FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log

[FortyPlusRunner]

Re BRK - i get those from time to time, in all fields (endurance, strength or pyjama wrestling). Sometimes it is a false dawn but these are great days!

I like that "false dawn" distinction, and you're right about that: sometimes a breakthrough is simply a really good day. The proof is in the long run, right?

What do you call the opposite of BRK? The days when the run is crap, weights unnaturally heavy, or when you just plain suck.

LOL, I've never deigned to assign a word to those workouts! I'd rather forget them! But you have a good point: we should probably keep track of those because they can be a sign of overtraining, bad diet, etc.--or they can simply be "down" days. I'll have to think about that.

[FortyPlusRunner]

Block 12: Distance running training
Week 2
Body weight: 169
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, SBike = stationary bike, BP = bench press, AHR = average heart rate, KB = kettlebell, TE = total elevation, WPU = weighted pull-ups, SQ = squat, DL = deadlift, ZD= zero-drop shoes, *BRK* = breakthrough workout

Day 1: Stamina Run, humid, one hill, 3.0 mil @ 7:04-pace; 4.2 mil total
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Easy Run TM ZD 5.5 mil 42:30 HR1 117
Day 4: Stamina Run TM ZD, 3.2 mil @ 6:53-pace, HR1 123; 4.2 mil total
Day 5: Hill circuit x 6; 5 mil total
Day 6: Group Long Run, three hills, 10.0 mil 1:35:34
Day 7: Progressive Stamina Run TM ZD, 4.5 mil @ 7:12-pace (average), HR1 113; 5.5 mil total

Throughout the week: A few sets of pull-ups and dips here and there

Mileage for the week: 34.4

What's with all the Stamina runs? Aren't you overtraining? Now that you mention it, I may be, because in addition to the three Stamina runs I've got the Hill circuit workout, too. Hmm. See, this is the temptation when you experience a breakthrough workout (which happened last week): you might push yourself even harder with the newfound strength, speed, etc. That's fine if you've been sluggish lately, but I tend to err in the opposite direction, so perhaps I should dial it back a bit. My HR1's have been a little on the high side, and they are usually a good indicator of general fatigue.

Injury report? Legs are doing great. The zero-drop shoes are wonderful and seem to be correcting whatever nonsense was causing my knee to act strangely. We'll see as I continue to increase my use of them. (I'm going to try to run in them four times next week.)

Oddly, I think I sprained or strained something in my left arm. Whenever I move it in a specific way, it gets all tingly, like some kind of nerve pinch. It's not electrolyte imbalance (there would be other signs), nor is it caffeine addiction (I drink maybe 60mg of caffeine daily at this point, if that). I do remember, however, maybe slightly overdoing some accessory lifts a couple weeks ago; that was probably the culprit. Hopefully it's not the pin in my shoulder wearing out after all these years. I'll wait it out and see if it heals on its own.

When's the first race of the season? Two weeks, officially, but I'm going to hop in a cross-country 5K next week as it's for a very good cause, and it should give me an idea of where my fitness is at. I haven't trained cross-country recently--i.e., running on gravel, grass, etc.--and this particular course is up-and-down the whole time, so I won't be going for a PR. Call it a "time trial," which Lydiard prescribed many of before getting into serious competition. (He counsels running time trials at 7/8ths effort.) In any case, it should give me an idea of whether all these stamina runs are "working" as I hope they are.

And you're currently reading...? I saw an intriguing article on Jacques Maritain this week, so I'm currently making my way through his Creative Intuition in Art and Poetry. Some of it is beyond my philosophical knowledge, but I'm gleaning a lot from it. Very worthwhile, especially after having seen Auerbach's approach to literature.

