Training Run

Distance: 4.0 miles
Time: 36:01
Pace: 8:59

Comments: Starting something a little different. Thus far I've called these regular runs either "easy" or "recovery" since I'm not doing anything specific, just getting the miles. From now on I'm going to call them "training runs" and leave the other categories for when I'm actually doing that type of run. It'll be a kind of catchall by definition and I think, for now, a 9:00 per mile pace is as good a demarcation line as any.

Which works well since I was just on the right side of that this morning. I actually did every mile but the first well under that threshold. Mile 1 was a bit slower since it took me a little while to warm up. I was more stiff than I expected following the long run on Sunday. Since I'm not doing warm up miles, I have to sort of treat that first part of the run like that by necessity.

Conditions:
Hour: 5:50 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 77 degrees
Humidity: 74 percent
Wind: 5 mph
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: nada. 

Long Run

Distance: 8.0 miles
Time: 1:17:26
Pace: 9:41

Comments: I wasn't as flat whipped as last week but my ass and calves were more sore than they have been for awhile. So the first half mile or so was, again, creaky and unpleasant. It got smoother after that but then I had to contend with the heat. It's nice being able to run in the daylight but, lordy, it ain't easy.

The only real goal today was to hit the eight miles which I plan to hold steady at for the next few weeks. I think I'll keep with the two mid-week four milers and, if I feel stronger by the first of August, add another running day. Between that and the conditioning work, I should be building a nice base.

Anyhow, today's run was solid if not spectacular. I progressively slowed down every mile but that's not surprising given the heat. I also had to stop at one point and help a box turtle heading for the roadway. Hope the little guy didn't make another attempt after I pointed him back toward the marshy area he had left.

Conditions:
Hour: 7:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 80 degrees
Humidity: 60 percent
Wind: nada
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: Nada. 

Conditioning Work

This workout went a bit better than the last one but I still feel a bit scattered in my attempts to keep up. I get a pretty good effort but sticking with each exercise is a struggle and, more often than not, I'm having to ease up to finish the time.

I stayed rather wary of my right hip this time and it gave a murmur now and then but didn't give me the "HEY! Cut it out!" warning like last time. After this one it was pretty clear my quads and butt got a lot of the emphasis of the effort. Not as much upper body work as the previous ones, though.

Training Run

Distance: 4.0 miles
Time: 36:13
Pace: 9:02

Comments: I started this one out purposefully slow in order to avoid the burnout issue from Tuesday. This strategy worked quite well. I am starting to feel some of the payoff condition-wise and the bulk of the run went very smoothly.

I didn't look at the Garmin on purpose until the final mile when I stepped up the pace a bit. That proved to be about 8:30 so I made an effort to hold it there the whole mile. I got slowed down a bit when I went off the sidewalk to avoid some geese but pushed it the final quarter to finish at 8:20 pace. Not bad.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:15 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 80 degrees
Humidity: 58 percent
Wind: nada
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: I was pretty concerned that my hip issue from yesterday might carry over to today but it seems that wasn't the case. There was no problem whatsoever on this run thus bolstering my theory that it's the side-to-side motion that aggravated it. Still, I'm going to be wary.

Conditioning Work

Made it out to the Camp Gladiator workout again. Like the last time, it totally kicked my ass but not in the most positive way this time. During the second set of exercises my right hip decided not to cooperate. I eased back on it but it really wasn't happy with doing the side-to-side work. Not a surprise, really, give everything I've done has been straight on running. Torque is a new complication for my muscles and my tendons.

I tried to keep up by avoiding the exercises that would aggravate it and substituting ones that wouldn't. I did a lot of burpees as a result. But my other issue was that I didn't have the umph this time I did last time. That's not surprising given my body is still trying to catch up with the new workload but it was a bit disappointing.

Recovery Run

Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 21:38
Pace: 8:30 

Comments: I cut this one off early for a number of reasons. First is that I probably pushed it a bit too hard at the start. The conditioning workout and long run have started to pay dividends, which is nice, but I've got a long way to go in the stamina department. Pushing too hard would only be asking for trouble. Which leads to reason two: I do not want to go into tomorrow's conditioning workout flat spent. This is the first of a four-day run of workouts and I'd best not screw it up on the front end.

