FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

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Aiwacht
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:56 pm

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by Aiwacht »

Your log is great, thank you for the logical layout (which I may try to emulate!) and the details!

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Aiwacht wrote:Your log is great, thank you for the logical layout (which I may try to emulate!) and the details!
My pleasure! I'm glad you enjoy it. Any emulation of me should be done at your own risk! :lol:

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 6 (Training maxes: 85% lower body, 90% upper body)
Body weight: 195 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
AHR: average heart rate; HR1: heart rate 1:00 after stopping

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless otherwise noted

Day 1: Run 5.02 mil 43:54 AHR 154 HR1 116
Day 2: Run 5.26 mil 46:54
Day 3 AM: Run 5.11 mil 44:26
Day 3 PM: OHP 1x5x95, DL 1x1x235, BP 1x5x155, SQ 1x3x165, some BW pull-ups
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Run 4.11 mil 35:12
Day 6: Run 8.11 mil Mostly Hilly 76:41
Day 7: OHP 1x5x95, SQ 1x5x165, DL 1x3x235, BP 1x5x155, some BW pull-ups

Mileage for the week: 27.6

Hey, what happened to the AHR stats? It got hot, that’s what. To be more precise, it got both hot and humid, to the point where the heart rate monitor was chafing no matter what I did. So, off it went. I may still use it occasionally, but I’m not going to wear it much in the kind of weather I’m training in now unless I really need it.

Why’d you double up the workouts on day three? Starting on day four, I drove 1,300 miles over three days. I’m not much of a road warrior, and I have a family to think of when I’m driving, so it made more sense to simply double up the workouts on day three and go into the long drive fresh. As a result, I toned down the lower body stuff a bit: only one rep on DL, and only three reps on SQ. Those were enough, considering the morning run.

How’s the low-volume barbell training going? So far, so good. It provides a stimulus, I believe, but not so much as to impair the following day’s running workout. I won’t know for sure until we see how it all plays out over the next couple months, but right now it’s doing what I need it to do.

Exactly how are you doing the low-volume training, btw? The standard method:
  • 1 warmup set at 50-60% of the weight of the coming work set
  • Optional second warmup set at 75-80% of the weight of the coming work set
  • 1 work set
So, for my current OHP:
  • Warmup set: 1x5x45 (empty bar)
  • Optional second warmup set: 1x5x70
  • Work set: 1x5x95
No stray dogs this week? Sadly, no. It was a very straightforward week, except for all the driving, which plum tuckered me out.

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 7 (Training maxes: 85% lower body, 90% upper body)
Body weight: ??? (no scale in my current location)
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless otherwise noted

Day 1: Run 6.11 mil Moderately Hilly 56:05
Day 2: Run 6.4 mil Undulating 58:29
Day 3: Max Strength 80%: OHP 1x5x100, SQ 1x5x175, DL 1x1x255, BP 1x3x165; 7 body weight pull-ups sprinkled throughout
Day 4: Run 5.11 mil Moderately Hilly 46:56
Day 5: Run 4.12 mil Undulating 36:22
Day 6: Run 6.26 mil 55:13
Day 7 AM: Run 3.3 mil 28:35
--} BEGIN VACATION, BABY!! {--
Day 7 PM: Bodysurfing ~90 mins

Mileage for the week: 31.3

What's with all the hills and undulation? I was in a different location this week; see last week's post about my drive with the family. There are really only two running routes from this current location unless I drive somewhere to run, which I really don't like to do unless necessary, thus the hills. Also, it's rather hot and humid where I am--even at 6AM, when I run--so I had to really slow things down.
I also had to make sure I kept up on hydration. That's always a major issue when training in the heat (that, and my continual guilt at subjecting people to my fluorescent-white skin). BTW, in case anyone is interested, I've been trying that new "superior hydration" drink (that goes by the rather clever yet wildly inaccurate Body Armor name). Pros: no allergic reaction (I can't drink those other sports drinks), high in potassium and Vitamin C, actually hydrates. Cons: too sweet and not enough salt. Solutions: Cut each bottle in half with water; add 1/8th teaspoon of salt to the whole bottle first.

