FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Wish you fast and safe recovery, mate.
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky
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FortyPlusRunner
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- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Thanks so much, TBK. My recovery has been speedier than I expected, for which I'm thankful.TBK wrote:Sorry to hear that. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
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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
Thanks, Tom28. I am now feeling much, much better.Tom28 wrote:I hope you're feeling better soon. Take care.
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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
Thank you, Barkadion. The recovery is, I believe, now in full swing.Barkadion wrote:Wish you fast and safe recovery, mate.
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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
In between blocks
Post-hospital week
Body weight: 160 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Rest
Day 2: Freeform SE; total of 90 air squats, 90 push-ups, 40 rows (with a 50-lb KB)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Freeform SE; total of 200 air squats, 100 push-ups, 100 rows (with 50-lb KB)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Freeform SE; total of 300 air squats, 150 push-ups, 150 rows (with 50-lb KB)
Day 7: Progression Run TM 5.2 mil 38:30 HR1 147
Looks like you're feeling better! Well, if you'd said that before day 4, I would've said "hells naw" and grimaced. But sometime between day 3 and day 4, it's like my body hit a big "reset button," and things have gone much, much better ever since. Thank heavens.
But whoa, you lost a lot of body weight. Yes, and to make matters worse, a lot of that was probably muscle, since I was fed almost no protein at all for several days. Ah well; we'll begin again.
What is "freeform SE"? Basically a lazy man's SE--totally appropriate for someone who just spent several days in the hospital who wants to start getting back in shape and who doesn't want to overdo at all.
The basic idea is to start an SE workout of some sort and simply back off the moment you start to strain. You're also allowed to switch between sets whenever you feel like it. The only rule I strictly observed was to maintain the circuit set structure: I rested minimally between exercises but rested fully between sets. Now, those sets may have been variable: 1x30, rest, 1x60, rest, 1x20, rest, etc. You get the idea. That's why I've listed only total numbers; everything else was up for grabs. But I did observe the basic structure of "don't rest much between exercises, but do rest fully between sets," otherwise it's not really SE (and any training effect would be hampered).
Why don't you list paces (i.e. average pace per mile) for most of your runs? I could, but it's just not information that's very useful for me (or anyone, I'd say) right now. For instance, the "average" pace per mile for my day 7 run this week was 7:24 (minutes per mile), but the first mile was 8:10; the last mile was 6:55; and the miles in between were all different because I was slowly but surely increasing the pace based on perceived effort during the run (which is what one kind of "progression run" is). If I really wanted to compare progression runs, I'd need to log those mile splits and compare them: am I running the first mile more quickly? The last mile more slowly? Am I increasing the in between miles at a slower or faster pace? At some point I might want to look at the average pace of these runs, but that information is only really useful once you've looked at the mile splits. And, let's face it, I'm not anywhere near a competitive enough runner for that kind of deep analysis to be relevant.
What did the doctor say about your hospitalization? The good news: the allergies didn't cause it. So what did? I'd have been happy with either of two outcomes: one, it was a fluke, and don't expect it to happen again; or two, we know the reason, here it is, and here's what you're going to have to do to avoid it in the future.
It was neither. They don't know why it happened. It may or may not happen again. Mysterium tremendum.
So...what's next? One of the busiest work weeks of the year is coming up for me, so I'll probably be taking it very easy.
Post-hospital week
Body weight: 160 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Rest
Day 2: Freeform SE; total of 90 air squats, 90 push-ups, 40 rows (with a 50-lb KB)
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Freeform SE; total of 200 air squats, 100 push-ups, 100 rows (with 50-lb KB)
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Freeform SE; total of 300 air squats, 150 push-ups, 150 rows (with 50-lb KB)
Day 7: Progression Run TM 5.2 mil 38:30 HR1 147
Looks like you're feeling better! Well, if you'd said that before day 4, I would've said "hells naw" and grimaced. But sometime between day 3 and day 4, it's like my body hit a big "reset button," and things have gone much, much better ever since. Thank heavens.
