don't read too much into this, but, quite honestly, being out there running makes me feel closer to the divine (no, not you, Ralph Waldo--nor you, Henry David). Anyway, I wanted to get as much trail time in there as I could. Taking day 7 off was the necessary consequence of overloading my training like that. My plantar fasciae didn't like it very much, either, but I iced them, and they calmed down.
I'm noticing a trend: your shorter, faster efforts tend to be below the mark, but your longer, faster efforts tend to be surprisingly good, like that day 5 run, which was the day after the 5K. A keen observation. What I've noticed over the years, too, is that my lactate threshold pace (somewhere between 10K pace and half-marathon pace for me) is much stronger than my basic speed pace (5K and shorter, so-called "middle distance," events). In other words, half marathon training tends to get me in decent running shape better than other plans, as it takes advantage of the lactate threshold pace more so than marathon training or 5K training. To put it another way, 5Ks have never been my strong suit, but 10-mile or half-marathon races are right up my alley. Since older runners can continue to make gains in endurance anyway (a few weeks ago, a 70-year-old man finished a major marathon at 6:51 pace!), it only makes sense for me to focus on those strengths. That's what I'll be doing in the next block.
I guess that answers my "what's next?" question, then. Yes: still doing some half marathon training, but I'll be changing the workouts to focus better on my 10K and half-marathon paces, to see if those develop as I expect they might.
Did you really do pull-ups and push-ups on Thanksgiving Day? Why not? They offset the apple pie. And the ice cream. I think.
-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
In between block 7 and block 8
Recovery week
Body weight: 165 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, AHR = average heart rate
Day 1: Run TM 5.3 mil 45:04 HR1 105
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Run TM 5.4 mil 45:45 AHR 137 HR1 103
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Run TM 5.0 mil, including 4.0 mil in 29:00 HR1 123
Day 7: Run TM 6.0 mil 51:00 HR1 109
Sprinkled in throughout the week: sets of pull-ups, push-ups, and URRows here and there
Mileage for the week: 21.7
Hey, an AHR reading on day 3! Yeah, I thought it would be helpful to break out the heart rate monitor just to make sure my treadmill running was in an appropriate training zone. According to the Karvonen formula, 137 is smack-dab in the middle of my recovery range, so I was satisfied with that. It's an easy pace on a treadmill, after all.
Must be getting really cold around them there parts. The wind chill has been in the teens and sometimes in the single digits. As I've said previously, I'll run in such weather if I'm ordered to, but given my history of sinus infections, it's probably just stupid for me to voluntarily expose myself to that. Speaking of which...
--> NEWS FLASH :: !! FIRST SINUS INFECTION OF THE SEASON !! :: NEWS FLASH <--
Oh man, sorry to hear that. Thanks. It hit early in the week, and I was beginning to fight it off, but by day three it was obvious it wasn't going away. I started antibiotics on day 4, which is why I took two rest days in a row (normally I wouldn't, even during a recovery week). The sinus infection is also the reason, by the way, that I'm not taking any chances running outdoors in the current climate.
Is that like a mini-tempo run on day 6? Technically it's a stamina run, which is just a bit slower than a true tempo run, but faster than typical easy pace. I tried to hit my half-marathon pace for several miles (as much as a treadmill allows that). It was invigorating, honestly--in a good way.
Notice that the HR1 reading is elevated the next day. That could mean two things: one, I'm not fully recovered from the stamina workout the day before, which is unlikely considering that stamina workouts aren't very difficult; or two, that's what happens when you're on antibiotics, which is more likely. We'll see how those recovery readings change over the next week.
How many miles do you shoot for during a recovery week? 70% of the previous week's mileage, more or less. That's going very conservative for most runners, who generally hate to reduce mileage for any reason whatsoever (we can be an obstinate bunch). But, like J-Madd says in his book, it takes actual courage to anticipate your recovery needs, and KBlack says throughout his books that you should take a week off every now and then, and even a couple weeks off once a year. Good advice.
Recovery week
Body weight: 165 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, AHR = average heart rate
Day 1: Run TM 5.3 mil 45:04 HR1 105
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Run TM 5.4 mil 45:45 AHR 137 HR1 103
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Run TM 5.0 mil, including 4.0 mil in 29:00 HR1 123
Day 7: Run TM 6.0 mil 51:00 HR1 109
Sprinkled in throughout the week: sets of pull-ups, push-ups, and URRows here and there
Mileage for the week: 21.7
Hey, an AHR reading on day 3! Yeah, I thought it would be helpful to break out the heart rate monitor just to make sure my treadmill running was in an appropriate training zone. According to the Karvonen formula, 137 is smack-dab in the middle of my recovery range, so I was satisfied with that. It's an easy pace on a treadmill, after all.
Must be getting really cold around them there parts. The wind chill has been in the teens and sometimes in the single digits. As I've said previously, I'll run in such weather if I'm ordered to, but given my history of sinus infections, it's probably just stupid for me to voluntarily expose myself to that. Speaking of which...