How are you deciding how much to run each day? I followed the standard TB base building protocol for the first five weeks. Then, I compared where I was at the end of that five weeks to a typical Hansons half-marathon schedule. Then, I simply filled in the blanks for adding 10% mileage per week. I've had to modify it even more to account for the switch from spring weather to summer drudgery, and from mostly flat running to lots o' hills, but otherwise it's been a good fit so far. I'm not planning on running a half-marathon, btw; it's simply a very good all-purpose schedule for base building.

Any aches or pains? I have gone through some minor injuries in the past couple weeks. My left calf started to bother me in the same place that it always does. The reason for this is that I'm significantly bow-legged (and how I wish I had some ranch experience to blame it on, but I don't). Thus, I supinate when I run, which causes extra stress to my inner calves. The solution that always works is simply to ice them. I prefer a 55-degree (Fahrenheit) ice bath for ten minutes, which does wonders.
I've also sensed a mild tweak in my left hip, which seems to be one of those "hey, you're increasing mileage, and you don't have perfect mechanics, so we're going to have to adjust some things up here, and it's going to hurt a bit for a while" kind of pains. I'll continue to monitor it, but I expect it to work itself out.
In light of the above hip pain, I think that the last thing I need is more hip stimulation, so I may back off the Squats. I've never been able to maintain a heavy Squat routine while running, but DLs don't seem to bother my running at all, so I'll probably drop the former and keep the latter. Maybe I'll throw in some quad extensions or something. (Front Squat and I don't get along either, unfortunately.)

Bodysurfing? WTH?? More on that next week, which is vacation, btw. About time.

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 8: VACATION, BABY! (Training maxes: 85% lower body, 90% upper body, Squats are ad lib)
Body weight: ??? (no scale in my current location)
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
BW = body weight

Day 1: Bodysurfing 90 mins
Day 2: Bodysurfing 90 mins
Day 3 AM: Bodysurfing 90 mins
Day 3 PM: Bodysurfing 60 mins
Day 4: Bodysurfing 90 mins
Day 5: Bodysurfing 90 mins
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: OHP 1x5x100, SQ 1x5x135, DL 1x1x255, BP 1x5x165, 4x2xBW pull-ups

You’re squatting less than you’re benching? WTH? As I mentioned last week, I have consistently found that if I run more than three days a week and squat heavy at the same time, something gets injured. So, I have two choices: ditch the squats entirely (and simply deadlift every workout instead), or do lighter squats. I’ve tried the former in the past, and now I’m trying the latter. We’ll see how it goes.

Bodysurfing is exercise? Even if you’re a run-of-the-mill bodysurfer, yeah, because a lot is happening. Bodysurfing for 30 minutes will give you E, SE, and a bit of plyometrics.

Your basic bodysurfer gets into the ocean up to his waist or so, waits for a good 2-foot high wave, and then dives into it, taking it maybe 30-40 yards. Then he repeats the process. He’s doing a bit of ocean swimming, which means pushing against resistance from the water itself, the undertow, the cross-current rip tides, and the incoming waves. There’s also wind shear to deal with, which greatly affects the waves and can have him doing more work than he realizes. He has to use some basic push-off power to catch the wave, and he’s usually kicking to get enough momentum so the wave doesn’t simply pass him by. It’s no wonder your basic bodysurfer feels a bit spent after an hour or so of continuous wave-catching. Obvious point: there’s no extended bodysurfing if there’s no motion in the ocean.

There are professional bodysurfers, too, believe it or not. These people are impressive athletes: they are accomplished ocean swimmers. Watch some of them, and you’ll have no doubt it’s invigorating exercise.

As an intermediate bodysurfer, I fall somewhere in between. I’ve been doing it most of my life (at least 40 years, maybe more), and I never tire of it. We intermediates want more of a challenge but aren’t super-strong swimmers like the pros. So, we swim out to chest-high and shoulder-high water and catch slightly bigger waves out there. If we catch a decent 3-footer or 4-footer that comes along, we can ride that in for 80-100 yards (as long as we can hold our breath that long, which isn’t easy in the roiling of these waves). The power of these waves is pretty intense, too: we must hold our bodies very stiff during the ride to make sure we don’t get tossed around like kelp. For simplicity, a number of us wear swim fins or flippers to help us get out there and catch the waves more easily. I find I’m more tired after days when I do wear them, simply because wearing them means I can do more.