But whoa, you lost a lot of body weight. Yes, and to make matters worse, a lot of that was probably muscle, since I was fed almost no protein at all for several days. Ah well; we'll begin again.
What is "freeform SE"? Basically a lazy man's SE--totally appropriate for someone who just spent several days in the hospital who wants to start getting back in shape and who doesn't want to overdo at all.
The basic idea is to start an SE workout of some sort and simply back off the moment you start to strain. You're also allowed to switch between sets whenever you feel like it. The only rule I strictly observed was to maintain the circuit set structure: I rested minimally between exercises but rested fully between sets. Now, those sets may have been variable: 1x30, rest, 1x60, rest, 1x20, rest, etc. You get the idea. That's why I've listed only total numbers; everything else was up for grabs. But I did observe the basic structure of "don't rest much between exercises, but do rest fully between sets," otherwise it's not really SE (and any training effect would be hampered).
Why don't you list paces (i.e. average pace per mile) for most of your runs? I could, but it's just not information that's very useful for me (or anyone, I'd say) right now. For instance, the "average" pace per mile for my day 7 run this week was 7:24 (minutes per mile), but the first mile was 8:10; the last mile was 6:55; and the miles in between were all different because I was slowly but surely increasing the pace based on perceived effort during the run (which is what one kind of "progression run" is). If I really wanted to compare progression runs, I'd need to log those mile splits and compare them: am I running the first mile more quickly? The last mile more slowly? Am I increasing the in between miles at a slower or faster pace? At some point I might want to look at the average pace of these runs, but that information is only really useful once you've looked at the mile splits. And, let's face it, I'm not anywhere near a competitive enough runner for that kind of deep analysis to be relevant.
What did the doctor say about your hospitalization? The good news: the allergies didn't cause it. So what did? I'd have been happy with either of two outcomes: one, it was a fluke, and don't expect it to happen again; or two, we know the reason, here it is, and here's what you're going to have to do to avoid it in the future.
It was neither. They don't know why it happened. It may or may not happen again. Mysterium tremendum.
So...what's next? One of the busiest work weeks of the year is coming up for me, so I'll probably be taking it very easy.
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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
In between blocks
Second post-hospital week
Body weight: 162 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Easy Run TM 5.0 mil 38:29 HR1 120
Day 2: Freeform SE: Total of 60 KB Swings (with 50-lb KB), 60 push-ups, 60 rows
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Freeform SE: Total of 30 Goblet Squats (with 50-lb KB), 30 push-ups
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Stair-climbing throughout the day--probably 80 stories total
Day 7: Rest
Hey, your body weight is returning! Yes! The whole organic system is beginning to "feel" like normal again. Time to get back into the swing of things.
You took it kinda easy this week? Yes: it was one of busiest work weeks of the year for me, so I did the minimum (if that), even substituting the stair-climbing I knew I'd need to be doing on day 6 for that day's workout.
Your HR1s have seemed pretty high the last few weeks. Agreed. At first, I thought it was due to a number of reasons--sickness, getting out of shape because of the hospital stay, etc.--but now I'm coming to believe in the most obvious explanation: my base is shot. In other words, base building doesn't last forever; there comes a time when running only three days a week is no longer adequate maintenance. That's your body's way of telling you something important: time for another base building cycle.
So that's next? Indeed. And it looks like the weather will mostly be cooperating around here. Yippee.
Second post-hospital week
Body weight: 162 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Easy Run TM 5.0 mil 38:29 HR1 120
Day 2: Freeform SE: Total of 60 KB Swings (with 50-lb KB), 60 push-ups, 60 rows
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Freeform SE: Total of 30 Goblet Squats (with 50-lb KB), 30 push-ups
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Stair-climbing throughout the day--probably 80 stories total
Day 7: Rest
Hey, your body weight is returning! Yes! The whole organic system is beginning to "feel" like normal again. Time to get back into the swing of things.
