Road Racing & Training Thread: Week Ending 6/20/2021

Mediocre week for me. Good, bizarre workout Wednesday. Cut my workout today short because I felt a neuroma coming back on my foot. Overall starting to feel fitter and more acclimated to the weather so that is good.

M - 7 @ 8:33. Avg HR 133

T - 9 @ 7:32. Avg HR 147

W -

AM: 2 up + 1 aerobic tempo @ 5:35. 3 sets of run an 800 going out hard for the first 200 and then fight the last 600 + jog 30s to a hill and 2x15s all out hill sprints. 5 minutes between sets. Goal was to basically get as much acid in my legs as possible w/ no emphasis on times. Ended up hitting 2:11/2:15/2:18 on the 800s probably going out in 28/30/32 or thereabouts. 2 down. This one really really hurt.

PM: 2 back from rental car dealership @ 7:21.

Th - 9 @ 7:42. Avg HR 141

Fr - 6 @ 6:50. Avg HR 149. 10x100 on the minute. 13.5-14.5. 2 down.

Sa - 10 @ 7:25. Avg HR 147.

Su - 2 up. 7 easy tempo @ 5:54. Avg HR 175. Foot tingling by mile 2 and felt like a pebble in my shoe by mile 4. Called it before any more damage done. Tried to wear a pair of RC Elites out of the box which was not a good idea. Thank god for the RW return policy.

Total - 63 miles.

Hope everyone had a good week.

M52, 5’,6”, 125

Gotta be happy about this week, and will share it with you. To do a week like this in summer, and when the sun is nearing its annual apex, is just super. Seven in a row—in summer—at at sub-7:00 avg.! Was not sure if it would come back—but it did. Thank heaven! Sorry if I am lacking the requisite LR humility, but I am pumped…giddy…

M: 8.13 at 6:55 overall…7:25 -> 6:38

T: 7.25 at 6:39…overall…nice weather…7:17, 7:06, 6:50, 6:35, 6:31, 6:21.2, 6:05.2, 1:30.7…full progression

W: 11.13 at 6:43 overall…in the hills…7:26, 7:10, 6:56, 6:51, 6:54 (big hill), 6:33, 6:33, 6:26, 6:28, 6:21.7, 6:17.7, :53.1

T: 7.13 at 6:47 overall…nice weather…7:27, 7:15, 7:01, 6:43, 6:41, 6:23.9, 6:00.3, :50.7…full progression

F: 11.5 at 6:47 overall…in the hills…7:17, 7:06, 6:56, 6:54, 7:08 (big hill), 6:43, 6:43, 6:34, 6:37, 6:31, 6:20.2, 3:11.3

Sat.: 9.13 at 6:47 overall…7:25 -> 6:21.3

Sun.: 7.13 at 6:38 overall…hot/dripping…full progression…7:08, 6:52, 6:42, 6:39, 6:30, 6:23.5, 6:13.1, :49.5

61 miles

When I saw the “7:08” pop up after the first mile this morning, it was a great feeling. Was surprised I had that much in the tank after some brisk paces. Knew I would be punctuating the week with an exclamation mark.

Happy running!

M/42

Possible Races: Local half in August, Chicago in October, CIM in December

M: 5.4 easy

T: 7.3 with workout. The workout was 7 x 90sec uphills with jog down recovery. Took me a couple of reps to find the right effort and rhythm. Landed at running the last 5 of the reps at about 3K effort.

W: 6.2 easy

Th: 9.2 with workout - 3 x 6 mins @ tempo with 2 mins float @ marathon effort. Tempo effort landed between 6:35-6:40 paces and the marathon effort was at about 7:20. Encouraged by this workout as there is a marked improvement from a similar effort couple of weeks back.

F: 6 easy

Sa: 19.1 easy with a few minute long surges at random intervals. I have begun adjusting back to longer continuous runs on the road after a lot of weekends with long runs on trails.

Su: 5.2 easy

Weekly mileage: 58+

Weekly duration: 8h+

M: 3+strides

W: 3+strides

F: 3+strides

S: 1hr yoga

Su: 3+strides

M37, 5’10”, about 160

Upcoming: Cherry Blossom (9/12), Half (9/19).

Mo: AM - 6 @ 8:30; 4 @ 7:13

Tu: 10 @ 7:50

We: 10 @ 6:56

Th: 10 @ 7:14

Fr: 10 @ 6:56, Arboretum hills

Sa: 10 @ 8:19

Su: 10 @ 7:29

Total: 70 miles

A little trouble with the SI joint this week, so took it pretty easy.

Encountered a man blocking my way on a bridge this morning who accused me of having stuck him with a needle (I did not) and insisted I turn around and run back from where I came (I did).

Happy Father’s Day, and enjoy the Olympic Trials.