In any case, as you can imagine, it’s quite the workout to keep up this kind of ocean swimming and wave-riding for a while. If I lived near a beach, I would make bodysurfing my main aerobic/endurance activity. It’s both that enjoyable and that invigorating.

Vacation’s over now, I take it? Sadly, yes. Back to the base building grind. During the national heat wave. Joy.

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 9
Training maxes: 85% lower body, 90% upper body, Squats are ad lib
Body weight: ??? (no scale in my current location)
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
BW = body weight

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless specified otherwise

Day 1: Run 5.22 mil Undulating 46:38
Day 2: Run 5.11 mil Moderately Hilly 46:43
Day 3: Run 6.2 mil Undulating 55:05
Day 4: OHP 1x5x100, SQ 1x5x135, DL 1x1x255, BP 1x5x165; 10 BW pull-ups throughout
Day 5: Run 4.22 mil Hilly 38:10
Day 6: Run 9.9 mil Trail 1:26:32
Day 7: Run 6.2 mil Trail 54:32

Mileage for the week: 36.8

Only one Max Strength workout this week? Not really: I'll have completed three Max Strength workouts in nine days if you look at the day 7 preceding this week and the day 1 following this week. That's just the way things fall sometimes.

What's the deal with 9.9 miles on day 6? I made the mistake of trusting my GPS running app. Thank heavens I'd gotten in the habit of noting markers at both ends of a running course, due to mistakes in GPS apps in the past.
I'm in a different location this week (I drove 1,000 miles over two days), and nearby is an awesome crushed-rock rails-to-trails path, so that's where I ran. I loved the experience--and while it's a great boon to have trees overhead for much of the course, those same trees make GPS tracking less reliable. My GPS app said I ran 10 miles, but the reported pace seemed a little too fast to me, so I double-checked it on GMaps Pedometer, which measured the same course shorter. That confirmed what I thought when I looked at the course the GPS running app said I had run: it had me going a little left, a little right, a little left, a little right, etc., when the course is pretty straight. All those little curves the app said I made (which I didn't) add up!

Any particular reason you ran on day 7 instead of doing the usual Max Strength session? We finally got a break in the weather here. On both days 6 and 7, it was 63F first thing in the morning. I wasn't going to waste that opportunity! And trail running is so much easier on the muscles than tarmac, so I wasn't too worried about overdoing it. However, trail running does put a bit more strain on the ligaments and connective tissues because your legs are working harder in terms of stabilization and push-off. And I did sense a bit of light soreness that way after the day 7 run.

Any updates on the low-volume Max Strength stuff? I'm sensing that when I move up to 85% next week, OHP and BP are going to be right at that "just difficult enough" point--a challenge without overdoing it. We'll see. DL continues to be easy; I may have to increase a little more on that next block so I don't stagnate. Reducing the squats to rather ridiculously low numbers has been good for my running, especially during this base building cycle, as my legs are getting much stimulus already.

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 10
Training maxes: 85% lower body, 90% upper body, Squats are ad lib
Body weight: 194 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
BW = body weight; TM = treadmill; AHR = average heart rate; HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless specified otherwise

Day 1: OHP 1x5x105, DL 1x1x270, BP 1x3x175, SQ 1x5x115, Quad Ext. Machine 1x5x190, 12 BW pull-ups and 12 BW dips sprinkled in throughout; Back Ext., 1x30
Day 2: Run 6.1 mil Trail 54:36
Day 3: Run 5.2 mil 45:42
Day 4: OHP 1x4x105, DL 1x1x275
Day 5: Run TM 3.5 mil 31:14 AHR 141 HR1 109
Day 6: Run 7.5 mil 1:06:15
Day 7: Run 5.02 mil 44:10