[FortyPlusRunner]

Block 12: Distance running training
Week 3
Body weight: 167
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, SBike = stationary bike, BP = bench press, AHR = average heart rate, KB = kettlebell, TE = total elevation, WPU = weighted pull-ups, SQ = squat, DL = deadlift, ZD= zero-drop shoes, *BRK* = breakthrough workout

Day 1: Rest (food poisoning)
Day 2: Stamina Run, ZD, very warm, one hill, 2.0 mil in 13:48; 4.2 mil total
Day 3: Easy Run TM ZD 4.1 mil 31:49 HR1 98
Day 4: Easy Run, warm, humid, one hill, 5.5 mil 43:46
Day 5: Easy Run TM ZD 3.0 mil 24:13 HR1 98
Day 6: Cross-country 5K, ZD, rain, windy (17+ mph), hilly (450 ft. TE), 19:56; 5 mil total
Day 7: Long Run, rain, some gravel, one hill, 12.2 mil 1:32:30; final 3 mil @ 7:14-pace

Mileage for the week: 34

Food poisoning?!? It's going to happen every now and then if you eat with any regularity at commercial food service outlets (like the subsidized meals available to government workers in certain facilities). My incident was likely a piece of under-cooked chicken. Thank heavens it wreaked only short-term havoc in my system.

Given the conditions, it sounds like the cross-country 5K on day 6 was a bit challenging. It was, but I usually respond well to challenges, and the truth is that I was still fatigued from last week's over-training. The proof of that was in my mile splits: my third mile was twenty-five seconds slower than the pace I'd maintained in the first two miles. That's a lack of endurance right there, probably due to fatigue. Could it be that I just went out too fast? I'm going to say no because the pace of the first couple miles felt "comfortably hard" to me, i.e., do-able. In any case, lesson learned.

You did that race in zero-drop shoes? I did! And they worked great. I'm slowly but surely going over to a full conversion of zero-drop shoes. I have two pairs now: a "daily trainer" shoe and a more cushioned "distance / recovery" shoe. If things continue to go well, I'll add one more: a "tempo / race" shoe. We'll see.

Since when is it advisable to do a 12-miler the day after a race? Since the beginning of time, I'm guessing... Seriously, almost all "vintage" or "classic" running programs feature a long run at an easy pace (Lydiard says a "leisurely pace") the day after a shorter race. Being tired from the race, you're likely to maintain a slower, optimal aerobic pace for your long run, and you can maximize the benefits of the oxygen uptake you experienced the day before. True, it takes at least a week, if not ten days, for any "hard" workout to fully integrate into your system, but doing a long run the day after a race can help with that.

So, the first serious race of the season is next week? Kinda: it's a 5K, not a distance I specialize in, but it will give me a better idea of this coming season's potential. The course is hilly, but it's a road race (better traction), so I'm hoping to run 19:29 or so.

[FortyPlusRunner]

Block 12: Distance running training
Week 4
Body weight: 167
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, SBike = stationary bike, BP = bench press, AHR = average heart rate, KB = kettlebell, TE = total elevation, WPU = weighted pull-ups, SQ = squat, DL = deadlift, ZD= zero-drop shoes, *BRK* = breakthrough workout

Day 1: Easy+ Run, ZD, fog, 6.25 mil 46:59; last half @ 7:14-pace
Day 2: Pull-ups 3x4xBW, Push-ups 3x10, URRow 2x10x40, couple sets of core
Day 3: Group Long Run, three hills, 10.1 mil 1:38:29
Day 4: Recovery Run TM ZD 4.0 mil 34:00 HR1 96
Day 5: Recovery Run TM ZD 3.0 mil 25:29 HR1 95
Day 6: Road Race 5K, humid but cool, two hills (260 ft. TE), 19:33; 4 mil total
Day 7: Long Run ZD warm, very humid, 1/3rd gravel, 12.1 mil 1:29:40

Mileage for the week: ~40

A 10-mile run three days before the race?! It was at a super-easy pace, as you can see, and I kept the recovery runs for the next two days at very easy paces, as well; the HR1 readings showed "all clear." Still...all things considered, if I were prepping for the most important race of the season, I'd keep that run (three days before) to five or six miles. But I've got bigger fish to fry... (more on that in a minute).

Seems like the race went well, even if you didn't quite make your goal. Funny: I actually went out too slowly this time: my final mile was much faster in pace than my first (even taking hills into account). So much for pacing. But yes, it went well otherwise for an early-season race.