--> NEWS FLASH :: !! FIRST SINUS INFECTION OF THE SEASON !! :: NEWS FLASH <--
Oh man, sorry to hear that. Thanks. It hit early in the week, and I was beginning to fight it off, but by day three it was obvious it wasn't going away. I started antibiotics on day 4, which is why I took two rest days in a row (normally I wouldn't, even during a recovery week). The sinus infection is also the reason, by the way, that I'm not taking any chances running outdoors in the current climate.
Is that like a mini-tempo run on day 6? Technically it's a stamina run, which is just a bit slower than a true tempo run, but faster than typical easy pace. I tried to hit my half-marathon pace for several miles (as much as a treadmill allows that). It was invigorating, honestly--in a good way.
Notice that the HR1 reading is elevated the next day. That could mean two things: one, I'm not fully recovered from the stamina workout the day before, which is unlikely considering that stamina workouts aren't very difficult; or two, that's what happens when you're on antibiotics, which is more likely. We'll see how those recovery readings change over the next week.
How many miles do you shoot for during a recovery week? 70% of the previous week's mileage, more or less. That's going very conservative for most runners, who generally hate to reduce mileage for any reason whatsoever (we can be an obstinate bunch). But, like J-Madd says in his book, it takes actual courage to anticipate your recovery needs, and KBlack says throughout his books that you should take a week off every now and then, and even a couple weeks off once a year. Good advice.
-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Block 8: Half-marathon training
Week 1
Body weight: 164 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, HR2 = 2 minutes after stopping, AHR = average heart rate
Day 1: Easy Run, TM 5.0 mil 38:26 HR1 109
Day 2: Recovery Run, TM 5.3 mil 44:59 HR1 100
Day 3: Intervals Run, Moderately Hilly, 2 x 1.82 mil in 12:07 and 11:55, with 5:00 rest in between; 7.1 miles total
Day 4: Lower body rest; upper body SE 1x25 @ 12 exercises
Day 5: Tempo Run, 4.0 mil in 27:01, HR1 138, HR2 120; 6.0 miles total
Day 6: Recovery Run, TM 5.4 mil 45:44 HR1 101
Day 7: Long Run, 13.25 mil, Two moderate hills, 1:40:16
Sprinkled in throughout the week: sets of pull-ups, push-ups, and URRows here and there
Mileage for the week: 42
Hey, I like the new log format! Thanks! I figured it might be helpful for folks to see that yes, indeed, I have a plan for each day's run--and how I space them out. Again, I'm mostly following a Hansons template, with some modifications for my age, experience, etc.
Uh, I think you ran a half-marathon, my man. It's one of the funny aspects of half-marathon training: you'll often do 14-mile runs in preparation, just to make sure you can go the distance, and to enhance all kinds of other aspects if you think they're lacking. I've heard of some competitive marathoners doing over-distance runs, like 28 or 30 miles, but that's pretty rare; most of those folks just do a lot of volume (e.g., 140 miles per week).
Anyway, the half-marathon on day 7 was an accident. I was planning to do a 12-miler, but I set my GPS for time, not mileage, and when I hit 45 minutes I was going up a bridge, and I said, you know, this is a nice bridge; let's just finish it. And then at the top of the bridge I saw a nice little town on the other side, with a clearly marked road, and I said, you know, that would be a nice place to turn around just in case my GPS messes up. So I turned around there. It was a happy little accident.
An interval workout of 2 x 1.82 miles? WTH is that? It was a week of accidents and misfires. I was planning to do 4 x 1-mile intervals that day, but when I got to the track, it was occupied and indeed completely run over by an out-of-season football team (turns out they're in the post-season action--so "end of season" is probably a better term). I had to improvise. I ran back home, remembered a running route that was close to 2 miles out and back, and just did two of those with a 5:00 rest in between. It worked out fine.
An HR2 reading on day 5? Is that a thing? It can be, but I think it's most useful when you do it consistently and can compare data, which I haven't been. But that reading was very useful in this sense: I knew it was a tough workout, but I didn't think it was a super-tough workout, and the HR2 confirmed that. How so? A normal heart rate will drop at least 12 beats a minute after the cessation of running. If it's dropping less than that, something may be wrong. The large difference between the HR1 and the HR2 told me I was recovering properly from the workout, and the next day's HR1 (after the recovery run) confirmed it.
What kind of exercises did you do for your SE on day 4? I try to do movements that are most complementary to running. For instance, I do a "kettlebell catch" where I throw a kettlebell up in the air (to head height) with one hand and catch it in the other. I bring that down to my side, and then alternate the throwing back and forth. Doing so mimics the kind of "left / right" motion of running, and by doing it with weight, you get a kind of synergistic strengthening going on. Things like that--whatever strikes me, really. I avoid my legs as much as possible; they're worn out from the intervals the day before, and I've got a tempo the next day, so they need to rest.