Mileage for the week: 27.3

Hmm...this looks like a down week. Any reason? I brought my family to one of those "children's museums" that touts as one of its saving graces the fact that children can "touch everything!!!" You know what that means: good luck getting out of there without some gold-rush era disease. I woke up on day 4 feeling horrid, and my sinuses were way more congested than usual. So, I did a super easy workout that day--one set of OHP, one rep of DL--and tried to rest. I felt just as blasted on day 5; in fact, I overslept, which is a rarity for me. That's why I used the treadmill that day: I needed to keep things very, very easy. I woke up feeling slightly better on day 6, and passable on day 7. Hopefully this thing is out of my system at this point. Unfortunately, another in my family got it much worse than I did. As our pediatrician told us, the child is "building an immunization library." Right.

How's this national heat wave been treating you? For reasons I've explained elsewhere, I run first thing in the morning, and I am not used to its being 74 degrees (F) and 95% humidity (RH) at that time. By mile 2 you're basically running in a swimming pool. Chafing is a whole new world of hurt unless you seriously lube up beforehand (including areas I never thought I'd have to do that to--enough said). I have a shining new appreciation for folks who run in this kind of weather year in and year out--not to mention those who served in Iraq (remember that crazy "football in gas masks" scene from the novel Jarhead?).

Injury report, please. All the trail running I did last week and early this week did a number on my right hamstring, which has been "tweaking" a little bit. By "tweaking," I mean it momentarily feels tight at one point early in the run; it twitches a bit; and then it relaxes. It's probably just tight, or maybe it was overcompensating for the trail surface. In any case, it's gotten better as the week's gone on. Also, I did some quad extensions early in the week, and there's a temptation when doing those to tighten up one's hamstrings, so that exercise may have contributed to the soreness. I expect it to clear up in the next few days.
Otherwise, I'm trying hard to stay hydrated. That's a battle this time of year (especially this year).

I lost a bar bet on you, 40P. How in the world are you not 198 pounds again after vacation? Ha! I kept myself to one beer per night, that's how. Well, mostly.

Ten weeks of base building...shouldn't you be starting a HIC or two? Standard TB has you starting HICs in week six. For those of us who like to do longer base building cycles (10+ weeks), the question of when to add in HICs is a good one. Lydiard is not specific in his directions; he says simply to start base building without them, but at some point later to add in what amounts to a tempo run every now and then. The Hansons' plans have you doing a weekly HIC starting at week 5, and two HICs weekly starting at week 6. You can start those Hansons plans from scratch, but they work even better when you've already got a base.
I'm hardly an authority on this stuff, but my feeling is that there comes a time in base building when you realizing you're beginning to stagnate. You generally make some discernible gains after the first 4-5 weeks of base building, and then there's a "second round" of somewhat less gain over the next few weeks. Diminishing returns, in other words. At that point, I think, it's time to add in a HIC. That's about where I am now, so we'll see how my legs feel in a couple days.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? Fred Rogers reportedly swam a mile a day almost every morning. That's impressive. He's all right by me.

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 11
Training maxes: 85% lower body, 90% upper body, Squats are ad lib
Body weight: 194 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
BW = body weight

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless specified otherwise

Day 1: OHP 1x5x105, DL 1x1x275, Pull-ups 6x2xBW, Dips 5x4xBW
Day 2: Run 6.1 mil 53:19
Day 3: Run 6.15 mil 53:12
Day 4: SE 3x30
Day 5: Run 4.1 mil 35:30 Mini-Tempo (see notes)
Day 6: Run 9.3 mil Slightly Hilly 1:24:12
Day 7: Rest

Mileage for the week: 25.6

How's that hamstring doing? Mostly healed, I think. The big scare happened on day 1, when I sensed it tweak during my heaviest DL set. That hadn't happened last week, so I figured that was a sign that I needed to take things a little more easily. The hamstring didn't bother me much during the runs on days 2 and 3, but just to be safe I left out or omitted any hamstring-specific exercises for the day 4 SE. I hardly sensed anything awry on days 5 and 6, but again, just to be sure, I took a rest day on day 7 to let everything calm down.