You took it kinda easy this week? Yes: it was one of busiest work weeks of the year for me, so I did the minimum (if that), even substituting the stair-climbing I knew I'd need to be doing on day 6 for that day's workout.
Your HR1s have seemed pretty high the last few weeks. Agreed. At first, I thought it was due to a number of reasons--sickness, getting out of shape because of the hospital stay, etc.--but now I'm coming to believe in the most obvious explanation: my base is shot. In other words, base building doesn't last forever; there comes a time when running only three days a week is no longer adequate maintenance. That's your body's way of telling you something important: time for another base building cycle.
So that's next? Indeed. And it looks like the weather will mostly be cooperating around here. Yippee.
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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 10: Distance running training
Week 1
Body weight: 161 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Very Hilly, Very Windy Run 5.5 mil 43:43
Day 2: Easy Run TM 5.0 mil 39:11 HR1 113; some pull-ups
Day 3: Freeform SE: Total of 60 air squats and 60 push-ups
Day 4: Cruise Intervals: 8 x 400m (average 1:31.5) with 400m jogs in between (range 1:55 to 2:13); 6 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM 4.0 mil 31:44 HR1 108; some pull-ups
Day 6: "Long" Run 8.25 mil 1:01:47
Day 7: Freeform SE: Total of 50 air squats, 50 push-ups, 10/10 single-arm rows (with 50-lb KB), 30 regular rows (same KB)
Mileage for the week: 28.7
Okay, wait: you said a couple weeks ago that average paces aren't that useful for progression runs unless you compare the splits. Why did you include an average pace for your intervals on day 4? My, someone is paying close attention. You're correct, and you might have intuited the answer: I logged the splits for the intervals, and almost every one of them was 1:31 or 1:32. In other words, the average I've given there is actually useful for me because it pretty accurately represents the range of splits without my having to calculate the median, mode, standard deviation, etc. And like I said last time, I'm nowhere near competitive enough to make use of advanced analysis anyway.
You'll notice I included the range of rest times for the in-between 400m jogs. What we're probably going to see over the next few weeks is that my 400m times will remain roughly the same while my recovery jog times go down. That will probably be the case if I stick with the same length of interval. If I decide to lengthen the interval a bit, though, the recovery times will likely stay the same or go up. Those are two different strategies, of course: keep the same interval and speed up the recovery times, versus lengthening the interval while trying to maintain the same interval pace. The former happens naturally as your endurance improves, but the latter requires specificity.
Your HR1s are dropping again. Somewhat, yes, but I'm also slowing down the pace of the recovery runs, so I'd expect that. Opinion varies on the question of how long it takes to get back into shape (to recover fitness) after time off. I've found the ratio of days off to days necessary to get back into shape to be 2-1 or 3-1. To be conservative, I'll estimate a week and a half to get back into shape.
Why do you have "long" in quotation marks for day 6? Sixty minutes / eight miles is pretty short for a long run. I'm aiming to get back to 10-12 miles for my typical long runs. The scare quotes are there just to remind me that I'm not fully back yet. That's okay: these things take time.
Week 1
Body weight: 161 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Very Hilly, Very Windy Run 5.5 mil 43:43
Day 2: Easy Run TM 5.0 mil 39:11 HR1 113; some pull-ups
Day 3: Freeform SE: Total of 60 air squats and 60 push-ups
Day 4: Cruise Intervals: 8 x 400m (average 1:31.5) with 400m jogs in between (range 1:55 to 2:13); 6 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM 4.0 mil 31:44 HR1 108; some pull-ups
Day 6: "Long" Run 8.25 mil 1:01:47
Day 7: Freeform SE: Total of 50 air squats, 50 push-ups, 10/10 single-arm rows (with 50-lb KB), 30 regular rows (same KB)
Mileage for the week: 28.7
Okay, wait: you said a couple weeks ago that average paces aren't that useful for progression runs unless you compare the splits. Why did you include an average pace for your intervals on day 4? My, someone is paying close attention. You're correct, and you might have intuited the answer: I logged the splits for the intervals, and almost every one of them was 1:31 or 1:32. In other words, the average I've given there is actually useful for me because it pretty accurately represents the range of splits without my having to calculate the median, mode, standard deviation, etc. And like I said last time, I'm nowhere near competitive enough to make use of advanced analysis anyway.