Outside of the rationalizations the fact is it was hot and miserable and the allergic reaction on my legs still itches like all hell when I run. I also got up late and am a bit pressed for time. Still, the quicker pace was nice and, even better, I had the first sense of control over the run in awhile. But this comes with a price and my body ain't quite ready to pay it. Also, I have to get a solid dinner if I have any hope to survive these morning workouts.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:10 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 79 degrees
Humidity: 70 percent
Wind: nada
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: Nada. 

Long Run

Distance: 6.0 miles 
Time: 57:11
Pace: 9:31

Comments: So the conditioning workout pretty much whipped my ass. I was pretty creaky the rest of the day and downright sore the next. My quads were feeling the the worst but there were delightful spots of ache waiting to be discovered ever time I moved.

It wasn't a lot better this morning. Getting out of bed was rough and getting started on the run even more so. Making matters worse, I'm allergic to something and my legs have broken out. So the first mile was pretty much an achy, stiff, itchy, sore pile of awful. It got better, but not dramatically so.

The goal here was just to get the six miles in whatever the time. And even though the temperature/humidity was a little better than my last run it felt worse. This was a slog from start to finish with a few nice hills thrown in for sheer sadism. Still, I got through it with a reasonable pace and didn't have that regrettable 'just walk the rest of the way' impulse. Poco y poco.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 75 degrees
Humidity: 78 percent
Wind: nada
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: Nada. 

Conditioning Work

So a friend of mine at work had a free month pass for Camp Gladiator -- one of these currently popular group fitness deals. She spoke highly of the trainers here locally so I figured I'd give it a shot. What I need is something to help me work on my overall conditioning (and strength) as I ramp back up into my full training form. I also could use a kick in the ass to keep onto my routine.

So I went to the 5:30 a.m. workout here in town and there was about three dozen folks there. I was expecting the worst - quasi-yoga self-empowerment yada-yada - but was happily surprised. Yeah, there was a little of that (and a lot of selling the program) but the main focus was staying upbeat and keeping folks involved in the workout.

And the workout was pretty much exactly what I wanted. It was almost precisely the same as what Coach Dean had us do on our conditioning phase without the speed work mixed in. Which is good since I'm avoiding that for the moment in hopes of avoiding injury.

It was also demanding. I finished totally drenched with that quaking feeling in my legs you get when you've worked out probably a little bit further than you thought you could have. There was that tired soreness as well but I knew that was just a taste of what my weekend would be like. Oh well, everybody told me it wasn't going to be easy.

Training Run

Distance: 4.0 miles
Time: 36:44
Pace: 9:10

Comments: A powerful little summer storm popped up just as I woke up. It blasted through pretty fast and I got out the door to run at about the time I was hoping for. It was impressively humid but the big upshot was the temperatures were as cool as I can hope to get for the next three months.

The start of the run was a distressingly unpleasant slog. I had real concerns that the whole thing would be that awful but I got warmed up after a mile or so and the rest went very well. I didn't set any pace records but had a nice consistent effort pretty much the rest of the way.

Conditions:
Hour: 5:30 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: overcast
Temperature: 68 degrees
Humidity: 90 percent
Wind: nada
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: Nada.

Easy Run

Distance: 4.0 miles
Time: 37:02
Pace: 9:15

Comments: Went to bed stupid early in order to get up in time to run EVEN IF insomnia set in. It did but I got up in plenty of time to get the run in anyway.

This went about like I expected. The temperature is as cool as it's gonna get anytime soon and the oppressive humidity is something I'm just going to have to deal with. I considered putting in five miles but decided to stick to this four-mile regimen until I get my routine down flat.

Conditions:
Hour: 6:00 a.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 77 degrees
Humidity: 78 percent
Wind: 10 mph
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GT 14

Injury update: Nada.