Male, 27, 6’4”, 154 lbs

PRs: 4:54 mi, 16:56 5k, 1:18:00 HM, 2:47:14 M (all 2018)

Races: 7/4 1mi Swim, 7/14 Track or another biathlon, 8/12 1mi Track

Mn - AM: 6 @ 8:15s, PM: 7 @ 7:40s

Tu - 4800T in 17:59 + 4 Strides w/ WU/WD = 9

Wd - 5 @ 7:50s + 2 Strides

Th - 1Mi Race + WU/WD = 5.5

Fr - 4 @ 8:05s

Sa - AM: Biathlon Race w/ WU/WD = 5.5, PM: 7 @ 8:10s

Su - 14 @ 7:55s

Total - 63.5

Th - Went out in 77-77 as planned then apparently fell apart, loss some momentum while passing on a turn and it didnt come back

Sa - First time Biathlon, 3mi of running where I went 5:59 6:07 6:20 with shots in-between, 100ft of gain per lap and its all right before shooting so heart rate and breathing were rough. 3rd place behind a clubmate and a guy who shot better than I and didnt run too much slower

General - Happy I managed to still get 60+ with two races, first LR in at least 4 weeks. Will do some run-swim-run mornings over the next two weeks. looking for 70+ weeks

This was a planned recovery week for me. Easy runs on Wednesday and Friday plus a 10K race on Saturday (41:03 for 7th place). It was by far the hilliest race I've ever run with well over 600 feet of elevation gain. I ran the first 5 miles at 10K effort and then eased off for the last mile + change. That kind of effort probably defeats the purpose of having a recovery week, but I had fun running it.

hhw - That Wednesday workout looks brutal. I hope your neuroma clears up.

OR - No humility necessary. That is an impressive week of running.

cocoon - Nice Thursday workout. I'm glad your fitness is improving.

pewow - Keep at it,

Sub 6:00 - Not very nice of that guy to accuse you of sticking him with a needle, but at least he encouraged you to keep running.

RunnerSam - Congrats to you and Mrs. RunnerSam on the well-run miles. Nice performance at the biathlon!

LancRunner - Congrats on the big mile PR!

notarobot - Nice work with the hilly 10k. Thank you for the kind words, and best of success in your training.

Eh, so I haven't posted on this thread since maybe September/October last year? Kind of lost a bit of motivation through the lockdowns but have been training for 3 months now and about to start building for Big Half/London Marathon so why not get back into the habit? Anyway, Londoner, 36 years old, 5' 11", about 145lbs? 65kg-ish if that's easier.

Built up fairly steadily to where I am now, recently ran 15:19 and 8:57 for a couple of PRs so I'm in good shape (for me). One big difference is trying to really run my Tuesday track sessions faster than I 'should' based on paces. It's helping. I started running at 30 so don't really have any developed speed, this has been useful for me.

So, this is how I'm training.

M - 9 easy

T - 2 x 6 x 500m in 86s average - reps starting every 3'

W - 9.5 easy

Th - 4 x 3.4k off 2' (5:25, :20, :20, :15 pace) in 15.5 total

F - 6 easy

Sa - 11 easy

Su - 19 easy

85 miles total

Boom.

Nice to see you back, HHH. Is the 8:57 a 3,000 or two-mile?

Very hot and sticky week here in South Dakota. Resulted in some crazy fluctuations in heart rate data. I did run the entire week by feel. Just basically enjoyed myself.

Mon #1 - 40 min @ 7:18 (144 bpm)

Mon #2 - Treadmill 52 min @ 7:06 (139 bpm)

Tues - 18 min @ 7:10 (144 bpm) + 44 min @ 7:08 (153 bpm)

Wed #1 - 40 min @ 7:03 (160 bpm)

Wed #2 - 30 min @ 7:02 (150 bpm)

Thurs # 1 - 40 min @ 6:38 (160 bpm)

Fri - 65 min @ 6:56 (157 bpm)

Sat - 2 Hour Long Run @ 7:26 (146 bpm)

Sun - 52 min @ 7:23 (143 bpm)

Weekly Totals

Miles: 70.1 Miles

Duration: 8:22

Total Elevation Gain: 1730 ft

F 44

Goal races: October marathon

I haven't posted in more than a year. While I have been running, it hasn't been interesting enough to talk about week after week. With no certainty about in-person racing, not feeling comfortable running those races that were held in-person, and not really finding the motivation to train for something that would only be a time trial .... I've spent the last fourteen months just running easy/comfortable, 35-45 miles a week with no real hard efforts. It's been a little refreshing to just run without any pressure at all, but I have missed the structure and sense of working toward something. I've been in awe of those of you that WERE able to motivate yourselves to amazing performances in the last year, particularly Mrs Stone whose accomplishments in shattering her PRs are inspiring.