What's that "mini-tempo" thing about? With the hamstring just healing up, I didn't want to aggravate it with a full-bore tempo run. At the same time, I did want to start throwing in just a little bit of lactate threshold training (or speed-endurance or stamina as some call it). So, after the first mile, I "let myself go" a little bit for miles 2 and 3--still in control, and still breathing easily, but definitely and perceptibly a little faster than I would normally take a typical endurance run. I slowed down for the last mile, but I didn't stop at all during the duration of the run. My running app reports that I ran those two middle miles :32 per mile faster than the other two miles, so that definitely qualifies as a low-end tempo of some sort. And my hamstring handled it just fine. Yay.

And they were forced to eat Robin's minstrels. And there was much rejoicing. Yay.

Hmm, that day 6 run is notably slower than your pace the rest of the week. True--which is fine for a long run, and in fact somewhat preferable, as you certainly don't want to overdo your long run, especially in terms of pace. Even Lydiard counsels that the long run should be at a "leisurely" pace.
However, as it turns out, I did have some issues the previous night with an allergic reaction. I'd been trying a new combination of allergy medicines, and they didn't really work out. I didn't feel quite myself the next morning, which carried over to the run. Ah well. I'd also done that mini-tempo the day before, which was the first time I'd done something like that since starting base-building, so the recovery from that may have had a little to do with it.

So...are you done with Max Strength for now? Yes. I basically did a stretched-out version of an OP I/A block: three sessions each of 75%, 80%, and 85%. As I'm focusing on distance running right now, there's no immediate need to continue with Max Strength. So, the plan is to do SE instead for at least three weeks, if not for six weeks. I'll probably have to throw in a quick block of Max Strength after that; we'll see.

So...are you done with base building? I'm not sure, actually. If yes, I'll go back to attempting to build a bigger mileage base. If no, I'll start to throw in a full-bore tempo session and settle on a manageable weekly mileage. By "manageable," I mean a weekly mileage I can actually maintain with family obligations, work schedule, etc.

What are you doing for SE? Your basic whole body push / pull:
  • Front Squat / KB swing or Straight-leg DL
  • Dips / Pull-ups (Nota bene: I cannot do enough of either of these to qualify for SE, but I'm going to slowly work up to it)
  • OHP / URRow
  • Core

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 12
Body weight: 193 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
BW = body weight, RI = rest interval, DBs = dumbbells, BB = barbell

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless specified otherwise

Day 1: Run 7.1 mil 1:00:47
Day 2: Run 7.51 mil 1:04:06
Day 3: Run 7.05 mil One Big Hill 1:02:33
Day 4: LME* 40%, 3x15, 30-sec. RIs (*see notes)
Day 5: Run 6.5 mil 57:09
Day 6: Run 12.15 mil Half Hilly 1:47:22
Day 7: SE 3x30, upper body and core only

Mileage for the week: 40.2

What is this LME you speak of? Local Muscular Endurance training. It's popular with mountain climbers and similar athletes who need to train a "quick on / quick off" kind of strength that is more powerful than SE and more enduring than Max Strength. The basic formula is 40-60% 1RM, 3-5 sets, 15-20 reps per set, and--here's the fun part--only 30 seconds rest between each set. And you don't do the sets circuit-style; you do one exercise at a time. In other words, if you're doing LME squats, it's 15 reps, rest 30 seconds, 15 reps, rest 30 seconds, etc., until you're done with your squats. You don't hypertrophy because you're using low weights and high reps, and you gain a very specific kind of endurance because of the short rest periods and from doing the same exercise all the way through.