You'll notice I included the range of rest times for the in-between 400m jogs. What we're probably going to see over the next few weeks is that my 400m times will remain roughly the same while my recovery jog times go down. That will probably be the case if I stick with the same length of interval. If I decide to lengthen the interval a bit, though, the recovery times will likely stay the same or go up. Those are two different strategies, of course: keep the same interval and speed up the recovery times, versus lengthening the interval while trying to maintain the same interval pace. The former happens naturally as your endurance improves, but the latter requires specificity.
Your HR1s are dropping again. Somewhat, yes, but I'm also slowing down the pace of the recovery runs, so I'd expect that. Opinion varies on the question of how long it takes to get back into shape (to recover fitness) after time off. I've found the ratio of days off to days necessary to get back into shape to be 2-1 or 3-1. To be conservative, I'll estimate a week and a half to get back into shape.
Why do you have "long" in quotation marks for day 6? Sixty minutes / eight miles is pretty short for a long run. I'm aiming to get back to 10-12 miles for my typical long runs. The scare quotes are there just to remind me that I'm not fully back yet. That's okay: these things take time.
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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 10: Distance running training
Week 2
Body weight: 160 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Stamina Run 4.0 mil 28:56
Day 2: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 39:35 HR1 105; some pull-ups
Day 3: Rest / some URRows, push-ups, and rows
Day 4: Cruise Intervals, Super Windy (25-35 mph), 4 x 800m (average 3:09) with 800m jog rests (range 4:16 - 4:31); 6 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM 4.0 mil 31:33 HR1 104
Day 6: "Long" Run, One Medium Hill, 9.25 mil 1:09:23
Day 7: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 38:51 HR1 103; some pull-ups
Mileage for the week: 33.2
So, are you back in shape? I didn't really "feel" like I was back in running shape until day 7. The dropping HR1 numbers, especially considering the increasing paces of those recovery runs, indicates better fitness. The very difficult interval session on day 4 didn't help.
How windy was that, in practical terms? I got blown halfway into the next lane a couple times. That windy--like running through concrete that pushes back.
You're kinda laconic this week. Yes--a busy time of year. I'm sure some folks'll appreciate the conciseness for once.
Week 2
Body weight: 160 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Stamina Run 4.0 mil 28:56
Day 2: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 39:35 HR1 105; some pull-ups
Day 3: Rest / some URRows, push-ups, and rows
Day 4: Cruise Intervals, Super Windy (25-35 mph), 4 x 800m (average 3:09) with 800m jog rests (range 4:16 - 4:31); 6 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM 4.0 mil 31:33 HR1 104
Day 6: "Long" Run, One Medium Hill, 9.25 mil 1:09:23
Day 7: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 38:51 HR1 103; some pull-ups
Mileage for the week: 33.2
So, are you back in shape? I didn't really "feel" like I was back in running shape until day 7. The dropping HR1 numbers, especially considering the increasing paces of those recovery runs, indicates better fitness. The very difficult interval session on day 4 didn't help.
How windy was that, in practical terms? I got blown halfway into the next lane a couple times. That windy--like running through concrete that pushes back.
You're kinda laconic this week. Yes--a busy time of year. I'm sure some folks'll appreciate the conciseness for once.
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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 10: Distance running training
Week 3
Body weight: 161 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Easy Run TM 4.0 mil 30:08 HR1 104; some pull-ups
Day 2: Cruise Intervals TRK 8 x 400m (average 1:27.2) with 400m jogs in between (range 1:57 - 2:16); 6 mil total
Day 3: Rest / some push-ups and rows
Day 4: Tempo Run TRK 5K in 20:13; 5.1 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM 4.0 mil 31:21 HR1 101; some pull-ups
Day 6: Long Run, half hilly, 10.1 mil 1:13:00
Day 7: Easy Run, Super Windy (25 - 38 mph), Undulating, 6.1 mil 47:19
Mileage for the week: 35.3
Hey, that's a pretty decent long run for you. The weather was just about perfect: light wind, cool temperature, low humidity. If my body would've allowed it I would have just kept going and going. That kind of beautiful weather. (Imagine a sun emoji here.)