What's this about a fish fry? With the longer runs going well, I think it's time to try a longer distance race. Earlier this year I ran a 15K, and it went all right, but I'm thinking of intensely focusing for the next few weeks on prepping for a half-marathon. The base is there, but I'll need some lactate threshold training to take advantage of it (e.g., longer tempo or stamina runs; or long cruise intervals). Let's see how it goes.

Ah--that's why you're increasing your mileage, then. Yes. A half-marathon on 30 miles a week is certainly do-able but probably not competitive. Time to up the ante.

[FortyPlusRunner]

Block 12: Distance running training
Week 5
Body weight: 167
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, SBike = stationary bike, BP = bench press, AHR = average heart rate, KB = kettlebell, TE = total elevation, WPU = weighted pull-ups, SQ = squat, DL = deadlift, ZD= zero-drop shoes, *BRK* = breakthrough workout

Day 1: Easy Run TM ZD 6.0 mil 50:10 HR1 96
Day 2: Stamina Run ZD warm, humid, windy (13-21mph), 8.1 mil 58:29
Day 3 I: 4x4xBW pull-ups, 3x10 push-ups, 3x12x30 URRow
Day 3 II: Recovery Run TM ZD 3.0 mil 25:56 HR1 95
Day 4: TRK Cruise Intervals, some wind (10-12mph), 6 x 1-mile (6:37 average) with 400m jogs in between; 10.2 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM ZD 6.2 mil 51:19 HR1 101
Day 6: Easy Run TM ZD 5.0 mil 39:09 HR1 98
Day 7: Long Tempo Run ZD, windy, hilly (700 ft. TE), 12.1 mil 1:24:02

Mileage for the week: 50.6

Dude, you are nucking futs. I know it. But we established that long ago, didn't we?

Okay, well...talk me through this madness. Actually, the craziest thing in the week is that little ol' 3-mile recovery run on day 3. What that did was bring me to eight days in a row of running--something I haven't done in a long, long time. It's no big deal for some folks--an acquaintance of mine recently hit 1,000 days in a row of running--but for me eight days in a row is pushing it. And I knew I wouldn't be slowing down any time soon (i.e., as of this log I'm at 12 days in a row). So that was the big risk, especially since it was the day before the heavy cruise intervals workout.

Why 6:37s for the intervals? My basic goal for this upcoming half-marathon is to break 1:30, which will require 6:52 pace. The Hansons half-marathon plan recommends doing cruise intervals at ten seconds below your planned race pace. So I set out to do those intervals at 6:40 pace or so (which divides easily on a track: 1:40, 3:20, 5:00, 6:40--as long as you're running near the middle of the lane to get a full mile, not just a 1600). I kept my breathing comfortably hard through the intervals and found myself running 6:37 pace +/- two seconds.

And how did that go? Great: it was just challenging enough to provide a big stimulus without over-training. I expected the workout would take two days to recover from, and it did (look at the HR1s and the paces for days 5 and 6). But by day 7 I was ready to go again--this time for the toughest workout I've had in a long time.

The 12-mile tempo...I didn't know tempo runs could be that long? Some marathoners will do 16-mile tempo runs at (planned) marathon race pace. That's a grueling workout, of course, and recovery takes many days. It's a good workout to do near the very end of your cycle so you can recover / taper down from it.

As for me, I wanted three things from that workout: 1) Run on a course that would simulate the hilly conditions of the race; 2) Run at tempo pace at the end of a long week to simulate fatigue; 3) Run it in zero-drop shoes to see if they'd be suitable for race day. Happily, all three goals worked out: I ran that tempo at very close to goal race pace under similar conditions. I'm now very confident that 1:30 is a reasonable goal for the race.

Aren't you in pain or sore, though, doing such a workout at the end of a 50-mile week, when you normally do 35-40 miles per week? Yes. Sore. A lot. So I took an ice bath afterwards.

Ice bath?!? Oh yeah. Gotta do it, man. 55 degrees Fahrenheit, immerse up to the waist, 10-12 minutes. If you can survive the first two minutes, it's smooth going after that. I know a lot of research has been done on what's now called "immersion therapy," including "contrast baths," etc., and that said research is at best inconclusive and often negative (i.e., they don't work). Many runners, though, swear by them--myself included--for their ability to speed recovery. I'm also not sure how "placebo effect" would apply in this case...