So, how did the LME go? It destroyed me. Seriously. I was sore for the rest of day 4; all of day 5; most of day 6; and there was some lingering soreness even on day 7. And I did very little, honestly:
  • Squats, 3x15x95, 30-second interval between sets
  • Straight-leg DL, 3x15x60 (30-DBs), 30-second interval between sets
I also tacked on some SE after the LME, but these are exercises and weights I'm accustomed to, and I did them circuit-style:
  • OHP 3x30x20-BB
  • URRow 3x30x20-BB
  • Dips, 5x5
  • Pull-ups, 6x2
  • Crunches, 4x40
I sensed very little soreness in my upper body after this workout, but, as I said, my legs were hurting for days afterward. I'm amazed that such little LME training could produce such an effect. The question, of course, is if LME training is specific enough to distance running to be of use in the future. My first impression (and I have no authority to say anything otherwise) is that it could be very useful if you know you're going to be encountering a lot of hills in your training. One thing's for sure: LME training will certainly pull you out of a rut if you're stuck in one! (Though I would follow KBlack's recommendations for busting a plateau first.)

"Half Hilly" on day 6? Yes: the first half of the run was full of hills and slopes, and the second half was mostly flat. Thus, half hilly. "Partly hilly" didn't sound quite right--like some kind of weird weather report.

Day 3...I bet my One Big Hill is bigger than your One Big Hill. So, we're reduced to talking about whose is bigger now, eh? Typical Interwebs, I suppose. I normally avoid the One Big Hill on that particular route because the grade is 12%. That level of steepness just puts a whole lot of strain on the ankles and the surrounding tissues, and I have malformed ankles anyway. But I'll do it once in a great while. Invigorating, once you've recovered from it.

So...more base building? I'm not sure yet. We're having decent weather here right now: mornings are in the 60s, with the only disadvantage being the ultra-sticky humidity (usually 85-95% RH). My gut says to get in some more long runs while the weather lasts. We'll see how the legs are doing.

FortyPlusRunner
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am

Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

Post by FortyPlusRunner »

Block 5: Base Building
Week 13
Body weight: 193 pounds
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs

All runs are on mostly flat terrain unless specified otherwise

Day 1: Run 6.1 mil 51:45
Day 2: Run 8.15 mil One Hill 1:11:17
Day 3: Run 7.1 mil One Hill 1:01:32
Day 4: Run 5.0 mil Slightly Hilly 44:25
Day 5: SE 2x20 (core 3x40)
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Run 4.0 mil, 2.4K in 10:38

Mileage for the week: 30.3

Looks like something happened in the middle of the week. Something bad. You guessed right, pardner. The week started out great, but then I got an intestinal bug / stomach flu. It was minor the first day, but by day 4 it was hitting me full blast (sorry if that gives you too graphic of a mental image). You all know how it goes with these things: because it's "food in, food going out way too quickly" your body doesn't store glycogen as well, and you don't recover as well between sessions, either. It's fatiguing. So, I cut back on the day 4 run (even then, the run was difficult--talk about running on fumes); did a very easy SE on day 5; and rested on day 6. By that time the bug had mostly cleared up, but it takes a little while to recoup from such a thing. I think I'll be back on track this coming week.

So, I'm guessing the 2.4K on day 7 didn't go very well? Correct, but not for the same reason. The first couple laps were fine, but by lap 4 I was wheezing: the EIA had kicked in (exercise-induced asthma). I had tried something new with my asthma medication, and it obviously didn't work. At least I know for next time. My legs felt fine throughout the run, but there was some lingering fatigue in them from the week's events; in other words, over-training probably played a role, too. I haven't been taking rest days consistently, which I probably should. In any case, I'll try a 2.4K again sometime in the next couple weeks.

Days 2 and 3...How is "One Hill" different from "mostly flat"? It signifies that, aside from the few small bumps you'd encounter on a mostly flat course, I ran up one significant hill. I like to keep track of these things to make sure I'm doing at least a little bit of hill work every now and then.

Are you really going to continue this already hyperextended base building block? No; I'm done. Time to switch gears. I'm not ready to go back into Max Strength yet, so I'm considering going into Green with an SE focus.

How was that new Matthew Betley book? Field of Valor? Excellent. The guy's a talented writer. If you're into Brad Thor and Vince Flynn, you are going to enjoy Betley. I especially enjoy the way he portrays the rough and tumble friendship these elite warriors have. And Betley's descriptions of hand to hand combat are some of the best in the business (i.e., military thriller novels). Highly recommended.

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