Your 400m intervals also came down significantly. But were you just trying harder? That, of course, is one of the things you have to control if your progress is going to be meaningful. By control, I mean have a control set, as it were--something objective to compare against. For a lot of runners, that simply means "going all out" on speed day, which very quickly leads to injury or burn-out. I control for effort by limiting my breathing patterns: 3-3, 3-2, 2-2, etc. True, your breathing can become more efficient, but that takes time. In other words, if I go into an interval session doing the same breathing pattern each time, I can have some guarantee that I'm using roughly the same effort.
I appreciate the new TRK designation. Ah good. Yes, I like to do intervals and tempo runs on a track for the precision. I'm thankful there's one not too far from where I live, and it's usually barren in the early morning.
Don't you usually do a treadmill recovery run the day after your long run? Yes, but both gyms were closed that day, so I ran in that crazy super-wind. When the winds are that high, there's really no avoiding them, and having it at your back means it sometimes causes you to stumble forwards. Seriously. It's a trip. (Wow--horrible pun of the day.)
You're doing basic body weight exercises to keep up with your pull-ups, etc.? I throw them in two or three times a week, yes. After a treadmill recovery run, I'll sometimes head over to the weights and throw in a set of URRows, dips, etc.
What's your diet like at this point? Moderate everything--pretty close to isocaloric, I think, but I'm not being obsessive about it. Isocaloric seems to be an effective maintenance diet for now.
Hey, the new Devin Townsend album came out! I listened to Empath (the deluxe edition) last week, yes. It's a little too "gonzo cosmic" for my tastes. My favorite of his (and there are quite a few) is still Transcendence, though the new live album (Plovdiv) has some spectacular renditions on it.
Week 3
Body weight: 161 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Easy Run TM 4.0 mil 30:08 HR1 104; some pull-ups
Day 2: Cruise Intervals TRK 8 x 400m (average 1:27.2) with 400m jogs in between (range 1:57 - 2:16); 6 mil total
Day 3: Rest / some push-ups and rows
Day 4: Tempo Run TRK 5K in 20:13; 5.1 mil total
Day 5: Recovery Run TM 4.0 mil 31:21 HR1 101; some pull-ups
Day 6: Long Run, half hilly, 10.1 mil 1:13:00
Day 7: Easy Run, Super Windy (25 - 38 mph), Undulating, 6.1 mil 47:19
Mileage for the week: 35.3
Hey, that's a pretty decent long run for you. The weather was just about perfect: light wind, cool temperature, low humidity. If my body would've allowed it I would have just kept going and going. That kind of beautiful weather. (Imagine a sun emoji here.)
Your 400m intervals also came down significantly. But were you just trying harder? That, of course, is one of the things you have to control if your progress is going to be meaningful. By control, I mean have a control set, as it were--something objective to compare against. For a lot of runners, that simply means "going all out" on speed day, which very quickly leads to injury or burn-out. I control for effort by limiting my breathing patterns: 3-3, 3-2, 2-2, etc. True, your breathing can become more efficient, but that takes time. In other words, if I go into an interval session doing the same breathing pattern each time, I can have some guarantee that I'm using roughly the same effort.
I appreciate the new TRK designation. Ah good. Yes, I like to do intervals and tempo runs on a track for the precision. I'm thankful there's one not too far from where I live, and it's usually barren in the early morning.
Don't you usually do a treadmill recovery run the day after your long run? Yes, but both gyms were closed that day, so I ran in that crazy super-wind. When the winds are that high, there's really no avoiding them, and having it at your back means it sometimes causes you to stumble forwards. Seriously. It's a trip. (Wow--horrible pun of the day.)