With improvements in the Covid situation and being vaccinated myself, I am ready to get back out there in races. I've decided on a fall marathon and have adapted a schedule and got started on it last week. Now that I'm going to be doing more than just easy running .... I thought I'd start posting again.

Mo: had done a 40-mile bike ride day before, took a rest day

Tu: 8.4 easy

We: 8.4 easy

Th: 8.4 total. First hard work since Boston was cancelled in March 2020. Evidently I was a little anxious at the prospect because I had some weird dreams about doing the workout, but when I got out to run in the morning I was fired up. 2 easy + 6x4 min hard effort (3 minute recovery) + 1.5 easy. The first two intervals felt especially hard as my legs tried to remember how to turn over like that again, the next two felt more relaxed, the last two were tough again as my legs tired. I really enjoyed the work. My hard effort paces were barely my half-marathon pace from early last year though so I have a lot of work to do over the next weeks.

Fr: 0, traveling all morning with a very early flight and I was way too tired to run in the way too hot later in the day.

Sa: 10.5 easy. I usually feel pretty lousy the day after traveling but this time I felt surprisingly good, so I ended up going with it and running farther than I had originally thought I would. Steamy Iowa summer morning was a little bit of a slap in the face after the much cooler and more comfortable mornings back home last week.

Su: 12.4 easy. Storms and rain until mid-morning. When I started my long run, it was cloudy, upper 60s, humid. After about half an hour the sky cleared and the sun came out and it felt hot and much of the route I planned was completely exposed. But except for a drill of an uphill stretch between 8 and 9 mi, I felt all right. Longest run I've done for a long time -- I have done numerous high 10s and an 11 or two in the last 6 months but nothing longer than that. Nice to tick higher than 11 again.

total: 48.1

i posted a little bit during the winter but am back to training fairly seriously and figured why not. i have already been reading the threads when I am bored so may as well contribute. right now, my weekly layout is jumbled because i am just getting done with school and work.

at the moment not really sure what i am working towards. i plan on time trialing one-two 5ks & one 10k sometime in the late aug-sept time frame.

m - 7.87 @7:45 + 4.19 @7:21

tu - 15.16 @6:09 (6-15 6:05 avg)

~felt good and the progression came naturally.

w - 3.03 @7:57

th - 11.80 w/ 4x2 mile on 2 min jog (10:33,10:36,10:32,10:32) + 4.60 @7:39

~was a great morning temperature wise, and after the first rep I knew I was either going to have a really good workout or crash and burn. luckily, it was not the latter.

f - 8.01 @7:30 + 3.86 @ 7:51

sa - 3.95 @ 7:55 + 9.38 @ 6:56

su - 12.92 @ 6:12 (6 mi T @ 5:33)

+ 3.98 @ 7:40

~felt alright. the humidity was about 100% which wasn’t the most pleasant.

Mrs. Stone’s week:

Female, 45, 5’6”

PRs: 21:06 (2020), 1:34:28 (2020), 3:13:53 (2021)

2021 TTs: 20:24, 41:42, 1:29:51

Next Goal Race: Boston Marathon (10/11/21)

Goal: TBD

Week of 6/14 to 6/20

M - 7 (9:14)

T - 6 (8:37)

W - 6.5 (8:27). Including 4 x :15-:20 strides after.

Th - 9.5 total (8:30). Incorporated :30 fast pickups at every autolap.

F - 5.3 (9:21)

Sa - 5.9 (9:00). Including 4 x :15-:20 strides after.

Su - 12.5 (8:20)

Weekly Total: 53.5 miles

YTD Total: 1,148 miles

We found out after Mrs. Stone’s marathon in March that she had a full fracture of the phalanx bone in her big right toe. It happened in February in a non-running related accident but she didn’t realize it was a broken bone - she thought it was just a bunion. 🤷🏽‍♂️

She decided to finally get it checked out after the race and when we found out it was a full fracture, she took the requisite time off and is several weeks back now into rebuilding. She is at a point now where she said I am allowed to start sharing her weeks again, haha.

So perfect timing on your return, drcrusher. Welcome back. She was flattered to hear your complimentary remarks.

Male, 53 yo, 5’7”, 142 lbs

Goals:

Short term: Support my body weight in with my left leg in a single-leg calf-raise position

Longer Term: Year-end marathon PR

Strava Relative Effort Past 4 Weeks

302 | 309 | 288 | 249

HRV rMSSD

30 Day Avg: 47.1

This Week: 51.6

About 36 km running

About 0 km biking

Mon: 16 km “long run” held over from last week

Tu: Rest

Wed: General Aerobic with 6 x Strides

Thu: 60 min with 20 min in the middle at T effort

Fri: Day 1 Heel Raises

Sat: Day 2 Heel Raises

Sunday: Day 3 Heel Raises

If you’re following me on Strava, you know I kinda shut things down on Friday. Nothing catastrophic happened, but I just realized how “compromised” my running has become. In order to stay out there with the heel issues, I’ve done so many things... altering my stride... doctoring my shoes... popping the ‘profen... and yet as I was literally hobbling down the stairs on Friday morning... grasping the handrail on one side and bracing myself on the wall on the other on my way out TO RUN... it was just so pathetic. But still I went out the door, and started into that limping lope... but then I just couldn’t keep up the charade anymore.