Looks like you got outside three days this week? Yes! On all three of those days, the winds were low or low-moderate--very tolerable. The temps were in the 20s or low 30s (F) with the wind chills--again, tolerable with a good running jacket.
Also looks like the recovery week (last week) was a good idea. I'm glad it worked out! I didn't set out to run 40+ miles this week, but things went well from day to day. I haven't had a weekly mileage of 40+ in close to ten years. Good stuff.
Have you played Doom Eternal? Dude, it's not out yet! I know, I know...like that stops anybody. Don't forget my age: I played Doom 2 off of 3.5 floppies. (Wish I still had them; apparently they're worth some money now.)
Week 1
Body weight: 164 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
FHNB= first half nose breathing, NB = nose breathing, DH = dead hang, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, MIN = minimalist shoes, TM = treadmill, BB = barbell, DB = dumbbell, KB = kettlebell, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, HR2 = 2 minutes after stopping, AHR = average heart rate
Day 1: Easy Run, TM 5.0 mil 38:26 HR1 109
Day 2: Recovery Run, TM 5.3 mil 44:59 HR1 100
Day 3: Intervals Run, Moderately Hilly, 2 x 1.82 mil in 12:07 and 11:55, with 5:00 rest in between; 7.1 miles total
Day 4: Lower body rest; upper body SE 1x25 @ 12 exercises
Day 5: Tempo Run, 4.0 mil in 27:01, HR1 138, HR2 120; 6.0 miles total
Day 6: Recovery Run, TM 5.4 mil 45:44 HR1 101
Day 7: Long Run, 13.25 mil, Two moderate hills, 1:40:16
Sprinkled in throughout the week: sets of pull-ups, push-ups, and URRows here and there
Mileage for the week: 42
Hey, I like the new log format! Thanks! I figured it might be helpful for folks to see that yes, indeed, I have a plan for each day's run--and how I space them out. Again, I'm mostly following a Hansons template, with some modifications for my age, experience, etc.
Uh, I think you ran a half-marathon, my man. It's one of the funny aspects of half-marathon training: you'll often do 14-mile runs in preparation, just to make sure you can go the distance, and to enhance all kinds of other aspects if you think they're lacking. I've heard of some competitive marathoners doing over-distance runs, like 28 or 30 miles, but that's pretty rare; most of those folks just do a lot of volume (e.g., 140 miles per week).
Anyway, the half-marathon on day 7 was an accident. I was planning to do a 12-miler, but I set my GPS for time, not mileage, and when I hit 45 minutes I was going up a bridge, and I said, you know, this is a nice bridge; let's just finish it. And then at the top of the bridge I saw a nice little town on the other side, with a clearly marked road, and I said, you know, that would be a nice place to turn around just in case my GPS messes up. So I turned around there. It was a happy little accident.
An interval workout of 2 x 1.82 miles? WTH is that? It was a week of accidents and misfires. I was planning to do 4 x 1-mile intervals that day, but when I got to the track, it was occupied and indeed completely run over by an out-of-season football team (turns out they're in the post-season action--so "end of season" is probably a better term). I had to improvise. I ran back home, remembered a running route that was close to 2 miles out and back, and just did two of those with a 5:00 rest in between. It worked out fine.
An HR2 reading on day 5? Is that a thing? It can be, but I think it's most useful when you do it consistently and can compare data, which I haven't been. But that reading was very useful in this sense: I knew it was a tough workout, but I didn't think it was a super-tough workout, and the HR2 confirmed that. How so? A normal heart rate will drop at least 12 beats a minute after the cessation of running. If it's dropping less than that, something may be wrong. The large difference between the HR1 and the HR2 told me I was recovering properly from the workout, and the next day's HR1 (after the recovery run) confirmed it.
What kind of exercises did you do for your SE on day 4? I try to do movements that are most complementary to running. For instance, I do a "kettlebell catch" where I throw a kettlebell up in the air (to head height) with one hand and catch it in the other. I bring that down to my side, and then alternate the throwing back and forth. Doing so mimics the kind of "left / right" motion of running, and by doing it with weight, you get a kind of synergistic strengthening going on. Things like that--whatever strikes me, really. I avoid my legs as much as possible; they're worn out from the intervals the day before, and I've got a tempo the next day, so they need to rest.
Looks like you got outside three days this week? Yes! On all three of those days, the winds were low or low-moderate--very tolerable. The temps were in the 20s or low 30s (F) with the wind chills--again, tolerable with a good running jacket.
Also looks like the recovery week (last week) was a good idea. I'm glad it worked out! I didn't set out to run 40+ miles this week, but things went well from day to day. I haven't had a weekly mileage of 40+ in close to ten years. Good stuff.
Have you played Doom Eternal? Dude, it's not out yet! I know, I know...like that stops anybody. Don't forget my age: I played Doom 2 off of 3.5 floppies. (Wish I still had them; apparently they're worth some money now.)