You're calming down next week, I assume? The last hard workout (more cruise intervals) will occur 10 days before the race. Nothing hard after that. But yes, I'll begin to taper down--not too quickly, though. I'll shoot for 40 miles next week, and then the half-marathon is the week after that. Woo!

[FortyPlusRunner]

Block 12: Distance running training
Week 6
Body weight: 167
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, SBike = stationary bike, BP = bench press, AHR = average heart rate, KB = kettlebell, TE = total elevation, WPU = weighted pull-ups, SQ = squat, DL = deadlift, *BRK* = breakthrough workout

--> PSA: All running now done in zero-drop shoes <--

Day 1 I: Recovery Run TM 5.4 mil 45:11 HR1 93
Day 1 II: Recovery Run TM 3.0 mil 25:29 HR1 94
Day 2: SE 3x15: Rows (50-lb KB), push-ups, core
Day 3: TRK Cruise Intervals, windy (9-17 mph), 5 x 1-mile (6:32 average) with 400m jogs in between; 9 mil total
Day 4: Easy Run, windy, some rain, one hill, 6.2 mil 46:40
Day 5: Easy Run TM 5.1 mil 38:23 HR1 104
Day 6: Very Hilly Run (1,030 ft. TE), very windy (15-24 mph), 8.0 mil 58:01
Day 7: Easy Run 5.1 mil 38:13

Mileage for the week: ~42

So, you're all zero-dropped now, are you? Yes! A younger athlete or one doing less mileage could probably make the full transition in three or four weeks. I took my time, given my age and my mileage, and it was pretty seamless. I'd have a little ankle soreness here and there, or a twinge in a calf muscle from time to time, but nothing serious.

Your cruise intervals came down significantly from last week. True, but I was working harder. The winds were gusting more forcefully than last week, and I wasn't quite recovered from that 12-mile tempo at the end of last week (I could sense some lingering fatigue in my legs). Still, I was glad the workout went as well as it did, given the conditions.

What's with that crazy hill run on day 6? The half-marathon I'm competing in is very hilly. No one runs this course for a PR (there's actually another half-marathon within driving distance of this one where people do go if they want to try for a PR, but it doesn't work with my schedule). So, I figured I needed one last run on some pretty hilly terrain to make sure I'm ready for the course. I did keep my effort from going into stamina range, with which the wind kindly helped.

Why two recovery runs on day 1, especially after the 12-mile tempo? I've been doing a hybrid half-marathon plan, where on some days I give myself a range of miles to run; e.g., day 1 after the tempo called for a recovery effort of 5-8. The five went well in the morning, so I tacked on the three in the afternoon--which induced some temporary muscle spasms in my lower legs but otherwise went fine. I iced them down afterwards.

So, what's the plan for the half? I like giving myself three goals for a race: doable, reach, and dream. First, though, I have to determine the conditions I can't change. The course for this race is very hilly, including a significant incline within the last two miles. Also, wind can be a major factor in these here parts this time of year (as you can see from my logs). Given those conditions, I'm going to say doable (and a doable goal should really be doable under most conditions, excepting some disaster) is 1:31.
If I run the hills well and it's not too windy, I'm confident with 1:30 for a reach goal.
A dream goal is a little trickier; it's not a "magic" goal, after all. Looking at the mile splits over the last two weeks, I can reason that a pace ten seconds slower than my average intervals is within my capability if all else goes very well. That puts my dream goal at 1:29 or so.

Take it easy this next week, man. You bet.