So the reality is that I’ve been tweaking sh!t to the point where I literally cannot even support my body weight in a calf raise with my left leg. I can raise up on two feet (with some pain, but not unbearable pain), but cannot pull my right foot off the floor and stand on my left. From the floor, I cannot raise my left heel off the floor in a single-leg calf raise... like I can’t even figure out how to fire the muscle.

So when I’m running, I obviously can’t “strike” with the left forefoot/midfoot. When I run easy, I can “heel strike” on the left side... it’s doable and thats’ what I’ve been doing for months (added extra heel padding to my running shoes!). It works up through marathon pace/T pace, but the faster stuff... if I need to get up on the forefoot... it has been excruciating. The day following a run features a painful heel due to all of that heel-striking... It’s some vicious-circle torture.

So I’ll be working on building strength in that left lower leg. No running thru the end of June. Maybe do some easy biking after 10 days.

Sorry for the long post... I'm explaining things to myself as much as I am to you guys...

Why wait? Isn’t your 5k PR like 15:50? You look like you could crush that right now. Fitness is fickle.

M61, 5'11", 179 lbs

JUNE 7-13, 2021

Mon - Off

Tues - 4.0 miles (9:40, 8:39, 8:07, 7:40)

Wed - Off

Thur - 7.7 miles @ 9:06/mi

Fri ---- Bike (a.m.): 9.4 miles @ 18.3 mph

...........Bike (p.m.): 32.5 miles @ 16.8 mph (windy!)

Sat -- Off

Sun - Off

TOTAL 11.7 MILES

JUNE 14-20, 2021

Mon - Off

Tues - 4.0 miles (10:03, 9:26, 9:12, 8:43)

Wed - Off

Thur - 4.0 miles (9:37, 9:06, 8:42, 8:07)

Fri --- Off

Sat -- 7.7 miles @ 8:31/mi. (9:44, 8:51 ... 8:12, 7:34)

Sun - Bike 50.8 miles @ 17.1 mph

TOTAL: 15.7 MILES

HHH: I'm curious about the neuroma symptoms. There have been times when it felt like there was a pebble in my shoe, or maybe my sock had bunched up under the ball of my foot. I've stopped and checked, but nothing, so continued to run. After two or three miles, the sensation/pain dissipates, but often returns for the next run. Hmmm. Helluva workout Wednesday. Dang!

OR: Yesterday you were already feeling good about your week. Then today's run in the heat, wow, no wonder you're adding exclamation points!!!

cocoon: Your Thursday workout looks exactly like my training paces in 2018, shortly before running 3:07. With many months before CIM, I'm assuming your shooting for well below 3 hours, eh? I don't recall your previous marathon result.

Sub-6: Good luck with the SI joint; and I would have turned around, too!

Sam: Podium finish in your first biathlon ... impressive.

notarobot: 41 minutes on a mountain course looks good to me.

drcrusher: Welcoome back. I hear you about the missed structure and goals during this lockdown. Kudos for maintaing in the meantime!

coleiolio: I agree with HHH -- why wait. Jump into a race and see how it goes.

Stone: Your wife mistook the fracture for a bunion -- because of the pain or was the toe visually distorted? Did they have to set it?

Coach Jeff: Hoping the heel raises work for you.

Allen1959 wrote:

cocoon: Your Thursday workout looks exactly like my training paces in 2018, shortly before running 3:07. With many months before CIM, I'm assuming your shooting for well below 3 hours, eh? I don't recall your previous marathon result.

Allen - My marathon PR is 3:06 from 2018. Ran basically identical times (within seconds of each other) in March 2018 and December 2018. I am training for and hoping to get under 3 hours either in Chicago or CIM this year.

In March 2020, I was probably in the best shape of my short running career. Ran 1:25 for the half on untapered legs and was confident of going under 3 at Boston 2020, but we all know what happened to races (and the world) in March/April 2020. I lost all motivation with training and was running whatever mileage from last summer onwards.

As races have started to open up, I have taken a hard look at my training from the past. The realization is that I used to do a bunch of moderate days with a 'hero' workout sprinkled in every week or every 2 weeks. From this cycle onwards, I have really slowed down my easy days and I am trying to commit to 2 workouts every week - either hills, intervals or tempo.