You're doing basic body weight exercises to keep up with your pull-ups, etc.? I throw them in two or three times a week, yes. After a treadmill recovery run, I'll sometimes head over to the weights and throw in a set of URRows, dips, etc.
What's your diet like at this point? Moderate everything--pretty close to isocaloric, I think, but I'm not being obsessive about it. Isocaloric seems to be an effective maintenance diet for now.
Hey, the new Devin Townsend album came out! I listened to Empath (the deluxe edition) last week, yes. It's a little too "gonzo cosmic" for my tastes. My favorite of his (and there are quite a few) is still Transcendence, though the new live album (Plovdiv) has some spectacular renditions on it.
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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 10: Distance running training
Week 4
Body weight: 162 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Recovery Run TM 6.0 mil 47:22 HR1 101; some pull-ups, etc.
Day 2: TRK 10 x 400m (1:34.6 average) with 400m jogs in between (range 1:55 - 2:03); 7 mil total
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: TRK 5K in 20:07; 5.1 mil total
Day 5: Easy Run 6.1 mil 44:38
Day 6: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 39:24 HR1 101; some pull-ups, push-ups, etc.
Day 7: Long Run, Cold (sub-freezing with wind chill), Windy (14 - 20 mph), Hilly, 11.2 mil 1:24:25
Mileage for the week: 40.4
Why did you wait until day 7 for your long run? Day 6's weather was horrendous: 40+ mph winds, for starters. It'd been forecast all week, and when day 6 came, I simply did that recovery run, opting to delay the long run a day. That's a perfectly viable option, by the way, in terms of where to place two easy days (or two recovery days) in the weekly schedule. Some folks like it before the Tuesday Track workout; others like it before the Long Run. You can also change it up if you find yourself with some extra energy or needing some extra recovery. Flexibility!
Uh, it still looks like your day 7 run was kinda yucky, though. It was. I sucked it up. At least it wasn't day 6's weather.
That easy run on day 5: isn't that close to stamina pace for you? The weather that day was perfect. And when I hit mile 2 and sensed I was totally in the groove, I just let things flow. It was an easy run in terms of my breathing and my perceived effort; the time was close, yes, to my stamina pace. That could mean that my fitness has improved, or it could simply mean that I just had a good day. Time will tell.
Okay, but...your 400m intervals were much slower this week. Yes, but look at the recovery time range: it's vastly improved. In fact, I added up the total time for the workout--intervals + jogs--and compared it to the total time of last week's interval workout, where my 400m intervals were much faster. The total time for this week, with the slower intervals, was faster by a significant margin.
So, what does that mean? I worked specifically this time on improving my recovery, and the gas was there to do it. I improved overall my speed-endurance by doing so. And even though the 400m interval times were slower, they were still within an acceptable range for spurring better speed-efficiency. You just have to choose what kind of benefit you're going for--and this past week, I'd been sensing a major fatigue buildup, so I went with the slower intervals--but still reaped many benefits from the workout.
And your 5K was a bit faster. A little, yes, but I was definitely sensing the "maxed out / saturation point" training effect. I've mentioned this before: there comes a time in your training when you've been pushing, pushing for a while and you realize, If I push further, I'm going to fall over the edge into over-training. So you take a recovery week, and as a result you make better long-term progress. Both KBlack and J-Madd speak of this phenomenon in their books, and I've found it to be true of distance running training, too, especially at my age.
By the way, one of the major factors that probably led to the "major fatigue" effect this week was when I totally overdid it last week on day 7. That should've been a recovery run, but because the gyms were closed I ran outside in a super-wind, which beat me up a bit. In effect, I heaped effort on top of effort, and when you're training pretty close to the edge, that's all it takes to get into trouble.
Any injuries, by the way? No pain, but one of my knees is tingling every now and then ("pins and needles"), which I'm assuming is simply a pinched nerve somewhere. I'm icing the knee just in case and doing some basic stretching to see if that helps.