[FortyPlusRunner]

Half marathon race report

Temperature: low 50s (ideal)
Precipitation: Rain started an hour before the race and was on/off throughout (not ideal: slippery road conditions, and blisters likely)
Wind: 6-10 mph (not bad, but not ideal; a lot of us were shivering at the start with the rain and wind)
Hills: 1,100 feet of total elevation (difficult, especially given placement: a major incline from miles 10-12)
Participants: at least 3,900
Competition: State-level (i.e., overall winner ordinarily runs a sub-1:10)
Goals: 1:31 (doable), 1:30 (reach), 1:29 (dream)

Summary: The first two miles were a mix of uphill and downhill; I logged a 6:50 and a 6:27. The next couple miles were a mix of flat and downhill; I averaged 6:30 pace. Then the fun began: a big incline for two miles; I dropped back to 6:55 pace for those two. I started getting a little concerned because I knew to make my goal meant maintaining 6:52 pace.
With that in mind, I pushed a bit on the next two miles, which were a mix of flat and downhill; 6:31 pace was the average. Looking all right, but...the toughest inclines came over the next four miles. I barely held on to 6:53 pace for most of them and dropped a 7:03 on one mile--not good. But I remembered that there was a pretty sharp decline for roughly the last mile of the race, and I started to count on that to make up some time.
Dangerous strategy, that. Mile 12 is when you're most tired, when your legs are most shot--and you're thinking you're going to make up time? I passed the 12-mile mark and looked at my watch: 1:21 and a few seconds.
Okay, decision time: keep it steady and have a really good chance of hitting your dream goal... or... just maybe... I remembered the final line of Stephen King's The Long Walk: "...he somehow found the strength to run."
I let it rip.
Mile 13 and I looked at my watch: 6:17. And the final .11 was even faster.

Result: 1:27:54. Not good enough for an award at this level of competition, but better than I thought I could do, especially given the conditions. And, as a more experienced racer reminded me at the after-race party, my time for my age group qualifies me for the NYC Marathon. Huh. I have no intention, but... just maybe...

[godjira1]

That’s pretty fantastic! 1:27ish with >1000ft elevation.

[FortyPlusRunner]

That’s pretty fantastic! 1:27ish with >1000ft elevation.

Thanks, godjira! I am still recovering, so let's see how I feel about it in a week or so, ha ha.

[FortyPlusRunner]

Block 12: Distance running training
Week 7
Body weight: 166
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, SBike = stationary bike, BP = bench press, AHR = average heart rate, KB = kettlebell, TE = total elevation, WPU = weighted pull-ups, SQ = squat, DL = deadlift, *BRK* = breakthrough workout

Day 1: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 41:23 HR1 97
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Very Easy Run 6.1 mil 51:14
Day 4: Very Easy Run TM 5.0 mil 41:51 HR1 96
Day 5: Very Easy Run TM 3.0 mil 25:11 HR1 97
Day 6: Half Marathon Race, rain, light wind, very hilly (1,100 ft. TE), 1:27:54; 13.5 mil total
Day 7: LME with 60-second rests: BP 3x12x95; Lat Pulldown machine 3x15x80; URRow 3x20x20; Dip machine 3x15x100

Mileage for the week: 32.5

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this half marathon you just did is, comparatively speaking, the fastest run you've logged on TB? True! It predicts a much faster 5K and 10K than I've yet run at those distances as a 40+ year old runner. But as I'm sure you've figured out, those "race calculators" all assume one very important thing: that you do the distance-specific training required to do the best at that race distance. E.g., to run a sub-19 5K (which my half marathon time predicts), I'd have to do several sessions of 5K-specific speed work at 6:05 pace in order to accustom my body to that pace at that distance.

How did you feel going into the race, based on this taper that you did? Sluggish, honestly. My legs felt a little heavy after the day 5 short run, and you can see my HR1 was a little higher than I wanted it to be (which may have been nervousness on my part). I may want to try a different tapering plan in the future.

What's LME again? Local Muscular Endurance (medium weights, medium reps, short rests between sets). It's "in between" SE circuit-style training (low weights, high reps) and Max Strength (high weights, low reps, long rests). Rock climbers, rowers, and other athletes whose sports include much "on / off" activity benefit the most from LME. I like to throw it in every now and then when Max Strength would be too fatiguing (week after a half marathon? check) and SE would be too redundant (just ran a half marathon? check).

What's next, then? Recovery week: 20 miles at the most. I'll probably do a couple more LME sessions. And it's the time of year for the dreaded yard work. As Colin Nissan likes to say, It's Decorative Gourd Season...