Dude, there's a new Scott Stapp album coming out! Yes indeed. I met him several times in the 90s, and I was always impressed by him and Tremonti. Tremonti has done some incredibly awesome work since then; "Another Heart" is probably one of my favorite songs of the past ten years. Let's hope Stapp's new album lives up to the hype.
Week 4
Body weight: 162 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill, TRK = track workout, HR1 = heart rate 1 minute after stopping, BW = body weight, KB = kettlebell, DB = dumbbell, BB = barbell
Day 1: Recovery Run TM 6.0 mil 47:22 HR1 101; some pull-ups, etc.
Day 2: TRK 10 x 400m (1:34.6 average) with 400m jogs in between (range 1:55 - 2:03); 7 mil total
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: TRK 5K in 20:07; 5.1 mil total
Day 5: Easy Run 6.1 mil 44:38
Day 6: Recovery Run TM 5.0 mil 39:24 HR1 101; some pull-ups, push-ups, etc.
Day 7: Long Run, Cold (sub-freezing with wind chill), Windy (14 - 20 mph), Hilly, 11.2 mil 1:24:25
Mileage for the week: 40.4
Why did you wait until day 7 for your long run? Day 6's weather was horrendous: 40+ mph winds, for starters. It'd been forecast all week, and when day 6 came, I simply did that recovery run, opting to delay the long run a day. That's a perfectly viable option, by the way, in terms of where to place two easy days (or two recovery days) in the weekly schedule. Some folks like it before the Tuesday Track workout; others like it before the Long Run. You can also change it up if you find yourself with some extra energy or needing some extra recovery. Flexibility!
Uh, it still looks like your day 7 run was kinda yucky, though. It was. I sucked it up. At least it wasn't day 6's weather.
That easy run on day 5: isn't that close to stamina pace for you? The weather that day was perfect. And when I hit mile 2 and sensed I was totally in the groove, I just let things flow. It was an easy run in terms of my breathing and my perceived effort; the time was close, yes, to my stamina pace. That could mean that my fitness has improved, or it could simply mean that I just had a good day. Time will tell.
Okay, but...your 400m intervals were much slower this week. Yes, but look at the recovery time range: it's vastly improved. In fact, I added up the total time for the workout--intervals + jogs--and compared it to the total time of last week's interval workout, where my 400m intervals were much faster. The total time for this week, with the slower intervals, was faster by a significant margin.
So, what does that mean? I worked specifically this time on improving my recovery, and the gas was there to do it. I improved overall my speed-endurance by doing so. And even though the 400m interval times were slower, they were still within an acceptable range for spurring better speed-efficiency. You just have to choose what kind of benefit you're going for--and this past week, I'd been sensing a major fatigue buildup, so I went with the slower intervals--but still reaped many benefits from the workout.
And your 5K was a bit faster. A little, yes, but I was definitely sensing the "maxed out / saturation point" training effect. I've mentioned this before: there comes a time in your training when you've been pushing, pushing for a while and you realize, If I push further, I'm going to fall over the edge into over-training. So you take a recovery week, and as a result you make better long-term progress. Both KBlack and J-Madd speak of this phenomenon in their books, and I've found it to be true of distance running training, too, especially at my age.
By the way, one of the major factors that probably led to the "major fatigue" effect this week was when I totally overdid it last week on day 7. That should've been a recovery run, but because the gyms were closed I ran outside in a super-wind, which beat me up a bit. In effect, I heaped effort on top of effort, and when you're training pretty close to the edge, that's all it takes to get into trouble.
Any injuries, by the way? No pain, but one of my knees is tingling every now and then ("pins and needles"), which I'm assuming is simply a pinched nerve somewhere. I'm icing the knee just in case and doing some basic stretching to see if that helps.
Dude, there's a new Scott Stapp album coming out! Yes indeed. I met him several times in the 90s, and I was always impressed by him and Tremonti. Tremonti has done some incredibly awesome work since then; "Another Heart" is probably one of my favorite songs of the past ten years. Let's hope Stapp's new album lives up to the hype.